Thread: Some CNC router projects.

Hi Brian,
Nice improvement - should have thought about engraving the lid myself - black permanent marker just doesn't look the same.

I use Aspire to do all my mechanical machining so thought you might like to see how versatile their software is.

I needed a special size spanner so made one with 10mm steel bar. It's 210mm long 28.7mm acroos the flats. It saves me looking for the adjustable now. Might even bore a hole in the handle to hang it up.

Machined on a CNC converted X3 mill.

"Oh, you canna hand a man a grander spanner"

Originally Posted by rodm

Might even bore a hole in the handle to hang it up.

or a slot so you don't need a gym membership just to pick it up.

Hi Rod,

Nice work as usual , can you let us know what sort of cutter you used and feeds and speeds for working with steel?

A couple of good ideas but in my defense it was a quick fix for an annoying problem. Some things are not worth the time and effort and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Gidday Gary,
Used an 8mm four flute HSS bit from CTC tools. Cost $4.00 plus shipping and is as sharp as - forgot how much sharper a HSS is compared to the carbide bits i get.
Started at 200 feed and 50 plunge but soon had it hacking around at 480mm feed. DOC was 0.4mm per pass which was a bit ambitious but thought an 8mm bit should handle it and it wasn't going to be a show piece. Spindle speed was flat out which means about 3,000 RPM but could be wrong on that.
Full flood coolant was used - and needed.

WOW!!!! the jobs you can do with a CNC Router are amazing. I would have thought doing anything in steel would be out of the question and only a Milling machine could be used.
From what I have gleaned from the posts is that nearly any material can be "attacked" with the right bit and feeds and speeds.
Am I right in saying that?
Also how do you hold down the work? Clamps? Vacuum? (If vacuum how do you generate it?)
Just nosey and would like to know

The spanner was done on a CNC converted small mill - a Sieg X3. I wouldn't do steel on a router but have done ally up to 20mm thick and engraved brass on the router.

I hold down my work with cross clamps - steel angle from one side of the table to the other, double sided tape, screws into a spoilboard and various other fixtures and jigs. Some on here use a vacuum pump but i haven't got around to making one yet.

The mill I use T slot clamps or a single or double 5 inch machine vice.

Usually the quickest and easiest way is what I do.

This shows the new direction I have been exploring and having the CNC machines to fabricate it has been a bonus.

It is a solar powered ventilator for a cellar. The fan unit is three 12 volt brushless fans that will be mounted in the cellar and exhaust through an exisiting vent pipe. The lid is to be made yet.

The unit is powered by a 10 watt solar panel and maintains 14 volts in full sun.

The solar panel was $35.00 and the rest hobbled together with gear lying around.

The fan and voltmeter cutouts were CNC'd as was the brackets for the solar panel - does that qualify it for a CNC project??.

Originally Posted by Greolt

For the kids.

.

Bit like the old Spirograph well done like it lots

Originally Posted by rodm

The fan and voltmeter cutouts were CNC'd as was the brackets for the solar panel - does that qualify it for a CNC project??.

G'day Rod, Did you use the CNC to mark out the panel for the cuts and bends?

Cheers
Brian

Hi Brian,
No I marked out on the bench. I was going to use a hole saw for the fans and voltmeter but the mounting bolts for the voltmeter were very close to the edge of the hole. Wacked it on the mill and cut 0.2mm on each pass and got a perfect match.

You can't see it in the photo but the bracket for the solar panel is made so it can be pivoted to the optimum angle - whatever that is here. Fun project.

Hi Rod - don't mean to impose on your thread but thought I might post a couple of recent projects for general viewing.
I have been playing quite a bit with brass and really l9ike the medium.
Started making "memento mori" plaques for boys I was in the army with.
(In case you are wondering - the battalion's mascot was a pig, hence the "porky"and the boar, and the company emblem was the roadrunner - ditto.

I have also just acquired a grandson - the first one - who is incredibly cute ******** and I have made him a few things such as the train, which is from kapur and about 400mm long x about 40mm thick, and the "Name Letters" which are also about 400mm tall and 50mm thick. After cutting the letters out I then v-carved the cartoon characters into them, filled the characters with mahogony-coloured putty, sanded, then glossed the lot. Turned out well - I think.

What was interesting was cutting the depth of the letters (50mm), and working out feeds and speeds for brass.

I have also been playing with 2.5d models which I build in Bobcad, then transpose into Cut3d to generate reliable toolpaths. I have included a couple of shots of these - the roadrunner and the regiment badge.

Cheers

Noel