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View Full Version : My Homemade cnc



simso
22nd January 2008, 08:35 PM
Okay first up, Id like to thank rodm, I contemplated making a cnc router last christmas, went and bought the mdf plans through ebay and had a read through them. Posted up a couple of thoughts here on the website and rod got back to me, and let me know the ins and outs. Long story short I threw away the 20 dollar ebay plans and built my own.

My unit took me two or three weeks to build not to sure which, most of the time was spent waiting for parts to arrive as I in my wisdom had decided to make it over christmas when everyone is shut.

What can you make with it, whatever your mind desires or craves, you are only limited by your imagination

Here she be, solid steel body, aluminium gantry, the second photo is all the electrics housed underneath

simso
22nd January 2008, 08:40 PM
what can you make, well this is just some of the stuff you can make with it,

Big Shed
22nd January 2008, 08:45 PM
Very impressive simso!:2tsup:

Looks the goods to make wooden clock movements with.

Do you have any WIP pictures etc from making this CNC?

AV Elec
22nd January 2008, 09:01 PM
Very cool:2tsup:

Did you document the process? You should sell the plans. I would be keen to give it a try, and buy the plans. I want to add a laser cutter into it though:)

How much did it cost in parts, minus the P.C and monitor. Does it require a high end P.C?

simso
22nd January 2008, 09:02 PM
Yep, it all came together very quickly "with ever persisting emails to annoy rodm"

Heres some photos from construction stage, I have lots and lots of them from different views of the rails and of the motor mounts etc etc

simso
22nd January 2008, 09:08 PM
Its all free, you just have to ask, "which you have" just give it a week until everyone else starts posting there pic's and If you still want my design no problems, there yours.

Enjoy

Steve

AV Elec
22nd January 2008, 09:33 PM
Thanks mate. I have just checked out the CNC section:D

I am in aww...

simso
23rd January 2008, 03:10 PM
Quote - How much did it cost in parts, minus the P.C and monitor. Does it require a high end P.C?

High end pc, I dont think so, this is a cheap crappy 150 dollar dell computer I bought through ebay which came with monitor etc.

Because I wanted an all in one unit, I didnt want the monitor or keyboard as they didnt fit my design so I went with usb keyboard with built in scroll mouse and lcd. Means I dont need anything outside of my machine just turn it on and away it goes.

The first expensive thing is electrics, doesnt matter if you make a steel aluminium or mdf one, they all use the same electrics,

So computer hooks out through printer port to cnc driver board (175usd) and then out via wires to driver motors (about 40 each need three). Thats it.

The other expenses are varied depending on whether you want an mdf design with all thread as supplied by bunnings for 4dollars a metre or ballscrews at 100 per metre plus nuts.

Differences bewteen cheap mdf and high end steel ally ballscrews is simply accuracy, with an mdf design you can carve up shapes etc and produce nice jobs, better than you could ever do it by hand, with high end machines you can fine engrave mirrors. If you have a look at the mirrors I posted with the animals "sams room" that engraving is less than .1mm deep, the writing and the border is .2mm deep

Price difference = more accuracy, excluding electrics (300 dollars) mdf can be done for as little as a couple of hundred bucks, cheaper than any routing jig you may buy. High end "mine" 2,500 dollars, including elecs.

Routers, the good old fashioned trusty ozito at a cost of 49 dollars will route perfectly for a 100 plus hours, then you will just start to see a bit of a wider line as the bearings slowly get worn out.

Zarguld
23rd January 2008, 04:54 PM
Very impresive you have made a great machine there.:2tsup::2tsup:

Squirrel
24th January 2008, 09:50 PM
Very nice machine Simso...

I have built a mdf version, which has been complete since before christmas. I am not confident with the wiring at this stage. I bought the recommended board with the steppers, but later bought another breakout board to prevent damage to the main board. This is were I got all confused, the wiring of the two boards with the emergency stop and the travel trip switches. I will get there eventually.

SS.

simso
24th January 2008, 10:01 PM
Hey squirrel, post up pics of what you need and lots of smarter people than me will more than happily help out, greg "greolt" loves the electric stuff. Rod "rodm" can do the standard stuff wiring blind folded. I know just enough to get me going and keep me out of trouble, the electrics are not my area of expertise, but I do understand them.

Start a new thread mate with your pics. MDF designs are good. Shows everyone different styles and ideas.

