I was searching the internet for some hardened steel shafts for utterly different kind of project, when I found this video. That machine is so nicely constructed I almost cannot belive it is home made. Very nice job!
9 people were jealous. The home made CNC. I would anodise in blue all alloy parts. But this will produce more jealous people with bad feedback. Great job mate
I can only say that I am very happy with them. When setting up all the alignment there was one very brief point where I did get a clicking but once I got the alignment set it didn't and now a few years later has never happened again.
WONDERFULL ! This is the BEST CNC machine I have ever seen on TH-cam ! I love that you keep clean your workshoop , simply breautifull . Greets from Romania !
Sometimes I get an email that someone has made a comment or asked a question on this TH-cam channel but when I look at the relevant posting I don't see that message so am unable to reply. All I can suggest to anyone that has not received a reply via TH-cam within a reasonable amount of time that they visit my website and use the Contact me form to directly send an eMail. www.ghqp.com.au
I am very pleased with every aspect of these Spindle Motors and the VFD. To date I have purchased three of them, one Water Cooled and two Air Cooled. I purchased them of eBay.
Yo nunca comento nada en estos canales, pero esta vez tengo que opinar, es usted "un genio del diseño" y su máquina cnc, creo que "es una obra de arte de la ingeniería". si me permite me gustaría saber más de sus diseños, gracias Federico
+Federico garcia apianes Thank you I appreciate your comments. I do not only try to make my projects functional but yes also a work of art, it does have to also look good.
Sorry to those few people that I don't reply to in particular when the question or comment is not in English language my translator is not the best and sometimes I might not have the time to reply. Please always go to my website the URL is overlayed and and at the end of the video. There is a lot more detail there that will answer many questions.
Steven G Rochelle Thank you I appreciate you taking the time to comment.I am currently doing a slight re-designin of the Z axis that I hope to publish in the next 4-6 weeks.
I loved the design, I served as inspiration, is a very clean machine, i am building my own machine, I'm using a 1.5 kw motor, and if working space is 3 x 4 ft, thank you very much for sharing this video.
Thank You. I machined all the body parts myself. I have a large Mill and Band Saw. There is a project page on my website that has all the pics and descriptions of how I made it. The spindle motor is a 1.5KW Air Cooled VFD. I purchased it of eBay.
Yes it is one from China I purchased on eBay. Not had any problems with it at all. I also have a Shirline CNC Mill I replaced its motor with a 1.5KW water cooled one from China. Both work very well, my preference for me is air cooled as it doesn't need all the water cooling plumbing and still runs just as cool. Though I have to say that even though I am sometimes running the Router up to 6 continuous hours the load on the motor is very light.
Hi and thanks for your comments. The material for the gantry arms was well under $100 for both pieces. That was a couple of years ago now and prices would have increased some since then. Aluminium is a lot cheeper from a commercial wholesaler than a re-seller. All the best with your machine.
Thank you. Ideally liquid cooling/lubrication is needed to extend the tool life. However It is messy and requires a lot of extra work to make the router able to handle it. As this router was mostly going to machine wood and acrylic I didn't bother. This is the only aluminium job I have machined with it but it proves that it can do it.
The Routers spindle motor is 1.5KW Air cooled, its body temp usually doesn't get over around 33 Deg Celsius even after 3+hours of running. I do use a 1.5KW water cooled motor on my modified Sherline Mill. Much more complicated to setup with all the additional water cooling hardware and plumbing. Comparing the two the Air Cooled motor is fine for home CNC work. I use Vectric Aspire CAD/CAM software to generate my G-Code. Its an excellent package, though a little expensive to start.
The best advice that I can give is make it one stage at a time. Y then X then Z. Be patient as it will take a while, took me a few months, depends on how much spare time you have. Getting the basic machine up and running is just part of it, I spent more than another month fine tuning and with alignment. I acheived less than 0.3mm Z depth variation from one extreme to the other, corners over the bed. Thats quite OK for machining wood and Acrylic as its thickness can vary about that anyway.
I use Vectric Aspire. This is an all in one CAD/CAM software package. It is mostly used for wood CNC but works just as well regardless of the material. It is very easy to learn and use.
