I’m thinking to port the script to JavaScript and run it on a website probably with an ad to help pay for server costs). Would you like to see that happen?
I think the port is a great Idea. Honestly if you are able to document it's usage very well a monthly subscription or one time fee would be a good idea. G-code for 5Axis has always been a problem at a reasonable cost. I've been into cnc's for well over a decade now and the 5 axis jump is always in the back of my mind.
nominal cost, ability to purchase through jungle site... unlikely though, that stuff is a pain to set up for non-physical stuff, selling serial number cards for someone to register, cookie tied to number turns off ads, that might work and third party handles physical cards. get enough people hitting the site for g-code generation and ads won't pay for server costs.
@@machsuper nah stuffmafe here is probably the biggest machining channel on yt🤷♂️ also i want to build a 5axis cnc millas well , but am not quite sure about the code ? is there a proper 5 axis control software, or will you make your mach4 script avalible? becaue im quite confident in cam/cad and want to expand that to 5axis milling, but cant afford one ,so the only way is to diy it , but its really hard to find all the software and know what works with what
@@Basement_CNC hey felix, check out my most recent video, it's the beginning of my new project to 5 axis convert my benchtop mill. I'll be explaining lots of details about that video-by-video. I'd like to make some form of the script available to people in the future.
That's huge actually, good point, I have a gigantic pile of half finished projects that I have just never gotten back to. Finishing things is definitely a skill.
This video is awesome. I took a grad course on 5 axis CNC toolpath generation, and you basically did a couple scientific papers' worth of work, wrote your own inverse kinematics post processor, and made an awesome visualization out of it too. This is crazy impressive.
I'm speechless.. I clicked on your video cause I had designed my own 5 axis CNC but never pulled the trigger but man... Your mind is incredible, I'm truly in awe. To be able to understand the complex movement of 5 axis is one thing but to write the custom code to get your machine to work this well is mind boggling. I'm beyond impressed, well bloody done! Being another Aussie just tops it off 🤘👊
As a retired guy not wanting to sit on a porch and watch traffic, I also have dipped by toe into both building a five axis machine and writing the CAM software to generate the tool paths. I will not finish the machine until there is proof that the software will accomplish what I expect. I am using Rhino3d to generate the desired shape, and an plugin called Grasshopper to generate the GCode. Fun stuff while in discovery mode, dark moments when I learn what I need to learn. Thanks for the Video and the inspiration. What you have described is a gift that will keep on giving.
unless you're some programming savant, why are you wasting time on writing a custom cam software, just pirate mastercam or hypermill and concentrate on mechanical and electrical.
I love that. I also dream of making proper CAM software. I’ve thought about many approaches, I just don’t know how to understand the data structures and mathematics for it all yet. I hope you figure it out… and then help me 😄
@@machsuper you guys must be in the top IQ dept. I've spent 3 years designing a 5 axis microcenter and I'm barely scratching the surface. After all this time all I got is what type of a frame I will use. That's all I've managed to do after investigating all possible frames on the market and a hundred cad concepts not to mention hundreds of hours running FEA on half of them.
This dude is the literal definition of engineering. Honestly, good for you my guy. You had the resources, the time, and the (partial) know how to do something and freaking just sent it and did it. This is what I want
I love when people call me a real engineer, it helps to make up for the lack of engineering degree. Thank you mate. You only live once, do the coolest things you can.
As someone completely new to the DIY hobby but affine to 3D visualization I can only express my highest appreciation for both the effort you put into visualizing the 5-axis concepts you implemented as well as the effort you put into the project itself. Very inspiring!
What an awesome project! Thank you for posting about it, if you ever want someone to help bounce ideas off of don’t hesitate to ask! Myself or other members of the community love nerding out and helping share our passion.
I really appreciated that video, especially from a fellow Aussie. In the past 12 years I have built and sold 3 CNC machines and barely used them as well. Im quite convinced that the actual hobby IS the build, and not using the machine. I have quite a few CNC buddies who don't use theirs either. I remember building my first machine and having no idea how to run it or create gcode. Its quite weird building a functioning machine but not knowing how to actually drive it. Anyhow thanks for your honest account. I think it will help quite a few people. One thing Im very sure of, is the minute you dont have a CNC machine, you will want one again. For your moulds I reckon 3D resin printing and then sand and polish is the go today.
Hey Ben. You found this also. Awesome stuff here. I mill in foam, put a silicon with backed fibre glass jacket over the top. Make a plaster mould from the silicon/fibre glass mold and vac form over the plaster. When the mold breaks, I just pour another. And I was proud getting my cam software to spit out g-code for my mills plasma cutting conversion. However, this is next level. My hat is off to you... Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did your vacuum formed parts have clear windows? That was a killer for me, it was so hard to get a good finish on the inside. It seems like it has to be a near mirror finish to leave the surface nice and clear. It has to stay very clean too. Thank you for the great comment. :)
@@spidey4fun Hey sir, did you stumble upon my comment or get a notification? Mate I always think what you do is amazing. Currently Im making another virtual pinball cab. The software has streamed ahead since the last one I built. We gptta all catch up again at some point.
@@machsuper I know you were asking Spidey, but my thought is could you make the mould and then cut out the window part and carefully glue in glass. That way you would maintain a smooth hard surface. I still recon 3d resin printing has come of age. One other point, people imagine CNC to create a finished surface, but that's a mistake, you need to clean and polish by hand.
That's a really great compliment to receive about storytelling. I've always felt like I struggle with storytelling, I think my increasing ability to love people and understand what others are thinking is the key. Thanks for the great comment!
I did build my 3axis CNC mill witch turned out really good, now I am thinking about 5axis CNC, but I have doubt that I can achieve that based on my level of knowledge. Keep building and always aim one step higher. +RESPECT
Depending on how much it means to you, is it worth trying and maybe failing or never giving it a go? If you try you’ll learn things either way. Chances are you’ll learn enough to know how to do it right next time.
Brilliant work👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. I used to work in a factory that manufactures sport helmets. The outer shell of the helmet are made of polycarbonate made vacuum shell. We made the vac tool with aluminum in mass production. When we prototype in the development stage, we use Bakelite. It is easier to mill. There are many air vents to ensure the suction distributes evenly among the shell. You may have a try.
Ah! I did see the helmet vac forming process during my research. I saw the aluminium moulds. Honestly, I think I could have cut aluminium with the machine if I was careful. I should have asked more people what to do about the problem, but I was just exhausted, young, stupid and getting interested in other things.
Back in the 80's we added a similar head to our line of large boring mills. Only issue at the time was the CNC programming language. Ended up having to use the APT programming software to do the demo. It worked as a R&D project but not sellable.
They say that "Fools rush in" BUT after "the fool" has worked it all out, HE IS NO LONGER A "FOOL" And a hell of a lot of experience is gained along the way. Well done
Hello, very cool project! I learned in a thermoforming company, I programmed such 5-axis head-head machines (HG Systech with NUM control) for a few years and now own one :-) I also build loudspeakers on it. I think your approach to the 5-axis RTCP process is very cool, you learned a lot more than when you used LinuxCNC or similar control systems in which other users have already implemented such features :-) A tip: If you want to thermoform transparent materials, do not pull the material onto the tool with the vacuum, but leave a thin layer of air between the tool surface and the plastic. That's the way when we thermoformed clear materials. Greetings from Germany!
I use to race slot cars and RC cars back in the 80’s painted all of my lexan body’s. I won many paint schemes contest and got a lot of requests to paint lexan body’s for other racers and they too won paint contest. Memories of the good ole days. Great video on your old machine, it would be a great project, perhaps a smaller version
That’s awesome mate! I’ve always loved the designs you get on RC touring cars. I want to make a smaller 5 axis router, but it’s looking more like I’ll end up making an even bigger one first.
Although you say you "never really used it much", it must have been a great source of knowledge for you. I bet the projects you tackle in the future will make use of this again and again! This is a great video, providing insight for those planning similar projects. If it puts some people off even starting, that may not be a bad thing... you may have saved them time, money, and heartbreak. Thanks for this... Liked & Subscribed, and looking forward to browsing your other offerings! 👍
Thank you so much for the nice comment John! No doubt this project has ingrained in me a passion for building machines and I will certainly take a lot from this machine to help me think about future projects. Since building this machine I’ve really wanted to help make contributions to the DIY CNC community. This channel is very much part of that wish. Sometimes I wonder if I should keep my ideas secret for profit, but I learned the value of transparency and shared knowledge from this community, so I should stick to my most honourable values.
@@machsuper , yeah i would love to share some things I've figured out, but since I am a very small shop, I can't talk about a lot of stuff... competition is fierce! If I ever got big enough or if I made youtube videos as a large part of my income then* I think it would be profitable to share tricks.
Wow, JUST WOW. I work with vacuum forming, and we used XPS foam. It's a hi density extruded foam, NOT CHEAP but great to machine. Also, to get a smooth surface to a pull we wood do a .06 styrene pull on the buck to give skin.
