Hello Everyone,
Like others I've been lurking here for a couple months, but haven't posted anything. Last July I decided I wanted to build a router and this forum has been a wealth of information, so thank you to everyone for posting their experiences.
I'm going to be starting my build soon (hopefully this coming weekend), but before I do wanted to start this thread so that I could share what my intentions are to build. I've never worked with CNC equipment so any feedback is appreciated.
It's going to be a 4' x 4' router built using 3060 aluminum extrusion and steel tubing/plates. It'll start out with a wooden base (budget reasons), but that will get upgraded eventually. The idea was I wanted it to be expandable/modular while still retaining rigidity. I know those don't necessarily go hand-in-hand, but I'm trying to balance it. I did some load studies in Fusion 360 and it showed very little deflection, so we'll see...
Eventually, I want to expand it to an 8' x 4' machine and add a rotary axis. The bed frame (can't think of a better name...) that my spoil board will sit on can also be moved up or down 3" to provide extra Z-clearance if I want it or provide room for a vacuum table without sacrificing the current Z-height. The first image below is with it up high and the second image with it lowered.
The gantry supports are 3/8" steel, but made up of 4 separate pieces and welded throughout. The steel plates that make us the Z axis are 1/2" thick and all of it will be powder coated.
Here is a short list of components that I intend on using and some images of the 3D model I came up with. I've purchased some of the components, but it's not too late to make changes. I look forward to using this as a platform to share the build process. Please let me know if you have any feedback or recommended changes.
- CNCRP PRO Rack & Pinion components for X & Y Axis
- 1605 Ballscrew for Z Axis
- 465oz (6A) NEMA 34 Stepper Motors
- 48V Power Supply
- Masso Controller
- TBI-TRH20 Linear Guides
- 2.2kW air cooled spindle and VFD