Thank you for your comments. For the Router I used a 1.5KW VFD Air Cooled motor. This works well and can run for hours at top speed 24000RPM and not get above about 32degC. Hardly warm. There is a lot of information on my website. Go to the PROJECTS section. The motor will run up to 24000RPM. I mostly use mills from 1mm to 4mm at speeds from 2400RPM for the smaller cutters down to around 1400-1600 for 4mm. Depends on the grade of Aluminium. Another new video soon.
Thank you for your comment. Yes I am a perfectionist and quite anal when it comes to being tidy and organised. I get this from my father who was the same. Many people comment like you when they first see my workshop. As for the router I had been thinking about making one for nearly two years before I started. Hope you find my website interesting.
I purchased the Controller, Stepper Motors and Power Supply from an eBay Store. There is no brand name. However I see that there are a lot of eBay stores selling the same thing. The board can handle a maximum of 3.5A drive current, the stepper motors are Nema 23 270oz-in.
That is one fine machine you got there!!! I'm gonna jump on over to your url and research this more!! I love how clean and organized your workspace is!! OCD? Perfectionist?! Haha!! But really that is sweet!! Great job!! This is the type and size i would like to have!! Would fit just right in the corner of the workshop and not take up too much space. Kudos!! Peace!!!
I am sure it could, this is what you set it up to be in your control software such as MACH 3 that I use. You must take into account the optimal cutting speed for the Material being cut, the cutting tool itself (Dia & Number of flutes) and the depth of cut. There are rules for determining this. So it is not how rapidly you can run the router there are other factors to consider. Hope this helps.
UPDATE: I have just completed a re-design and build of the Z Axis component. The purpose for doing this was to increase the rigidity and incorporate some new ideas. Unlike the original Z Axis you see in the video that was constructed by hand using a Drill Press and manual mill, this new version was machined almost completely using the CNC Router. I took hundreds of photos and some videos all during its prototyping build and testing. I will make available the dimensions drawings created in the CAD/CAM software I use Vectric Aspire. Look for this on my website in a few weeks.
+Facost “Keep in Touch” .com I purchased the full version and keep it updated each new version (Currently V8) so I received an activation key from Vectric. I imagine you are using the trial version so all you can do is to purchase a full version via the Aspire website.
Lovely work. Cutter cooling & tool life could be improved with taking the cutter of the job at corners, or adding a vacum tube to pull out warm air from around the cutting tip & remove swarf ...... but it's another thing that will require attention, and get tangled up, may be cheaper to just burn a tip now and again & throw away .
Not many jobs that I do require precise accuracy so I don't often measure them. For the X and Y axis it is accurate to within 0.01mm and for the Z axis over the entire bed surface it is about 0.03mm. For smaller jobs max 150mm x 200mm I have a shirline CNC Mill and that is all over very accurate. Best Regards... Graham
Currently re-working the routers bed to make it much more solid and accurate. replacing the slotted extruded aluminium sections. I will post a new short video soon once it is completed.
+Luoi Frances Thanks for your comments. That is a tough question as I have never had the reason to actually do any proper precision tests. You know with CNC there is a difference when you do Conventional compared to Climb cutting the accuracy is different for various operation be it an inside pocket to an outside profile. There is also tool flex depending on the depth of cut to take into account. Honestly it is more about experience than an exact science from what I have found. However having said that there is a difference between a CNC "ROUTER" compared to a CNC "MILL". Routers are not as precise as Mills basically because routers are just that and made to mostly cut profiles over a large aria of material so hence not as accurate as a much more rigid CNC Milling Machine. Anyway to answer your question and from what I have measured post routing on my machine its accuracy is between 0.05 to 0.1mm depending on the job. Also remembering I use DS Carpet tape to hold down my work to that could have a bit of give for smaller jobs. But for me my routers accuracy and consistency is perfectly OK. Its all about what you are intending to make with your machine. Don't skimp on the material thicknesses or rigidity of the construction. Oh and one final note Stepper Motors are not as accurate or as good as Servo Motors but stepper motors are way less expensive. Hope I haven't gone too much with this comment. Cheers Graham
Store Name for the spindle motore is: love-happyshopping There is a lot more information on my website. Also at the bottom of the CNC Router Project page there is a downloadable text document with some specifications and purchase information for some of the main components. Hope this helps Regards Graham
Yes... most of the main components were purchased off eBay. There is a text file you can download at the bottom of the CNC Router project page on my website. This has a lot of specifications and information where I purchased some the components.