Even though the result of a project you made didn't turn out to be useful in the area you hoped it would be useful for, what you learnt while making it, will stay with you till the end of your life and potentially make other projects significantly more doable for you. That alone, is orders of magnitude more valuable than the machine you've made. Incredibly impressive project. While on university, I wanted to make a simple 4 DOF robot arm (kinda of what you can now buy in kits these days, but it wasn't the case back then), but thinking about the challenges that would come with kinematics ( really wanted the tool end linear movement approximation) made me abandon the project. You did that as if it was nothing, and way ore than that. Incredible skill. Congratulations!
Absolutely correct. I definitely didn’t take full advantage if what I had once completed, but I am now trying to take full advantage of what I learned. Robot arms are intimidating, aren’t they? I started trying to program a 6 axis arm from scratch one time and I was gradually finding answers, but I never stuck with it long enough to see it through. Too busy. Thank you for the great comment. I’m caught up in starting a completely separate company now, but I’ve got passionate dreams about machines to build in the future that I WILL do.
It's amazing, having people like you comment on my (two) videos. So gratifying. I plan to keep going very strong, even if I have to move houses soon :D
I was planning on building a 3-axis CNC that I planned to upgrade to 5 if it went well, and the youtube gods recommended your channel. Its cool how you were able to learn from this process
Hey ,tanks so much for sharing your knowledge i feel so identified with your story, i have buit a 3 axis cnc and never used to much, but i learned a lot building it! cheers from Argentina.
as a computer engineer and car guy, this method had me with more experience out of college than most graduates. I think if you really just commit to an idea, even if it doesn't work, the knowledge you get from the experience makes up for it all
My view at this point, as someone who has never been to university but is actively trying to get in to study mechatronics, I think there's invaluable skills that university will teach in engineering, but there's also invaluable skills that only a big, difficult project of your own can teach, and you don't at all need university for that.
@@Zzafari7 It is however really effective at indoctrinating wage slaves into being happy with their lot in a life, while teaching respect for authority and how to write a self-incriminating statement. So I guess that's something.
Cool project. And indeed very inspiring. Just do it. And indeed, stuff comes along the way that you didn't anticipated. And then solve and overcome those things is really valuable. 👍
The thinking and problem solving is my favourite part of it all, honestly. I love taking on complicated challenges that interest me, and I HATE taking on challenges that don't.
I am speechless and give much praise to you, I did almost as you.. as in first part of your works but not the last one… making the scripts of the 5-axis cam. Firstly, I have a pirated old version 5 axis cam software but never use that 5 axis part because it is too difficult for me to understand to use. I done the building >a much stronger steel frame cnc router machine as yours one and also suceed my goal to achieve much high accuracy of 0.05mm, >to built a 5 axis but it is a tunion type and as yours one to run it by harmonic drives, but yours one done on the spindle head to allow you more easily to visualize the tool tip motion path during your development of programing scripts. > I done 7 tool posts toothchanging box and a touch probe as well and i wrote the toolchanging and auto touching program codes to run in both LinuxCNC Gmocapy screen as well as in Mach3 screen, but it is much harder to be done in LinuxCNC one, where i just finished the former one and that was not what i expected. > as i learned electronic, i once build sinker and wire EDM machine, but the outcome results were not satificatory because the electronic circuit for controlling sparking and the motion program (i use both Linux and Mach3) were not good enough. Now, everything finishes and I stopped to go further anymore. For the 5 axis tunion, I seldom use it because I don't know how to use the software. I done much electronic, programing in mcu, ardrinuo in C or even assembly language in the eariler time as my hobbies, but I never think that I am able to write cad/cam software codes , I used several types of cad softwares to modeling parts for almost 30 yrs as my career and never understand how the software construction are. Now, i spend my time much in playing around Raspberry Pi in AI detection programing and learning the Python in writing the codes
I am building a small CNC router, just 3 axes, and some of the things I had to go through so far have been challenging but at the end they were worth it. I originally made a model of the machine but left out some quite important parts like how will the axes connect to one and other because I didn't know what I had available when it came to materials and I was too lazy to figure out how to make those things work. So I left that as a "fit at assembly" kind of thing which bit me when I got to that part as it took a LOT more time than I wanted but so far, as I have quite a bit of scrap steel, it has improved the rigidity quite a bit so my expectation went from "It'll barely do aluminium" to "Perhaps it'll even do soft steel". Only have one, not even full, day a week to work on while also having other projects ongoing. So far I have managed to make the base, X and Y axes which took 6 or 7 months so total about full 2-3 weeks of work. To be honest I have no idea what I will be making with it, I just want a CNC to do stuff with so I am building one. Also the budget is about as little as I can spend on it and the final price will be about 450€
That’s such a classic story with DIY CNC 😄 Often for people, they just like making the machine, not necessarily making things with the machine. I’m not too dissimilar. I just want to make cool car parts and other machines. I am getting interested in artistic interior design though. Keep having fun with it man! Sometimes it’s fun not to plan too much.
Subscribed. Looking forward to whatever madness is coming. One thing that drives me crazy about this video is I have the skills and knowledge to do everything you did, and part of me wants to, but I probably never will. So major props to you for actually doing it!
Thank you mate! Knowing how something might be done and actually fleshing it out are two different things, huh? It's not easy to see it through, I have plenty of unfinished projects that will never see completion.
@@machsuper Definitely. I have a game programming degree and I've basically done all of the math you had to do, but for graphics, 3D objects, physics, inverse kinematics, and more. I'm sure you've used quaternions? Fun stuff I still can't fully wrap my head around even if I've implemented them several times. Plus I've obviously programmed in several languages. I also have experience with electronics, small machines, robots, circuits, all the random stuff. CNC and 3D printing I haven't actually done yet though except for just dipping my toes in. Either way, combining all the skills and doing something like this is super impressive! Really hard for me to find the focus. So even though it took you a lot of time, it's that you got it done that impresses me so much. I too have a million ideas, many projects that will never get finished, and more than a handful still in progress. Sorry for the ramble, but hey hope you're feeling less sick and can make some more content soon!
@@802Garage Wow! You've gone deeper down the mathematics path than I have. I'm currently studying maths from the ground up, day by day. I'm really not as educated on maths as this machine makes me out to be. Never touched quarternions, though I believe it uses four numbers to specify orientation. iPhone uses it to do the 3D tilting effect in the home screen. You could definitely do some great things with your skills. Keen to see you breaking things with that twin turbo V10 haha
Congratulations. You managed to finish your project, even if you didn't achieve the desired result. I'm building a 3-axis machine and it already has enough details that you have to pay attention to. I'm using a 3D printer controller to control the CNC. Technology has advanced a lot in the last 10 years and it is easier to assemble machines with more advanced features. Good luck.
There is many things to manage, isn't there? Just have to compartmentalise and do lot of reading and thinking. CNC technology is move very fast, isn't it? When I started, everyone was using parallel port to communicate between their PC and their breakout board with a Mach3. No one does that now!
@@machsuper True, there are many details to pay attention to in order to perform well. You have to do a lot of research and study on various subjects. Parallel port cards are a not so distant reality, I have two that I bought and didn't even use, time passed faster than my build speed. I ended up building an MPCNC and that's where a great learning came from, today I'm completing a machine based on this previous knowledge.
You reinvented the wheel. By the way, that's cool, and impressive. Not putting down your accomplishments. Reverse kinematics isn't easy. It's a great education, no doubt. Unfortunately, all of this should have been open sourced by our forebears so that the tech can advance without replication of past efforts.
Thanks Pappa Flammy Boi! The industry could use more quality and accessible education on how these machine should and can work. That’s much of what I’m trying to help with by making these videos. I’m not an expert, but I enjoy it and I get excited by it.
Many people on YT claim they made 5-axis CNC machine. They're wrong. YOU made it! Your approach to the G-code transformation by yourown using Python rocks! Contrats! Subbed.
I thought I misheard when you said you measured with plastic caliper, so I replayed it. 😮Man, you paid several hundred dollars for the harmonic drive, then made the housing for it, using plastic caliper. Great videos anyway!
Very well done, particularly the coding side of things. That's a huge acomplishment and you obviously developed some invaluable skills along the way. Keep it up.
Entendo seu orgulho. A parte mais complicada quando construi minha cnc 4 axis foi gerar o Gcode para fazer o que eu queria. E quando deu certo, fiquei realmente orgulhoso. Parabéns!! Belo trabalho.
Obrigado Edson! Parabéns por construir sua própria máquina de 4 eixos. É uma coisa muito emocionante e orgulhosa de se fazer. Espero que esta resposta faça sentido, usei o Google Translate.
VERY Impressive I've been programming 5axis and mill turn In the Aerospace industry for 30 yrs Using Catia and using icam and other Post-processing software. Very impressive Script
Thanks a lot Paul! If it's the software that scares you off, you should understand that I kind of did it the hard way. Using a different controller like UCCNC or Kflop might eliminate the need for the custom script.
