Thread: Anyone in Adelaide with CNC Router?????

Hi,

Unfortunately I'm in Sydney, however, I can tell you a fair bit about the CNC 3020 type (the smallest one) with Mach 3 control software.

You are right to be wary, users have reported a lot of problems with them. However they are cheap. Some users report that the 3040 and the 6040 sizes give less trouble.

We (a Men's Shed) have a 3020, and have overcome the following so far

- a troublesome parallel port interface, solved by running Windows XP on a newer PC, and an expansion card with a parallel port.

- lack of visible lubricant in the ballscrew nuts and linear ball bearings. Lubricated with red Nulon grease.

- lost program steps. Filter capacitors were added to the stepper motor supply chips

- stuttering and hang-ups on the X-axis. The flexible coupling between the motor shaft and ball-screw was loose (my fault)

- Z-axis is not square to the table. Trying to fix this now by shimming

- Mach 3 software supplied by the vendor was a rip-off pirate copy. We bought a license to get tech support.

We are moving on now to try fitting hard limit switches and spindle speed control from the G code program (that is absent as standard)

Best of luck

Thanks for the advise Geoff. I've been asked to cut a lot of small pieces out of 3 mm MDF, some as small as 15 mm square, (little windows) am trying to cut them on the scroll saw and getting too much variation with it. Hence looking for/at CNC router.
Looking at the 6040 size as some of the work is A3 sized as well. I suppose that the suppliers all get them from the same factory, as some of the prices are the same??
I'd make one but don't really have the time or knowledge at the moment. Anyone have one this size for sale????
Kryn