Thanks, I actually do my own anodising and could have done this. However once I got it all together and aligned I could not bring myself to breaking it all down just to make it look pretty. Maybe the next one if that ever happens. :)
Sorry but I never made any plans or drawings. I did it all and made it up as I went along. There is a lot more information and images on my website with a comprehensive project page and some downloads. But sorry no detailed drawings.
Great machine, thanks for sharing. I am in the process of building my own and have thought a lot about using offset gantry vertical sides to increase travel. Correct me if I am wrong, but in your design which is similar in principal to mine, you can not achieve any additional travel because what you gain in the negative Y axis by moving the spindle position back, you lose on the positive Y axis because ultimately you are limited by the length of your rails.
Fred Morris For my machine I only gained on Y axis, the positioning is more centralised to maximise the full length of the bed positive and negative. Its a matter of getting the setback of the spindle optimum.
hamrx8 I am also thinking of incorporating a laser on my spindle, do you have a script to auto zero your spindle or do you zero it manually after jogging your laser? If you have a script, would you be prepared to share it?
Sorry They dont exist. I created this design from rough sketches and made it up as I went along. I did not make any plans. You will however find a lot of information on my website. The address is overlayed on the video. For some reason TH-cam wont allow me to post URLs in these comments.
Yes I have used WD40 and it does work quite well. It all depends on the grade of aluminium being machined. For instance 6000 grade's are very soft and sticky so does need some sort of lubricant to stop buildup on the tools cutting edge. I have used Trefolex C.D.T. Cutting Oil and does not evaporate like WD40. Other lower number grades of aluminium do chip off quite well and do not stick to the cutting edge. The plate I am machining in the above video is 5083 Mill Finish Plate & had no problems.
Most of the questions asked, the answers are available on my website, Projects, CNC Router. There are also downloads, documents etc at the bottom of the page. If you have any specific questions please use the Contact Me form. I will always try to reply as soon as possible but may take a week or so. I will always do the best I can. Website URL is over laid on the video.
Sorry I will check it out as soon as possible. I have a very sick mum in hospital at the moment. If you get a chance please try my website form again perhaps on another computer. Regards Graham
AWESOME! Look very professional. Simply awesome. As someone that is in very beginning of creating something that wont be even close at that i envy you :)
I have found no problem with the linear bearings that I used, there is absolutely no slop that I can detect or measure. I guess what it all boils down to is what you can afford to spend vs the type of machining you will be doing. Not a lot of especially home built CNC machines I have seen use square linear bearings. Probably if I were ever to build another router I might use square bearings just for the Z axis.
Yes it is 24,000RPM the maximum spindle speed this motor will do. I use only Carbide cutters. There was probably no reason to run that fast, it was the first job. For most jobs now I use between 10,000 to 16,000RPM rarely do I crank it up to 24,000. Then again I mostly use my router for Acrylic projects.
Sorry I do not have any plans. However there is a lot of information relating to its construction on my website. The URL is overlaid on the video. Regards Graham
Thank you for your comments. For all the work I have done to date the 1.5KW spindle is more than adequate and I have not experienced any problems. However I do have to add that 80% of the jobs I do are machining acrylic with tools no greater than 4mm. The other 20% are wood up to 5mm. Video above has been the only Aluminium job, that was a 4mm cutter 0.5mm Z depth/pass. As you can see it works well. I don't run the spindle less than 1000 RPM so can't comment less than that.
Sorry no I dont have any plans for this machine. when building it I did not create any. However there are many photos and information about the making of it on my website.
TH-cam wont allow URL links to be included in messages. However my website address is overlaid at the bottom of the video. ghqp...... If I were ever to make another one it would fundamentally be the same. It would however be somewhat easier as I would have this machine to CNC most of the components that in itself might allow some refinements.
The CAD/CAM software I use is VECTRIC Aspire and yes you can load DXF files. The Acrylic clock I made, I purchased the design as a DXF and used Aspire to create the G-Code. Aspire is a fabulous program though it is a little expensive however Vectric have other lower cost solutions.
Purchased the Stepper motors on eBay there are lots of sellers, remember if you want to use handles ask for double ended shaft motors. I made the handles myself.
Thank you for your comment. Yes and if I ever built another one I would use this one to do an even better job. The principal probably goes back to the start of the industrial age where the first machine, lathe, mill etc was built all by hand and then it was use to build a better next one and so on and so on..... interesting to ponder upon.