You're like a younger smarter version of myself sharing many common interests. Spent about $7k building my 3 axis CNC (contemplated 5 axis but software was an issue). We built a very similar designed CNC's around the same time. I have been writing code on and off since the 90's, but could never achieve what you did in Python (I could only just understand what you were describing, let alone write it). I did write a self tuning software for the Haltech I had in my 180sx before Haltech even had one themselves. Like you I dropped several thousands of dollars on hardware not knowing if I could even build a CNC, but I dove in the deep end, and with guidance from a couple of friends surprised myself that it turned out so well. I built it to build some subwoofer boxes and surround sound speakers which I have yet to get around to doing. Recently I have jumped back on a lathe for the first time in decades, and I am current writing a mobile phone app to help me with the feed rates. I came up from Sydney about 10 years ago and have settled in Ipswich just down the road from you. You might be interested in what I did with my X axis gantry to over come flex issues.
Wow, I really am like a younger version of you 😄 That’s a lot of cool stuff you’ve done! I always feel like the python script appears more complicated than it was, but I suppose that’s often the case when you’re the creator. I also want to write an app for some useful tools. Are you writing it just for yourself, and what language and technologies are you using? Have you got videos on the X gantry rails you’re referring to?
@@machsuper yes I am currently writing it for myself, but happy to share it with anyone if it turns out alright (I won't share crap, or programs that don't work right). Will be simple to start with. Writing it in... well writing is a bit of a loose term in this particular case, because there is no real writing involved. Derek Banas (guru of all things coding) did a tutorial on this program called "App Inventor" it is a drag and drop interface, but it makes mobile app development real simple. I don't have a history in writing phone apps, most of the stuff I have done in the past was for the desktop, so it is a cheats way of "writing" code. I started with VB6 back in the mid 90's and have written most things I have done in it. A few years back I started learning C# (again thanks the Derek) for some home automation stuff, and an Arduino I was working on. I have touched on Python, but not learned it. The best video I can see to get a look at the gantry is one called "When Your Z Axis Just Isn't High Enough" from 5 years ago. I am machining a new end plate for the axis itself.
This is impressive! Bought my first machine a year ago, it s just a 3 axis cnc and i can t even imagine how hard is to build and code your own. Subscribed! Can t wait the progress with the optimill.
This was a really nice watch, I really like your presentation and your voice is so pleasant to listen to. I love how this machine has many parts with so much thought put in and some with almost zero consideration. Oh and I really hope you've invested in some proper calipers because measuring (supposed to be) precision parts with plastic calipers hurts my soul.
Thanks Oliver, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) I have definitely bought some much better inspection tools lately. Even got myself a like-new Mitutoyo digital depth micrometer! You really do get what you pay for with inspection tools.
Brilliant storyline...thanks for sharing! Sometimes the journey is the most important part right? You learn and you grow and maybe you develop something unique or maybe you see the path to get where you really wanted to be. The best lesson is indeed...you can do it! I say good on you for doing it as quickly as you did. My 4-axis Router took me 20 years. :) But I learned the same along the way and was proud of my completed machine and the unlimited projects you can then create going forward! You really are only limited today by your imagination. Can't wait to see your mill!
Absolutely, the journey is the most important part for many things, life is one big journey. The good part is already happening every day. Congratulations on your 20 year project! Thanks for the comment Chuck!
Thanks for posting an honest retrospective. Multi-axis machines are tough. The physical building part is the most fun. The electronics are interesting to assemble and wire. The software is the bear to beat. Affordable commercial software for a hobby guy like me doesn’t exist, particularly since Fusion 360 quit the 5 axis stuff. The Deskproto program is ‘ok’ but looks like just tombstoning. Notwithstanding all that I pursued the 5th axis for my machine(s) with the very able help of a sympathetic programmer in Germany. My main objective was to embellish my wood turned objects and I’ve succeeded gradually. I was managing pretty well with 4 axes, but for some things a 5th axis would be ideal. I developed an ‘intuitive’ solution and the programmer took it from there explaining what was really going on, and knowing how to apply proper mathematics to it. My embellishing solution took a few years of learning what I needed, 4 machines of increasing stiffness and a great program. I’m now running a PrintNC which is capable of machining metals but I mostly use it for wood. I approached the problem by avoiding the money cannon initially, gradually exploring the CNC subject until I learned enough to ask the right questions and propose the right solutions for my needs. I’m able to use a very cheap Grbl controller, a free control program from the German fellow (not kidding, free for anyone), and I’m having fun embellishing woodturnings. I can use a router, laser, swivel knife, diamond scriber, or anything else I care to create. I admire your jump into the deep end, but it’s sad you kinda lost the fun part along the way. Best wishes for your new machine. Cheers.
That sounds like a great journey for you, congratulations on the success! It definitely takes a bit of 'doing' before you can know exactly what you need to build a nice machine without emptying the bank account. I'm still in the middle of the journey of figuring out exactly where and how to place what piece of the puzzle to make it affordable AND highly effective... and maybe even profitable. I'm super excited to see if the future looks anything like I imagine it a year from now. Thanks for the comment :)
@@machsuper I got thinking about your stated objective of model race car shells. I’m sure you’ve given it plenty of thought. Here are 3 videos that might be helpful. Sorry if you’ve already figured all of this out. Mine is the wood 5 axis one. Grblgru has been working on many aspects of 2D and 3D objects. His program is free and will run in simulation mode, or control a CNC as a GCode sender. Cheers. th-cam.com/video/FxUNn8u-W3Y/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/GLSwwYvu8_g/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/ypPGjM198Vw/w-d-xo.html
I probably went down this same path some years ago when I dipped my toe in the CNC water and bought a bespoke CNC mill from China....very well designed and state of the art for CNC mills I think. To be honest, I am a manual machinists of 60 + years and always wanted to get into CNC....... now I get revved up writing G code and using wood dowel simulated end mills cutting polystyrene blocks , but that is what I wanted it for, mainly to experience CNC and watch the wheels go around under control etc I don't have parts to make that require CNC, but lately as the years go by I have the inclination to actually do a real CNC job to justify the 10 grand I eventually spent in the end.....there's also a lot of other irons in the fire too..
No doubt, manual machining is a satisfying and beautiful art and skill. Every machinist should be experienced with it, though I know many aren’t these days. I appreciate manual for those reasons, but I also have a very deep love for geometrical mathematics (though I have much to learn there), as well as being precise about things. CNC machining is a stunning example of combining all those things.
@@machsuper If you have a working schedule to do it becomes boring to have to set up a CNC mill and then let it work away to itself......i just like to mess with various program compilations to see what happens when you do a run..........watching it work is the most satisfying part and having a few friends over to watch the latest G code manouvre is also a fun thing......i lost one friend when he insisted that i do something realistic instead of messing around and he wanted to run a part he designed and things got quite tight when I said ....no.
What a great video. Just found your channel from your scraping video, decided to check out your older stuff as well. If you ever went back to trying to make forms for vacuum forming, one of the things I would personally try is to carve the form from wood (potentially adding some additional texture to the surface) and then covering it in a layer of automotive filler. Sands really nicely, fairly heat resistant, you should even be able to wet sand it to a near-polished surface which could help for the window areas. I've been trying to plan some sort of CNC router for a while, not sure which direction I wanted to go in. Thanks for posting what did and didn't work for you :)
Thanks for the idea. I didn’t think of that. I firstly would assume it still can’t hold a goof surface across many uses, but I just remembered that I was using polycarbonate about three times too thick, so maybe it would’ve been more forgiving with the right work material.
Wow! How cool to have you commenting! I used to watch your RC videos a lot. Every now and then I check on your machining content too. You could do some great body moulds with the machines you’ve got, yeah?
@@machsuper Thanks! Yes sir...we have tinkered with a few methods using 5 axis...at the end of the day its a fair bit of programming and risk for what is essentially a "one off" piece........its awesome to see more people choosing technical careers! Keep up the great work. I designed a small 5 axis mill a few years ago..TCPC requires some serious math. Harmonic drives and direct drive trunnions make high speed, high accuracy five axis DIY machining a real possibility with guys like your self putting in the effort! -Jason
5 axis is quite a handful on the programming side, isn’t it? In some ways it’s amazing, in others, it’s not really necessary. 3+2 is a great mid-ground. It’s nice of you to say all that. In spite of what I’ve just said about 5 axis, I still like to spend enormous effort thinking about it and trying to build 5 axis machines haha. I think the time is about right to push for hobbyist solutions in hardware and - more importantly - software.
BRAVO ! Absolutely great how you presented the idea you had and the background of it. Not exclusively technical but what you were thinking during the process. I just wonder if you never came to the point to be so frustrated with some problems that you wanted to give it all up...
Thank you buddy! I never felt like giving up when fabricating, machining and programming, but I did get super frustrated with the limit switches and some issues with EMI in the electronics. I never fixed the limit switch issue, but I did fix the EMI by grounding the 5V power supply better.
Simply awesome - that is an inspirational story . Much respect to you for your hard work and tenacity . Lots of very challenging problems to overcome . Subbed for sure!
