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Thread: CNC Router for the Disabled
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17th July 2007, 10:46 AM #1
CNC Router for the Disabled
Hi Everyone,
I am a disabled woodworker who became disabled about 5 and a half years ago after I had a rather large stroke and almost died. I somehow managed to survive and now I have a right hand side that is prettywell useless, no arm movement to speak of and with a splint on the right leg so that I can walk. I used to have an electric wheelchair but I don't need that now. I have got a modified Astra automatic that has the acellerator on the other side of the brake pedal and a spinner knob on the steering wheel (and that's all it has) so it can be used with just the left foot and I was right handed before the stroke too. I was the director of a Computer company before I had the stroke so I now write almost everything with a keyboard
Woodworking? Well yes!! I am part way through the construction of a CNC Router table http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35996 and I have picked a few brains along the way and I have had some valuable help from Greolt (pretty sure he is a user here too) who has been doing some machining and fitting some parts together for me. I did intend to buy a lot of the parts but Greolt has done most of it for me! A BIG thank you Greolt!
I have a project in mind for the CNC and that is the reason for putting it together and that a router should be used with two hands really meant I had to design and build a CNC router table. I can't tell you what the project is just yet but lets just say I am an Artist and I will make good use of it
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17th July 2007 10:46 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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17th July 2007, 11:33 AM #2
Looks impressive
I am going to make a rotor table for myself but nothing as elaborate couldn't afford what you have made for starters looking at your other forum site.
Hope you have fun with it
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17th July 2007, 11:44 AM #3
Hi,
I'm sure I will
There is a fairly detailed story on my site at http://www.ocm.com.au/cnc/cnc.html it has the whole story on the other bits you need as well to make a CNC work
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17th July 2007, 12:30 PM #4
Well done nice site.....now go on tell us the wife was out the day you had assembled the bench in the carpeted lounge room??
I have just become a grandfather myself June 8th Nathan 52cm (21") 6.145 kilos (close enought to10 pound) but he doesn't look fat as he is long.
I have just past you site onto a friend who had a stokea few years ago and is wallowing all to often. The thing he misses most is flying as he had pilots licence for up to 6 or 8 pax. An Electrician previously, gets around on a gopher or with s quad or walking stick.
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18th July 2007, 09:29 AM #5Awaiting Email Confirmation
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Hello Crocky,
Well done! I have visited your site and the WIP is outstanding. I have been tossing up for years on a CNC system since I saw a review in Silicon Chip for one doing PCB. I am a woodworker, I don't have access to a metal lathe, so I thought of making it out of Melamine, do you think this would be durable or would it be a better approach to go with the aluminum construction. My primary goal would be PCB and designs on boxes.
thank
les
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18th July 2007, 09:46 AM #6
Hi,
Actually I am assembling it in the office, it was the computer room before I had the stroke so we have given it coat of paint and thats my room now
Good on Nathan they are magic grandkids and they are living reasonably close so we see them quite often.
I hope he logs on to the site bbs, it is primarily for stroke survivors and what they can do or would like to. I used to fly gliders so I know how he feels!
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18th July 2007, 10:12 AM #7
Hi Les,
Well CNC is a pretty good therapy operation
The best place I could send you to for anything CNC is the american site called www.cnczone.com and go into the forums, all the details are on my post there in the CNC Router Log but building in aluminium is good because the frame is pre-cut.
You have to work out what size cutting area and then get the measuring gear out and start. I started by buying the router first, it's only an ozito but it was a start because I can only use one hand it needed to go on a CNC table. Then I got the american xylotex stepper motor kit and then the frame came along after that
I did not start the frame until I had read heaps on cnczone and formulated a project on what I had learnt from the site and there are heaps of aussies there too. You might even find one who lives close to you and can help you. There is Greolt who lives at Geelong (and is doing the metalwork for mine) and Rod1952 who is in Perth and both of them have a heap of knowledge about CNC.
Melamine is probably fine but I would use aluminium every time simply for it's strength and the fact that you can order a kit of parts to your own specific design and it comes ready to install. But if it is not an option and you want build in timber the cnczone would be the place to ask questions.
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18th July 2007, 06:33 PM #8Awaiting Email Confirmation
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Hello Bob,
I have been looking at cnczone for a while now, just not sure which way to go. I will watch your progress. I agree with your suggestion of a cnc forum site here, we would learn together.
thanks
les
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18th July 2007, 08:01 PM #9SENIOR MEMBER
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Les
On the site that Crocky is referring to there are a lot of successful machines made primarily from MDF.
There are a number of detailed plans posted that are free to use.
JGRO, Lionclaw and Joe2000 are some of the popular ones. Do a search. Lots of info.
Joe2000 is in my opinion the better one. Lots of these built and under way around the world.
Isn't the internet great.
Greolt
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19th July 2007, 05:36 PM #10Awaiting Email Confirmation
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Thanks for you help Bob / Greolt I spent an hour this morning on cnczone and most of the cnc machines are quite large. I am thinking of an A4 sized machine. I have a few routers, but for small work the Demtel is great and it can be used with one hand easily.
regards
les
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20th July 2007, 10:34 AM #11SENIOR MEMBER
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hmmm just when I thought I had enough tools, this comes along! I work in IT and my hobbie is woodworking, so this is heaven for me!
Now I just have to convince swmbo
Crocky keep us posted, I'd love to see more pics... looks like an awesome project, workmanship looks first rate, hard to believe it isn't a commercial machine.
Had a quick look at cnczone and there seems to be a few suppliers out there for the electronics/controllers etc... Is there anybody making Gantry kits (I am lazy)??
thanks
joez
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20th July 2007, 07:58 PM #12
Hi Joez,
I like that one, do it slowly and she wont notice
The whole story so far is on my website up a few messages, I did an update this afternoon so it has all the latest information. Greolt is doing some machining work for me at present.
I got the electronics ready to go from the US (xylotex) and I also got the nook ballscrews from the US www.homeshopcnc.com. There is nowhere here that would come near the price I paid. Mine is not the cheapest that you could build, there are even a couple of blokes here building joes2006 router tables out of mdf. I don't know of anyone building gantry's for sale. Best way is do what I have done or what a number of users on cnczone have done and build a solid frame and gantry with the help of some generous people.
Commercial CNC machines would be far too expensive!
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20th July 2007, 08:09 PM #13
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10th August 2007, 09:58 PM #14
She is finished now and I am feeling my way around at present. The Dell PC died in the move from the front room to the shed so I am looking for something else now.
In the meantime I will use my notebook, tested it today and it works good I'll get the table surfaced properly tomorrow and buy some wood and get busy making things!!!
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11th August 2007, 08:37 AM #15
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