DIY CNC mill - All Aluminum frame - My first steel milling experience - A bumpy road
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- #DIYCNCMill
#3018CNC
#Fusion360
#Mach3
#Tutorials
Link to my 3D CAD design of this machine:
grabcad.com/li...
I continued in this video the process of enforcing the frame of my home built CNC. I had a little hiccup with the over-heating of the stepper motor driver DM542 running at max current output. After the issue occurred, I reduced the current output and thing ran smoothly as expected.
To recover from the problem, I used a mach3 script to find the center of one of the hole and use it as X and Y zero reference and continue the 2D contour tool-path without any problem.
After replacing all the brackets and gantry plates with Aluminum parts, the machine became very sturdy, I couldn't feel any loose movements or play in any direction.
I tried a steel milling at the end but failed. The bits became dull very quickly even with water coolant mist spray to the bit while cutting. This partly due to the high speed of the spindle that I have and also the bits that I used weren't suitable for steel milling.
But the machine can cut Aluminum very smoothly. I milled a small 3D relief model with a lot of small details and the results came out great. I barely see all the cutting line created by the parallel tool-path.
Here's the link to the tutorial on center finding script and other useful script for Mach3:
• CNC Mach3 | Automated ...
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Great Video
Love your way from Stock 3018 to this great DIY cnc
hey minh you have come a long way since your first video's well done my friend
Thank you my friend. Yes, it has been a long way but a lot of fun. Still trying to continue. Next step will be making this machine bigger. Coming soon!
Hi Minh! Great videos, keep them coming! Your problem when cutting iron is certainly because of the spindle speed. Very roughly - your spindle should only turn at 10% of the speed when cutting mild steel when compared to aluminum. (And remember that your feed rate needs to be proportionate to the spindle speed - imagine each tooth on your cutting tool taking a slice of material so if it turns slower you also need to feed slower.) Also, coolant is a requirement for any type of steel, there is just so much more heat. Amazing home build of a CNC machine though!
Hi Todd, thank you for your inputs. I had zero experience milling steel and that was the first lesson. I was kinda know that my spindle speed is too high but with this type of spindle, I get almost no torque at low speed. In the end, I think there are few reasons that my machine is not really suitable for cutting steel: spindle speed, setup (not ready for cooling fluid) and design (moving gantry is not rigid enough for steel). I will need to build a dedicated machine for that application when I feel the needs. For now, I'll try to see what I can do with this one first.
Man, you must be sooo satisfied with this!
I had to chuckle... your cardboard chip-guard keeps on hanging in there through everything you throw at it. It reminds me of a bandsaw dust-collection fitting I made from flattened PVC plumbing pipe and scraps of plywood - it worked so well I spent ages making a really cool 3D printed version of it... that one did not work nearly as well! Damn! :o(
Thanks again for your videos!
So far yes, I'm really happy about the way it mill aluminum. I might need to change the waste board to something water resistant like aluminum extrusion to be able to spray water without worrying that it will damage the board. I definitely had concerns about throw water mist at that cardboard guard but I told myself that it's cardboard, I can make another one. In the end, it's still there and can be use again. I'm happy now but not sure how long it will be before I do something about the steel milling problem. It's hard to sit still when there's an itch in my head :D
Get you some Carbide bits for cutting steel, You wont get the best finish from carbide but it cuts steel like butter. your also going to need to use a cooling lubricant fluid like light oil or a light weight motor oil,
I will need proper setup so the oil doesn't run everywhere. I'll try to mill steel in the future. For now, I'll just stick with wood, plastic and aluminum. Thank you for the advices, I'll keep them in mind when it's time to try again.
My experience with a similar machine: Ok for aluminum, for steel not rigid enough, which causes tool break. And I never drill holes on the machine, I only center the position on the CNC and finish on a drill press, that is much faster. For steel work I bought a cheap BF20 clone and use it manually. Also, torque and speed of the CNC spindle does not fit for good HSS tools, that I prefer over the low quality tungsten carbide tools I can afford for steel milling, as they are much sharper and need therefore lower cutting force. Thank you for the video, it shows that I‘m not alone with this problem.
I'm sure there are plenty of people having the same problem. I might need to build a dedicated machine for steel milling, the moving platform type. This machine that I have here might just be good for Aluminum and I can use it to build the new machine.
Minh's man cave , exactly my plan, too. My next CNC will be rigid and sturdy, a C-type design with bed and column made from cast iron, large linear guides, thick ball screws and beefy hybrid stepper/servo motors. The spindle range shall be 500 - 5000 rpm only , belt driven from a three phase inverter controlled motor. Strokes of XYZ 350, 250, 250mm .Y axis shall be in the table, X and Z in the column. A project that I will start end of next year after upgrading my lathe.
Wow dude, sound like a industrial machine there. Please show me when it's done. It sounds awesome.
Hypnotic milling machine work.
