[mphel]

I own up to lurking on this site for some months without posting, problem is you guys have answered all my questions without me even having to ask, I just searched and the answers were all there. (too many experiences with other forums where you ask something and some bright spark jumps on you telling you to search before asking) but I now know you lot are different!
I've built up something that works reasonably well, you can probably tell who was the inspiration...thanks Joe.
I thought I would let everyone know what hardware I used so people(especially in the uk) know it all works together... we dont have the same amount of choice this side of the water
All bearing slides are from Joes design, leadscrews are 12mmD 3mm pitch from Marchant Dice, controllers are these:- http://www.stepmasternc.com/stepmasternc_006.htm
and steppers are 260 oz from Motion Control Products.
I'm using two atx power supplys to give 24v at the moment.
I've got too say I've been pretty lucky with no real problems with anything purchased so far (thats done it!) and I'm forunate in that I work for a joinery company and we throw out enough mdf every week to make half a dozen of these so I dont struggle for material. It does work, but its sort of thrown together so I can use as a sort of test-bed until I find the best way to do everything. I've allready decided I'm going for bigger motors fairly soon and must get a better power supply but at the moment its doing what i want while i learn.

Just cutting a circle to test for accuracy-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ0voW7iTeI

[thkoutsidthebox]

Very Nice!

And congrat's on a very neat, tight and clean looking build. I feel your pain about the lack of parts choice, Im only a few tens of miles from you in Ireland.

this cnc stuff is addictive ain't it!

[joecnc2006]

Very nice looking machine, I can see the workings of the design in the machine. since you use 260oz motors, I would first up to a 36v 10a power supply, you will be plesently surprised to the performance increase.

Remember I am still using the HobbyCNC 200oz kit on mine and cut at 80ipm all the time for over a year now.

looks like you are using shelving brackets for the rails? neat idea.

Joe

[joecnc2006]

Just noticed the front portion, i take it you are planing for the indexer attachment? 4th axis.

Joe

[mphel]

Very nice looking machine, I can see the workings of the design in the machine. since you use 260oz motors, I would first up to a 36v 10a power supply, you will be plesently surprised to the performance increase.

Remember I am still using the HobbyCNC 200oz kit on mine and cut at 80ipm all the time for over a year now.

looks like you are using shelving brackets for the rails? neat idea.

Joe

Yes its all stuff lying around in the workshop, the rails are "Tegometall" uprights that we use for shopfitting. I also have a small machining shop right next door who happily do bits of metalworking like turning down the ends of leadscrews etc in exchange for a few offcuts for shelving.
Cant beat bartering!

[mphel]

Just noticed the front portion, i take it you are planing for the indexer attachment? 4th axis.

Joe

Just keeping my options open.... It really is addictive!

[sailfl]

That is a touch screen you are using. The software works with touch screens?

Thanks

[mphel]

That is a touch screen you are using. The software works with touch screens?

Thanks

Yes its an ebay special http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=120095740634
the software works well with it, I'm currently making a trolley to house computer, screen etc

[CNCkitsandBITS]

Fine piece of work; what are you planning to use the machine for?

I say to others (none cnc addicts) it’s better than having a highly skilled person working for you. I am a city and guilds advance craft wood machinist with over 25years experience and it makes me feel very humble but fortunate to have it working for me.

John

[MrBean]

Nice looking build Mphel. It's a shame you didn't get some drivers from Motion Control Products while you were getting your motors.
A voltage boost to the steppers would make quite a difference, but it looks like your current drivers are 30V max. What is the rated current for the motors you got? And what current are you running them at?
I ask because I found that if I reduced the current to the motors I could drive them faster. I had plenty of torque anyway, so traded some for speed. Your milage may vary if you try this.
BTW my motors are 110oz/in and do just fine. I've cut Aluminium with them, quite nippy too.
X axis = 470 IPM Rapids. (beltdrive)
Y axis = 90 IPM Rapids. (ballscrew drive)

Oh and welcome to the Zone...
Regards Terry....

[mphel]

Thanks for the comments,
John, I seem to think of new things I can use the machine for every day, probably a lot of patterns for work, perhaps I can convince the boss to invest in a £30,000 machine if I can proof this ones worth .
Terry, your absolutely right about getting better drivers, I must sit down and do some more research on driver/motor/psu combinations, but I can't complain about how it works for the money I've spent, enthusiasm gets the better of you when you start looking at all the builds on the zone and you buy whatever you can get your hands on !
It would be good to have a look at some other machines in this country up close to really get a feel for how they work with what hardware.
Better go to work now...

[epineh]

Nice work Mark! That is what I call a quick build log, lol. Touch screen is a nice addition, keep up the good work!!!

Russell.

[Switcher]

I see that you have a gamepad controller behind the monitor, do you jog the cnc with it?

Cool TouchScreen!



.

[mphel]

I see that you have a gamepad controller behind the monitor, do you jog the cnc with it?

Cool TouchScreen!



.

Yes I've found it handy to set the "z" with a slow jog rate set I can take it to the opposite corner of the table if necessary and watch the axis down onto the job close up.
I'm just setting up home, limit and estops, there is allways something else to do.

[Switcher]

Yes I've found it handy to set the "z" with a slow jog rate set I can take it to the opposite corner of the table if necessary and watch the axis down onto the job close up.
I'm just setting up home, limit and estops, there is allways something else to do.

Thats cool, do you have a link or some info, on setting up the gamepad for jogging (Mach3)?



.

[ferverx]

Great job done, I am only starting.
Maybe you could post some more pictures to show your design?
Thanx.

[mphel]

Thats cool, do you have a link or some info, on setting up the gamepad for jogging (Mach3)?



.

In Mach 3 go to config, down to config plugins and a panel comes up allowing you to enable several added functions, one of which is joystick, I just enabled it and set it up to jog the two axis I thought would be most usefull ( yellow CONFIG button on the right of the panel ) and it just seemed to work straight off.

ferverx
I will get the camera out, I know we all like photos

[mphel]

A few photos:-
1 side of table showing "tegomatall" upright used as pipe replacement,
2 end view showing profile with small radii which bearings roll on
3 bearings on rails
4 The bed at the moment is just an offcut of slatwall and I remembered while taking photos that we had some aluminium inserts for it, which should do as "t slot"
5 The router is about 12 years old, only 1/4" but will do for now
6 The y axis is 25mm mdf with the metal rails fitted over top and bottom, seems quite strong but I may try a box setup sometime
7 a few tests ( had to do the wife a small plaque to keep her onside)
8 Just what I'm using to clamp, small piece of ally with 6mm panhead bolt through tapped hole onto which you can put allmost any clamp
9 Top side of clamp, nut glued into mdf
10 Switches off ebay, this one is a sprung plunger to use as estop
11 this one for home/limits . All switches were in the same 'assorted' bag

[mphel]

I've started on a rolling cabinet to house some of the gubbins, perhaps I can start to get tidied up a bit at last...

[mar999]

VERY NICE JOB hows she work ?have one on me:cheersk have two :cheers: