[MitzuRazing]

Hello from north of Norway
-my first build log on the Zone-a little bit nervous..

I am in the prosess of ordering linear guides and ball screw's for my new build.
Would love some input regarding the selection of guides. I have a few in mind, all fram Zapp Automation. They have a selection of 16mm fully supported rails, different unsupported rails, and precision linear rails.
My first thougt was 1,6metre of 30mm thick unsupported rail, but then i noticed the 16mm fully supported rail- would these be better than the thicker 30mm unsupp.rails? Regarding the precision linear rails, i was thinking of 20mm profile rail, these are of course the most expensive ones- are they worth the difference in price?

Ball screw; i am thinking of dual drive on the X-axis, 20mm ball screw's with 5mm pitch, 1,5metre long each.

The Y-axis, well havent really gotten this far yet, believe i have to focus on one part at the time.. ,the same really for the Z axis, but maybe a finished solution from K2cnc..

As for the frame, i have a good supplyer of big, boxed alu-profiles locally in my town, so it looks like i will by it from them.. footprint will be something like 1,8metres X 1metre.

Any of this make sense to you pro's out there, give me a wink :=)
-Thank's!!

Btw, i have Aspire v2.0 from vectric and have buildt one wood-router previously, in MDF and with drawer slides as linear guides, M12 full thread as screw.
Probotix steppermotors,drivers and power-supply. ( http://home.no/artikar/CNC.html )

[CarveOne]

As a general guideline, no matter the size, use supported rails for best results. The smaller the rail diameter, use closer spaced supports.

There is no need to be nervous. There is no failure, just momentary bumps in the learning curve. Since you already have some experience with a CNC build, it gives you a head start on build number 2.

Please continue, and "post lots of photos" so we can all learn something.

CarveOne

[MitzuRazing]

I get the support-point.. But there is a significant difference in price between the 16mm supported rail, and the 20mm precision linear guide's, is it worth paing up extra bucks for the difference? ,i will be using the router for wood mostly, but want the ability to cut som alu from time to time..
-will try to get some photos of the framework tomorrow if time allows me to do so..

MitzuRazing

[thkoutsidthebox]

I'm firmly in the camp of 'you pay for what you get'. With that in mind however, I guess it ties into what speeds and DOC your looking for, and what tolerances you want as to which to use. Don't forget pics!

[MitzuRazing]

I ordered the frame today, had to do it over the phone, so no pictures yet,
but I was promised that it would be finished tomorrow afternoon...quite
exited now..
The measurements inside the frame will be 160cm X 90cm, the profiles
are 10X15cm, so the footprint will be approx 180cm X 110cm.
I have this idea to use the the frame for the cooling fluid reservoir,have calculated that it will hadle about 75 theoretical litres of water etc,
dont know if this has been done before, but I am i firm believer of
trying things out.. this also will add weight to the frame, so I recon its a good idea .
Will of course need some kind of plate to lead the cooling fluid back in the frame after it has cleared the t-nut plate on top..

[MitzuRazing]

The frame, just have to bolt it together now.. I'll se if I can get it done in the weekend..
Footprint is 180cmX110cm..
Getting closer every day now..heh'
Next step is to order the guides and ballscrew for the X-axis..

[MitzuRazing]

Yez, now I've ordered all the stuff I need for the X-axis build...
1600mm Precision linar slides with 2 bloks pr side, 2X 1500mm
ballscrews, one 3Nm Nema 23 steppermotor and one cupling,
The rest will come a little by little..

Have a nice weekend all ya'cnc geeks out there

[MitzuRazing]

I am bolting the frame together these days, almost done..
A few pic's of the brackets and the frame..
Update regarding the 20mm linear slides and the ball screws,
they are soon on theire way, hoping to get
them before easter, but the time window soon closes for that to happend..

[Northboy]

Very nice work!

That should be a nice strong as well as pretty machine.


Northboy

[MitzuRazing]

Very nice work!

That should be a nice strong as well as pretty machine.


Northboy

Thanks.
I have this idea that i might fill the frame with concrete or use it to
house cooling fluid , anyone tried this before?

[MitzuRazing]

Yez, now I've ordered all the stuff I need for the X-axis build...
1600mm Precision linar slides with 2 blocks pr side, 2X 1500mm
ballscrews, one 3Nm Nema 23 steppermotor and one cupling,
The rest will come a little by little..

Have a nice weekend all ya'cnc geeks out there

Well, a little bit over two weeks ago I ordered all this from http://www.slidesandballscrews.com
-The items still isn't sent from the company yet.
Am a littlebit irritated by the fact that i wont be able to continiue the
work on the router in the easter, many days free from the regular job that i
had hoped to work on my router on..
Also, the to weeks following after easter I have free from work...
so well, maybe I just have to spend some time with my family instead..