Sorry no I have no plans. All the information I can provide on its construction is on my website. There are also some downloads at the end of the project page for this router. Regards Graham
Not sure what you mean. If you are asking can the router make a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) the answer would be yes I just have not had a reason to make one yet. I have though mad PCB's with my Shirline CNC Mill.
Sorry I dont have a spare 2 months. Though I may make another one for myself one day. I enjoyed almost every minute of making this one though there were some frustrations along the way.
Thank you for your comments. A while ago I did look at air cooling directly to the cutter in combination with my vacuum system, (thats another video later to this one). However it was going to make the whole thing very complex and for a home system a bit over the top. So as you say I have opted to just replacing cutters as needed. I get them at a very good price.
Thanks for your comments. I agree I went overboard on the number of tabs but this was the very first job this size so was just over cautious. Now its finished I mostly use this router for Acrylic and Wood virtually no aluminium. You can see the projects on my website. Thanks again I appreciate peoples comments.
A lot of people ask me this and I never did a complete calculation as to the cost. I estimate it to have been between A$2,500 to A$3,000 for all the basic parts and materials. That includes the control computer, I already had the software that I use on my Shirline Mill.
I use a program called Vectric Aspire to do the CAD/CAM work and then MACH3 for the CNC Machine control. This machine was built just for myself I do mot make anything for sale. Best Regards.
There is a lot more information and images taken during its construction on my website. There is also a downloadable txt document at the bottom of the router project page with specifications and where I purchased most of the main components. The Stepper motors are 263 Oz-in (18.9Kgcm) 0.25inch Dia Shafts at both ends.
Yes I meant to say 10,000 RPM. I have a potentiometer connected to the VFD for speed control. ON/OFF is controlled by Mach 3, however here is also a manual ON/OFF switch. I have had no problem with this VFD, I did purchase a spare one and motor just in case, have not considered any other brand.
Thank you again to all those great comments about how many people like my machine. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. If you want construction details, component information and pics please go to my website.
Sorry a mistake in my comments about motor speeds, dropped a 0, Should be: "I mostly use mills from 1mm to 4mm at speeds from 24000RPM for the smaller cutters down to around 14000-16000 for 4mm. " As for the Crank Wheels, Yes these are very-very handy for setting up the exact XYZ Zero location. You just have to be sure to order stepper motors with a shaft out of each end.
Most of the main components were purchased of eBay. There is a downloadable text file with almost all of this information on my website. The link is at the bottom of the CNC Routers project page.
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An effort like this would take me the rest of my remaining lifespan. Very cool and nicely done.
I was searching the internet for some hardened steel shafts for utterly different kind of project, when I found this video.
That machine is so nicely constructed I almost cannot belive it is home made. Very nice job!
Looks better than 99% of the pre-built ones.
+ComandanteJ Thanks :)
+hamrx8 That's true ...looks so good !!!!
more like 100% of them
9 people were jealous. The home made CNC. I would anodise in blue all alloy parts. But this will produce more jealous people with bad feedback. Great job mate
This video is so inspirational because he is replicating like a rep rap. Such amazing design and engineering.
I can only say that I am very happy with them. When setting up all the alignment there was one very brief point where I did get a clicking but once I got the alignment set it didn't and now a few years later has never happened again.
WONDERFULL ! This is the BEST CNC machine I have ever seen on TH-cam ! I love that you keep clean your workshoop , simply breautifull . Greets from Romania !
Sometimes I get an email that someone has made a comment or asked a question on this TH-cam channel but when I look at the relevant posting I don't see that message so am unable to reply. All I can suggest to anyone that has not received a reply via TH-cam within a reasonable amount of time that they visit my website and use the Contact me form to directly send an eMail.
www.ghqp.com.au
I am very pleased with every aspect of these Spindle Motors and the VFD. To date I have purchased three of them, one Water Cooled and two Air Cooled. I purchased them of eBay.
I just watched your video again after a few years. Thanks you inspired me to build my own machine.
Yo nunca comento nada en estos canales, pero esta vez tengo que opinar, es usted "un genio del diseño" y su máquina cnc, creo que "es una obra de arte de la ingeniería".
si me permite me gustaría saber más de sus diseños, gracias
Federico
+Federico garcia apianes Thank you I appreciate your comments.
I do not only try to make my projects functional but yes also a work of art, it does have to also look good.
