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First - I know this is not a mechanical forum but still - it is my favourite place to post so here goes...
Some of you might have seen my old crappy CNC. Its purpose was educational rather than actually doing work, but I've used it for more than 1 year... and it was finally time to start building a new one.
Here are some pics of the progress - the Z axis is pretty much done. The only thing missing is the spindle. It uses 12x3mm leadscrew and teflone-graphite nuts. We've made a "tapper" from a piece of the lead screw.
I've been also working on the electronics for quite a while now. Pics: servo motors, tapper, Z-axis and X- linear guides and assembly
Registered Member #2431
Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639
i have made my own CNC vertical mill too! yours is better than mine. my spindle is a 35,000 rpm DeWalt cut-out mini router, and its no dam good. (1/3 Hp) and louder than hell. It has too much radial run-out. i will switch over to a DC 6000rpm motor.
in my experience the spindle is the most vulnerable part, your set up looks excellent.
i use steppers and Kcam, but your using servos, i like servos much more, post your motor and electrical stuff soon please!
Now on the questions: About the spindle - we are going to make it ourselves (well ... not me as I am suck with lathes).
Patrick - it looks like an excellent machine - and if it does the job - it is perfect. A piece of advise - it turns out that in 70% of the cases the trouble of milling something comes from the fact that a wrong tool bit is used or the spindle RPMs are wrong.
I am about 60% done with the electronics but will post info soon.
rp181 - the total price of the whole Z-axis is about 150$ (the target price for the whole CNC is under 600$ so I am using as much of scrap parts as possible (but not compromising the accuracy).
Some exact prices - the smaller linear bearings are 10$ a piece, the bigger - 19$ a piece. The round linear guide - 20mm is 21$ for meter and the 30mm guide is 32$ a meter. I was amazed how expensive the pulleys and belts are. This is why - we are making the other two sets of pulleys ourselves.
As there is interest I've decided to do a more detailed thread, starting with the servos: They are "Dynamo Sliven" motors - an old Bulgarian firm. The motors were donated to me from a good fellow HAM. Needed new bearings and two magnets needed epoxying (came loose from the housing). The encoders - they are from some kind of assembly line (I took them from the scrapyard for no charge). They are Japanese, industrial grade - so are very robustly build, 500ppr, quadrature. And some pics of the parts.
Registered Member #2261
Joined: Mon Aug 03 2009, 01:19AM
Location: London, UK
Posts: 581
That looks really good!
I'm going to need a CNC Milling machine before too long, but I doubt it will be anywhere near as good as yours! Is the only machine tool you're using to build it a lathe?
You say: 'We've made a "tapper" from a piece of the lead screw'. Is that for cutting a thread in your graphite/teflon nuts?
Mads - the moving table is 600x600mm and the movements of the X and Y are 550x550mm, the Z has 110mm move.
Intra - we are using lathe and manual mill mostly (well ... a BIG heavy duty guillotine and bender but I pay for using them - pics coming soon to see for what we used them )
Yep - we used it for making the thread in the nut - here some more pics of the nut and "taper" (P.S. Is it correct to be called taper ??? )
The nuts came out really nice (didn't expect soo smooth movements with absolutelly no play ... for now.
For feedback the motors have encoders - and the pulses from it is fed into the drive electronics (servo motor controller, with STEP and DIR input).
Pics: making the taper, one of the Z axis aluminum plates (phone quality )
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