[XenC]

Hi Marc,

I came across your email. As mentioned you are from C.T. and are in the process of manufacturing CNC machines.

I will be starting soon making my own CNC machine for some of my electronics projects etc. I do not have any interest to sell the machines though. What i would like to know is where are you sourcing the motors and the various mechanical parts?. Everybody is sooo secretive here that nobody want's to share information but will only do so if they can make some money, typical.

Could you point me in the right direction for the parts?

The electronics i will be designing and making this myself. This would be a stiff learning curve, but it will be interesting.

Let me know...

Thanks

[marcerasmus]

hi xen, sure glad to help, exacly which mechanical parts are you looking for? we design our own machines and therefore end up making our own parts. as for the rest like bearings motors etc, we purchase from local suppliers. let me know exacly what you are looking for and i will give you names and contact details of the suppliers we use. good luck with you router, they arnt hard to build and sure are lots of fun once they are done!
regards marc

[!sense]

Hi,

Glad to see you guys posting here.
I am also in South Africa and I'm looking to acquire a 3 in 1 machine in about a month's time, depending on whether I feel comfortable that I know enough to make a sensible decision. In the meantime I'm hanging out here to gain a bit of knowledge and get some perspective on what to buy, and whether I should buy at all.

Marc, I picked up you might be in this line of business. If you are, could you PM me or something?

I have absolutely no technical background, but I'm working on it. I'd like to get your view on machines that are locally available or may be worthwhile to import, as long as my budget can cope.

[Blackadder]

Hello everyone, just thought I had better be polite and introduce myself, I joined the forum a couple of days ago and have been totally engrossed at the wealth of information here.

Back to the introduction.... I have recently retired after 35 years in Electro/Mechanical Engineering, the last 15 years or so in management (hated every minute! little chance to get some dirt under the fingernails) and always promised myself that my retirement would give me the time to indulge my passion for woodwork and computers.

So there is the recipe; I engineer, I know my way around computers and I love to make things out of wood. Solution:- hobby CNC of course; brings it all together nicely.

Looking forward to being a regular member and contributor where and when I can.
I live in the historic City of Lincoln in the UK, my next post will be an introduction in the European clubhouse.


:banana: (wedge) :banana:

[XenC]

Hi Marc,

Thanks for your reply. I am really glad to hear that someone in S.A. is willing to help.

First of all a few questions:

1. I would like to manufacture the CNC machine out of Aluminum instead of mild steel. The mild steel is too heavy. I suppose plywood might do but i am not a fan of using wood for this project. Maybe i can be converted

2. Understanding the names of each part is throwing me a bit, i.e. Gantry etc. How do get to understand the names of the various components.

3. To start off at first i have no machinery to cut the part at first. I would i go about this

4. In the US Gecko drives have been well recommended, what do we have as and equivelent here is SA, remembering that we all have a limited budget

5. Software of the shelf is very expensive especially the exchange rate. I have spoken to a few of the suppliers in the US but the cost exceeds my budget by 100 times. I have installed TurboCNC but it's very shaky on the XP Windows professional and other versions of Window post Win95.

If i have enough time set aside i will look into developing the software. At this stage i doubt i will do this.

6. The Driver unit and the power supply unit. The cost involved. I would like to make this myself though and sell these or maybe partner with a commercial concern to cover my costs and development/Research.


Hopefully my electronics will be completed soon so that i can get moving on this project. I will certainly communicate more to you and others on the site and will send pics as i go along. I am glad to hear that you say this is not a difficult task. It does give a boost in the interest domain.

Thanks again,

Best Regards


Xen

[hyper]

great site

I own a small sheetmetal company based in Geelong Australia,currently looking at importing a plasma cnc kit from Torchmate, would welcome any feedback from cnc zone members which have expierence with this company.

regards

hyper

[ashishsharma]

Hello everybody.

Please forgive me for being so late in posting my introduction.
I am an Assistant Prof. in Mechanical Engineering with ten years of teaching experience. Being overloaded with theory, I now plan to give physical shape to some of my ideas. This website has provided me a very enjoyable and informative journey into the domain of practical applications of all that theory.

I humbly accept that I have only been receiving info, and would be willing to give any possible theoretical inputs from various subjects like Applied Mechanics, Mechanical Vibrations, System Modeling and Analysis, Robotics, Mechatronics etc.

Ashish

[wyn510]

I have purchased a Lathe for some small work from time to time.
I would like to know if someone has instructions in English from assembly to wiring.
I also would like to purchase some beginners books any suggestions.
I someone can give me the baby without labor pains that would be great!

Roger

[cvlac]

Hi
Try e-bay
Costas

Hi Marc,

I came across your email. As mentioned you are from C.T. and are in the process of manufacturing CNC machines.

I will be starting soon making my own CNC machine for some of my electronics projects etc. I do not have any interest to sell the machines though. What i would like to know is where are you sourcing the motors and the various mechanical parts?. Everybody is sooo secretive here that nobody want's to share information but will only do so if they can make some money, typical.

Could you point me in the right direction for the parts?

The electronics i will be designing and making this myself. This would be a stiff learning curve, but it will be interesting.

Let me know...

Thanks

[Graham Clayton]

Hi all, I suppose I'm a "lurker". Have owned, operated & modified a CNC router for apporox. 16 years then purchased a new one with the lot 3 years ago.
Sorry I cant contribute much to this forum, I am however interested to hear the ideas of others.