Wow! Hats off to you sir! This is a huge accomplishment. Also great video explaining the whole process! You put all of us 3 axis diy cnc mill builders to shame lol
Huge congratulations for your achievement 👏 🙌 👍 👌!! I am just starting out in my RC custom building and designing adventure!! I have to say that this video inspired me to push forward bit more than I was going to. I was never able to pick up a project and keep coming back to it, however this type is one that I feel I could do, like building my own rc truck and I think that is mainly do to the fact that I wanted to learn 3d design and kept coming back to do more. Also one thing I found as lesson, is that if I feel stuck, just leave it for little bit, do something else and i would just figure things out another way. I'm taking my time in learning different skills along the way like 3d design, xyz axis, making tools for making stuff along the way, got my first desktop cnc (3018) to start learning on it and have to say soon as I got it was intenting to get upgrades🙄. I don't know how to code, maybe should start that skills soon aswell. 🤔 Would you say to buy a budget ( 1st to start learning to use one) milling machine or upgrade cnc to 4 axis?🤔 . Best regards from UK
Great stuff! I still, to this day, wonder if I should get back into making RC parts. I hope you succeed, mate. I ALWAYS have several very different projects running, so if I'm stuck with one, I spend time on another one. I'm always working on something and being productive. It's important to keep good documentation of what you're doing so you don't get rusty between stints. I use Notion to keep track of my whole life, just about. I learned all of my machining, coding and electronics knowledge online, especially from TH-cam for the machining. If you have the time, you should learn to code. My primary language these days is JavaScript, it's just so useful and flexible.
Amazing and mega cool! That script is the product! I realize there are not a whole lot of 5 axis CNC machines out there, but one of the problems is precisely the lack of software support. Either way, fantastic job man!
Thank you my man! You're right, it's the software that's the biggest bottleneck to 5 axis democracy, it's just so mathematically complicated to develop well.
Thanks a lot... Now when I look to my 3 axis build, looks like a toy 🤣 Congratulations for this awesome documentary. I can't wait to see how the new machine is going to build up. Subscribed!
I looked at using cheap ones but wasn't sure I could get them to handle the current for a stepper motor and a 2.2kw spindle. High power ones seemed to get expensive quickly. Additionally, using them would mean having to offset the stepper motor and run it with a pulley to try pass the wires through the harmonic drives which live in an oil bath. It was all too much to worry about, so I abandoned it.
@@machsuper Very good points. Stepper motors being the temprimental things they are, definitely wouldn't play well with the cheaper ones. Somedays I think a light breeze is enough to make my CNC think the proximity sensors have been activated. Thanks for your reply!
Incredible that you didn’t give up, well done. What are your thoughts on creating a hobbyist 5axis compatible with the carvera air machine that has had a success kickstarter? Would you be interested? I think a lot more people are about to enter the machining space now that machines are more accessible, like what happened in 3D printing. My first thought without knowing much about 5-axis is the space limitations of that particular machine
Thanks for the nice comment mate. I would actually love to make some machines for sale, but I’m not at that stage just yet. Machines like the Carvera are neat little machines that would be great to learn on. Any person who has spent time in machining and given it any serious attention, I think they’ll usually outgrow these machines very quickly. The 5 axis maker is a cool product too, I’ve followed them for a long time now. They seem to have done well in the dentistry clear aligner market, other than that, I’ve not seen them around on the internet much. They’re doing well enough to survive for several years so far though, so that’s good to see. I do have my eyes set on some commercial products though, I just need to stop getting distracted with other things. 🤦♂️
That's it. I love to learn for the sake of learning. Mathematics is a great example of that; what a privilege that I may understand something as abstract and true as mathematics.
This content is absoultely stellar! I'm still using M3 on my 3 axis mill w/4th axis rotary. But your scripts are awesome on your explanations concise! Subscribed!
The Learning Is your accomplishment . Remember those elementary and high school pain in the nake years. But after you studied basic Algebra, Trigonometry, Statistics, Accounting and so on made easier in college. Now you have reached the mountain top, so time to build a new 99% better than the previous. Y.A.R. Your Answer Required .
Jesus, im impressed! actually speachless :D That was a hell of a journey you went on there and i wouldnt have thought you would programm it yourself, thats really impressive. You started out as a videogame designer and became kind of an engineer over the course of this project, i love it :D If you ever want to do a project together, or need support on simulations/cad whatever hit me up (im an mechanical engineer in my masters from germany) and definitely a subscriber now! :D
Wow, thank you Joern! I definitely didn't become an engineer in this one video, I had a small Sieg X2 before this one, and I've been building things like motorbike ramps when growing up. This was definitely a big test for my capabilities though. Thank you for the offer to help, I'm going to start keeping a database of people who are offering help, it's the least I can do to show appreciation. Thanks for the comment, I'm nearing completion of my first video on the Optimum mill conversion. Follow me on Instagram if you want to see more frequent updates @mach_super
I wanted a badass rc car so I made an industry level machine XD if that’s not killing an ant with an rpg lol good on ya mate, some of our best accomplishments come from the spark created by another passion entirely, cheers!
I’m thinking to port the script to JavaScript and run it on a website probably with an ad to help pay for server costs). Would you like to see that happen?
Would a fiberglass mold work for your original intended product?
@@coop3014 As a tool to vacuum form over? Maybe. As a final product? Nah, it has to be polycarbonate, that's the industry standard material.
I think the port is a great Idea. Honestly if you are able to document it's usage very well a monthly subscription or one time fee would be a good idea. G-code for 5Axis has always been a problem at a reasonable cost. I've been into cnc's for well over a decade now and the 5 axis jump is always in the back of my mind.
yes
nominal cost, ability to purchase through jungle site... unlikely though, that stuff is a pain to set up for non-physical stuff, selling serial number cards for someone to register, cookie tied to number turns off ads, that might work and third party handles physical cards. get enough people hitting the site for g-code generation and ads won't pay for server costs.
“I didn’t need a 5 axis, but I wanted one. So I made one.” Haha awesome
And you know what? It's the best thing I ever did!
@@machsuper 2nd vid and you got approval from the grandmaster 🙂😮
@@Basement_CNC pretty crazy, right? What's going on?!
@@machsuper nah stuffmafe here is probably the biggest machining channel on yt🤷♂️
also i want to build a 5axis cnc millas well , but am not quite sure about the code ? is there a proper 5 axis control software, or will you make your mach4 script avalible?
becaue im quite confident in cam/cad and want to expand that to 5axis milling, but cant afford one ,so the only way is to diy it , but its really hard to find all the software and know what works with what
@@Basement_CNC hey felix, check out my most recent video, it's the beginning of my new project to 5 axis convert my benchtop mill. I'll be explaining lots of details about that video-by-video. I'd like to make some form of the script available to people in the future.
The most underrated DIY machine video. What a great project.
Apart from the ton of knowledge that you have acquired, you have completed the project. That is what counts. You have our respect.
Thank you Ben! Appreciate that.
That's huge actually, good point, I have a gigantic pile of half finished projects that I have just never gotten back to. Finishing things is definitely a skill.
@@dankay9202 I'm in the same boat.
This video is awesome. I took a grad course on 5 axis CNC toolpath generation, and you basically did a couple scientific papers' worth of work, wrote your own inverse kinematics post processor, and made an awesome visualization out of it too. This is crazy impressive.
Thank you mate! Such high praise, makes me feel good about investing more into this whole thing. Thank you for the sub too. ☺️
I'm speechless.. I clicked on your video cause I had designed my own 5 axis CNC but never pulled the trigger but man... Your mind is incredible, I'm truly in awe. To be able to understand the complex movement of 5 axis is one thing but to write the custom code to get your machine to work this well is mind boggling. I'm beyond impressed, well bloody done! Being another Aussie just tops it off 🤘👊
That's so gratifying to read. Thank you for that Mitch! I want to take it much further, but it's a time consuming project.
As a retired guy not wanting to sit on a porch and watch traffic, I also have dipped by toe into both building a five axis machine and writing the CAM software to generate the tool paths. I will not finish the machine until there is proof that the software will accomplish what I expect. I am using Rhino3d to generate the desired shape, and an plugin called Grasshopper to generate the GCode. Fun stuff while in discovery mode, dark moments when I learn what I need to learn. Thanks for the Video and the inspiration. What you have described is a gift that will keep on giving.
unless you're some programming savant, why are you wasting time on writing a custom cam software, just pirate mastercam or hypermill and concentrate on mechanical and electrical.
@@jonjon3829 the joy is in the journey. I also want to know how to make 5 axis CAM software properly.
I love that. I also dream of making proper CAM software. I’ve thought about many approaches, I just don’t know how to understand the data structures and mathematics for it all yet. I hope you figure it out… and then help me 😄
@@machsuper you guys must be in the top IQ dept. I've spent 3 years designing a 5 axis microcenter and I'm barely scratching the surface. After all this time all I got is what type of a frame I will use. That's all I've managed to do after investigating all possible frames on the market and a hundred cad concepts not to mention hundreds of hours running FEA on half of them.
