Topic: my DIY CNC 3 axis milling machine...out of acrylic and scrap

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

I am not to good with descriptions so there will be a ton of pictures. I have been daydreaming and collecting bits here and there for a few months and have just in the past few days started to actually have progress. The end result I want is a versatile machine that can be used as a foam cutter, sandcasting cleaner, plotter, 3D printer, and a digital probe....wha? (I am making intercheangable heads)

I know I could just convert a POS drillpress, I know that there are small 3D printers to be had for short money. I am doing this as a excercise for myself to learn some new tricks and to have a machine that can be MINE MINE MINE.

Resources for this machine
cnc guts and switches- http://www.hubbardcnc.com/ - California CNC superstore- motion controllers. Brent is the man. He put together some custom power supply packages and gave me detailed instructions along with wiring diagrams...even gave me advise over the phone. You dont get that from some misc. dude on ebay selling from China!!!
photo to CNC - http://www.cnc-club.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=35 - gcodetools for Inkscape - great,free, powerful program. Nick (Var) gave immediate answers to all of my silly questions. I tried to do the programming on my own for a week with no success, through some contact with him; it was done in a day.
nuts and bolts- http://www.mcmaster.com/# I order from them about every other day, and typically get the product next day (from NJ)

All of the acrylic and Lexan was free. Either as cutoffs from distributers, samples or (big black chunk) a misc $275 block that was in the corner of the shop for 15 years that was on its way to the dumpster because nobody knew what it could be used for....MILLING MACHINE!!!

[Stev-o]

Sounds cool [except the probe]. What are you doing with foam?

[Killer Canary]

Do you mean a plotter/printer for graphic design? By the way, how were the parts for the world's very first lathe machined?

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

Step 1 was some design of the brackets that will hold the linear slide rails and step motors. (yes I am still using Surfcam 2002, it is what I am most familiar with)


Step 2 cut the design out. I am using 3/8" scratch resistant Lexan. (yes I am using a milling machine in order to create a milling machine)


Step 3 check fit. I am using an 3/8" ACME threaded rod with a delrin nut as the drive for the beds. There is a shoulder that is cut on the rod so it goes into the bearing.


DOH This is what happens when you a milling Lexan too fast without enough air blowing the chips out of the way. Stuff is bulletproof but melts and sticks like sh!t to a blanket.

This is my fix. I used the pen from my pocket as an extension of the air nozzle on the machine. Works great. Has a grip as well.

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

Sounds cool [except the probe]. What are you doing with foam?

The digital probe is an attachment that I can put on the Z axis of the machine in order to get dimensions off an object placed on the bed. Kind of like a 3D scanner..but really just a simple limit stop switch.

When I said "foam" I meant high density stuff, not fluffy stuff.

Do you mean a plotter/printer for graphic design? By the way, how were the parts for the world's very first lathe machined?

Yes. I have a gallery show coming up in December and the theme is "Apocalypse". I thought is would be cool to have the machine up on a table doing a complex drawing. I thought it would provoke some anger from the purists that still think splatter painting is "modern". Dont get me wrong, Pollock was a genius. His artwork has been proven to hold interest due to the fractals and ratios of splatter.

[scottly]

Sounds like a fun project. What were you going to use for a control? Mach III? Steppers or servos?

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

Step 4 was the most dreaded frigging thing in the world. Cutting the 20mm rods that are the linear slide for the bed. I used the miter saw with a metal cutting disc on it. UG. Thought the thing was going to blow up. roll it roll it.


Step 5 was another hairy operation. I used the table router to chamfer the edges of all the parts. Lexan is a soft, but rigid material to work with. Easy to cut on the router but the moment you get cocky with it...GRAB. I am a trained professional, please dont try this at home.


The Arbor press is a great tool to have. (Thanks uncle Mark)


I made this delrin tool to use on the arbor press to put the bearings in without pressing the center. (I am sure one of you nerds knows the actual terminology)


THIS is the moment when I realised.... :oI am actually doing it...this frigging thing might end up working

[brandEn]

I better subscribe. I approve this thread.

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

Sounds like a fun project. What were you going to use for a control? Mach III? Steppers or servos?

I am using Solidworks for design, Surfcam for G code and tool path, Mach3 for control and Stepper motors for drive.

