[diarmaid]

Hi all.
I've received my cnc wood router plans in the post this week. The plans are great and were only $25, so couldn't really go to far wrong.

Anyhow, Im just wondering has anyone actually had experience building from these plans. Im specifically wondering about what kind of speeds your getting when its finished?

Any alterations you made to the design and why would be useful to know aswell, or just your experiences with the plans and finished machine. Thanks.

[Revtech]

I'm in the process now! About 1/2 way.
First off I would recommend getting better quality wood. Not just standard grade. I upgraded to finish grade oak for all of the solid wood pieces. $3.00 per 2X4 to $33.00 but I feel it is worth it. It will add strength and also it is cut to closer tolerances. The Y axis almost solely depends on the straightness of the 2X4 also instead of drilling and tapping the EMT as he did I actually fished 1/4 inch nuts down the tube with a magnet. It took some time but will not strip. I was not satisfied with the 1 to 1.5 threads the EMT produced. Also be sure not to tighten it to much with the nuts on the inside of the tube it will be easy to over tighten it and change the installed height of the EMT. If you start and pull ahead, let me know if you see any areas where there could be improvements. I guess I would rather upgrade now and have a better product in the end. I feel it would also be worth it for the longevity of the router. FYI I also found the Bearings on eBay very cheap! I paid 26 dollars shipped and they are a better quality than recommended. ABEC5 instead of the ABEC3 They also come in colors if you want to make it match. LOL! The sellers name is "coilovers"
Hope this helps and keep me informed on your build please!
Rev

[NC Cams]

With all due respect, with the use of semi-unstable wood (shrinks and swells due to moisture) to make framing for a device, I'd contend the performance difference between ABEC 3 and 5 bearings would be imperceptable (check the ABEC specs, you'll see what I mean).

Frankly, the quality of an "electric motor" quality ABEC 1 bearing would probably suffice. Think not??? A noted machine tool maker for years used nothing more than sorted, selectively fit ABEC 1's in their milling machine spindles. Skate board bearings (often factory overruns, mis-spec'd and/or noise rejects) and these are regularly used for routers.

Point is, if you can score ABEC 5's cheap, buy them.

However, if you expect 5's to make up for any deficiencies or vagaries in the base materials used to make a device, you might find yourself to easily disappointed.

In fact, I've seen cases where the added precisesness of an ABEC 5/7 bearing worked WORSE in a sloppily built device wheres ABEC 1's merely rolled along (pun intended).

[diarmaid]

Thanks for the advice and info folks, keep it coming! Im not starting for a good while yet but will post a build thread when I do. I think you'll be finished RevTech b4 I start. I was thinking about using a hardwood also for the build, I imagine it'll be much better in the long run. Keep us updated please on any problems and how it goes. Did you purchase any other plans before starting your build?

Thanks.

Edit: Actually....this thread will become my build thread!

[Revtech]

Just so you know I never thought that the better bearings would even be noticeable or take up any tolerance. If that was the case I would not be using threaded rod for movements! ! I just thought that if I could buy a better grade for less money with less hassle. I would recommend it. I also understand that the better quality of bearings. May cause problems. But it's a minimal upgrade. All I’m trying to do is make upgrades as I see them necessary or possible so the equipment last as long as possible without breaking the bank. I still want to keep this cost effective. I also want it to work long enough for it to pay for itself and to put away enough to buy or build a better quality unit in the future. I only see this as the firest step to this hobby. Rev.

[Wilabee]

Hello,

I also purchased the plans and have built approx 90% of the parts, and completed much of the assembly. I found the plans to be very accurate and easy to follow. I absolutely agree with RevTech. The thought of having only 1-2 threads holding the EMT was a bit scary. I decided to go with the design, and make up round inserts with threaded cross holes to use if necessary. So far the threads seem to be working. RevTech is also correct on the material to use for the framing. The 2x4 that I used for the "Y" axis frame was the best fir piece that I could find, yet I spent a lot of time getting the two EMT conduit rails straight and parallel. For the "X" axis frame I laminated three strips of 1/2" A-C plywood together with glue and nails. The end result was a much straighter piece. I am currently building a large table so that I will have a place to put the completed router assembly.

I am quite pleased with the quality of the plans. In my opinion, these plans were created by talented individual that knew, from experience, what he was building!

[Woodie1]

I too have purchased his plans. I'm going to first make it with wood and then with 1.5 x3 8020 T Slot Aluminum Extrusion . When I have time.

[Revtech]

Well purchased the 3 axis kit from Xylotex! Paid Thursday and recieved it on Saturday. Now thats fast shipping. Everything looks great. I have the 7301 porter cable router also. So the only thing holding me up now it the time and patience to finish! Getting ready to finish the Y and then start on the X I would like to have it built but not wired by next weekend. Have a family member coming over that I would like to show it to. The better wood is so much better!!!!! Rev.

[diarmaid]

Revtech, how large and strong is the router mounting plate on the Z axis when built. Would it hold a router this size:

http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/to...productID=5575

Maybe it would fit without the base as shown here?

http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/to...productID=5764

Thanks for the advice.

[Revtech]

Hello! I looked at the router you want to use. I could not see a size listed anywhere as in inches. So what I did is posted a few pictures of my (build to date) and one of the pictures has a ruler next to the Z so you can kind of see what will fit. Hope this helps! I think it's going to be to large. But thats just my opinion on seeing the pictures in the links. Enjoy!