[MitzuRazing]

A little update..
Havent gotten the items yet, but they were shipped from Englang on the 9' ,
still waiting for the tracking number, but i guess it will arrive soon as the easter is over
Have made some legs from some 4X4" and 2X4", seems rigid enoug

Will paint the legs grey I believe, have primed it for now.. A few pictures is a "must have"
Also I added a picture og some simple signs i made with my MDF router

[MitzuRazing]

I collected the X-axis rails and ballscrew's yesterday..
..adding some pictures of the progress.
Have to order the rest of the goodies soon, or else there will be
"still stand" to the Project

Btw- cant edit post 11, but it wasn't http://www.slidesandballscrews.com
fault that it took a while to get the items, he was out of stock for a few items,
and I said it was ok for me to wait up for everything to be sent together...
anyway, the pictures..

[MitzuRazing]

The work on the gantry continiues, just finished with the gantry support
uprigh's, will have to reinforce them a little bit, as it is now there is a
substancial amount of racking, but i do not believe it will be a problem
because of the dual ball screw-drive ..anyone with input?
Well, the gantry is moving totally smooth, and now the next move is to make
some attachments from the ball nut's to the holder plates for the gantry..
Adding some pictures as always
(last picture, i just had to have the picture of my 1 year old daughter sitting on top of the gantry ,she is the best )

[MitzuRazing]

Time for a little update again, not much happening really,
have collected the Igus chain from damen cnc, and made some brackets
for the attachment of it. And i have also countersunk some of the bolts on the uprights..
I have ordered the rest of the items needed for the build,
-2pc of 1200mm, 20mm profile rails with total of 4 carriages for the Y axis
-2pc of 500mm, 15mm profile rails for the Z axis, 4 carriages here too..
-1pc 16mm ball screw, 1100mm long, 5mm pitch
-1pc 16mm ball screw, 500mm long, 5mm pitch
-Complete kit with 4pc 3Nm Nema23 stepper motors, optoisolated
breakout-board with 3 relais onboard, and power supplies to suit.
-Ball nut housing for all 4 ball-nut's, and some motor-couplings..
So, that all for now folk's

[CNCMAN172]

Mitsuracing,

Nice looking build. Love the photo of you daughter riding the gantry, love getting the family involved. You should not have any problem with racking if you use dual ballscrews and connect them with a belt or chain drive. You can also look on the forum for an anti-racking cable system which many people have used to help avoid racking issues. This solution is used on pocket doors, some windows, etc. Very cheap and great solution. Just look for the five star posts and you will quickly locate it. Keep up the great work. I am just starting my 5 x 5 system, been buying all the parts for close to three years. My little CNC machine can help make all the parts for the big boy. How have you been drilling and aligning all you holes?

CNCMAN

[MitzuRazing]

Hello CNCMAN172, thnx for the nice comment
I have been reading the post about the anti-racking system with cables and pulleys,
but somehow i dont see how to fit it on my frame right now..
I have dual ball screw drive, but the initial plan was to use one stepper pr
side.. The "Ref all home" in mach will ref both X and slaved A axis, right?
,so any mis-alignment will be gone everytime i "reference all home"?
I believe i can add a belt-drive between the ball screw's if i see that the dual
motor-drive is an issue, the 3Nm motors should be up to the challenge, right??
All holes are hand-drilled and tapped.. ,alignment is by eye..and a caliper :P

-R

[CNCMAN172]

MitzuRazing,

MACH3 will handle the slaved motor no issue at all, many others use separate motors on rack/pinon systems with no issue at all. Yes it will home correctly if you setup everything in MACH3 correctly. On the motor size I am not good at metric forces, so can not answer you motor sizing question.

Are you ballscrews equipped with antibacklash nuts?

Racking can occur on any system but occurs easier on a wider table as it only takes a small misalignment to start binding. Since your moving both sides at the same time with two stepper motors you probably will not have an issue at all. This would only occur in your case if one of the stepper motors started missing steps. If you motors are up to the task I see no real issue for you.

CNCMAN

[MitzuRazing]

The motors are 3 Nm / 425 Oz-in..
The ballscrews are not equipped with antibacklash nuts i'm afraid,
it was not an option at the webshop when i ordered, but i see that it is added now..
Regarding binding or lost steps, i believe that i have to start with a
conservative speed-setting to begin with so i dont destroy the machine
before i have played with it I will also have to find out what speed/accel
settings that will work out fine for this machine.
I am still waiting for parts, shipping of parts north of the Arctic Circle takes time.. ,items are sent thou', so soon the build can go on

[MitzuRazing]

Friday i collected the motors, drivers and powersupplies for the Router, rails and ball screws are in a separate package, i'll get them after the weekend..
I have made a spoilboard and some supports for it, adding a picture of the router as it is sitting right now..
Yes, and i scored a pretty nice 19" flat screen for free for the control pc. It will be hangin from a bracket off a 50mm dia Alu-pipe that i collected from a dumpster at work.. imagine that they threw out 2 pc of 8 metre long fiine pipe just for me to collect for free'eeeee