Thread: BigG CNC

Bloody hell Rod, you turn your back for a month or so and look what gets knocked up No doubt a work of art has begun look forward to seeing it evlove as usual mate

More boring stuff from Rod.
We have come a long way and had a lot of fun since we kicked off all those years ago.

Looks pretty amazing allready Rod

I`d love to own one of your builds someday, they really do look to be one of the most well thought out machines around.

cheers
Brad

Hi Brad,
Good to see you are still interested in CNC. Building and using them gives me a unique opportunity to improve on each new machine. The basic design is fixed and I fiddle around the edges to see what is best.

A lot of work in the cabinet but not much to show. I have done all the 240 volt switching and wiring and fitted the VFD. Not the ideal position for the VFD but nowhere else to put it.
Computer shelf comes out on runners for servicing otherwise it is covered by the door. Lots of 12 volt fans to get air flow over the business end and cold air intake is from the back of the cabinet through a large door vent. The back panel is engraved with the machine name and I will colour the engraving once the paint on the panel hardens.

Again rod. Woww..

You'd think you'd find a better way to spend your time....lol. This one is again in the long list of great looking machines. You selling this one or going to replace one from the arsenal? Well list of improvements, would like to see air actuated pins for indexing, ATC ....lol.

Look forward to watching this one grow.

Daniel
P.S Since your updating i should really update my machine log with the new updates and get around to making some cool stuff.

Thanks Steve and Daniel
This one is being made for someone. Would like to see how your machine is coming along Daniel.

Someone out there is very lucky. My Machine is coming along, again slowly but this time i have a decent excuse with the wedding and all but will post pictures this weekend at some point. Be an incentive if i get my new reduction plates back this week which should be cut this morning on the waterjet. Most of my spare time these days goes into the design work and chasing parts for machines that i'm helping with. Currently enjoying working with a local bloke to build a nice cnc plasma table. Few new challenges but should be a real beauty when running.

Anyway, keep up the good work, what new things are you thinking about trying/adding this time.
Daniel

A CNC plasma is something I am seriously considering. Plasma cutters are cheapish and it would be fun to make parts with it.

Nothing new from the last machine is being added and my efforts are finding a better way to do it. So far about 100 hrs in the base but it does include things like console and electrical work. At this stage I think the machine is the easy bit.

Unfortunately ATC is not possible with a ER11 collet and no through hole in the spindle. I have toyed with the ideas of an EDM hole through the spindle and using a high tensile bike spoke for a drawbar - all this did was hurt my brain thinking about it.

Look forward to seeing more of your machine.

Plasmas are great. When i first started in CNC a local guy had a torchmate and i quickly became good friends with him as he showed me it running. I thought i was amazing, proved a cnc is awesome and almost went down that track but am thankful for building my own and deciding on a router. I learnt heaps about the design and operation from the builds and it has come in handy to help fix both the plasma and other machines. So with him local i had access readily to the plasma until he sold it due to not getting paid from clients within the 30days. Good news was it went to a local shop that does all my other bits and pieces and so still have access, not as much, but it is good, and good for them since i've fixed it a couple times for them. They are amazing how they cut steel and aluminum like butter, only thing better is a waterjet due to no taper on the cut.

So helping this guy will mean both easy access to a machine and a great mate now. He is amazing, and always willing to help which is great since he has a bridgport mill....one day to be converted and surface grinders etc etc etc. He is really excited about building it, and moving at pace, which makes up for my slowness. I think he will have the bug after it is running. Will post some pictures of his machine also this weekend.

Daniel

Hi Daniel,
Linking with other like minded people has opened many doors for me as well. This forum is my way of paying back all the knowledge and contacts I have made through the last five years of machine building. Mind you I don't think I contribute much to the forum anymore as it is repetition of the same. It would be good to get some fresh ideas flowing here and given time the popularity and affordability of CNC is growing.

I see as Bridgeport and go weak at the knees - is that a sickness.

Rod, agreed with the links and the need to repay the knowledge. Its great to see/hear people after they see their machine running with the help you've given. Currently with how busy i've been, i feel bad as i did learn alot from extended periods of forum browsing and net browsing and believe i haven't put much back into forums much lately. Been lurking in the dark and posting where needed but would like to get back into it and get back to my own machine but this won't happen till late this year after everything calms down. Helping others has been a great way to keep in touch with that feeling. I have a black book of ideas to come its just time and money i don't seem to get alot of...lol. Next step for me will be re-building first machine since my old man retired last week, i just want a good workhorse for a few things i've set him up to do, and allow me to add the option for a tangential cutter for my mother who wants to start stain glass.

Anyway, will stop hi-jacking your thread now.
Daniel
P.S Bridgeport.... no thats not a disease. But i know what is.... CNC, you start, you get hooked, then you start looking to convert everything and anything possible. Hell, i got a planer/thicknesser combo yesturday to do panel glue ups etc so i can make larger things on the cnc and there was a moment of "is there a need..." and "would it be possible....".

Here is the weeks work. Cabinet is finished and all the high voltage is connected. Sheetmetal covers and ducts have been made for all the high voltage stuff with warning and identification label added.

Inside the cabinet is an aquarium pump and a sliding drawer for the computer. The pump has an electromagetic piston so it has a sheetmetal cover with cooling fan to limit the EMI to other components. You can see this cover in later photos.

The VFD is a bit low but there wasn't anywhere else I could mount it. It is a bit busy on the front panel.

A solid top will be put on the cabinet so I have a large opening which has an aluminum checker plate door to match the door covering the computer drawer.

There is a large door vent in the back of the machine and five fans pushing air out of the cabinet. There are additional fans inside the cabinet for creating an air flow over sensitive components.

I will mount and wire the electronics in the enclosure this week and hopefully move onto the machine proper. Note that by placing the electronics enclosure in the corner of the machine the cables for the motors can exit through the side of the enclosure and up to a cable chain.