Okay here we go with a Solsylva CNC table build. Since there seems to be rather a lot of overlap between the two forums, and one tends to lead to the other, some of you may recognise my good self from this project!
Firstly I want to congratulate David on an excellent set of plans, which are well worth the money in my opinion. Shipping to the UK isn’t so bad either! I’m actually fairly well into the build now, but want to start the build log from scratch just in case I am missing any of the finer points. BTW the plans are in imperial, which means there’s a little head scratching and conversion to do, however it’s actually quite straightforward and in some ways make aspects of the build easier. For example, the bearings are actually metric in the first instance, so are a good match for M8 threaded rod. That said, aluminium section is still sold in imperial measures.
I’m not going to divulge much information about dimensions and specifics of the build – go buy the plans if you want to know! I have however shrunk both the width and length of the table slightly so that the finished beast will fit in my car (which is a pretty average UK saloon)
UK SUPPLIER LIST TO DATE
Timber: Mostly 18mm and 24mm birch ply recycled from the skip at work (thank you employer….) For thicker sections I have laminated two 18mm pieces to give 36mm. We have a couple of big saws which are a Godsend for this.
Aluminium angle and threaded rod: Metal Supermarkets (Park Royal branch)
Aluminium channel: 13mm*10mm*1mm, available at B&Q. This size worked best for me, unfortunately Metal Supermarkets don’t stock it.
Rails: 25mm and 19mm chrome steel tube from Travis Perkins. B&Q actually stock the same range, but of course charge more for it. This is the stuff used for towel rails, wardrobe hangers etc
Bearings: Bought off eBay months ago, the complete set was about £15 I think
Steppers and drive: Xylotex 269oz 3 axis kit, bought in the USA. Unfortunately they don’t currently ship to the UK.
Belts and pulleys: Not really found much, so probably have to bite the bullet and import from USA
First things first I converted everything into metric and knocked up a CAD model to check everything fits. In particular since the drivebelt is only available in certain lengths, I needed to be sure my reduced width will work OK.
A further change I have made from the original plans is to install the x-axis stepper at the rear of the machine rather than the front. Functionally I don’t think it will make a difference, and will keep it out of the way a little better.
In addition to the build, which doesn’t deviate much from the plans really, I have designed this base for the machine. Since the finished thing is farily large, I wanted a unit which could be stored upright, and also have wheels.
So the X-axis stepper will be behind the rear panel, which doubles as the base when stored vertically. Other features of the design included cutouts for carry handles, and also a section at the front of the machine where the router can be withdrawn without having to disassemble the Z-axis gantry. The two sets of four holes at the top of the rear panel are for castors, also salvaged from the work skip.
Looking at the base from the rear, the castors are attached to the four baseplates shown, and the motor will be installed in the middle, connected via a drivebelt to the x-axis leadscrews on each side of the machine. In addition, I have included two cutouts for cooling fans.
Looking underneath the table, I have built two enclosures into the base, both featuring an intake fan and exhaust holes. These will probably be covered in aluminium or similar, not shown currently. The purple blocks are the fans, and the red blocks are the electronics. The high voltage components (i.e. the 240v-24v PSU) will be on the RHS of this image, and the stepper controller on the LHS. This makes it nearest to the Y-stepper which is also on the LHS of this view. The angled wood sections will, I hope, help direct the airflow through the compartments.
At the front of the machine there is a further ‘enclosure’ which I may use for some form of control panel, featuring jog buttons and so on. That’s probably one for the future though!
So that’s the current plan, a few initial questions, particularly re the table design:
- In principle is it a good idea to mount the electronics in the same unit? I don’t know what levels of vibration I might get.
- From anyone’s experience, would the Xylotex PSU need to be cooled by a fan? I know the stepper motor driver does. The kit comes with just the one fan, but it’s intended that the two are in the same box I imagine.
- Does my COG look reasonable?! The lower wheels are under the main table, and the upper wheels are more or less in line with the Y-gantry.
- Moving onto the Z-axis, the two side panels are specified as tempered hardboard. I’m not sure where to get that – does anyone have experience with using plastics for this? There’s a whole wealth of products out there (Nylon, Polycarbonate etc) and even after reading all the blurb I don’t feel much wiser!
- I’ve got a few ideas for some electronics, but that can wait for now. In particular I want to eliminate connectors and so on from the stepper hookups, so these connections are as robust (soldered probably) as possible. Can’t be doing with frying the drive board!
I have no idea what this will weigh, but in know that in addition to the birch ply (which is quite weighty) all the little bits and pieces add up to, well quite a lot!
Any comments/ ideas gratefully received at this stage! I have actually built and painted some of the bits already, but that can wait for a future (and shorter) post