[msimpson99]

First a little history.

CNC Construction Set Build 1
Build 1 consisted of several iterations of the early prototype. The plate material used was Corian. The Corian was very easy to cut and drill with standard woodworking tools. Corian can be a little pricey if you cant locate any locally. While I did develop some interchangeable Z carriages, this machine is primarily set up as a plasma CNC.

Shown here it has a floating head IHS and a steel angle cutting fixture.
Attachment 417100

CNC Construction Set Build 2
Build 2 used PVC as the plate material. While this was very easy to cut and drill, it is not as rigid as the build using the Corian plates. This machine I am currently using for milling and to test my rotary axis.

Shown here, build 2 has many upgrades added that I will eventually be documenting.
Attachment 416896

In this blog, I will be covering build 3.
Very happy with the build so far, I decided to start a third build, using MDF. Since this plate material is listed in the book I needed to try it out. I will also be doing the advanced electronics option on this build since it will also support CNC operations.

If you would like some more information covering the CNC Construction Set builds, you can get it here:
https://www.kronosrobotics.com/cnccsintro

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 1 - Getting Started


The Stand

The stand I am using for the CNC Construction Set is a readily available steel stand.

Shown here are the parts as they arrive from Rockler.
Attachment 416898

It took me about an hour to assemble the stand.
Attachment 416900

I did add some white peg board as a lower shelf so I would have a place to put my PC and electronics.
Attachment 416902
Attachment 416904

One thing I added as an option were these heavy duty leveling castors.
Attachment 416906
Attachment 416908

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 2 - The Frame

I gathered all my components and assembled the angle brackets.
Attachment 416912
Attachment 416910

Brackets were installed on the lower three slots of the short frame components.
Attachment 416914

I then finished the frame assembly.
Attachment 416916

I marked the location for the frame mounting hardware using a light blue pencil.
Attachment 416918

Finished Frame/Stand Assembly.

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 3 - Y Rails

I received the replacement Y-rails today. So I was able to finish the Y-rails chapter. It went smoothly. I did make a few small changes to the book but nothing significant.
Attachment 416922
Attachment 416924

Be sure to give the shafts a good soaking in oil, then wipe them with a paper towel.

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 4 - Y Carriages

I finished the Y-carriages.
Attachment 416928
Attachment 416930


The only glitch I had was one of the holes used to mount the plate to the truck was off. To fix, I just enlarged the hole a little. This just shows you that even if you are using a template, if you don't place you punch correctly, your hole will be off. I was moving a little too fast and needed to slow down a little.

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 5 - X Rails

Finished the X-rails.

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 6 - Gantry

I attached the templates to my riser plates and marked the holes and cutout.
Attachment 416936

The gantry attached to the risers.
Attachment 416938

The left risers look a little skewed. This can be caused by the plates not square with the gantry beam or the frame is not exactly square. Not an issue as it will be corrected in the tuning phase. However it is important that the riser blocks are not sticking past the extrusion or it may cause some issues later.
Attachment 416940

Here is some cleanup I had to do later because they were sticking out. It would have been easier to fix the mount now the wait till later and have to use a hand plane like I did.

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 7 - Gantry Brace

I attached the templates to the gantry 1" angle. In my case using MDF the gantry braces were exactly 10".
Attachment 416946

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 8 - X Carriage

I attached the template to the plate stock
Attachment 416958

The mounted carriage
Attachment 416960

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 9 - Z Rails

I cut my Z rails
Attachment 416962

And mounted them on the X carriage.
Attachment 416964

[msimpson99]

Volume 1 - Chapter 10 - Z Carriage

I marked my Z carriages and risers using the templates.
Attachment 416966

Starting to come together.
Attachment 416968

This concludes Volume 1.

[msimpson99]

Volume 2 - Chapter 2 - Tuning the Gantry

I built the gauge block. (covered in the book)
Attachment 416970

I did have to make a little adjustment to the lower rail. But it only took a couple minutes and it turned out perfect.
Attachment 416972

[msimpson99]

Volume 2 - Chapter 3 - Work Table

Nuf Said ...
Attachment 416976

[msimpson99]

Volume 2 - Chapter 4 - Tuning the Z-carriage

The X and Z carriage are now square and tuned.
Attachment 416978

I did notice a few things. The trucks I used on the Z carriage had preloaded grub screws on the sides as well as the top. This may vary even from the same manufacture, but the procedure is the same. Tighten the grub screws until there is no play in the truck on the rail. If it does not slide smoothly, back it off a little.

[msimpson99]

Volume 2 - Chapter 5 - Pen Holder

I used the optional templates to mark my holes and cutouts.
Attachment 416980
Attachment 416982

I drilled the tool holder holes.
Attachment 416984

This is the optional pen holder. I drilled all the holes before I made the two corner cutouts.
Attachment 416986

Simple pen holder installed.
Attachment 416988

[msimpson99]

Volume 2 - Chapter 6 - Squaring the Gantry

Got the gantry all squared up. It took me a couple extra attempts as I was moving a little too fast for my own good. Take your time with this one.
Attachment 416990

I did finish the more advanced pen holder. This one can also hold other tools such as a drag knife.

[msimpson99]

Volume 2 - Chapter 7 - Y Drive Plates

The templates attached to the plate stock.
Attachment 416994

With hardware installed.
Attachment 416996

Attached to the machine.
Attachment 416998

I have included a little fancier design.

[msimpson99]

Volume 2 - Chapter 8 - X Drive Mounts

I used the templates to lay out the bearing and motor mount holes.
Attachment 417002

I calculated my reference line and attached the two extrusion mounting templates.
Attachment 417004

As an option you can use the corner cutout template to shape the X drive mounts. This cut is optional and is for aesthetic purposes only. Once I cutout the corners, the mounts are ready for the final paint.
Attachment 417006

Mounted
Attachment 417008

[msimpson99]

Volume 2 - Chapter 9 - Y Drive Mounts

I attached the templates:
Attachment 417012

Ready for the final finish:
Attachment 417014

Mounted:
Attachment 417016



Don't forget to remove the work table and T-nuts before installing the front mounts. I did and had to go back and remove them to get the table off.


Make sure you add the 6 T-nuts to each side of the frame as shown here:

[msimpson99]

Volume 2 - Chapter 10 - Z Drive Mounts

I attached the templates as usual and marked my holes.
Attachment 417024

I used a small vise to hold the plate while I drilled the edge holes.
Attachment 417026

All the hardware installed. Remember to remove the Z-carriage before installing the Z drive mounts.
Attachment 417028

The drive plates installed.
Attachment 417030