Enjoy mate. Looking forward to your pics, you cannot believe the excitement that happens when you run your machine for the first time

Steve

PS a fair few of us dont use limit switches, including me, they cause electromagnet interference and make your router flutter. Doesnt mean you cant use them be aware that "sometimes" they cause problems

AV Elec
25th January 2008, 06:11 PM
Sounds good mate. I have read the specs for the joe2006 model, but yours looks a lot more robust. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.


I assume you need a milling machine and lathe to make most of the bits?
How much of it can be made using other tools?, or does most of it require a lathe and mill?
What is the capacity of this machine for aluminium, steel, and stainless steel?
Thanks for this, I really appreciate your help and time. :2tsup:

WillyInBris
25th January 2008, 06:41 PM
Yep, it all came together very quickly "with ever persisting emails to annoy rodm"



lol I am sure rodm likes to be annoyed :D

simso
25th January 2008, 07:22 PM
Hey mate, firstly its a router not a mill, it has no capacity for steel, for aluminium no problems but slow cuts, for wood strap on and watch the dust. No you dont need a mill and lathe to make this at all. Most of my design was done by hand, the body becuase I wanted it ridgid and solid, I went and drew up in autocad my design and gave it to the local laser cutters to pop out of 10mm steel, cost me about a 100 bucks for the main solid steel body,then drill and tap drill and tap. All other bits when you purchase them you can opt for a few bucks more to have them pre-machined. If you have a lathe or mill yes it does make life a bit easier, becuase then you can custom make to suit your application. The other option is you can have bits locally machined up for you

Enjoy now

and yes rodm loves all those emails, so keep em coming

AV Elec
26th January 2008, 12:13 AM
Thanks ,mate.

I would really like to be able to do both timber/plastic, and steel. Looks like I really need 2 machines.

I just need to decide which one to do first...

rodm
26th January 2008, 12:37 AM
I can probably help you make that choice. To do steel and particularly stainless steel you will need a mill and unless you only want to do hobby stuff you need a big mill - $2,500 to ?????. To convert a big mill using ballscrews to CNC you are in the range of $3,500 minimum.
I have just converted an X3 which is classified as a small mill and including the price of the mill it was about $4k to CNC. I would not cut stainless on this mill as I do not think it is rigid enough for decent depth cuts.
Either way you are up for the following extras.
Vice $250 or clamps $120 or both
Collet Set $150
Coolant $250
Set Milling bits $150
Stand or Bench ????
Prices are for Chinese tooling.
The mill will be good for aluminum, steel and acrylics but no good for wood. In any case I would not use a mill for woodwork because sawdust mixed in oil is abrasive and will get in all the dovetails.

A decent homebuilt gantry router using ballscrews and built from steel and aluminum will cost $2,500 upwards and will have a much larger cutting envelope then a mill. You can cut wood, aluminum and brass and acrylics. My money is on the gantry router for starters and of course if you decide to convert a mill you can use the gantry router to make all the bearing blocks and plates for the conversion.

That might help put a perspective on it for you. Of course if you do the mill first then the parts for the gantry router can be made on the mill. :)

AV Elec
26th January 2008, 12:57 AM
Thanks Rod:2tsup:

Rather than hijack this thread, I will create another one. Sorry Sismo:2tsup:

tleah
25th October 2008, 03:33 PM
HI ALL
i have been mulling over the idea of building a machine for the last year or so , i have even bought the steppers and controle boards and breakout board. All sat in my garage waiting for the next step the frame and bearings , shall i or is it just a toy i will not use in a few months i estimate the cost to be around 2-4K i have plans from ebay for a 4x8 foot maching in steel but think a 4x4 foot one would be more usable. i have altered the cad drawings to be 1.6x1 meters with a z of 300mm. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr do i take the plunge? any advice would be a great help

thanks


Tony (perth)

rodm
25th October 2008, 03:58 PM
Hi Troy,
You are in the wrong place to get a negative answer - of course you make the machine. :2tsup:
They are very versatile machines and you can do more with a CNC machine than you can with any other machine they make. Cut parts, engrave, carve, drill and plane are the first thing to spring to mind and you can do this to plastics and composites, timber, aluminum and brass. They are aslo one of the safest machines to use as your hands are never in contact while it is working. They work to very fine tolerances that even an very experienced craftsman would find difficult if not impossible to achieve.
I think I just wrote the advertisment. :oo:
One of the fellows over here paid for his machine in a few months by selling goods he made on his machine so there is also an opportunity to recover you costs.
Your best introduction is to visit one of us and have a look at a machine working. If that doesn't get you hooked then CNC is not for you.
Send me a PM if you want to have a chin wag and demo and I have plenty of parts you can look at so you know what is needed to build a machine. I am NOR but there are others SOR and east.