[jimm316]

does anyone know if omniturn lathe software, which is a dos based system, will work with a harbor freight-style lathe conversion?

[cely]

Here is a light duty thrust bearing design using mostly hardware store parts for #2, #4, #6, #8, #10, 1/4" and 3/8" allthread lead screws. The total parts cost for a 10-32 thrust bearing is $0.24.

2 Nylon Shoulder Washers
2 Stainless Steel Lock Nuts with Nylon Inserts
2 Stainless Steel Internal Tooth Lock Washers

I bore a thru hole in the end plate that is .020" larger than the shoulder of the shoulder washer. My end plate is powder coated aluminum plate which makes a nice bearing surface. I then assemble a shoulder washer, internal tooth lock washer and lock nut on each side of the end plate. I tighten it down hard...until the lock washer teeth embed in the nylon shoulder washer. I then back off the nuts until the lead screw just turns freely, but with no axial movement. If done right, the shoulder washers will turn against the end plate. A little radial movement is OK with me, but a purest would disagree.

I've been told it won't last long, but I'm not running 24-7 and besides, at $0.24 each, who cares.

I got all my parts at www.smallparts.com because my local hardware store does not have a good selection of nuts and bolts.

Acetal or PTFE filled Delryn would be better than Nylon, but you can't beat the price and availability of Nylon.

[cely]

The consistency of allthread rod purchased from the same batch is pretty good. But when I compare allthread rods purchased from different sources, I get as much as 1/2 a thread difference in 3". My 10-32 is actually 10-32.167. That results in a .005" position error per inch.

Most ACME lead screws, spec pitch error at .007" per foot or better. Thats 0.0006" error per inch or less.

It's one difference between $2 and $20 per lead screws.

[boatflyer]

Okay, so do internet hardware stores count? If so i'd use reid tool or surplus8020 for the structure, and I think Reid tool has linear bearings

[valeen1959]

If you don't need more than 3 feet of travel I used drill rod. I lucked out and the linear bearings I used fit. Also the y axis was rails from printers and they also supplied the bushings and stepper motors. Even ran across a few 293 driver chips in some. Helps if you have friends in recycling electronics as it is nice to get matching parts. Travel on the one I built was 18" x 22" and 5 inch drop (z).

[loud3803]

Doesn't the laminate trimmer force you to cut the entire 3/4" thickness at one pass? Can you cut that much plywood or mdf at one pass?

Maybe we should look at a pattern bit.

Mike...

It has been my experience when using a laminate trimmer to do routing work that you must take several unguided cuts untill you reach the template.

Louis

P.S. Congrats Colin on the new baby!

[ZipSnipe]

A few days ago I was thinking about my future build in which I was going to use grounded flat bar for the rails. I have never been a fan of the pipe designs until I was at my shop one day and I noticed I had a small section of old galvanized pipe(1/4" thick walls) and I was like maybe I could go with the pipe design and just use the lathe at work to precisely turn and polish it.

Now a few days later I was in Home Depot and I checked out their pipe which only had less than an 1/8" wall . I wanted the thicker wall so I can drill and tap the mounting holes. So while I was bummed out about that I remembered over in the electrical section they had those ground rods which are 5/8 solid steel galvanized for like $8 compared to $17 for the pipe. Just a thought .... of course its nice to have access to a nice lathe like we have at work.

[AlienSteve]

Is this the end of the Hardware Store Design CNC Router? I've just read the entire thread... no final design. :'(

I'm president of The Maker's Club at Bates Technical College. We make stuff that makes other stuff. Our first project is a CNC mill.

We are most likely going to use brushed nickel downrod for the X and Y because it is very smooth and seems to be very straight, with UHMW bearings. The Z axis may be rods out of printers also with UHMW bearings. I've found many of the printers seem to have sloppy bearings on them.

We are on a very tight budget of $300, with the possibility of going over that. We'll have to impress them.

Probably going to use a $25 trim router from Harbor Freight.

Steve Greenfield

[pminmo]

We are most likely going to use brushed nickel downrod for the X and Y because it is very smooth and seems to be very straight, with UHMW bearings. The Z axis may be rods out of printers also with UHMW bearings. I've found many of the printers seem to have sloppy bearings on them.

