[johnm99]

NEWB...

I am looking to do 2.5D & 3D carving on hardwood, plywood, and nylon... can this be done using the xylotex board and the mach2 software....????

If not what do I need???

also i have read different post that spoke of the size of steppers needed to drive a certain size machine...

what do you guys recommend for a gantry that is 50" wide, not sure of the weight??? and what can I expect on the speed(ipm)....

any thoughts on this would be appreciated..thanks!!!

[ger21]

NEWB...

I am looking to do 2.5D & 3D carving on hardwood, plywood, and nylon... can this be done using the xylotex board and the mach2 software....????

Yes

also i have read different post that spoke of the size of steppers needed to drive a certain size machine...

what do you guys recommend for a gantry that is 50" wide, not sure of the weight??? and what can I expect on the speed(ipm)....

any thoughts on this would be appreciated..thanks!!!

The Xylotex is a bit small for a larger machine. With a Xylotex you can expect between 30ipm to 100ipm MAX, depending on a lot of things. This is for a relatively lightweight machine. If you'r gantry is over 50lbs, look for something else, imo.

[johnm99]

Yes

The Xylotex is a bit small for a larger machine. With a Xylotex you can expect between 30ipm to 100ipm MAX, depending on a lot of things. This is for a relatively lightweight machine. If you'r gantry is over 50lbs, look for something else, imo.

Are there any recommendations for a larger capacity driver/controller... I have looked at the Geckos but they are a little costly....

using the 276 oz bipolar steppers from AD.

[ger21]

You want a drive that can handle higher voltages. Either the HobbyCNC for unipolar motors or the Embedded Aqusitions. http://www.embeddedtronics.com for bipolar. The Embedded Aquisitions is a bare board. The HobbyCNC is a kit.