Router Build

[diarmaid]

Thanks RevTech. Great pics. Very nice build! I like it. The blue looks well, I think Im going to spray mine a nice gloss black. Maybe its overkill with the DeWalt, suppose I should just use a small router suitable for this machine and wait for my bigger machine to use a bigger router. I just dont want to be lacking power for some pretty heavy carving.

L8rs

[Halfnutz]

Nice work Revtech, thats really neat, the handmade supported guides. It looks like a great design for a homebuild.

Diarmaid, have you seen the new Hitachi 2.25 router combo? A friend of mine got one, I was checking it out and it blew me away when he told me he got the combo from Lowes for something like $150.00. Its a nice router and the price is awesome. Maybe not available overseas? (So is the DeWalt, I love their tools).

[Woodie1]

Rockler has the Hitachi 2.25 router combo (Model KM12SC) for $109.99!

[Madclicker]

That Hitachi is a single speed, but my bigger question is: why would you buy a combo set to use the motor as a spindle?

[Halfnutz]

Why just use it as a spindle if you need a plunge router every once in a while? But yes, thats the single speed, the variable speed is what you really want, its 179.00 at Rockler, but my friend got the kit from Lowes for around 150.00. You could probably get just the fixed base variable for around 130.00. I use a fixed speed Milwaulkee and one of those variable speed router switches from Harbor freight.

[diarmaid]

I was hoping to buy the 2 1/4Hp DeWalt 618PK shown below. That way I thought I could use the motor/spindle attached to my cnc z axis, and when needed I can take it off and use the fixed and plunge base for other tasks or with my regular router table. Thus avoiding the need to buy more than one router.....Does anyone see any problems with this?
Im a bit worried that the spindle wont fit even without the base attached, but I suppose if it doesn't the router still wont go to waste and I can then get a smaller one for the cnc table.

[dighsx]

I've got that router. I don't use it for cnc stuff but it's a damn fine router. I just measured the motor and it's 3.5 (3.492) inches in dia. I can get you a weight if that would help at all.

[wizard]

Hi all.
I've received my cnc wood router plans in the post this week. The plans are great and were only $25, so couldn't really go to far wrong.

That is all well and good but I thought that you where putting together a fairly well equiped metal working shop. I can make a very good argument that you woulld be better off with a machine built out of steel tubing. Especially in Ireland where mosture is always an issue. Even Aluminum tubing would be better.

That is not to say that wooden machines are a bad idea. That is not the case especially in a dry environment. The point is fi you have the workshop to support building a machine out of metal you can achieve muck more.

Then agian maybe I'm jumping th gun here and your workshop is still coming together.

Anyhow, Im just wondering has anyone actually had experience building from these plans. Im specifically wondering about what kind of speeds your getting when its finished?

Nope haven't built such a beast myself. Speeds though would depend on the motor & drives and the stifness of the final assembly.

Any alterations you made to the design and why would be useful to know aswell, or just your experiences with the plans and finished machine. Thanks.

Can't help with that request but I'd like to respond to a future message in this thread. I'm not sure you will want to be repeatedly removing the router spindle from any machine you build.

A couple of issues come to mind, one being alignment. Once yoou have the spindle squared and zeroed you will not want to knock it down randomly to go hand route something else. Even something much simpler like a router table really requires a dedicated router. The second issue is that if the machine is not ready to go when you need it you will often find alternative ways to do something to avoid the setup issues. Ideally you want to be able to walk up to you machine and be ready to go at any time, putting it all back together for the simplest projects is a no no in my mind.

No matter which way you go machine build wise this is an issue easily over comed. simply buy two routers. One for the machine and one for hand work. This should be a huge issue dollar wise and the handheld one could be of the smaller laminate/trim type.

[diarmaid]

dighsx :
Thankyou for the comments. The 3 1/2in diameter is useful info as I believe it will physically fit. If you could get me the height and the weight it would be great, then I could be sure it will fit both ways, and buy my steppers large enough to lift it ok.

wizard:
The workshop is still coming together.....quite a bit of coming together left yet!! But thankyou for your comments. Apart from what I've learned from the zone and internet I dont have any cnc experience yet. Im planning to build from the solsylva plans to give me a grounding in building my own machine and allow me to learn the ropes (Software etc). While Im using this machine and the shop is still being set-up I will then design and build a larger router out of metal and also a cnc plasma table (Maybe I'll just build one table for both, but thats another days thread). Unfortunately I simply can't afford to just buy a 4x8 machine, and I don't really want to anyway, I want to build! Thankyou for the comments on alignment etc that I was unaware of. Thats a good point, I will buy two routers. Last but not least, in Ireland it rains a lot but we have low humidity and I have yet to see a workshop without a roof, walls, and heater!

Edit: Incidentally, my workshop setup costs seem to be spiralling waayyyy out of control . I've gotta sit back down and try to trim the thing out. It might just take me an extra year or so to get the full funding saved up (Like its not long enough already).

....now back onto the topic....

[dighsx]

The DW618 weights in at 91.4oz. The motor body part of the router is about 6-3/8's inches high. If you measure from the end of the collet to the top of the router it's about 7-5/8's inches. The part of the motor body that is 3-1/2inches in dia is 4 inches long. Translated the top 2-3/8's of the body is a larger dia then the bottom that screws into the different bases.

If you need anything else just say the word, glad to help out.