CONGRATULATIONS One of best homemade CNC I ever seen. clean, well mounted, balanced, accurate, my sincere congratulations.
Greetings from Spain
Sorry to those few people that I don't reply to in particular when the question or comment is not in English language my translator is not the best and sometimes I might not have the time to reply. Please always go to my website the URL is overlayed and and at the end of the video. There is a lot more detail there that will answer many questions.
Very nice machine. You did a beautiful build. Cutting parts for your machine was very interesting also. The overview of whole is greatly appreciated.
Steven G Rochelle Thank you I appreciate you taking the time to comment.I am currently doing a slight re-designin of the Z axis that I hope to publish in the next 4-6 weeks.
Thank you for your taking the time to comment this is very kind of you.
I trust you will have a very long life and a good one.
I loved the design, I served as inspiration, is a very clean machine, i am building my own machine, I'm using a 1.5 kw motor, and if working space is 3 x 4 ft, thank you very much for sharing this video.
You made a very beautiful machine and you can be proud of it. Great craftmanship my friend.
Thank You.
I machined all the body parts myself. I have a large Mill and Band Saw. There is a project page on my website that has all the pics and descriptions of how I made it. The spindle motor is a 1.5KW Air Cooled VFD. I purchased it of eBay.
your shop is cleaner than my living room. much cleaner!
Yes it is one from China I purchased on eBay. Not had any problems with it at all. I also have a Shirline CNC Mill I replaced its motor with a 1.5KW water cooled one from China. Both work very well, my preference for me is air cooled as it doesn't need all the water cooling plumbing and still runs just as cool. Though I have to say that even though I am sometimes running the Router up to 6 continuous hours the load on the motor is very light.
Hi and thanks for your comments. The material for the gantry arms was well under $100 for both pieces. That was a couple of years ago now and prices would have increased some since then. Aluminium is a lot cheeper from a commercial wholesaler than a re-seller. All the best with your machine.
Thank you. Ideally liquid cooling/lubrication is needed to extend the tool life.
However It is messy and requires a lot of extra work to make the router able to handle it. As this router was mostly going to machine wood and acrylic I didn't bother. This is the only aluminium job I have machined with it but it proves that it can do it.
The Routers spindle motor is 1.5KW Air cooled, its body temp usually doesn't get over around 33 Deg Celsius even after 3+hours of running. I do use a 1.5KW water cooled motor on my modified Sherline Mill. Much more complicated to setup with all the additional water cooling hardware and plumbing. Comparing the two the Air Cooled motor is fine for home CNC work.
I use Vectric Aspire CAD/CAM software to generate my G-Code. Its an excellent package, though a little expensive to start.
The best advice that I can give is make it one stage at a time. Y then X then Z. Be patient as it will take a while, took me a few months, depends on how much spare time you have. Getting the basic machine up and running is just part of it, I spent more than another month fine tuning and with alignment. I acheived less than 0.3mm Z depth variation from one extreme to the other, corners over the bed. Thats quite OK for machining wood and Acrylic as its thickness can vary about that anyway.
Your machine is a work of art! Nicely done. And you keep a beautifully maintained shop as well.
Fantastic workmanship! That is a top notch home-grown machine.
I use Vectric Aspire. This is an all in one CAD/CAM software package. It is mostly used for wood CNC but works just as well regardless of the material. It is very easy to learn and use.
Thank you for your comments.
For the Router I used a 1.5KW VFD Air Cooled motor. This works well and can run for hours at top speed 24000RPM and not get above about 32degC. Hardly warm. There is a lot of information on my website. Go to the PROJECTS section. The motor will run up to 24000RPM. I mostly use mills from 1mm to 4mm at speeds from 2400RPM for the smaller cutters down to around 1400-1600 for 4mm. Depends on the grade of Aluminium. Another new video soon.
Your home built router is awesome ! It's one of the best I saw.
Thank you for your comment. Yes I am a perfectionist and quite anal when it comes to being tidy and organised. I get this from my father who was the same. Many people comment like you when they first see my workshop. As for the router I had been thinking about making one for nearly two years before I started. Hope you find my website interesting.
i have watched this video atleast 50 times now... I LOVE IT.... GREAT work
I purchased the Controller, Stepper Motors and Power Supply from an eBay Store. There is no brand name. However I see that there are a lot of eBay stores selling the same thing. The board can handle a maximum of 3.5A drive current, the stepper motors are Nema 23 270oz-in.