Thanks. The video is great
This is a great video. I've followed the progress through several videos and although I don't plan to go as far, I've been inspired to start the process of upgrading my 3018 with a more powerful spindle, linear rails, slightly larger and much stiffer frame and bigger stepper motors. Thank you!
You never know my friend. The ambition grows after each upgrade. You might want to do more, make bigger things. At least that what happened to me and you saw it.
@@minhsmancave9448 I wrote I didn't *plan* to go that far. I didn't say I never would 😉
[My wife would be laughing in the background, so long as she doesn't find out how much of the housekeeping money I've spent]
@@pnt1035 haha, I feel you. That's why you need a man cave. Make your garage messy so your wife doesn't go in there.
@@minhsmancave9448 I'm about 19 years ahead of you there. Garage conversion in 2001: 1/3 utility/washing room, 2/3 mine. It was supposed to be 45/55 but I had a quiet word with the carpenters 😎
Awesome achievement indeed! Congrats Minh!
(FR) Salut Minh! Cette machine est maintenant aboutie. Une somme de travail énorme quand même. Mais le résultat est là! La plaque d'alu à $70 est simplement pas chère! J'étais entrain de me demander à combien ça t'aurait revenu de commander à une entreprise les mêmes pièces... certainement le double au moins de ce que tu auras déboursé. Prends soin des tiens et de toi mon ami.
Looking Good.
Good Yoga friend.
You are golden! So generous to share your designs.
My pleasure! A few viewers were able to build their machines based on this design. They also modified a few things to fit their needs. Hopefully you will join the club 👍
Minh, do you feel affected by the Fusion360 new limitations? Is there any alternative, you could possibly recommend, for the beginner?
Surely fusion 360 free version is limited. Especially the g code modification function is disable, it doesn't allow you to visually delete the part of the Gcode you don't like. But it's the same for all free CAM software. When you have limited resources, you always try harder to find solutions like the way I build my CNC. I just started with fusion 360 and haven't really looking somewhere else yet. I'm sure other viewers here will give you some suggestions.
Minh's man cave : I suggest the free Solid edge community edition or FreeCAD, let us know what you decide.
Thanks Klave, I'll try and see. Fusion 360 started pissing me off recently by slowing down the fast movements (when not cutting). They try to force free users to buy the full license. Limiting the number of axis to 3 apparently wasn't enough.
@@klave8511 I tried FreeCAD but didn't like it too much since it doesn't have the tool library like fusion 360 (I got spoiled). All the parameters about the tool had to be re-entered and it seems that FreeCAD uses mostly parallel tool path which is not optimum in some applications. I'm trying Solid Edge and will update later
@@klave8511 Solid Edge Community edition only does CAD, doesn't have CAM.
Minh, I spent the last day designing the X, and Y homing switch holders (no tape, glue, or drilling) with my 3d printer. Next up Z, but after much thought I don't think I will do aluminium, or any metal, because I don't have a non carpeted area and one hot chip flung could spell disaster even from a 3018 Pro.
Well, I don't think that it will be that hot to burn your carpet but it can be very messy. And milling aluminum on 3018 cnc is not simple as you can see that there are only a few videos on TH-cam about that. Most of people only do it once and don't want to repeat again since it will damage the 3018 in some way (including me). I'll just stick with wood and plastics for the 3018 if I still have one.
Hi Minh really I want to congratulate you. I have seen how you started to upgrade the 3018. You have reached a very different level now. The last upgrade with the alluminium brackets and plates makes your previous efforts obsolete. I would appreciate some information from you: Can you tell me what controller, stepper motors , drives and spindle you have chosen ( is it water cooled with inverter?) and where I can buy them from? Was it difficult to assemble and make them run? Thank you
Nema 23 425oz, dm542 stepper drivers, rnr motion usb mach3, 2.2kw water cooled spindle, all on eBay. You can see how to setup the spindle in my video comparing router and water cooled spindle. Not hard if you pay attention to details.
Love the Videos... Keep them coming...
Thank you! Will try
lmao keep em coming! Road to tormach :D
Road to build one or road to buy one? :D
@@minhsmancave9448 Why buy when you can just make one? Keep it up man, I love your videos. I am way behind you, but am using a 3018 and following along the best I can. I am very curious how you progress after this point, if you continue your upgrade series.
@Kyle Shovan I was just kidding, can't afford it anyway. Tormach does sound like a good machine. Well, of course with money, you can always buy good machine. The best thing about DIY is that we can try to get the best out of the least and also having fun doing it. There are still few more upgrades to this machine that I wanted to do (not structural wise) but will make the machine more reliable and more convenient to use. Surely will share when I make that happen.
@@minhsmancave9448 will be happy to watch. Just curious why you decided to make a moving gantry instead of fixed gantry machine? I am deciding what my next machine will be. The fixed gantry, or even a fixed spindle, seems like it would give a lot more structural rigidity.
By the way this is a side note, but I am assuming you are in the US, correct? You mentiones you ordered from Amazon and set your VFD to 110v input.
