[gopackgo]

I started gathering parts last November and I finished it this week. I did my 1st test cut in styrofoam last night. I used Stepperworlds FET 3 controller and stepper motors. Rustle at Stepperworld has been very resposive to my questions and problems.(Bad power supply,he sent me a new one).
Now I have to decide on which software setup to use, so far it is Kcam.

[gopackgo]

On the X axis I used nickle plated gas pipe, sold as decorative ceiling fan conduit at any home supply store. I bought mine at Menards, I think they are reasonably priced. Instead of rollerblade bearings I used cam followers I bought on ebay for a dollar each. The Y and Z are THK also from ebay. You can tell that the THKs are much higher quality and move nicer than the X.
I learned alot building it, would of done some things differently, but so far it works even better than I hoped for. Now I have alot more to learn on the CAD/CAM side of things.

[Ken_Shea]

Nice work gopackgo, aint it nice when things finally come together. Would like to see some close up shots on your drive system if you have them.
Ken

[arvidb]

Well done! I too would like to see more shots. What softwares are you using?

(Oh, will I ever get there...? :-/ )

Arvid

[ynneb]

Youve done well gopackgo.
Good effort.

[gopackgo]

Thanks for the positive responses. Right now I'm using Kcam but am having some trouble enabling the Y axis with it. The only way I got it working is by using pin 14 for enabling both the X and Y axis.
So if I get a faster computer (233 mhz) I'll try some other programs. I do like things about Kcam such the way it turns my router on and off as needed.
Travel
X has 26"
Y has 13"
Z has 3"

I used 1/2 10 Acme for the drive screws with homemade anti backlash nuts. It feeds reliably at 12" per minute and of course I do want to get that speed up. The only tools I used building it other than the usual hand tools are a drill press and my jig saw with metal cutting blades.

[gopackgo]

Another Photo

[gopackgo]

I also used 1/2 OD plastic air line as conduit for all my wires. At the junction point of the electrical boxes I used 1/2 OD X 1/2 NPT pnuematic fittings, which I deburred on the inside, because some of the where sharp.
To control the router I have an Opto 22 relay in a seperate junction box. It's nice because it turns the router on and off automatically and isolates my stepper control board from the high voltage of the router.

[gopackgo]

Another Photo

[gopackgo]

The gold painted frame is made from a bed frame I found in the garbage. It's 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" x 1/4" angle iron, all bolted together because I don't have access to a welder. The paint is hammertone gold which is pretty cool when it dries, but it's kind of brittle so it chips easily.
There are angle iron leveling pads on each leg. I used metric bolts for leveling because they seem to have finer threads and I happen to have some metric taps at home because I've been layed off from my job since December, so my tool boxes are at home,too much GW.

[gopackgo]

The couplings are Lovejoy 3 piece units which I have used at work for years with excellent results. I was suprised to find how cheap the were, less than $10.00 each 3 piece set. Since they are 3 parts , 2 hubs and a rubber spider, I ordered 1 hub with a 3/8" hole for the stepper and 1 hub with a 1/2" hole for the 1/2" 10 acme thread. I didn't have to machine the thread at all. They are listed under the name flexible couplings in the Mc Master Carr online catalog.

[gopackgo]

Another Photo. This is the the table with no styrofoam on the table, and the back of the Y and Z axis. The black thing in the background with a knob sticking in the air is an old Craftsman bandsaw. It kind of looks like part of the CNC machine in the photo.
The table is 3/4" MDF with a hardwood veneer, which I stained and shellaced with some stuff I had available.

[arvidb]

That table looks really nice, and I like the air lines, too.

Arvid

[balsaman]

Nice job. Fun eh?

Eric

[cnczane]

GPG,

Got any pictures of the cam followers? I'm wed to the roller-skate bearings myself, but you may save others' some pain.

[gopackgo]

I'll try to remember to take and post pictures tomorrow or Friday at the latest. My kid is graduating from 8th grade Thursday night so that probably will take all night.

[gopackgo]

Photos of cam followers. The large diameter is .750, the small diameter is .3125 and the threads are 5/16 N.C. They are better quality than skate bearings for about the same cost.
I used cam followers because when I worked at G&L in the 70's and 80's we used large cam followers to keep the Y axis saddle in contact with the box ways on the large CNC machines we were building at the time. Of course those cam followers were much larger and they had an offcenter cam action to them for adjustment. I couldn't find any small followers with the cam adjustment on ebay but I know they make them in smaller sizes. That would give you more leeway as far as how accurate your hole location would have to be.
Do a search on ebay for cam followers.

[gopackgo]

Photo

[gopackgo]

Photo of cam followers on machine. There are 5 cam followers per side, the 3 you see here and 2 more on the inside of the nickel plated black pipe. The bearing in the bottom of the photo helps keep the router from lifting the gantry off the pipe when drilling. I drilled the hole for the bearing in the bracket a little short then shimmed it down to give me the amount of resistance I thought was right.
I have just cut simple things in styrofoam so far because I haven't mastered CAD yet, but I start classes for it June 7.

[gopackgo]

I was wondering if somebody would make a .DXF drawing of a 2d part for me? If somebody would I'd be happy to share the resulting file with the CNCZone and for anybody to use to make their own gcode file.
Here is a picture of the part, it's a baluster for a porch railing. I cut a bunch, with a scroll saw, for my back porch and it took along time. Now I'd like to make some for my front porch, thats one reason I built my machine.