@@jonjon3829 sounds like you're simply making a better machine than I would. I genuinely doubt I'm in the high IQ range.
This dude is the literal definition of engineering. Honestly, good for you my guy. You had the resources, the time, and the (partial) know how to do something and freaking just sent it and did it. This is what I want
I love when people call me a real engineer, it helps to make up for the lack of engineering degree. Thank you mate. You only live once, do the coolest things you can.
@@machsuperI got finance degree and master in economics. But I play with oscilloscope, microcontroler and motors😂
As someone completely new to the DIY hobby but affine to 3D visualization I can only express my highest appreciation for both the effort you put into visualizing the 5-axis concepts you implemented as well as the effort you put into the project itself. Very inspiring!
Thank you, it’s really nice to have someone aware of the challenge appreciating the work. Gotta dream big.
Super accomplishment. I'm old and have been down several paths like that, and like you, they were the best things I ever did. Huge kudos to you.
Thank you mate. Nice to have people like you to share understanding.
What an awesome project! Thank you for posting about it, if you ever want someone to help bounce ideas off of don’t hesitate to ask! Myself or other members of the community love nerding out and helping share our passion.
I really appreciated that video, especially from a fellow Aussie. In the past 12 years I have built and sold 3 CNC machines and barely used them as well. Im quite convinced that the actual hobby IS the build, and not using the machine. I have quite a few CNC buddies who don't use theirs either. I remember building my first machine and having no idea how to run it or create gcode. Its quite weird building a functioning machine but not knowing how to actually drive it.
Anyhow thanks for your honest account. I think it will help quite a few people.
One thing Im very sure of, is the minute you dont have a CNC machine, you will want one again.
For your moulds I reckon 3D resin printing and then sand and polish is the go today.
Hey Ben. You found this also. Awesome stuff here. I mill in foam, put a silicon with backed fibre glass jacket over the top. Make a plaster mould from the silicon/fibre glass mold and vac form over the plaster. When the mold breaks, I just pour another. And I was proud getting my cam software to spit out g-code for my mills plasma cutting conversion. However, this is next level. My hat is off to you... Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did your vacuum formed parts have clear windows? That was a killer for me, it was so hard to get a good finish on the inside. It seems like it has to be a near mirror finish to leave the surface nice and clear. It has to stay very clean too.
Thank you for the great comment. :)
@@spidey4fun Hey sir, did you stumble upon my comment or get a notification? Mate I always think what you do is amazing. Currently Im making another virtual pinball cab. The software has streamed ahead since the last one I built. We gptta all catch up again at some point.
@@machsuper I know you were asking Spidey, but my thought is could you make the mould and then cut out the window part and carefully glue in glass. That way you would maintain a smooth hard surface. I still recon 3d resin printing has come of age. One other point, people imagine CNC to create a finished surface, but that's a mistake, you need to clean and polish by hand.
@@ynnebbenny Hi Ben, I was just reading through the comments and saw your name. Thanks for your kind words.
I built a 3Axis Machine myself, but with a byable Controller.
That was not easy for me.
But what you did is another Level!
Absollutely great !
Awesome machine! And You - you are great at storytelling, easy, pleasant to listen to!
That's a really great compliment to receive about storytelling. I've always felt like I struggle with storytelling, I think my increasing ability to love people and understand what others are thinking is the key. Thanks for the great comment!
I did build my 3axis CNC mill witch turned out really good, now I am thinking about 5axis CNC, but I have doubt that I can achieve that based on my level of knowledge. Keep building and always aim one step higher. +RESPECT
Depending on how much it means to you, is it worth trying and maybe failing or never giving it a go? If you try you’ll learn things either way. Chances are you’ll learn enough to know how to do it right next time.
Brilliant work👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻.
I used to work in a factory that manufactures sport helmets. The outer shell of the helmet are made of polycarbonate made vacuum shell. We made the vac tool with aluminum in mass production. When we prototype in the development stage, we use Bakelite. It is easier to mill. There are many air vents to ensure the suction distributes evenly among the shell. You may have a try.
Ah! I did see the helmet vac forming process during my research. I saw the aluminium moulds. Honestly, I think I could have cut aluminium with the machine if I was careful. I should have asked more people what to do about the problem, but I was just exhausted, young, stupid and getting interested in other things.
you have one of the most useful skills on this planet.
Which skill is that?
@@machsuper the ability to design and manufacture the best type of manufacturing machine.
Back in the 80's we added a similar head to our line of large boring mills. Only issue at the time was the CNC programming language. Ended up having to use the APT programming software to do the demo. It worked as a R&D project but not sellable.
They say that "Fools rush in"
BUT after "the fool" has worked it all out, HE IS NO LONGER A "FOOL"
And a hell of a lot of experience is gained along the way.
Well done
Just gotta be the right amount of foolish :D
Thanks Mr. Mad Man
Hello, very cool project! I learned in a thermoforming company, I programmed such 5-axis head-head machines (HG Systech with NUM control) for a few years and now own one :-) I also build loudspeakers on it.
I think your approach to the 5-axis RTCP process is very cool, you learned a lot more than when you used LinuxCNC or similar control systems in which other users have already implemented such features :-)
A tip: If you want to thermoform transparent materials, do not pull the material onto the tool with the vacuum, but leave a thin layer of air between the tool surface and the plastic. That's the way when we thermoformed clear materials.
Greetings from Germany!
I use to race slot cars and RC cars back in the 80’s painted all of my lexan body’s. I won many paint schemes contest and got a lot of requests to paint lexan body’s for other racers and they too won paint contest. Memories of the good ole days. Great video on your old machine, it would be a great project, perhaps a smaller version
That’s awesome mate! I’ve always loved the designs you get on RC touring cars.
I want to make a smaller 5 axis router, but it’s looking more like I’ll end up making an even bigger one first.
Although you say you "never really used it much", it must have been a great source of knowledge for you. I bet the projects you tackle in the future will make use of this again and again! This is a great video, providing insight for those planning similar projects. If it puts some people off even starting, that may not be a bad thing... you may have saved them time, money, and heartbreak.
Thanks for this... Liked & Subscribed, and looking forward to browsing your other offerings! 👍
Thank you so much for the nice comment John! No doubt this project has ingrained in me a passion for building machines and I will certainly take a lot from this machine to help me think about future projects.
Since building this machine I’ve really wanted to help make contributions to the DIY CNC community. This channel is very much part of that wish. Sometimes I wonder if I should keep my ideas secret for profit, but I learned the value of transparency and shared knowledge from this community, so I should stick to my most honourable values.
@@machsuper , yeah i would love to share some things I've figured out, but since I am a very small shop, I can't talk about a lot of stuff... competition is fierce! If I ever got big enough or if I made youtube videos as a large part of my income then* I think it would be profitable to share tricks.
What a impressive approach to solve a problem, you are a real engineer. I hope one day I could have this superpowers like skills. God bless you
That is SUCH a gratifying compliment. Thank you so much Rodrigo!
Wow, JUST WOW. I work with vacuum forming, and we used XPS foam. It's a hi density extruded foam, NOT CHEAP but great to machine. Also, to get a smooth surface to a pull we wood do a .06 styrene pull on the buck to give skin.
Even though the result of a project you made didn't turn out to be useful in the area you hoped it would be useful for, what you learnt while making it, will stay with you till the end of your life and potentially make other projects significantly more doable for you. That alone, is orders of magnitude more valuable than the machine you've made. Incredibly impressive project. While on university, I wanted to make a simple 4 DOF robot arm (kinda of what you can now buy in kits these days, but it wasn't the case back then), but thinking about the challenges that would come with kinematics ( really wanted the tool end linear movement approximation) made me abandon the project. You did that as if it was nothing, and way ore than that. Incredible skill. Congratulations!
Absolutely correct. I definitely didn’t take full advantage if what I had once completed, but I am now trying to take full advantage of what I learned.
Robot arms are intimidating, aren’t they? I started trying to program a 6 axis arm from scratch one time and I was gradually finding answers, but I never stuck with it long enough to see it through. Too busy.
Thank you for the great comment.
I’m caught up in starting a completely separate company now, but I’ve got passionate dreams about machines to build in the future that I WILL do.
incredibly clever on the software side of things, how awesome!
Wow, what a project. Very impressive, both the actual build and the effort that went into figuring out path generation.
Please please keep posting. I’m both impressed and inspired by both of your current videos.
It's amazing, having people like you comment on my (two) videos. So gratifying. I plan to keep going very strong, even if I have to move houses soon :D
I was planning on building a 3-axis CNC that I planned to upgrade to 5 if it went well, and the youtube gods recommended your channel. Its cool how you were able to learn from this process
Thank the gods! 😄
I hope your build goes well mate! Send me a DM on Instagram when it’s built, I’ll be curious to see what she looks like.