Steve Greenfield

What is brushed nickel downrod? If it is the pipe used for ceiling fans I think you will be waisting your time. Drill Rod is solid straight and smooth and pretty hard to beat for the price. Works well with UHMW.

Does enco (use-enco.com), mscdirect.com, and mcmaster.com as suppliers fit the "Hardware Store" definition?

[temper]

Does enco (use-enco.com), mscdirect.com, and mcmaster.com as suppliers fit the "Hardware Store" definition?

Definitely NOT IMHO, mostly because they are not generally available internationally (nor are there any equivalents). Even when they do ship internationally the shipping cost rules them out. Mind you, the same goes for Harbor Freight for the more esoteric items like lathes etc. (if only... sigh).

[AlienSteve]

What is brushed nickel downrod? If it is the pipe used for ceiling fans I think you will be waisting your time. Drill Rod is solid straight and smooth and pretty hard to beat for the price. Works well with UHMW.

Does enco (use-enco.com), mscdirect.com, and mcmaster.com as suppliers fit the "Hardware Store" definition?

I can't get drill rod at a hardware store. Yes, downrod is the stuff for ceiling fans, it seems very straight and stiff. Why do you think I'd be wasting my time? I've seen black gas pipe used in some CNC designs, and it is rather rough, at least before the paint is removed.

I bought some painted downrods on closeout at Lowes, got them for 1/4 of the marked down price, which was already 1/2 to 1/4 the original price. I have a wood lathe, I'm going to use it to sand the paint off.

Some of the pieces I bought are 4 and 5 feet long and the most I paid for a piece was about $1.50.

Drill rod isn't cheap, and our project is on a very tiny budget.

[AlienSteve]

We're still in the planning stage. I'm drawing up the design in AutoCAD and need to have a BOM ready by next Friday's club meeting for approval so we can take it in for approval by the college and start buying parts.

I found someone not to far from here who has volunteered to help us turn the ends of the Acme screws down for the bearings and the motor mounts.

We thought about making this a little smaller, but the fact is that smaller only means a little less money spent on pipe and Acme screws and wood. Everything else is the same- steppers, trim router, bearings, electronics, etc. It seems like false economy to only save $50 or less and end up with a small workspace.

The basic design is to have a stationary workbed. That way longer objects can be machined and weight of the object doesn't matter, and the CNC mill has a smaller footprint. It does mean we have a less stable cutter, potentially, as it rides on 3 bearings stacked rather than 1 (table moves X-Y) or 2 (table moves X, gantry moves Y). Using 3 foot pipes and Acme thread should give us about 26 inches of machineable space.

The pipes will only be supported on the ends. Risky, perhaps, but this will at most be cutting wood. There is the potential to change the bearings and add supports if sagging is a problem, but that means more money and would be better done later.

We'll build it a bit at a time so we can show the college (and potential members) progress so we have a better chance of them letting us go over the $300 first limit, and to give us time to hold some fundraisers.

First the mechanicals:

Wood carcass, some oak with mostly MDF.
Misc. nuts and bolts
UHMW bearings

*Downrod brushed nickel 36 inch $15 buy four. Use two X axis, two for Y axis. Use printer shafts for Z axis.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...022&lpage=none

*Acme threaded rod 1/2-10tpi oil finish steel, $9.40 for 6 feet. Also available in 3ft length for $5. Two 6ft lengths should do to make two 3 foot X and Y, a shorter piece for Z, and a home-made tap.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=408-0220

Trim router and bit second.
*$25 plus tax trim router HF
*$?? 1/4 to 1/8 shank adapter and some 1/8 bits from PreciseBits.com
*$30 plus SH 1/4 tapered 4 flute bit from PreciseBits.com

Steppers third.
*$72 plus SH 208 oz-in from Circuit Specialists
http://webtronics.stores.yahoo.net/stmone235.html

Electronics fourth.
*$64 plus $7 SH from HobbyCNC.com

Success will not necessarily be measured by how well it works but by progress in building it, and learning from our mistakes. Some of us will go on to build our own CNC mills/routers using what we've learned.

