[bonmotwang]

Finally I finished the whole design of the X3 desktop CNC I have planned for 12 months!
The material is 6061 aluminum.
Latest status:

All the parts are being CNCed.
Ordered all the standard parts including step motors, rails, bearings, drivers, power supplies, etc ...

Very hopeful to have a nice machine being built here.

[bonmotwang]

Just cut some raw material in the shop.
Can you tell they coming together to be a CNC?

[bonmotwang]

Start cutting the left and right gantry support parts.

[bonmotwang]

The gantry support looks great.

[bonmotwang]

After a few test, things went very well. The gantry turned out beautiful.
Table frame parts are being CNCed right now.

[bonmotwang]

Received the PCB I designed for the CNC. All the wires go to this board first, then through a cable to the control box, which will be made out of a computer tower.

[bonmotwang]

Rendered in Solidworks.

[Pyronaught]

What is the software you are using for those 3D models? The renderings are awesome!

[bonmotwang]

What is the software you are using for those 3D models? The renderings are awesome!

Thanks. I am using Solidworks for mechanical design and Altium Designer for electronics. They are great tools.
The motor holders are coming ...
Really appreciate the 3D CAD tools. All the parts coming out of the CNC just fit perfectly, as I have designed on the computer.

[Pyronaught]

Do you do CAD work on Solid Works for a living? Those images look really pro, you've got every little detail modeled. Very nice.

[bonmotwang]

Do you do CAD work on Solid Works for a living? Those images look really pro, you've got every little detail modeled. Very nice.

Thanks for the comment.

No. Mechanical design is my hobby. I do embedded system design, developing, and consulting.

[bonmotwang]

More parts got CNCed.

[louieatienza]

Nice parts! looking good...

[bonmotwang]

Nice parts! looking good...

Thank you. All the parts are pretty much done. Will start assembly after audit the critical dimensions.


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[bonmotwang]

All the CNC parts have been inspected. Rails, Motors and driver arrived.

The table is the most difficult part.
The first attempt is 20mm alum with T slot. the part warped.
Clamping was also the problem. At the end we glued the alum piece on the CNC table to get it flatness into spec. Also changed to threaded holes instead of T slot.

[bonmotwang]

Got busy, but I have all the parts now.
Just taking time to put them together and fine tune them.

[bonmotwang]

X, Y came together

[benjaminellison]

Wow, that thing is built like a fortress! It looks great, can't wait to see some videos of it in operation eventually.

[bonmotwang]

Attachment 204152
Attachment 204154

Very close to do some cutting ...

[bonmotwang]

I will be working on the control box and all electronic over the long weekend.
Next week will post the first cut video. I will video tape the very first try, bad or good, I will post it here, for the reason of how close it is between computer 3D modeling and the real life parts / assembly.

I will use a slim computer tower for the control box. Skipped my stylish X3 control box design. Maybe X3 can do its own box :-D