[lsalme]

Longtime reader of the zone i finally built a cnc router. Its been 20 plus years after doing some peek and poke programming off a Commadore 64 to some breadboarded led's to simulate a stepper pulse sequence and not knowing much of any electronics or cnc. Project ahead to today where we have some great hardware and software with unbelievably good quality and prices. Not to mention some well evolved cnc router designs for the DIY builder. Near the end of 2008 i was getting the bug again and began following some builders threads and found several builds using V bearings and angle iron with great success. Thanks to my initial contacts with cnc zone users dertsap who had one of the stoutest DIY routers i had seen and also to Glidergider who had just built the Joes 4X4 hybrid design his 2nd DIY router build. With some assurance the build was officially on for the Joes 4x4. This post is really going to be in a nutshell since the machine is done. My build was approx 3 mo. of spare time starting with making some router templates to cut my MDF pieces since i opted to cut them myself and had no cnc. A Chistmas special priced HobbycncPro 4 axis kit which i built with the current control modification which works great and reduces the number of components to install. I reduced the machine down to a 4X3 due to garage space and all together i would estimate total machine cost at about $2000 then another $1000 for programming software VcarvePro+PhotoVcarve and Mach3 control software. Some builders have built the design using some less expensive material that probably gets the build cost down to the $1500 range. Here is a video photo compilation ending with video of the initial cuts made by the machine. The latest addition i have done is cutting a dust shoe and adding the dust collector.
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4633700/12388172

[Jack000]

very nice, that looks like a quality build.

I was thinking of the v-bearing + angle method for my next build, but wouldn't the bearing wear down the angle (or the other way around), since the wall of the bearing is in contact with a hard edge?

also, what are you using for dust collection - an off the shelf cyclone I assume?

[lsalme]

I have not heard of any wear problems. If there ever was a problem with the angle iron it is inexpensive and the v bearings are hardened so there have been no problems with wear.The dust shoe feeds directly to a 2hp Grizzly vacuum. I have a $20 garbage can cyclone lid for from Woodcraft that i plan to install between the two to catch debris before it reaches the Dust collector.