New CNC router Project

Now i've started on the controller enclosure ...I got a galvanized steel box from off eBay for 15 quid it's 12" x 12" x 6" and just right for this job I've started fitting the power supply and drivers and the X Y Z sockets, the break out board (BOB) and the computer port..I still need to fit the mains cord and an extra fan to help with the cooling..also I'm waiting for a 5 volt power supply coming from Hong Kong...when i've completed the wiring and motor tuning set up..i think it will be ready for commissioning and it's Maiden voyage.



 
Last edited:
Ken, you never cease to amaze me!! That is just incredible. I've done some CNC retrofits and a lot of programming but I don't think I could build one from scratch.
I just ponyed up and got a prefab CNC router. Am messing with it now

terry
 
I'm pretty handy and think I can pretty much build anything if I have too, but that is so beyond anything I can even imagine... Pretty impressive Ken. Looking forward to the maiden voyage. Is vibration an issue?
 
I'm pretty handy and think I can pretty much build anything if I have too, but that is so beyond anything I can even imagine... Pretty impressive Ken. Looking forward to the maiden voyage. Is vibration an issue?
It's not Vibrations that can give you problems ..It's harmonic resonance from the stepper motors that most users complain about, usually on CNC metal milling machines causing chatter on the tooling giving pretty patterns on the material :) but i've not had that problem cutting wood and plastics.
 
While waiting for the worktable and the 5 volt power supply to arrive, we hooked up the machine to a USB phone charger and a computer and started tuning up the Stepper motors with the Mach 3 software..all the electrical connections were correct and we got it up and running in no time..after a bit of fiddling about with the feed rates we got it running comfortably at 50 IPM. which is ideal for the job it's built for...Here is a bit of a video I made at the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dcRG7dNCjU
 
Doctor Frankenstein: Look! It's moving. It's alive. It's alive... It's alive, it's moving, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE!

Victor Moritz: Henry - In the name of God!

Doctor Frankenstein: Oh, in the name of God! Now I know what it feels like to be God!
 
After checking the accuracy of the machine I was disturbed/ horrified to discover there was .005" play between the the Chinese bought bronze nuts and the leadscrews on the X & Y giving me .005" of backlash every time the leadscrews reversed..so I spent a couple of hours on the lathe and made a couple of Delrin anti backlash devices..and now the Backlash is zero :D

 
Last edited:
Apart from a 5 volt regulated power supply on the way from China (which I can manage without for a while) ...this project is over, it took about 5 weeks ...I'll be handing it over to my Son Mike this weekend so he can fit it into his workshop...I'm hoping he will repay me by providing me a few jigs and a radius dished board or two.
Here are a few final pics...The final cost of materials and components came to approx: £900 but I recon it's worth at least 3 times that.... I'll try show a video later on when it is in action.

CONTROLLER INARDS

CONTROL BOX
 
Last edited:
Lovely work Ken.
How's the anti backlash set up work?
Second nut on drive thread, floating, ie not fixed to carriage, connected to drive nut by springs under compresion, therefore keeping drive nut and second nut on opposite faces of the thread on drive screw?
h
 
Lovely work Ken.
How's the anti backlash set up work?
Second nut on drive thread, floating, ie not fixed to carriage, connected to drive nut by springs under compresion, therefore keeping drive nut and second nut on opposite faces of the thread on drive screw?
h
You're right there Howard ... I could do away with the springs and use lock nuts instead...but that would make ajustment more fiddly.
 
Top Bottom