@@machsuper Thanks! I'll show you if I manage to finish it 😊
awesome job, you impact me. Feel bad to exploring you new but i'm happy to see your vision. Waiting on the screen for the new updates
Hey ,tanks so much for sharing your knowledge i feel so identified with your story, i have buit a 3 axis cnc and never used to much, but i learned a lot building it! cheers from Argentina.
Building a machine is a great activity, isn't it? Thanks for the comment Hernan.
as a computer engineer and car guy, this method had me with more experience out of college than most graduates. I think if you really just commit to an idea, even if it doesn't work, the knowledge you get from the experience makes up for it all
My view at this point, as someone who has never been to university but is actively trying to get in to study mechatronics, I think there's invaluable skills that university will teach in engineering, but there's also invaluable skills that only a big, difficult project of your own can teach, and you don't at all need university for that.
School is really not a place for smart people.
@@whatilearnttoday5295 I agree
@@Zzafari7 It is however really effective at indoctrinating wage slaves into being happy with their lot in a life, while teaching respect for authority and how to write a self-incriminating statement. So I guess that's something.
Cool project. And indeed very inspiring. Just do it. And indeed, stuff comes along the way that you didn't anticipated. And then solve and overcome those things is really valuable. 👍
The thinking and problem solving is my favourite part of it all, honestly. I love taking on complicated challenges that interest me, and I HATE taking on challenges that don't.
Brilliant! What a fantastic project! Really appreciated hearing about your journey along the way.
Thanks! Glad I could entertain :)
You can’t put a price on knowledge. This video got you another follower.
I hope you didn’t sell the CNC for too much of a loss.
I am speechless and give much praise to you, I did almost as you.. as in first part of your works but not the last one… making the scripts of the 5-axis cam. Firstly, I have a pirated old version 5 axis cam software but never use that 5 axis part because it is too difficult for me to understand to use. I done the building >a much stronger steel frame cnc router machine as yours one and also suceed my goal to achieve much high accuracy of 0.05mm, >to built a 5 axis but it is a tunion type and as yours one to run it by harmonic drives, but yours one done on the spindle head to allow you more easily to visualize the tool tip motion path during your development of programing scripts. > I done 7 tool posts toothchanging box and a touch probe as well and i wrote the toolchanging and auto touching program codes to run in both LinuxCNC Gmocapy screen as well as in Mach3 screen, but it is much harder to be done in LinuxCNC one, where i just finished the former one and that was not what i expected. > as i learned electronic, i once build sinker and wire EDM machine, but the outcome results were not satificatory because the electronic circuit for controlling sparking and the motion program (i use both Linux and Mach3) were not good enough. Now, everything finishes and I stopped to go further anymore. For the 5 axis tunion, I seldom use it because I don't know how to use the software. I done much electronic, programing in mcu, ardrinuo in C or even assembly language in the eariler time as my hobbies, but I never think that I am able to write cad/cam software codes , I used several types of cad softwares to modeling parts for almost 30 yrs as my career and never understand how the software construction are. Now, i spend my time much in playing around Raspberry Pi in AI detection programing and learning the Python in writing the codes
Wow so many diverse skills to get that done, well done!
Reallly, REALLY cool video. I'm humbled & impressed. Thank you warmly for taking the time to document your process so simply & so nicely.
I am building a small CNC router, just 3 axes, and some of the things I had to go through so far have been challenging but at the end they were worth it. I originally made a model of the machine but left out some quite important parts like how will the axes connect to one and other because I didn't know what I had available when it came to materials and I was too lazy to figure out how to make those things work. So I left that as a "fit at assembly" kind of thing which bit me when I got to that part as it took a LOT more time than I wanted but so far, as I have quite a bit of scrap steel, it has improved the rigidity quite a bit so my expectation went from "It'll barely do aluminium" to "Perhaps it'll even do soft steel". Only have one, not even full, day a week to work on while also having other projects ongoing. So far I have managed to make the base, X and Y axes which took 6 or 7 months so total about full 2-3 weeks of work.
To be honest I have no idea what I will be making with it, I just want a CNC to do stuff with so I am building one.
Also the budget is about as little as I can spend on it and the final price will be about 450€
That’s such a classic story with DIY CNC 😄
Often for people, they just like making the machine, not necessarily making things with the machine. I’m not too dissimilar. I just want to make cool car parts and other machines. I am getting interested in artistic interior design though.
Keep having fun with it man! Sometimes it’s fun not to plan too much.
Subscribed. Looking forward to whatever madness is coming. One thing that drives me crazy about this video is I have the skills and knowledge to do everything you did, and part of me wants to, but I probably never will. So major props to you for actually doing it!
Thank you mate! Knowing how something might be done and actually fleshing it out are two different things, huh? It's not easy to see it through, I have plenty of unfinished projects that will never see completion.
@@machsuper Definitely. I have a game programming degree and I've basically done all of the math you had to do, but for graphics, 3D objects, physics, inverse kinematics, and more. I'm sure you've used quaternions? Fun stuff I still can't fully wrap my head around even if I've implemented them several times. Plus I've obviously programmed in several languages. I also have experience with electronics, small machines, robots, circuits, all the random stuff. CNC and 3D printing I haven't actually done yet though except for just dipping my toes in. Either way, combining all the skills and doing something like this is super impressive! Really hard for me to find the focus. So even though it took you a lot of time, it's that you got it done that impresses me so much. I too have a million ideas, many projects that will never get finished, and more than a handful still in progress. Sorry for the ramble, but hey hope you're feeling less sick and can make some more content soon!
@@802Garage Wow! You've gone deeper down the mathematics path than I have. I'm currently studying maths from the ground up, day by day. I'm really not as educated on maths as this machine makes me out to be. Never touched quarternions, though I believe it uses four numbers to specify orientation. iPhone uses it to do the 3D tilting effect in the home screen.
You could definitely do some great things with your skills.
Keen to see you breaking things with that twin turbo V10 haha
Congratulations. You managed to finish your project, even if you didn't achieve the desired result. I'm building a 3-axis machine and it already has enough details that you have to pay attention to. I'm using a 3D printer controller to control the CNC. Technology has advanced a lot in the last 10 years and it is easier to assemble machines with more advanced features. Good luck.
There is many things to manage, isn't there? Just have to compartmentalise and do lot of reading and thinking. CNC technology is move very fast, isn't it? When I started, everyone was using parallel port to communicate between their PC and their breakout board with a Mach3. No one does that now!
@@machsuper True, there are many details to pay attention to in order to perform well. You have to do a lot of research and study on various subjects. Parallel port cards are a not so distant reality, I have two that I bought and didn't even use, time passed faster than my build speed. I ended up building an MPCNC and that's where a great learning came from, today I'm completing a machine based on this previous knowledge.
You reinvented the wheel. By the way, that's cool, and impressive. Not putting down your accomplishments. Reverse kinematics isn't easy. It's a great education, no doubt.
Unfortunately, all of this should have been open sourced by our forebears so that the tech can advance without replication of past efforts.
Thanks Pappa Flammy Boi! The industry could use more quality and accessible education on how these machine should and can work. That’s much of what I’m trying to help with by making these videos. I’m not an expert, but I enjoy it and I get excited by it.
Many people on YT claim they made 5-axis CNC machine. They're wrong. YOU made it! Your approach to the G-code transformation by yourown using Python rocks! Contrats! Subbed.
Hahaha just doing me 😄
Thank you Mr. Fixman.
Thanks for sharing your journey!! Can’t wait to see more 👍👍 welcome to Brissy 😁
Thank you and thank you! I love the weather.
I thought I misheard when you said you measured with plastic caliper, so I replayed it. 😮Man, you paid several hundred dollars for the harmonic drive, then made the housing for it, using plastic caliper.
Great videos anyway!
Thanks for sharing! Having done similar journeys with cncs and other projects, Indeed the lessons learned are whats valuble!
For sure, it's such a great mix of skills that results in a fully tangible and useful end result. CNC machining is fantastic.
Very well done, particularly the coding side of things. That's a huge acomplishment and you obviously developed some invaluable skills along the way. Keep it up.
Thank you David! I can’t wait to go even further on my next project and take you all with me.
Entendo seu orgulho. A parte mais complicada quando construi minha cnc 4 axis foi gerar o Gcode para fazer o que eu queria. E quando deu certo, fiquei realmente orgulhoso. Parabéns!! Belo trabalho.
Obrigado Edson! Parabéns por construir sua própria máquina de 4 eixos. É uma coisa muito emocionante e orgulhosa de se fazer. Espero que esta resposta faça sentido, usei o Google Translate.
@@machsuper perfect! Thanks :-)
WELL DONE FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO!!!!
Late reply, but thank you!
Very interesting, you could use the head for porting cylinder heads! Definitely one of the most thought out diy multi axis systems out there.
Put it on a rigid enough machine and you certainly could. Might be pushing your luck doing it on my machine.
@@machsuper not really, nice light cuts and you can make wonders with small machines. Huge respect on the build!
VERY Impressive
I've been programming 5axis and mill turn
In the Aerospace industry for 30 yrs
Using Catia and using icam and other
Post-processing software.