[awright]

wyn510, I gather that you are looking for a beginner's book on lathe operation.

A good place to start is, "How To Run A Lathe," published by South Bend. I believe that the copy I obtained about 50 years ago was sold by Sears. I do not remember if it was under their name or South Bend's name. It is a very good primer and was aimed at the beginner. It does not address CNC, of course, but you will learn a lot from it.

If you are not talking about a CNC lathe, there is not much to wiring one up. It just requires a reversing drum switch like the Grainger 2X440 series ($35 to $84, depending upon current rating), which come with a wiring diagram.

You can do a used book search for that title and you will come up with dozens available at a wide range of prices. The Lindsey reprints are cheapest and start at about $12.

Have fun.

awright

[valeen1959]

Well I have it up and running. I built a CNC router out of printer parts and other stuff I have collected over the years. I started with CNC Robotics book by Geoff Williams and then hit the net for ideas. I used the control boards from his book and redid the artwork on my computer. Made the boards at home (the printers I got the steppers from also supplied the driver ICs). I use the transfer method from Pulsar.gs and built the boards in an afternoon. I am playing with KCam now and calibrated the steps/inch and it seems to work well. I have cut wood, foam and plastic and will try aluminum with it as the cutter is 1/8" Titanium. I use a Zip tool for the cutter and have a cutting area of 18"x24" with 5" height. If anyone wants a few images of it or has any questions, just ask.

[awright]

valeen1959, you are an inspiration to all of us who collect parts forever but never get around to actually building. Well done. Please post some pictures.

awright

[bob393]

HI;

I'm in industrial maintaince for pay and I turn pens in wood for fun and profit.
I'm interested in trying some CNC milling for pen making but know nothing about it. I'm hoping to lurk around here for a while so I can at least ask an intelligent question.

[Rexarino]

Ahh Matt, Matt, Matt;
they always tell you to "search the archives" first -
and I've only been reading them for 2 years, so I'm not ready to post yet..

Thanks for this great resource!
rexarino

[pmaril]

Hi everyone, I am sorry i haven't post anything, but I think i can't really put something interesting.

I really whant to make my own router, but I have 2 problems:
1.- Lack of time.
2.- Lack of tools.

My brother-in-law is a great machine-maker, and have a full loaded workshop, but he is with much more work on his hands than me, and I am a Congress organizer, so i have to train myself back (i am a Tecnitian, but the turns of life makes me something else).

Well, just saying hello from Argentina.

Pablo
PD: I am a Mac user, so I have been looking for some Mac software, free, for start, at least, controling a stepper motor. I have found something, but haven't tried yet.

PD2: Excuse my english, I do my best, but sometimes... I end confusing people.

[wyn510]

Thanks so much for the advice I have purchase two books so far 27th machinist handbook and Machine Shop Practice by KH Moltrecht
The wiring I figured out and installed with a 30Amp 220 breaker.

I will look for "How To Run A Lathe," on the web tonight.
Thanks again
Roger

wyn510, I gather that you are looking for a beginner's book on lathe operation.

A good place to start is, "How To Run A Lathe," published by South Bend. I believe that the copy I obtained about 50 years ago was sold by Sears. I do not remember if it was under their name or South Bend's name. It is a very good primer and was aimed at the beginner. It does not address CNC, of course, but you will learn a lot from it.

If you are not talking about a CNC lathe, there is not much to wiring one up. It just requires a reversing drum switch like the Grainger 2X440 series ($35 to $84, depending upon current rating), which come with a wiring diagram.

You can do a used book search for that title and you will come up with dozens available at a wide range of prices. The Lindsey reprints are cheapest and start at about $12.

Have fun.

awright

[augar]

thanks,
I just joined... I recycle scrap carbide and high speed, thought I could make some good connections here

[pinemartin]

Great website gotten loads of help, but maybe a little to much.
I just bought bobcat proX and starting to teach myself. how to use it, done loads of cad work including 3d, that has helped little. But some of the answers i am getting are still a little above my head, i am only 5'6 though.
I have been looking at bulding and/or purchasing a table (not to eat at) to mill my designs. looking for something around 1500mm x 900.
Ok the question i have is if i have the table (3axis) what else do i need to have the machine move and cut. i have the laptop and lets say i have the table. surely i must have something else to have the information to get from my laptop to the motors... A bit of help would be great, it would have to be compatable with what i have (BobCAT ProX)

Dave

[DALCOLENON]

One of my clients a company i draft for, recently bought a weeke flat bed NC.bhp200.. had it for a month now, I do all the Programing and soon it will make most that work in the factory redundent.

A few of the Carpenters have tried to be involved in the programing side and are doing the course at TAFE but even after 4 weeks i'm still explaining general file cutting, copying and pasting over the phone. Computer literacy helps in a big way. i didn't do a course i've learned it in my own time. and with the help files.

I've been useing Archicad9 to Produce DXF files. importing to woodwop. routering perspex and timber... Archicad9 will superseed autocad due to it's ease of use and abilities in drafting.

I draw and the client builds most of the Tattslotto stores throughtout Victoria Australia..
the machine runs all the 2mm and 3mm perspex stuff which the guys fold with heat rods to make poster holders for A1 and A4... Brouchures and second chance barrells etc. then it runs all the timber partitions.... and well everything.

The plan in to have three machines running everything.. I will be indispensible to that client.. but the factory worker will not be unfortunatley.

sort of like a kick in the nuts (nuts)

Regards

Dale