Steve Greenfield
President
The Maker's Club at Bates Technical College

[AlienSteve]

What is brushed nickel downrod? If it is the pipe used for ceiling fans I think you will be waisting your time. Drill Rod is solid straight and smooth and pretty hard to beat for the price. Works well with UHMW.

Does enco (use-enco.com), mscdirect.com, and mcmaster.com as suppliers fit the "Hardware Store" definition?

Lowes had some of the painted downrod marked down to 1/4 price, and while I was staring at them an employee came out and offered to take another 3/4 off! So I bought a bunch from 2 to 6 feet long. I think the 6 foot pieces were about $1.75, I couldn't pass it up.

I stripped paint off of part of one downrod, although it has imperfections none stick out and otherwise it is very smooth.

Comparing the size to 3/4 black pipe, I think it might be the same thing. 3/4 ID, 1-1/16 OD, but smoother. I expect it will work just fine with UHMW bearings.

As to fitting into "hardware store CNC", I think Acme rod has to be included in this and I don't know any of the chain hardware stores that carry it. I wouldn't want to see a lot of parts from online sources, but after all the bearings have to be bought somewhere else, too.

Steve Greenfield

[duncan9]

I am new to this and I am working on building a cnc router are there any designs available ?

[temper]

As to fitting into "hardware store CNC", I think Acme rod has to be included in this and I don't know any of the chain hardware stores that carry it.
Steve Greenfield

No, and that is why in a "hardware store CNC" Acme rod should NOT be used, surely the whole point of this thread is to design a CNC from readily available materials. Whilst roller skate bearings aren't available from hardware stores they are readily available from many other common distributers, whereas Acme thread rod is definitely NOT readily available, and is very very very very expensive.

[AlienSteve]

No, and that is why in a "hardware store CNC" Acme rod should NOT be used, surely the whole point of this thread is to design a CNC from readily available materials. Whilst roller skate bearings aren't available from hardware stores they are readily available from many other common distributers, whereas Acme thread rod is definitely NOT readily available, and is very very very very expensive.

Enco lists some 1/2-10 Acme leadscrew for $10 US for 6 feet, but I have no idea what shipping is on that or what is available for the rest of the world.

OK, so how about allthread?

This shouldn't be too much of an issue since one person may use allthread while another uses Acme, or another uses ballscrews, all in the same design.

The rest of the machine is important...

I'm working on a design for a club I started at Bates Technical College in Tacoma, WA, The Maker's Club. We are planning on using Acme leadscrew from Enco ($10 USD per 6ft) and ball bearings mounted in a square flange with built-in setscrew from McMaster-Carr ($10 USD) for the leadscrew support, and UHMW from a local plastic supply PSI ($3 per pound) for the Acme nut, linear bearings, and misc parts.

Body will be mostly MDF, although we're toying with the idea of some Sch 40 PVC like in the FireballCNC V90. The guides will be pipe. I got some downrod very cheap on closeout at Lowes, it appears to be the same as 3/4 inch black gas pipe.

[temper]

Yes, yes, of course you are totally correct, if you can get acme readily and cost effectively you would be mad not to use it, and if you can't, as you say, you can use allthread.

$10 for 6 feet??? that's cheaper than allthread! drool...

Good luck with the design.

[blackbeard52]

I am new to this and I am working on building a cnc router are there any designs available ?

WOW,, at least 100.....just kidding..here are a few more http://www.cnczone.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=48

[AlienSteve]

Yes, yes, of course you are totally correct, if you can get acme readily and cost effectively you would be mad not to use it, and if you can't, as you say, you can use allthread.

$10 for 6 feet??? that's cheaper than allthread! drool...

Good luck with the design.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=492

[rph816]

Has anyone considered using aluminum angle with UHMW plastic "bearings?" My thought was to use extruded aluminum angle (extremely straight, rigid and available) and then taking 3/4" UHMW and cutting a 1/8" groove to capture the edge of the angle as my X,Y, and Z axis guides and bearings. Thoughts?

ryan