Very impressive Script
Thank you Daniel! 30 years!? That’s super impressive too. Thanks for the comment.
Really enjoyed that. Realised I don't have the skills to build one myself and also I don't need 5 axis either. Keep up the good work
Thanks a lot Paul! If it's the software that scares you off, you should understand that I kind of did it the hard way. Using a different controller like UCCNC or Kflop might eliminate the need for the custom script.
Every once in a while, I watch a video that reminds me of how much I'm not hot shit and hiw much more talented some other people are. Props, mate!
Ahhh maaan! That’s not the effect I want my videos to have. I want people to be motivated if anything. Thank you anyway, though!
You're like a younger smarter version of myself sharing many common interests. Spent about $7k building my 3 axis CNC (contemplated 5 axis but software was an issue). We built a very similar designed CNC's around the same time. I have been writing code on and off since the 90's, but could never achieve what you did in Python (I could only just understand what you were describing, let alone write it). I did write a self tuning software for the Haltech I had in my 180sx before Haltech even had one themselves. Like you I dropped several thousands of dollars on hardware not knowing if I could even build a CNC, but I dove in the deep end, and with guidance from a couple of friends surprised myself that it turned out so well. I built it to build some subwoofer boxes and surround sound speakers which I have yet to get around to doing. Recently I have jumped back on a lathe for the first time in decades, and I am current writing a mobile phone app to help me with the feed rates. I came up from Sydney about 10 years ago and have settled in Ipswich just down the road from you. You might be interested in what I did with my X axis gantry to over come flex issues.
Wow, I really am like a younger version of you 😄
That’s a lot of cool stuff you’ve done! I always feel like the python script appears more complicated than it was, but I suppose that’s often the case when you’re the creator.
I also want to write an app for some useful tools. Are you writing it just for yourself, and what language and technologies are you using?
Have you got videos on the X gantry rails you’re referring to?
@@machsuper yes I am currently writing it for myself, but happy to share it with anyone if it turns out alright (I won't share crap, or programs that don't work right). Will be simple to start with. Writing it in... well writing is a bit of a loose term in this particular case, because there is no real writing involved. Derek Banas (guru of all things coding) did a tutorial on this program called "App Inventor" it is a drag and drop interface, but it makes mobile app development real simple. I don't have a history in writing phone apps, most of the stuff I have done in the past was for the desktop, so it is a cheats way of "writing" code. I started with VB6 back in the mid 90's and have written most things I have done in it. A few years back I started learning C# (again thanks the Derek) for some home automation stuff, and an Arduino I was working on. I have touched on Python, but not learned it.
The best video I can see to get a look at the gantry is one called "When Your Z Axis Just Isn't High Enough" from 5 years ago. I am machining a new end plate for the axis itself.
well done, you should be proud for the achivment, but more so for the commitment to see it through.
This is impressive! Bought my first machine a year ago, it s just a 3 axis cnc and i can t even imagine how hard is to build and code your own. Subscribed! Can t wait the progress with the optimill.
It's quite a challenge, but boy is it satisfying... and useful!
This was a really nice watch, I really like your presentation and your voice is so pleasant to listen to.
I love how this machine has many parts with so much thought put in and some with almost zero consideration.
Oh and I really hope you've invested in some proper calipers because measuring (supposed to be) precision parts with plastic calipers hurts my soul.
Thanks Oliver, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
I have definitely bought some much better inspection tools lately. Even got myself a like-new Mitutoyo digital depth micrometer! You really do get what you pay for with inspection tools.
J'ai l'impression que c'est moi qui parle ! Merci pour votre expérience
You're welcome Grossin. Thank you. :)
what a great project, and an awesome video. really enjoyed it, and huge congrats for having built your own 5-axis machine. Really impressive
Thank you Adrian! It won't be my last 5 axis either, stay tuned! :)
Incredible work, likely one of the most informative and best visual representations of complex system dynamics I've seen. Keep at it!
What a compliment! Thank you for that. That type of presentation will be a mainstay on Mach Super wherever it's appropriate.
Brilliant storyline...thanks for sharing! Sometimes the journey is the most important part right? You learn and you grow and maybe you develop something unique or maybe you see the path to get where you really wanted to be. The best lesson is indeed...you can do it! I say good on you for doing it as quickly as you did. My 4-axis Router took me 20 years. :) But I learned the same along the way and was proud of my completed machine and the unlimited projects you can then create going forward! You really are only limited today by your imagination. Can't wait to see your mill!
Absolutely, the journey is the most important part for many things, life is one big journey. The good part is already happening every day. Congratulations on your 20 year project! Thanks for the comment Chuck!
Thanks for posting an honest retrospective. Multi-axis machines are tough. The physical building part is the most fun. The electronics are interesting to assemble and wire. The software is the bear to beat. Affordable commercial software for a hobby guy like me doesn’t exist, particularly since Fusion 360 quit the 5 axis stuff. The Deskproto program is ‘ok’ but looks like just tombstoning. Notwithstanding all that I pursued the 5th axis for my machine(s) with the very able help of a sympathetic programmer in Germany. My main objective was to embellish my wood turned objects and I’ve succeeded gradually. I was managing pretty well with 4 axes, but for some things a 5th axis would be ideal. I developed an ‘intuitive’ solution and the programmer took it from there explaining what was really going on, and knowing how to apply proper mathematics to it. My embellishing solution took a few years of learning what I needed, 4 machines of increasing stiffness and a great program. I’m now running a PrintNC which is capable of machining metals but I mostly use it for wood. I approached the problem by avoiding the money cannon initially, gradually exploring the CNC subject until I learned enough to ask the right questions and propose the right solutions for my needs. I’m able to use a very cheap Grbl controller, a free control program from the German fellow (not kidding, free for anyone), and I’m having fun embellishing woodturnings. I can use a router, laser, swivel knife, diamond scriber, or anything else I care to create. I admire your jump into the deep end, but it’s sad you kinda lost the fun part along the way. Best wishes for your new machine. Cheers.
That sounds like a great journey for you, congratulations on the success! It definitely takes a bit of 'doing' before you can know exactly what you need to build a nice machine without emptying the bank account. I'm still in the middle of the journey of figuring out exactly where and how to place what piece of the puzzle to make it affordable AND highly effective... and maybe even profitable. I'm super excited to see if the future looks anything like I imagine it a year from now. Thanks for the comment :)
@@machsuper I got thinking about your stated objective of model race car shells. I’m sure you’ve given it plenty of thought. Here are 3 videos that might be helpful. Sorry if you’ve already figured all of this out. Mine is the wood 5 axis one. Grblgru has been working on many aspects of 2D and 3D objects. His program is free and will run in simulation mode, or control a CNC as a GCode sender.
Cheers.
th-cam.com/video/FxUNn8u-W3Y/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/GLSwwYvu8_g/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/ypPGjM198Vw/w-d-xo.html
Great video, thanks. I can only hope that you are using your skills you acquired with designing 5 axis, in your day job.
I probably went down this same path some years ago when I dipped my toe in the CNC water and bought a bespoke CNC mill from China....very well designed and state of the art for CNC mills I think.
To be honest, I am a manual machinists of 60 + years and always wanted to get into CNC....... now I get revved up writing G code and using wood dowel simulated end mills cutting polystyrene blocks , but that is what I wanted it for, mainly to experience CNC and watch the wheels go around under control etc
I don't have parts to make that require CNC, but lately as the years go by I have the inclination to actually do a real CNC job to justify the 10 grand I eventually spent in the end.....there's also a lot of other irons in the fire too..
No doubt, manual machining is a satisfying and beautiful art and skill. Every machinist should be experienced with it, though I know many aren’t these days. I appreciate manual for those reasons, but I also have a very deep love for geometrical mathematics (though I have much to learn there), as well as being precise about things. CNC machining is a stunning example of combining all those things.
I hope you make your CNC dream happen. There’s people everywhere who can help you on forums and Facebook groups.
@@machsuper If you have a working schedule to do it becomes boring to have to set up a CNC mill and then let it work away to itself......i just like to mess with various program compilations to see what happens when you do a run..........watching it work is the most satisfying part and having a few friends over to watch the latest G code manouvre is also a fun thing......i lost one friend when he insisted that i do something realistic instead of messing around and he wanted to run a part he designed and things got quite tight when I said ....no.
Looking forward to seeing the Optimum cnc conversion.
What a great video. Just found your channel from your scraping video, decided to check out your older stuff as well.
If you ever went back to trying to make forms for vacuum forming, one of the things I would personally try is to carve the form from wood (potentially adding some additional texture to the surface) and then covering it in a layer of automotive filler. Sands really nicely, fairly heat resistant, you should even be able to wet sand it to a near-polished surface which could help for the window areas.
I've been trying to plan some sort of CNC router for a while, not sure which direction I wanted to go in. Thanks for posting what did and didn't work for you :)
Thanks for the idea. I didn’t think of that. I firstly would assume it still can’t hold a goof surface across many uses, but I just remembered that I was using polycarbonate about three times too thick, so maybe it would’ve been more forgiving with the right work material.
