Re: Kit for First Machine
Many years ago, the DIY CNC world was a very different place. High quality components were very expensive and hard to get. There was a lot of innovation back then, with new designs appearing constantly. A lot of these machines were built from wood, because it was cheap, and easy to work with.
Today, you can buy bolt together aluminum kits at very reasonable prices, that are much stronger, and much easier to build than a JGRO or Joes 2006. CNC Router Parts is The biggest supplier. Fine Line Auitomation offers similar kits, and uses some CNC Router Parts components.
The Grunblau is another popular kit. Brian Oltrogge | Gr
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At this point in time, if you were me, what would you do for your first CNC machine?
That really depends on how much you want to spend, and how much you want to do yourself.
As for plans, there aren't really any out there besides Joes Hybrid (and Evolution) and the Mechmate.
Re: Kit for First Machine
I have build two 3-axis cnc routers. So you understand my point-of-view: I make small furniture pieces, and jewelry and decorative boxes, plus cut dash boards inserts to mount instrument in power boats. I am a designer, not an engineer.
First one was from scratch. Took two years. Should have started learning CAD, then CAM, then Mach3 BEFORE I bought all [too many] parts and wasted lots of time AND MONEY to build machine. Did built all electronics; mind blowing experience; learned lots, but in end, have forgotten most of it .. but got the t-shirt!!!
Second one I bought parts from ShopDroid [great guy] and 8020 inc. Did not buy an electronics kit, but put together parts and did all wiring. Bought cheap controller, learned hard way. Buy a Gecko 540 and cooling fins and added fan. [see Fine Line Automation for good one.] Machine is 85-90-percent done, it does move, just need leveling and calibration and a few details. Life keeps getting in the way though.
Second machine was built so it can cut dovetails clamped vertically, and eventually have rotary axis and a B-C head.
Conclusions: As the ultimate goal is to make stuff, based on my experience, look at buying total kit package from CNC Router Parts. Frame, steppers, and electronics and wiring .. the whole thing. Plus Ahern is a real helpful guy!
Think CNC Router Parts kit is expensive?! Well...no, that is unless you are a mechanical and electrical engineer who is also an excellent machinist. Part of what you are buying is their experience. The time you will save buying the kits, AND THE HELP, will get you down the road to making stuff.
You still will learn lots, and it will be your machine, but the savings in time and avoiding all the frustration will be worth the marginally higher cost. An aside: I gotta tell ya: I have flat spots all over my head,. Also, the damn wall is still flat and squarel!!!
As for a wooden machine. Many build them. The people who do so are astonishingly accomplished and competent, and high detail oriented and organized. Those of us on CNC Zone who watched their wooden machines go together are in awe of the designs and the making of the machine, and its performance when it is done. Be sure you read those threads.
Joe's machine designs are still inspiring. It was on my list, but I ended up using another's design. Based on some of the machines I have seen on the Joes CNC site, it is a good choice, but leave a lot on the builder to be a total DIYer, which is not all bad. Choice is good after all.
BIGGEST SUGGESTION: Learn all the software first. CAD [suggestion: Start with SketchUp.], then CAM [I use D2NC and CAMBAM], and then software controller [I use MACH3]. There are other choices, all with pluses and minuses, just like what I chose has pluses and minuses. Also, be sure you learn about g-code. Find a copy of Peter Smid's book CNC Programming Handbook [any edition will do for hobbyists] and learn about g-code..to the point you can write a g-code program by hand. I have saved a lot of broken router bits by knowing how to review g-code. I think it makes me a much more competent and confident user of my CNC machines.
While you are learning the software side, you can save up the money for the kits from CNCRP!!!
I also suggest you focus on what you want to make out and out of what material. That will help you in making decisions about the size of the table, the stepper motors, the drive system [rack and pinion or type of lead screws and nuts], and type of rails and trucks, what kind of a spindle/router, and a lot of other items. My first machine is about 20-inches by 20-inches. Just right size to make small things for my boxes. Second one is about 4-feet by 7-feet; focus of this one was larger furniture parts, dovetails, round legs, legs tapered on 4 or 6 or 8 sides, plus more able to do 3D designs [rotary axis and B-C head]. Did not do 4-feet by 8-feet table as I do not want to cut sheet goods. [Have whole different about this today!]
I run both machines with older computers with parallel ports, and separate graphics cards, and stripped down Windows 2000 [remove lots of back ground processes]. G-code will only runs so fast, as will your machine.
As Ger pointed out, there is MECHMATE...astonishing machine, but LOTS and LOTS of work. I tried to interest a welder friend in building one. He said I could hire him, but I needed a lot of money and room. I still drool over a MECHMATE!!!
Hope this long post helps your decision making.
