[bwthor]

I think the only upgrade to Brian's machine that would still stay true to its design would be ballscrews instead of the acme screws. But not sure what this would improve? ?? Its an excellent design in my opinion.

Sorry, I should have been more specific in my question about the Cadillac setup. I was wondering about the electronics side of the CNC. No way could I improve on Brian's design!

[1Jumper10]

You replied while i was editing my original post. See my post above yours.

[Shaun21Napier]

Hello Brian,

I am looking at purchasing your Platform CNC here pretty quickly (within the next couple weeks). I was wondering if it was possible to order it in any other colors and if so what would the price be? My next question is, How many total plug in's does the machine need and are they all 110v? I am building a very small shop and trying to configure it to the machine. My father purchased a machine from Laguna and we have had to many issues for the price paid for it! I am very excited to do my first CNC build and cant wait! Hope you have a good new years!!!

-Shaun Napier

[bwthor]

Question on the Y axis lead screws. In my mind it would make more sense to have them on top of the bed, rather than underneath so they would be on the same plane as the tool. Doing so would reduce the amount of torque on the uprights with the lead screws pulling from the bottom. Of course it makes more sense to have them on the bottom to avoid contaminates from milling and such on the lead screws, and to also have a bit more clearance for the work surface.

So, what is the bigger trade off? Avoiding contaminates on the lead screws and gaining a bit of work surface, or having them on top for better leverage?

Also, when using dual lead screws on the Y axis are there issues where they get out of time with each other and bind up? Do some machines use a belt of some sort to keep the lead screws in sync with each other?

[unexpectedly]

This is simply awesome! Will commence to saving the R&D budget for a Spring build...

Chris

[Jason Marsha]

The most powerful match for the Gecko 540 is this motor.

NEMA23 381oz/in 3.5A Dual Shaft Stepper Motor KL23H2100-35-4B | Automation Technology Inc

[drakke]

What is the accuracy and precision of the Platform CNC?

[Grunblau]

This is simply awesome! Will commence to saving the R&D budget for a Spring build...

Chris

Look forward to talking to you in the Spring!

Question on the Y axis lead screws. In my mind it would make more sense to have them on top of the bed, rather than underneath so they would be on the same plane as the tool. Doing so would reduce the amount of torque on the uprights with the lead screws pulling from the bottom. Of course it makes more sense to have them on the bottom to avoid contaminates from milling and such on the lead screws, and to also have a bit more clearance for the work surface.

So, what is the bigger trade off? Avoiding contaminates on the lead screws and gaining a bit of work surface, or having them on top for better leverage?

Also, when using dual lead screws on the Y axis are there issues where they get out of time with each other and bind up? Do some machines use a belt of some sort to keep the lead screws in sync with each other?

I believe it is better to have them under mainly for contaminate reasons, but also because the advantages would be unnoticeable. When the machine is all assembled, you can put the force anywhere and it moves the same. According to Ahren @ CNC Routerparts, these motors when paired with these lead screws produce 150 lbs of thrust each. That's 300lbs of thrust for the Y-Axis!

Hello Brian,

I am looking at purchasing your Platform CNC here pretty quickly (within the next couple weeks). I was wondering if it was possible to order it in any other colors and if so what would the price be? My next question is, How many total plug in's does the machine need and are they all 110v? I am building a very small shop and trying to configure it to the machine. My father purchased a machine from Laguna and we have had to many issues for the price paid for it! I am very excited to do my first CNC build and cant wait! Hope you have a good new years!!!

-Shaun Napier

Hey Shaun,

Welcome aboard! I may have mentioned this to you personally in an email, but for everyone else, the Platform CNC will always be orange. I chose this color initially because of the association with the Rustbelt, but now I think the color makes it instantly recognizable. It is an aesthetic that may not be for everyone, but once you give it a chance and have your own Platform in your garage, you just might find yourself wearing more a lot orange that you used to!

I think the only upgrade to Brian's machine that would still stay true to its design would be ballscrews instead of the acme screws. But not sure what this would improve? ?? Its an excellent design in my opinion.

Thanks!

The only hurdle to using ballscrews would be a small redesign to the Z-axis carriage, I think, to accommodate the much larger ball nuts. I like to think the sky is the limit and that is why it is a excellent upgrade 'platform' I am also looking into the possibility of adapting HIWIN rails and blocks to the current design but both of these 'options' could effectively double the cost of the machine. When I set out, I wanted the best machine I could have with limited compromises on a ~$4k budget, and I am very happy with the result!

Put a good spindle on it instead of a router. The 2.2kw Chinese spindle is pretty good. But get a domestic VFD for it instead of the Hyuang Chinese model. For the same money you can get a vfd with English instruction manual and auto tuning. I wish this is what i would have done. Hindsight is 20/20.

That is definitely my plan as soon as I have 220V in my shop. Many others have already upgraded to a spindle and it is a very nice upgrade. When I first saw one in person, I was shocked at how quiet it was. I will likely go with this spindle from Ugra when I get around to it...

GMT Water Cooled CNC Spindle 2.2kW 220V R

I know there might be slightly cheaper options out there, but I have been able talk with Andy there and he is always responsive and helpful. I also know he tests every spindle before he ships them out.

Hope this helps!

-Brian

[MatthewsFab]

Thanks for the update Brian... Aka grunblau.

Saving up for one of your platforms.

[GryphonCNC]

That is definitely my plan as soon as I have 220V in my shop. Many others have already upgraded to a spindle and it is a very nice upgrade. When I first saw one in person, I was shocked at how quiet it was. I will likely go with this spindle from Ugra when I get around to it...

GMT Water Cooled CNC Spindle 2.2kW 220V R

I know there might be slightly cheaper options out there, but I have been able talk with Andy there and he is always responsive and helpful. I also know he tests every spindle before he ships them out.

Hope this helps!

-Brian

I'm new to this thread and the site, but have enjoyed this thread immensely. I'm gearing up to purchase one of these machines. I was interested in any further details of the Ugra spindle (or similar) to use rather than a commercial router. And yes, my shop has a couple of 220V circuits. I'm thinking mostly of routing wood, Corian, and aluminum.

Thanks in advance.
John

[Grunblau]

I'm new to this thread and the site, but have enjoyed this thread immensely. I'm gearing up to purchase one of these machines. I was interested in any further details of the Ugra spindle (or similar) to use rather than a commercial router. And yes, my shop has a couple of 220V circuits. I'm thinking mostly of routing wood, Corian, and aluminum.

Thanks in advance.
John

I am glad you have enjoyed it! I recently received my spindle and VFD from UGRA and I am currently hooking up the 220V in my garage so I will have more details on a spindle setup soon! The big differences that come to mind are better bearing setup for running long times, generally better run out of the collet and a spindle will maintain an RPM rather than being bogged down like a router and they are much quieter. I have been able to route all of these materials with my bosch router. I only expect better things from a spindle!

Brian

[ynnek]

I am looking into purchasing one of these for use as a portable machine I can take on the road to manufacture plastic parts at different plants. Currently I have a Vortech CNC 4X8 that has had the electronics gutted & converted to full servo, both a vertical & horizontal rotary (48" between centers) & a 16 position tool changer from Blurry Customs. I build bottle handling parts for liquid filling production lines, custom shaped guide rails for tooless change-overs & variable pitched feed screws. I spend time on the road measuring machinery, coming back to the shop, the fabricating, crating, & shipping these parts. I want to have the ability to be mobile. I know this would mean working with 1 part at a time, versus working with 1/2 sheets ( 48" x 48" ), but building & fitting onsite would be nice. So a few questions:
1 - Rigidity, I am sue is good enough, but I work with hard plastics, delrin, nylon, HDPE, UHMW, and others, usually under 1.500 thick.
2 - Weight of the machine.
3 - Horizontal rotary add-on.

[biotech1]

are you offering plans for the platform cnc

[wizard]

I am looking into purchasing one of these for use as a portable machine I can take on the road to manufacture plastic parts at different plants. Currently I have a Vortech CNC 4X8 that has had the electronics gutted & converted to full servo, both a vertical & horizontal rotary (48" between centers) & a 16 position tool changer from Blurry Customs. I build bottle handling parts for liquid filling production lines, custom shaped guide rails for tooless change-overs & variable pitched feed screws. I spend time on the road measuring machinery, coming back to the shop, the fabricating, crating, & shipping these parts. I want to have the ability to be mobile. I know this would mean working with 1 part at a time, versus working with 1/2 sheets ( 48" x 48" ), but building & fitting onsite would be nice. So a few questions:
1 - Rigidity, I am sue is good enough, but I work with hard plastics, delrin, nylon, HDPE, UHMW, and others, usually under 1.500 thick.
2 - Weight of the machine.
3 - Horizontal rotary add-on.

Did you every get your onsite machining solution? I ask because there is atleast one cabinet maker around here that did something real smart for onsite work. He got himself one of those short tour buses with the big windows. For all intents this gives him 360 degrees of day light. His tooling is a bit different but the idea would seem to be very workable with a good router. Basically a shop on wheels.

[Grunblau]

Did you every get your onsite machining solution? I ask because there is atleast one cabinet maker around here that did something real smart for onsite work. He got himself one of those short tour buses with the big windows. For all intents this gives him 360 degrees of day light. His tooling is a bit different but the idea would seem to be very workable with a good router. Basically a shop on wheels.

Personally, I'd like to find a 1950's Grumman Step Van!

[wizard]

Personally, I'd like to find a 1950's Grumman Step Van!

I wasn't even around in the 1950's. As such I'm not sure I've even seen one of these step vans.

Given that, when thinking about retirement I often think about how I could take a some tools on the road so to speak. Of course this isn't to make money per say but rather a way to see the world and maintain a hobby at the same time. The problem here though is that I'm not a big fan of tiny tools.

In any event retirement is way off into the future.

[ynnek]

Not yet I have not. This is still in the conceptual stages right not, though I am sure it will happen. As far as the truck is concerned, that would be part of the overall plan. Thanks for asking.

[lorengameros]

I am happy to say to say that have purchased the complete Grunblau Kit from CNC Router Parts. Cory was a huge help and would strongly recomend them. I will begin the build as soon as get the rest of the parts from Brian. I am like a little kid at Christmas with everything spread out all over the dinning room table. I am anxiously waiting and can't wait to get started! I will keep you guys in the loop with a build log to follow. Here is what I have so far. Totally Stoked!!!

[TheAlf]

I read this thread from start to end and would like to get me one of this mills as I think, this is the best designed CNC machine you can get for a decent price. As I live in Germany, would it be possible to run the machine as we have here 230V one-phase/400V 3-phase?
Greetz Alfred

[TheAlf]

Hello everyone, I really enjoyed this machine and would like to get one for myself, once I get my own home and workshop. But I have one question: Is it possible to run this machine on german 230V/400V (3-phase AC-system)?
Greets Alfred