That is one fine machine you got there!!! I'm gonna jump on over to your url and research this more!! I love how clean and organized your workspace is!! OCD? Perfectionist?! Haha!! But really that is sweet!! Great job!! This is the type and size i would like to have!! Would fit just right in the corner of the workshop and not take up too much space. Kudos!! Peace!!!
I am sure it could, this is what you set it up to be in your control software such as MACH 3 that I use. You must take into account the optimal cutting speed for the Material being cut, the cutting tool itself (Dia & Number of flutes) and the depth of cut.
There are rules for determining this. So it is not how rapidly you can run the router there are other factors to consider. Hope this helps.
UPDATE:
I have just completed a re-design and build of the Z Axis component.
The purpose for doing this was to increase the rigidity and incorporate some new ideas. Unlike the original Z Axis you see in the video that was constructed by hand using a Drill Press and manual mill, this new version was machined almost completely using the CNC Router. I took hundreds of photos and some videos all during its prototyping build and testing. I will make available the dimensions drawings created in the CAD/CAM software I use Vectric Aspire. Look for this on my website in a few weeks.
+hamrx8 do you have a way to activate the aspire because its out of date ,expired
+Facost “Keep in Touch” .com I purchased the full version and keep it updated each new version (Currently V8) so I received an activation key from Vectric.
I imagine you are using the trial version so all you can do is to purchase a full version via the Aspire website.
:) i have culture of getting everything virtual like music software sometime skype credit or host ,,, for free ,
Lovely work. Cutter cooling & tool life could be improved with taking the cutter of the job at corners, or adding a vacum tube to pull out warm air from around the cutting tip & remove swarf ...... but it's another thing that will require attention, and get tangled up, may be cheaper to just burn a tip now and again & throw away .
Not many jobs that I do require precise accuracy so I don't often measure them.
For the X and Y axis it is accurate to within 0.01mm and for the Z axis over the entire bed surface it is about 0.03mm. For smaller jobs max 150mm x 200mm I have a shirline CNC Mill and that is all over very accurate.
Best Regards... Graham
Currently re-working the routers bed to make it much more solid and accurate.
replacing the slotted extruded aluminium sections. I will post a new short video soon once it is completed.
+Luoi Frances Thanks for your comments. That is a tough question as I have never had the reason to actually do any proper precision tests. You know with CNC there is a difference when you do Conventional compared to Climb cutting the accuracy is different for various operation be it an inside pocket to an outside profile. There is also tool flex depending on the depth of cut to take into account. Honestly it is more about experience than an exact science from what I have found. However having said that there is a difference between a CNC "ROUTER" compared to a CNC "MILL". Routers are not as precise as Mills basically because routers are just that and made to mostly cut profiles over a large aria of material so hence not as accurate as a much more rigid CNC Milling Machine.
Anyway to answer your question and from what I have measured post routing on my machine its accuracy is between 0.05 to 0.1mm depending on the job. Also remembering I use DS Carpet tape to hold down my work to that could have a bit of give for smaller jobs.
But for me my routers accuracy and consistency is perfectly OK. Its all about what you are intending to make with your machine. Don't skimp on the material thicknesses or rigidity of the construction.
Oh and one final note Stepper Motors are not as accurate or as good as Servo Motors but stepper motors are way less expensive.
Hope I haven't gone too much with this comment.
Cheers
Graham
Going to the S style supports the centre of gravity is better over the Y axis bearings. So overall stability is better.
Store Name for the spindle motore is: love-happyshopping
There is a lot more information on my website.
Also at the bottom of the CNC Router Project page there is a downloadable text document with some specifications and purchase information for some of the main components.
Hope this helps
Regards
Graham
Nice shop, too. Thanks for posting this. You do beautiful work.
Yes... most of the main components were purchased off eBay. There is a text file you can download at the bottom of the CNC Router project page on my website. This has a lot of specifications and information where I purchased some the components.
Thanks, I actually do my own anodising and could have done this. However once I got it all together and aligned I could not bring myself to breaking it all down just to make it look pretty. Maybe the next one if that ever happens. :)
Sorry but I never made any plans or drawings. I did it all and made it up as I went along. There is a lot more information and images on my website with a comprehensive project page and some downloads. But sorry no detailed drawings.
Great machine, thanks for sharing. I am in the process of building my own and have thought a lot about using offset gantry vertical sides to increase travel.
