[steveald]

Hi,

I built this router last year, before I had a good look through this website. It has 25" x 25" x 4" cutting capacity. In this picture it is set up for MDF, but it was designed to cut 3/4" aluminum plate. I haven't tried 3/4" yet, but have cut 1/2" without a problem (in 1/8" deep passes) using 1/4" dia endmill bits. The Z slide is a Parker-Daedal linear slide I picked up on eBay for a song, so I can't take credit for building that part, but the rest is mine.

Steve

[pack rat]

That really is one of the best looking machines I have seen. My compliments to your craftmanship! And with coolant too, truly beautiful. Chris

[Klox]

Steveald,
It's a magneficent router with the Dr. Zeuss sticker an' all! It looks extremely rigid!

Klox

[kong]

Nice! Looks like a solid machine, I especially like the dust extraction shroud. In the photo, it looks as though the MDF is not clamped down, do you have some sort of vacuum clamping system set up?

[Bloy2004]

SUPERB!

[steveald]

Kong, the MDF is clamped on the back two corners, hidden in the photo. I allowed for the possibility of a vacuum clamping table in the design, but haven't had time to add it. Maybe after I get my 4x8 table running I will go back and add one.

Chris, the coolant system is a Lenox Micronizer Jr. I decided a water and oil mist would be too messy, so I picked up the Lenox unit, which just uses compressed air and 3 drops of oil per minute. Very clean, and very effective. I even use it on acrylic.

Thanks everyone for the positive comments.

Steve

[Cold Fusion]

Looks awesome! How much did it cost if you don't mind me asking?

[InventIt]

Awesome looking machine. You did a really nice job on the design/construction. Looks super ridgid. Post some more pics and some details.


Hey...Let's see that thing cutting some alum.

[steveald]

Cold Fusion, it's hard to say what it cost, because I started gathering parts for a 4x8 table, then found I had enough spare parts to almost build the small table. I have about $5000USD spent so far, but that includes about 70% of the parts for the 4x8 table. If I had to guess I would say it cost about $2500USD. My original plan was to try to build the 4x8 for less than $7500USD, it's starting to look like both together will cost about that much. If it works out that way, then this one will have effectively cost me nothing. Blood, sweat and tears not included in the above.

Steve

[pack rat]

I showed the picture to my wife and her respanse "Thats nice dear. What is it" After explaining it and telling her the cost, she suggested that maybe I should get a new wife also and in my mind that would't be such a bad idea. Naaaa.....maybe.....the kids....naaaa....they understand.....maybe.

[barbwirebi]

Steve

Wow!!

The blood sweat & tears are evident.
Quality looking Machine.

So.. whats under the hood?
Servos or steppers?
Whose drives?
Did you buy a packedged controller or make it yourself?
Which controler software?
Im guessing ballscrews?


Thanks
Barbwire Bill

[balsaman]

Very nice machine. Where's the 8 footer? I would like to see it too.

Eric

[steveald]

Hi Bill,

Steppers on this one, thinking servo for the 4x8. Centent CN0162 microstepping drives, IMS IP806 75V 6A power supply for X and Y, Power One 24V 4A for Z. ATX computer power supply to provide 5V to the drives. The enclosure is an old 4U rackmount server case completely gutted. Software and signal generator from Flashcut CNC. Thompson 5/8 .2" pitch ballscrews directly coupled to motor shafts. Bosch variable speed router (I think it's 2HP, but it might be 1.75, I have a Porter Cable 3.25HP variable speed for the 4x8)
The 4x8 is still in design stage, but I have Thompson 1" dia x 124" fully supported rails for X, NB 20mm x 63" linear rails (like THK) for Y and THK 12mm x 12" rails for Z. The gantry is 8"x3"x 1/2" wall structural aluminum channel 66" long. 5/8" .2" pitch ballscrew for Z timing belt drive for X and Y much like Dean's Axxus table, but with the belt above the frame rather than below. I'll try to post some drawings soon.

Steve

[barbwirebi]

Steve

Thanks for the info
You say your thinking servos for the 4x8
Did you check out the post "My new cheap servos"
Thosse servos should get you to 125 IPM feedrate.


I also want to use the timming belt drive.
Design pics would be great
Thanks again

Bill

[steveald]

Hi,

I have finally started to cut some parts and do some assembly on my 4x8 router. Here are some pictures.

[steveald]

This is the right endplate for the gantry, with bearings for the X belt drive pulley and idlers installed. It's 16" W x 17.5" H x 0.5" plate aluminum, cut on my 2x2 table.

[steveald]

This is the plate to hold the X belt drive pulley and idler shafts in place.

[steveald]

The last two parts assembled and Thomson SPB-16-OPN pillow blocks installed. The shafts are just pieces of aluminum rod used to line the plates up, I need to get real shafts turned. The stand-offs are 5/16 hex couplers.

[steveald]

8x3 structural channel, heavy wall, for the gantry cross-member. The milled pocket on the endplate was an afterthought, but made it very easy to hold the channel in place while drilling the mounting holes. I cut the channel rough on a bandsaw, then used a 2" long 1/2" straight flute bit to shave the ends square and to length. I had to flip it over and turn it end for end on my table, machining it in 4 operations because it's too long for my table and too thick for my router bit.

[steveald]

The gantry basically assembled, the left endplate still needs to be cut to shape, but all the holes, pockets, slots, etc... are machined.
It went together with a little remachining required to make the endplates sit square(ish) to the channel. Looking straight on, the endplates are toed in slightly, the bottoms are 0.03" closer together than the tops, but the Thomson bearings allow that with no ill-effect. Looking straight down, the endplates are parallel, but not quite square to the channel. A 0.02" shim between the front right pillow block and the right endplate, and between the back left pillow block and the left endplate will put the gantry crossmember 90 deg. to the X axis rails.

Yes, that is my living room, married folk should probably do this sort of thing elsewhere.

Merry Christmas everyone,
Steve