This is my first time doing anything like this so I figured the stepper motors with a flex coupling would be the easy route. I am already thinking the little motors I got arent going to cut it. There are gearing and belt options that I was looking at but want to wait until the machine is done and moving before experimenting with speeds.

I have the Mach3 trial right now and want the whole thing done to test before commiting to the program.

[scottly]

What stepper motors are you using? What drivers were you thinking of? Pics of the motors, please.

[Vreihenmotor6]

so, its gonna be a cnc fordom tool to an extent?

if you want to shoot the #$%* about homemade cnc look me up, I'm looking into options for my 3 in 1 combo tool right now

[scottly]

What is a "cnc fordom tool"?
Here is a link to a good CNC site:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/index.php

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

The Foredom has the nuts to do it but I am just concerned about torque and the flex getting too hot. One of the biggest reasons was for the noise. A Foredome makes almost no noise while a POS Dremel or the Makita grinder I have as other options just SCREEEAAAAAMMMMM.

Boston huh? The Larz Anderson had Honda day on the lawn today, did you make it? If I have any major issues are you going to be the ringer to help me figure out the BS? I am about 25 mins outside of Boston.

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

The Foredome tool is a variable speed flex shaft grinder. There are tons of attachments and chucks.

Here is a rough look at how it will sit on the machine.


Here are the brackets that will hold the motor on the back. The handpiece is held in the Z axis location.

[FunJimmy]

This is very cool.

Thanks
FJ

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

I am forum member "Levtech" on the cnczone site. I have a tough time navigating through all of the adverts. I started a thread about building my own casting machine. THat will be the next project after the milling machine.

My small casting machine is going to either use a pneumatic piston or a motorized slide to pump pistons which will push the urathane plastic that I want to cast with. was that a run on sentence? I should start a drawing of what I want to do and maybe some of you guys could give some advice. I am reading up on how to create an air control system with 12v Mac valves and 2 position switches. I also want to build the plunger pistons myself so I have control over the amount of material that is getting moved.

My words are dogsh!t without pictures. Maybe I will start another thread for that machine.

[Elan]

awesome dude!  Have you ever made it down to as220 in providence? they are always up to things like this.

[754]

 Man, you wood have fun in my shop. Too bad you don't live close by..
 What kind of accuracy are you expecting.. I think ballscrews are far more accurate but pricey...

 I dig the TRANSPARENCY of this project..

[cabrala]

Man, this is some sweet work. I'm over in Boston at a local university running their fab lab (in an architectural setting), but I've been reading up on "self-spawning" CNC projects and this thread kicks ass in terms of seeing it happen.

Good luck with it.

-Alex

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

Elan - Last time I was at the AS220 was to see the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. Heck of a finale'

754- I am not worried about accuracy right now. The first reason why I am building this machine is to clean up my sandcastings. Not too critical. I was originally just going to use a sliding drill press table for the X-Y axis. There is one that uses ballscrews on ebay for close to $700. Would be a great start for a DIY mill...even has the "T" slots.

Crush- a fab lab sounds frigging rad. Have you ever gone to "You Do It electronics"? I typically only have Thursday nights to work on my personal projects, so most of my time is spent imagining how gears turn and what makes switches work. What kind of parts do you have at your disposal? I have 4 linear motion potentiometer thing a ma bobs that I have no use for....

[70CB750]

Subscribed and envious!

[kpier883]

subscribed. 

[cabrala]

Crush- a fab lab sounds frigging rad. Have you ever gone to "You Do It electronics"? I typically only have Thursday nights to work on my personal projects, so most of my time is spent imagining how gears turn and what makes switches work. What kind of parts do you have at your disposal? I have 4 linear motion potentiometer thing a ma bobs that I have no use for....

Never been to "You Do It Electronics" but you bet you're ass I'll be checking it out now. In terms of my shop, I've got it broken into three sections; a full (traditional) wood set-up, a ShopBot 3 Axis Mill (4' X 8') and two laser engravers (100W and 40W). I'm still in learning mode, but having a blast doing so.

Andy750 told me to pay you a visit at Rice-o-Rama, but I was in there late and missed you as I ran through. Keep the updates and references coming...I'll keep following.

EDIT: not to hijack, but a few pics.

[Stev-o]

That is awesome

[rickmancr750]

Building your own CNC machine is fun! http://www.glasson.org/pics/mill/index.html