Correct me if I am wrong, but in your design which is similar in principal to mine, you can not achieve any additional travel because what you gain in the negative Y axis by moving the spindle position back, you lose on the positive Y axis because ultimately you are limited by the length of your rails.
Fred Morris For my machine I only gained on Y axis, the positioning is more centralised to maximise the full length of the bed positive and negative. Its a matter of getting the setback of the spindle optimum.
hamrx8 I am also thinking of incorporating a laser on my spindle, do you have a script to auto zero your spindle or do you zero it manually after jogging your laser? If you have a script, would you be prepared to share it?
Fred Morris Cant help you with that Fred, I zero my spindle manually using the laser only sometimes if needed.
Sorry They dont exist. I created this design from rough sketches and made it up as I went along. I did not make any plans. You will however find a lot of information on my website. The address is overlayed on the video. For some reason TH-cam wont allow me to post URLs in these comments.
Yes I have used WD40 and it does work quite well. It all depends on the grade of aluminium being machined. For instance 6000 grade's are very soft and sticky so does need some sort of lubricant to stop buildup on the tools cutting edge. I have used Trefolex C.D.T. Cutting Oil and does not evaporate like WD40. Other lower number grades of aluminium do chip off quite well and do not stick to the cutting edge. The plate I am machining in the above video is 5083 Mill Finish Plate & had no problems.
That machine is beautiful. I actually have plans to build a similar mill with dimensions of 520 * 500 * 300 (x,y,z).
Most of the questions asked, the answers are available on my website, Projects, CNC Router. There are also downloads, documents etc at the bottom of the page. If you have any specific questions please use the Contact Me form. I will always try to reply as soon as possible but may take a week or so. I will always do the best I can. Website URL is over laid on the video.
machines building machines :O now we just have to wait for skynet to kick in
Sorry I will check it out as soon as possible. I have a very sick mum in hospital at the moment. If you get a chance please try my website form again perhaps on another computer.
Regards Graham
gorgeous machine compare to my small Chinese cnc, I envy people that have big workshop to play with :)
Excellent work. Very well crafted. You are obviously meticulous in your work.
Thank you for your comment. Yes I am a bit like that :)
Beautiful. Home built commercial quality
AWESOME! Look very professional. Simply awesome. As someone that is in very beginning of creating something that wont be even close at that i envy you :)
Nice job. May you have many successful projects from it.
I have found no problem with the linear bearings that I used, there is absolutely no slop that I can detect or measure. I guess what it all boils down to is what you can afford to spend vs the type of machining you will be doing. Not a lot of especially home built CNC machines I have seen use square linear bearings. Probably if I were ever to build another router I might use square bearings just for the Z axis.
I use a 3 Axis Controller Board 3A + 263 Oz-in (18.9Kgcm) Stepper Motor (The Stepper Motors have 0.25inch Dia Shafts Double end.)
Nice to see your are using Mach 3
*You are
Yes I am and have done since getting into CNC about 7 years ago no. Mach 3 has performed flawlessly.
The build looks excellent. I'm planning on building one with a fairly similar design.
Yes it is 24,000RPM the maximum spindle speed this motor will do. I use only Carbide cutters. There was probably no reason to run that fast, it was the first job. For most jobs now I use between 10,000 to 16,000RPM rarely do I crank it up to 24,000. Then again I mostly use my router for Acrylic projects.
Sorry I do not have any plans. However there is a lot of information relating to its construction on my website. The URL is overlaid on the video.
Regards
Graham
The full bed size is 450x720mm
The maximum machinable job size is 400x580mm
Thank you for your comments.
For all the work I have done to date the 1.5KW spindle is more than adequate and I have not experienced any problems. However I do have to add that 80% of the jobs I do are machining acrylic with tools no greater than 4mm. The other 20% are wood up to 5mm. Video above has been the only Aluminium job, that was a 4mm cutter 0.5mm Z depth/pass. As you can see it works well. I don't run the spindle less than 1000 RPM so can't comment less than that.
Best build I've ever seen!!! Cool.
Sorry no I dont have any plans for this machine. when building it I did not create any. However there are many photos and information about the making of it on my website.
TH-cam wont allow URL links to be included in messages. However my website address is overlaid at the bottom of the video. ghqp......