Coincidentally I live in Vietnam at the moment. I bought a 3018 so I dont have to pay a lot of shipping back to the US. If you are ever in HCMC at some point, post covid, please let me buy you a beer or a coffee.
Keep up the great work, Minh.
Many people ask me why I choose the moving gantry design and the answer for me is the larger working area compare to the moving bed. It's less regid for sure but my intention is to do more 3D relief on wood than milling steel. I'll let you know when I be back to Vietnam and surely will be happy to meet up.
Niiiiiceeee!
Do you have any tips for where to get the best bits for milling aluminum like you are showing here?
I bought those bits from AliExpress, single flute end mill, about $16 for 10
@@minhsmancave9448 Thanks,,,;)
That Chip Accelerator of yours looks very effective. Would a vacuum be effective in removing chips.
Vacuum can only clean whatever on the surface, it doesn't go into the track. Better get a blower and vacuum at the same time
Hi from Australia. Thank you so much for your great set of videos. I am new to this and have learnt so much from you. All I need now is to learn the software part so I CAN USE IT PROPERLY. I was wondering what software programs you use? Thank you for all your shared knowledge
I use fusion 360 free version (personal use) for CAM. It's limited but enough for me so far.
Great job Minh. Been following you since your early 3018 videos. It's very funny because I followed the exactly same path as you and sometimes I already know what your challenges will be throughout the video. Congrats. I think that that X axis motor Frankenstein mounting plate needs a bit of love. Nevertheless...if it works...it works. Excellent work. Excellent video. great editing. And thanks a lot for caring for the viewers. The end of the video was excellent. Congrats
Haha, yes, I can cut it again now easily, just for the look of the machine. Functional wise, it works fine. Thank you for the kind words. I'll try to make and show more fun things.
Get a 4 flute HRC55, emd mill from aliexpress, its like 3 dollars and it works well, you do want 4 flutes for steel
I tried 4 flutes on aluminum with this spindle and the chips melted and stuck to the bit right the way. Not sure if that will be the same case on steel. Usually to mill steel, the speed of the spindle is around 3000 to 5000 rpm. I think that this spindle's speed is just too high for steel.
Your machine is so cool! You did a great job and your videos are so detailed but also clear, thank you for sharing your experience!
I will build a similar machine, maybe a bit smaller but with prismatic rails instead of the 20mm bars. I'll try to show you the building steps
Thank you for watching. I have no experience with the prismatic rails and not sure what's the price for those rails. You can find a set of SBR20 rails with 1605 ball-screws for quite cheap price ($190 - all 3 axis). I'll be happy to see your machine.
sorry I forgot to ask you how much did this last cnc ( electronic parts and frame - I mean all the construction) costed you?
Roughly $900 without counting labor(free to me since I do it myself)
that's not steel .. looks like aluminum to me
I don't think I need to justify it to you but for your knowledge, aluminum doesn't spark when being milled, steel does. If you have doubts, try it for yourself. It was ganvalized steel.
Good job! I gather you are using a high speed steel endmill on the steel? And it looks like a two-flute endmill, to boot (watching on mobile phone). Go to a 4-flute carbide endmill and you'll be fine. Like your work a lot. Keep it up!
I didn't know what i was dealing with so I used a carbide single flat end mill (well, few of them) that I used to cut Aluminum. I will have to make another machine that's dedicated to mill steel like what you're doing.
A lot of those "carbide" bits from Aliexpress are really high speed steel, or tungsten steel. It's getting so that you can't believe anything they say on Aliexpress.
Great video 8). You said the bits you use were cheap. Where do you get them from? And is there any bits that you use a lot? Thanks in advance my friend 8) .
I buy the bits from AliExpress. The bits I used the most are flat end mill of all size, but mostly 3.175mm(1/8").
@@minhsmancave9448 Thanks for the info 8) .
Ah, j'ai failli oublier. Merci beaucoup de partager tout sur grabcad même si ce ne sera pas demain que je commencerai la réalisation ;)
De rien mon ami. Une fois tu aurais commencé, tu ne pourras t'arrêter.
Talking about the steel sheet milling, can't your wonderful plasma printer make it accurately? The cameo is a piece of Art really. I wondered how beautiful it would be if you used brass... Sky and imagination are the limit...
Surely my plasma cutter could cut it easily within seconds. I just wanted to try to see if I can mill it. Milling is still more precise compare to plasma cutting (kerf width might change when the nozzle is burnt) and there might be slag and dross problem. Milling also can cut the piece at different depth, plasma cutting only cut through. Anyway, I was just testing and learned what I need to mill steel. When I get hold of a piece of brass, I'll try to make another 3D relief to see what it look like. Prends soin de toi mon ami !
Et tu te lèves tôt ou tu n'es pas encore au lit ?
@@minhsmancave9448 Je suis debout à 3h du mat', forcé en partie par mes communications avec mes connaissances chez vous ;)
Nice fixes!
Is the Mach3?
Yes, Mach3
@@minhsmancave9448 Thanks Minh's I need to build the spoil board first. My setup is 400 long by 380 mm.