[hi-tech]

hi everyone, this is my first post...and this is my first CNC, the table is 66 inch long by 29 1/2" wide. It total space of about 54 inch wide by 68 inch long and 31" high. I would like to exchange with peoples who made or think to made one. I took some pictures of my progress.

[harryn]

Hi - welcome.

That is a nice project and a good way to integrate in some of the computing aspects.

I never have much luck with MDF, so it is always interesting to see how well it turns out for other people.

What are your plans for the drive system ?

Take care,

Harry

[hi-tech]

Ty Harry,

first I wanna apologize for my english I am french from Quebec Canada .Yeah its a cool project CNC is a very fascinating world. This is the present result of many bad try and wrong design, and learning. Now I think I am on the good way. After long reflection, I decided to make my own drive. I will use the A3986 pre-driver from Allegro so I will be able to make one with the possibility of 10 amp... I know that is over power for most application but I wanna make design for many kind of project for me and work. I never tested the force of high torque stepper motor so I will use the keling KL23H2100-30-4B with 500 oz/in 3 amps nema 23 bipolar stepper motor just to be sure. I will try to integrate a microcontroller PIC to allow some flexibility. I think I will use timing belt with homemade small gearbox with timing belt or helical gear (at least for the X axis if the motor is not enough strong) for movement instead of lead screw. The reason is that they are expensive (I need one of 66 inch) and the affordable one have too much TPI so they are very slow for positioning. If I wanna move the head for long distance for positioning I need something faster. That CNC will be to make an other one better and more accurate version 2011 maybe lol. I you have some comment feel free to post them .

Did you already made one or think to build one too? I will post my progress time to time and if you are new also maybe I can tell you want does gave me great result and how I did. have a great day.

Louis

[cdndave]

Salut Louis

where in Quebec are you? Some of the guys from the Montreal area are connecting in the Canadian Clubhouse, it would be nice to get your input since you actually have a machine up and running

Dave

[hi-tech]

Hi Dave, I live in Longueuil, My CNC is not working yet, but the hard work is almost all done, now I need to design the electronic and motion system. I hope to be able to finish and try it this summer.

have a great evening

[BobF]

Hi Louis,
Your machine looks very good so far, but that is far too nice a floor to put sawdust all over. :-)

[joecnc2006]

Looking at the machine the bottom brace looks far away from the bearing slides, I think this may lead to the bowing of the sides, I would ad some angle bracing on the sides of the gantry and this would help prevent it, On my 2006 machine allot of people did this and also I added two threaded rods across my gantry just below the Z-Axis slide which did not interfere with the cutting area.

[harryn]

a) first I wanna apologize for my english I am french from Quebec Canada .

b) I never tested the force of high torque stepper motor so I will use the keling KL23H2100-30-4B with 500 oz/in 3 amps nema 23 bipolar stepper motor just to be sure.

c) I think I will use timing belt with homemade small gearbox with timing belt or helical gear

d) That CNC will be to make an other one better and more accurate version 2011 maybe lol. I you have some comment feel free to post them .

e) Did you already made one or think to build one too? I will post my progress time to time and if you are new also maybe I can tell you want does gave me great result and how I did. have a great day.

Louis

Hi - well, a lot to reply to so here goes:

a) French - It is funny - I grew up in N Ohio and since there were French speaking people in Canada, I took French as my language in high school. I am pretty bad at it - would never attempt to post on a forum using it, but it is handy sometimes.

The other point is this - sometimes, I have to really listen to understand Americans that live in the same region - so your English is fine.

My father and Uncle used to take me fishing in Michigan and into Canada. I have been there so much that when I to there, I feel I am visiting a relative.

b) Motor - I would keep going up in torque and just go for a 700 - 1000 oz - in motor right away, even if you have to go to nema 34. If you get into the 1000 oz in range, you can skip a lot of the gearing down.

c) Helical gear - be careful. They are great if designed right, but remember they put as much force sideways as they put going forward.
Rack and pinion straight gear - seem to work ok (based on others posts) if the pinion is spring loaded into the rack.
Belt - That is the path I am on for the Y axis. The others are still under study, but the Z might have to be rack and pinion (my Z is horizontal in my build)

d) I am more or less doing something similar but calling it something else. I decided to build up a plywood prototype and refer to it as PAD (plywood aided design)

e) I have a build thread going - but very slow progress. http://cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38940 There is a lot of trying to figure out what to do in it. Really two useful picture posts from me 20 and 58. Most of the rest is my attempt to find parts and just posting them in the thread for future use.

[hi-tech]

Hi Louis,
Your machine looks very good so far, but that is far too nice a floor to put sawdust all over. :-)

lol yeah you are right. I wanna put aspirator under the table and to take most of the dust from the cutting. The thing is that I live in apartment, I don't have garage so I reserved one of my room in computer room and put it in, that (its little bit crazy) but I have no choice for now. I know also that too depend of your drive and stepper motor, and router, this make noise, Hopefully I have noisy neighbor so I will not be shy to do some noise too. But at the end, I think to find a place for it. Now I just wanna build it and after I will find a way to fix that issue.

[hi-tech]

Ty everyone for your advise, that will help me a lot.

[BOBINETTE]

Hi, to you all Canadian, i'm Shawinigan and french speaking, but I try to manage my english. I also made my router table, it's now working but having trouble with my limits switches, didn't now better and bought cheap stuff, they produce to much noise, at least I'm aware of it and will change them tomorow. What i'm having a hard time with is learning to operate Mach3, but with patient and time I guest I will overcome this problem.
I am using the HobbyCNC kit with the 300 OZ motor.
I will be keeping an eye on this tread.

[jeffrey001]

Hi BOBINETTE!!

Your problem is not your switches, they dont produce noise.

Just be sure you're using sheilded cable for motor and signal.

BTW, I'm from Quebec too.

Good luck, Jeff

[hi-tech]

Hi, to you all Canadian, i'm Shawinigan and french speaking, but I try to manage my english. I also made my router table, it's now working but having trouble with my limits switches, didn't now better and bought cheap stuff, they produce to much noise, at least I'm aware of it and will change them tomorow. What i'm having a hard time with is learning to operate Mach3, but with patient and time I guest I will overcome this problem.
I am using the HobbyCNC kit with the 300 OZ motor.
I will be keeping an eye on this tread.

hi everyone, I am agree with jeffrey001, you should be sure to use shielded wire and connect the drain on ground. Take a look of your power supply to make sure that the noise don't come from of it when the motor are running If yes, I think you should good capacitor to reduce noise. Also check if your transformer is not too close of your signal wire.

finally maybe you talk about the switch bounce. I don't know how all your system is wiring, but if you have that problem, you should add some king of switch debouncing if your switch signal pass by a digital circuit.

have a good day everyone!