If I were ever to make another one it would fundamentally be the same. It would however be somewhat easier as I would have this machine to CNC most of the components that in itself might allow some refinements.
The CAD/CAM software I use is VECTRIC Aspire and yes you can load DXF files. The Acrylic clock I made, I purchased the design as a DXF and used Aspire to create the G-Code. Aspire is a fabulous program though it is a little expensive however Vectric have other lower cost solutions.
Purchased the Stepper motors on eBay there are lots of sellers, remember if you want to use handles ask for double ended shaft motors. I made the handles myself.
Gorgeous Machine... Awesome work !!! Love it !
Thank you for your comment. Yes and if I ever built another one I would use this one to do an even better job. The principal probably goes back to the start of the industrial age where the first machine, lathe, mill etc was built all by hand and then it was use to build a better next one and so on and so on..... interesting to ponder upon.
this is the kind of cnc im looking to build, top work!
Sorry no I have no plans. All the information I can provide on its construction is on my website. There are also some downloads at the end of the project page for this router.
Regards
Graham
Sorry no I dont. However you can see all the details on my website with downloads at the bottom of the CNC Router Project page.
Regards
Graham
You are a lucky man! I wish you success!
That is a thing of beauty!
I used 100mm x 12mm extrusions for the X & Y components and 100mm x 10mm for the Z parts. The Gantry side supports are 12mm plate.
Thank you, I really appreciate your comments.
Graham :-)
Not sure what you mean. If you are asking can the router make a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) the answer would be yes I just have not had a reason to make one yet. I have though mad PCB's with my Shirline CNC Mill.
Sorry I dont have a spare 2 months. Though I may make another one for myself one day. I enjoyed almost every minute of making this one though there were some frustrations along the way.
Thank you for your comments. A while ago I did look at air cooling directly to the cutter in combination with my vacuum system, (thats another video later to this one). However it was going to make the whole thing very complex and for a home system a bit over the top. So as you say I have opted to just replacing cutters as needed. I get them at a very good price.
You can see some of the projects I have made with this router on my website. You will see the URL at the bottom of the video.
Thanks for your comments. I agree I went overboard on the number of tabs but this was the very first job this size so was just over cautious. Now its finished I mostly use this router for Acrylic and Wood virtually no aluminium. You can see the projects on my website. Thanks again I appreciate peoples comments.
Very nice craftsmanship
Great job!! Been looking at a few but would mine building one
Very good job! I very nice to see this machine
one of the best CNC .... great work !!!
A lot of people ask me this and I never did a complete calculation as to the cost. I estimate it to have been between A$2,500 to A$3,000 for all the basic parts and materials. That includes the control computer, I already had the software that I use on my Shirline Mill.
I use a program called Vectric Aspire to do the CAD/CAM work and then MACH3 for the CNC Machine control. This machine was built just for myself I do mot make anything for sale. Best Regards.
There is a lot more information and images taken during its construction on my website. There is also a downloadable txt document at the bottom of the router project page with specifications and where I purchased most of the main components.
The Stepper motors are 263 Oz-in (18.9Kgcm) 0.25inch Dia Shafts at both ends.
Thanks I appreciate your comments.
Yes I meant to say 10,000 RPM.
I have a potentiometer connected to the VFD for speed control. ON/OFF is controlled by Mach 3, however here is also a manual ON/OFF switch. I have had no problem with this VFD, I did purchase a spare one and motor just in case, have not considered any other brand.
Thank you again to all those great comments about how many people like my machine.
I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
If you want construction details, component information and pics please go to my website.
Sorry a mistake in my comments about motor speeds, dropped a 0, Should be:
"I mostly use mills from 1mm to 4mm at speeds from 24000RPM for the smaller cutters down to around 14000-16000 for 4mm. "
As for the Crank Wheels, Yes these are very-very handy for setting up the exact XYZ Zero location. You just have to be sure to order stepper motors with a shaft out of each end.
That machine is beautiful
Oh God! Machines built Machines! It's Terminator!!!!! :)
Yes NEMA 23 and Spindle is 1.5KW Air Cooled.
Lots more information on my website. URL overlaid bottom of video. ghqp.
Well Done. Fantastic machine.
Most of the main components were purchased of eBay. There is a downloadable text file with almost all of this information on my website. The link is at the bottom of the CNC Routers project page.
No I didn't develop the software. I use Vectric Aspire for my design and G-Code generation the MACH3 for the Router control.