Nice Job We do most of ours with 3D printing and traditional mold making techniques
Wow! How cool to have you commenting! I used to watch your RC videos a lot. Every now and then I check on your machining content too. You could do some great body moulds with the machines you’ve got, yeah?
@@machsuper Thanks! Yes sir...we have tinkered with a few methods using 5 axis...at the end of the day its a fair bit of programming and risk for what is essentially a "one off" piece........its awesome to see more people choosing technical careers!
Keep up the great work.
I designed a small 5 axis mill a few years ago..TCPC requires some serious math.
Harmonic drives and direct drive trunnions make high speed, high accuracy five axis DIY machining a real possibility with guys like your self putting in the effort!
-Jason
5 axis is quite a handful on the programming side, isn’t it? In some ways it’s amazing, in others, it’s not really necessary. 3+2 is a great mid-ground.
It’s nice of you to say all that. In spite of what I’ve just said about 5 axis, I still like to spend enormous effort thinking about it and trying to build 5 axis machines haha. I think the time is about right to push for hobbyist solutions in hardware and - more importantly - software.
Great video, and I really like your hoodie
Thank you, I designed and sewed it myself. :)
Increadible work, very well done m8t!
Thanks Vincent!
BRAVO !
Absolutely great how you presented the idea you had and the background of it. Not exclusively technical but what you were thinking during the process.
I just wonder if you never came to the point to be so frustrated with some problems that you wanted to give it all up...
Thank you buddy! I never felt like giving up when fabricating, machining and programming, but I did get super frustrated with the limit switches and some issues with EMI in the electronics. I never fixed the limit switch issue, but I did fix the EMI by grounding the 5V power supply better.
Really a wonderful project you did and really a nice technique you used for 4th and 5th axis.
Wish this was some as. Amit or something like that you’re a master mate
This was a super inspirational video and amazing work. Thanks for posting!
Thanks Blake! And you’re welcome. ☺️
Simply awesome - that is an inspirational story . Much respect to you for your hard work and tenacity . Lots of very challenging problems to overcome . Subbed for sure!
Thanks for that mate! Certainly wasn't easy.
Wow! Hats off to you sir! This is a huge accomplishment. Also great video explaining the whole process! You put all of us 3 axis diy cnc mill builders to shame lol
Thanks Benjamin! I don't want you to be ashamed though haha.
Huge congratulations for your achievement 👏 🙌 👍 👌!!
I am just starting out in my RC custom building and designing adventure!! I have to say that this video inspired me to push forward bit more than I was going to.
I was never able to pick up a project and keep coming back to it, however this type is one that I feel I could do, like building my own rc truck and I think that is mainly do to the fact that I wanted to learn 3d design and kept coming back to do more.
Also one thing I found as lesson, is that if I feel stuck, just leave it for little bit, do something else and i would just figure things out another way.
I'm taking my time in learning different skills along the way like 3d design, xyz axis, making tools for making stuff along the way, got my first desktop cnc (3018) to start learning on it and have to say soon as I got it was intenting to get upgrades🙄.
I don't know how to code, maybe should start that skills soon aswell. 🤔
Would you say to buy a budget ( 1st to start learning to use one) milling machine or upgrade cnc to 4 axis?🤔 .
Best regards from UK
Great stuff! I still, to this day, wonder if I should get back into making RC parts. I hope you succeed, mate.
I ALWAYS have several very different projects running, so if I'm stuck with one, I spend time on another one. I'm always working on something and being productive. It's important to keep good documentation of what you're doing so you don't get rusty between stints. I use Notion to keep track of my whole life, just about.
I learned all of my machining, coding and electronics knowledge online, especially from TH-cam for the machining. If you have the time, you should learn to code. My primary language these days is JavaScript, it's just so useful and flexible.
Amazing and mega cool! That script is the product! I realize there are not a whole lot of 5 axis CNC machines out there, but one of the problems is precisely the lack of software support. Either way, fantastic job man!
Thank you my man! You're right, it's the software that's the biggest bottleneck to 5 axis democracy, it's just so mathematically complicated to develop well.
Thanks a lot... Now when I look to my 3 axis build, looks like a toy 🤣
Congratulations for this awesome documentary. I can't wait to see how the new machine is going to build up.
Subscribed!
Haha well it was my third machine, if that's any consolation. :D
I'm with you buddy, I can't wait to see the new machine running.
This is really impressive . Congrats !
Thank you Radu Cristian! :D
Super impressive build!
Thanks Nicholas!
Respect ! came across your video, awsome work !
Great Job with soft part 👏👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Great project really impressive
Absolutely amazing. Could you have used slip rings to avoid the wrapping cable issue?
I looked at using cheap ones but wasn't sure I could get them to handle the current for a stepper motor and a 2.2kw spindle. High power ones seemed to get expensive quickly. Additionally, using them would mean having to offset the stepper motor and run it with a pulley to try pass the wires through the harmonic drives which live in an oil bath. It was all too much to worry about, so I abandoned it.
@@machsuper Very good points. Stepper motors being the temprimental things they are, definitely wouldn't play well with the cheaper ones. Somedays I think a light breeze is enough to make my CNC think the proximity sensors have been activated.
Thanks for your reply!
Subscribed, monumental effort. Well done mate.
Cheers BR!
Incredible that you didn’t give up, well done. What are your thoughts on creating a hobbyist 5axis compatible with the carvera air machine that has had a success kickstarter? Would you be interested? I think a lot more people are about to enter the machining space now that machines are more accessible, like what happened in 3D printing. My first thought without knowing much about 5-axis is the space limitations of that particular machine
Thanks for the nice comment mate. I would actually love to make some machines for sale, but I’m not at that stage just yet. Machines like the Carvera are neat little machines that would be great to learn on. Any person who has spent time in machining and given it any serious attention, I think they’ll usually outgrow these machines very quickly. The 5 axis maker is a cool product too, I’ve followed them for a long time now. They seem to have done well in the dentistry clear aligner market, other than that, I’ve not seen them around on the internet much. They’re doing well enough to survive for several years so far though, so that’s good to see. I do have my eyes set on some commercial products though, I just need to stop getting distracted with other things. 🤦♂️
Your a genius for pleasure, just go on with having fun in what your doing!
That's it. I love to learn for the sake of learning. Mathematics is a great example of that; what a privilege that I may understand something as abstract and true as mathematics.
If you'd only pressed "submit" on $300 you probably would not have persevered, good work and I look forward to future progress.
You might be right Anthony. Thank you, and thank you for the comment!
Fantastic! Inspiring to hear your narrative.
And I find it inspiring for you to say that. Thank you. :)
Very Neatly done keep it up and many thanks for sharing Awesome work
Thanks Garth! I appreciate that a lot. Stay tuned, more to come.
This content is absoultely stellar! I'm still using M3 on my 3 axis mill w/4th axis rotary. But your scripts are awesome on your explanations concise! Subscribed!
Impressive, excited to see more!
More to come! Currently working on the mill CNC conversion.
The Learning Is your accomplishment . Remember those elementary and high school pain in the nake years. But after you studied basic Algebra, Trigonometry, Statistics, Accounting and so on made easier in college. Now you have reached the mountain top, so time to build a new 99% better than the previous. Y.A.R. Your Answer Required .
Jesus, im impressed! actually speachless :D That was a hell of a journey you went on there and i wouldnt have thought you would programm it yourself, thats really impressive. You started out as a videogame designer and became kind of an engineer over the course of this project, i love it :D If you ever want to do a project together, or need support on simulations/cad whatever hit me up (im an mechanical engineer in my masters from germany) and definitely a subscriber now! :D
Wow, thank you Joern! I definitely didn't become an engineer in this one video, I had a small Sieg X2 before this one, and I've been building things like motorbike ramps when growing up. This was definitely a big test for my capabilities though. Thank you for the offer to help, I'm going to start keeping a database of people who are offering help, it's the least I can do to show appreciation. Thanks for the comment, I'm nearing completion of my first video on the Optimum mill conversion. Follow me on Instagram if you want to see more frequent updates @mach_super
I wanted a badass rc car so I made an industry level machine XD if that’s not killing an ant with an rpg lol good on ya mate, some of our best accomplishments come from the spark created by another passion entirely, cheers!
Keep on going, thanks for your Content, loved to watch the video
Thanks! I'm still playing around with the tonality to see what works best for you guys and myself too.
Man! Great job even if You sold it, u got priceless experience, that worth more than money. Gl on next progects!
Very true, thank you mate! Onwards and upwards!
i subscribe straight away amazing work bud you are a true talent keep up the work 👌love to see that optimum behind you turned into a cnc 😁
Thank you so much Steven. I really am amazed with all the nice comments. Stay subscribed, first video on the Optimum mill out soon!
People misunderstand what engineering is. This is engineering.
Absolutely Amazing work! Subscribed.
Love the script software.
Cheers Make Tech! I saw you over on Instagram too, I hope I don't disappoint going forward!