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I finally got my pulleys bored out and installed. In addition, I got most of my electronics bundled up on a separate board and hooked them up to all of the axis. I then battled my way through...

Alright, I'll find an old box or something similar and put the electronics in that. Watching a $42 driver shake itself to pieces doesn't sound like fun to me.
On a bright note, I finally received...

@Devastator: I can't change my design now since all of my parts are already cut, but I think that fix will be my first cut when I finish this!
I've added the first belt to the gantry, and added the...

If I remember correctly, you can disable any input from the pin assignment window. Try disabling the limit switches there.

Yep, I did lose 2 1/2 inches from that decision. I have 23" of travel, though, so I can still work well with 2x4 sheets (which was its main purpose).

I got a bit of work done on the gantry and added its side panels along with a second set of bearings along the bottom.
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I also encountered my first major problem; after an...

I completed the carriage next and installed it on the gantry. I also stuck the (incomplete) Z axis on it.
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The bearings look a bit on the tight side; should I keep them like...

The legs of my machine got put on next along with a few 2x4 reinforcements on the underside of the bed. A few (unshown) braces were also added to stabilize the legs.
I might add two extra legs to...

I also began assembling the gantry of the machine. My homemade bearings worked out surprisingly well!
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(Most of the parts have already been cut out/machined, so this build should hopefully go fast)
The base came together quickly thanks to sheet metal screws (I'm not sure if they were ever meant to go...

My first CNC was a mess, so I've decided to build another. I made an earlier advice asking for advice and got a number of great responses...

I've been using this exact kit for quite a while now. Here's a quick review of the kit.
a. The drivers are exact replicas of the Probotix Mondostep drivers (!). They work well; just remember that...

Well. I've made the plunge. My final machine has a 2x6 steel beam in place of the 2x4 for the gantry, and uses 16 mm AT5 belting for the drive. I'll probably start a new build thread once all the...

AT5 it is, then- it's only $6 more and looks to be twice as strong. Not bad!
I've also added two plates to link the front and back halves of the carriage to help out those four bolts. My drive...

Thanks for the info. Good luck with your build!

If you don't mind me asking-
How well did Online Metals ship your CRS? I've heard some good things and bad things about them, so an actual testimonial would help me quite a bit.

Thanks for the advice, dmalicky. I've updated my design with most of the changes you recommended. It already looks better!
I think that belt may be the best option for me at this point- chain looks...

Huh...well, this is confusing. My goal is, put simply, to have a machine that can cut fast without sacrificing accuracy. A belt drive seems very reasonable at this point, but I don't know how XL...

troyg- Will I still have the ability to make aggressive cuts with steel reinforced XL belting? My whole CNC is designed for that sole purpose, so losing that ability because of my belts would be...

I suppose my statement about making a perfect machine was a bit frivolous ;). In better terms, I'd like to build a machine that gets as much performance out of every dollar as possible.

pippin88-...

After around a month of design, I think that I might be ready to start putting together my second CNC. My first was all plywood and used allthread for the drive; as expected, it cut like a wet noodle...

Well, chain looks like the way to go at this point. I did a bit of extra research and found that chain actually performs pretty well even without gearing. So at this point, I have only two real...

Dma- I have microstepping set high on my motor right now, but it doesn't do much. Resonance dampers are hard to add since it isn't dual shaft, and the "rattler" style ones...no.
Vger- That's the...

I recently finished my first CNC. It was an all-MDF router with all-thread leadscrews... and performed exactly like you'd expect it too. And like every other CNC builder here, I am now possessed by...

Well, I've finished the mechanical part of it (I changed the length to 3 feet, by the way). The whole thing seems rigid enough, and now all I need to do is add the motors.
I ended up using 5/16...

I just realized that my previous idea made no sense, so I think I'll just use wood bars to support the table. I do have quite a bit of extra plywood, so doubling wouldn't be a problem.

A torsion box sounds great. I think that I'll build the CNC router with one sheet of plywood for the table. As soon as it's finished, I'll use it to cut out all the ribs for the torsion box and...

The machine is just for my own projects. Who knows, though, it might come in handy one day.

This whole thread seems to be telling me to switch out the allthread, so I guess I'll be doing that. Will McMaster-Carr work?
Techguy- I can understand why Unfortunately (as a student), a low...

Sorry if the renderings are a bit fuzzy; the supports actually don't get in the way of anything. I'll also try to add more supports to the table (maybe even another sheet of plywood!?!). The spoil...