[jhwatts]

I own a small home based shop with basic equipment (small lathe, tabletop mill, band saw, etc). I will be CNC retrofitting the mill over the next four months and I would buy more equipment if I could justify its need. It has always been a hobby. I have worked in a job shop for about six years as a machinist. The last four years I have been working as a nuclear instrumentation scientist. I have a B.S. in physics and I enjoy designing and constructing laboratory instrumentation. I would like to see if I could start working at home as a scientific instrument maker. I have a small electronics lab at home also. I was wondering if I could find somebody in East Tennessee that could provide some guidance on the business aspects of this or how to contact people that would be interested in this type of service. Also if someone else has a small shop in my area and would like to join forces please let me know.

[Aksess]

Let me guess you are in the Oak Ridge area? I am in Athens Tn. I have a small homeshop with a 39x25 cnc router/plasma table

[jhwatts]

I live about two hours east of Oak Ridge.

[esmiller]

Where are you in relationship to Nashville and/or Murfreesboro.. any idea?

Eddie

[Watts]

I am four hours east of Nashville and eight minutes from the North Carolina state line.

[db113]

Hey Fellow Tennesseans,
Im in Chattanooga and Im collecting parts for a CNC wood router. If anyone else is in the area (within 100 miles) and wants to confer on CNC projects I would love to hear from you. Home phone: 423-886-9455.
Thanks,
Don Brookshire
Signal Mountain, Tennessee

[Aksess]

Hi Don I am only about 50 miles east of you. Welcome to the zone. If I can be of any help to you feel free to call on me. Altho I did not build my router you are more than welcome to visit me and look it over and kick the tires so to speak. I have a K2CNC 39x25 and mostly do photo carvings. you can look in the members section for pictures.
PM me for contact information

I think you posted the wrong phone number I called and man said wrong number.

[DW61]

I am also in Athens TN.
I have build my own CNC Router in my garage. Go to the "Photo Gallery" under "DW61" to see photo's. I looked at the K2CNC machine before I build my machine.

[Aksess]

nice router Have you made anything with it yet? what cad/cam you using?

[DW61]

I have made some Xmas ornaments the last 2 years. I had a great time putting the router together and getting it to work. I am using AutoCAD and a old ver. of E-Z mill.

[bdillard]

Hello folks.

I'm in Knoxville, with a home-based wood shop of sorts (purely hobby), currently building a cnc router table. I could use a bit of help with the following if one of you guys has the knowledge/expertise/inclination to point me in the right direction:

I have been playing with and intend to use Mach 3. I’ll probably use servos attached to Gecko 320s.

My question relates to connecting a couple of items that are really meant to be connected to PLCs. I want to mount a Vorne 2180 Panel Message Display http://www.vorne.com/message-displays-2100ser.htm to my table, and program it to display machine and work coordinates, as well as other data; and I’d like to mount a programmable touch screen like the Matsu****a GT10 http://www.nais-e.com/plc/uacs/plc_d...tml#Anchor_pot . I also have an IEE VIP 3902 operator interface terminal http://ieeinc.com/?q=node/60&PHPSESS...9094439877bd43 .

Anyone here tell me if I can interface to Mach using one or more of these devices, or am I dreaming?

Bill

[PoppaBear10]

Wow!!, and I thought I was alone in TN.

I live in Briceville, TN (about 30 minutes north of Knoxville/Oakridge).

How about we Tennesseans start a "E. TN machine club"?? (or just TN).

bdillard: I have extensive experience with Mach 3 (both mill and lathe), I am familiar with how to hook up, program and run DL05's and DL06's, through the mod-bus.
I can also help you hook up your Gecko's 320. I have a 5 axis Mill, and 2 Axis lathe. (see pics of my set up under "PoppaBear10's" pics, or look under the Shoptask thread. I have a 3 in 1 that I converted to CNC control, and have added a "4th" and 4th/5th axis trunion table. I can help you build your control cabnet, and tune your Mach set up for your machine.

I am a Hobbie machine shop and BATF NFA and SOT manufacture, (do other part prototyping as well. If you need someone to help you make some parts, I would be glad to help if you need some stuff made for your machine).

CAD: I use Rhino, OneCNC, Turbocad, (limited exp with Autocad, and solid works mostly file manipulation to get it to import correctly into my OneCNC).

CAM: I use OneCNC XR2 Mill Expert (with 4/5th), and OneCNC XR lathe Pro.

About the equipment you asked above, if you know the protocols that they use to communicate, and those protocols are compatible with Modbus, PLC's, or can be addressed with IO from a VB script. We may be able to do what you want.

If you, and the others on this thread are interested in starting up a "club", or just meeting at some point to learn from each other let me know.

you can give me a ring at: 865-426-9728 after 7pm weekdays, or on weekends.

If you need sheet metal work, I can bend/break/cut upto 18ga, that is less than 40" too.

If you are going to the 2cd annual CNC workshop, I will be giving a class on the use of OneCNC Mill and Lathe.

Scott

[DW61]

where is the 2nd annual CNC workshop? and what date is it on?

[PoppaBear10]

look at the "trade shows" thread above this one on the main forum page.

[bdillard]

Hello Scott,

That's a nice reply, and frankly I can't wait to meet you. I think a local network of some kind is a great idea. Unfortunately, I cannot contribute a helluvalot when it comes to cnc or machining beyond an eagerness to learn. But if you want to learn wood turning, or need some nice kitchen cabinets or built-ins, I'm your guy.

I do, in fact, need a couple of parts made to complete my system, and it would be great to have an experienced resource available when setting up the Geckos and tuning the motors.

I'll try to contact you via telephone this weekend via telephone.

Bill

[Traceycnc300]

Hello guys I'm also a Tennesseen.Nice to know there a few of us here.I'm in middle TN about 20 miles from Cookville so we are all farely close to one another.

[PoppaBear10]

bdillard,

Ok, sounds good, (I am not some kind of guru, but do have several years of experience building/doing).

S.

[PoppaBear10]

How about it guys (in TN), would ya'll be interested in starting a TN Chapter of Machine builders???

Perhaps we could meet quarterly or every other month.

I am close to Knoxville, TN and one other guy from this board has called me to discuss things.
Perhaps we could meet at a central location, OR, perhaps have state region chapters i.e. East TN, Middle, West...etc. and then have some kind of Bi-annual full state meeting at someones large shop or other meeting place.

Also if any of you are going to the 2cd annual Work shop, please look me up, I will be giving 2 classes on using OneCNC CAD/CAM.

Scott

[smilewizard]

Would you let a guy from north Alabama in? (Florence) I am currently building a plasma table, thread is on here. (4 x 8 plasma table plans). Table is built, table is wired, now the fun part of setting the software and calibrating it all. May need bounce thoughts off of somebody. Using Mach 3 with Gecko Drives and a Cambell designs THC.

Andrew

[PoppaBear10]

OF COURSE YOUR WELCOME!!

I can help with the calibrating of your motors, with Mach 3 and doing all the control panel/wiring software stuff... I can help with your BB boards.

BUT........ Don't know squat about the THC stuff, have never used it, but have a desire to build one of those next....

perhaps we could swap info and help.

scott