[88rob88]

phew....all caught up. Its kinda like getting to the end of a good book, wonder what I will do in the evenings now? Think I am going to have to outlay some money so that I am really on the way to a build....

great work microcarve :-)

[microcarve]

john,

i thought you might like this, i assume you were watching the tracking and noticed the other package has in fact been delivered

Thanks Very Much for the picture!



Yep, we were watching the tracking closely, and I was Very!
glad to see the other box had finally been delivered....

I've been slow on replies this past week. Bad hard drive...again.
But it's over 10 years old, so I can't complain. A new one has
arrived, but I've been stalling on getting everything fixed.
(Busy making machines)

I'm very curious about the spindle.


John

[microcarve]

phew....all caught up. Its kinda like getting to the end of a good book, wonder what I will do in the evenings now? Think I am going to have to outlay some money so that I am really on the way to a build....

great work microcarve :-)

Thanks Very Much!


I appreciate it a LOT when someone reads all that stuff. That's
a lot of work in itself.....

John

[gadgetwiz]

Thought I'd put down a few thoughts on compatible gear for one of these little beauties. Note that these are more geared towards Oz users as virtually everything needs to be bought from o/s so cost of shipping is a major factor in the decision making process. If I lived in the US the choices would be very different. Feel free to add to this list or suggest better choices.

Spindle: Kress FME800 sourced from Europe (at 1.4kg it's a little bit lighter than a Bosch Colt and has a bit more power (800W vs 1hp or 746w). Costs about the same as a Proxxon ib/e (100W) sourced locally but capable of taking larger bits up to 8mm. The Colt only comes in a 110v version and the closest local equivalent is almost 3x the US price. Also considered the Kress's bigger brother (1050) but it seemed to be over suited to an MV3 (even though it doesn't cost much more) Major downsides for the Kress are the non standard and ridiculously overpriced collets and minimum speed of 10k. A suitable mount also needs to be made or sourced, and no local warranty if it goes kaka.

Motors/ Drivers: Probotix seems to be driver of choice for many. However, for a similarly specified setup using 3 motors with 4 axis drivers, isolated connection to the PC and uprated power supply the price came up to not far off a Gecko G540 kit sourced locally (at about $500 delivered). I looked at open source (linistepper) / hobbycnc but the savings (seeing as now everything has to be sourced separately) came to only about 20 - 25%. (Say $150 for steppers - I'm going for 269 oz btw, $50 for psu, bob at $20 - 30, 4 drivers for $100 - $120). Plus I'd have to make up pcbs (for open source), build and test them all. So G540 is the most likely candidate. Another plus for the G540 is that individual drives can be simply replaced or repaired if they fail. Which can be a real pain for all in one boards. And no additional heatsinking needed for most environments. Plus getting it locally provides me with warranty support, especially with a few bits. And a kit definitely insures against compatibility mismatches.

Oh and because I'm running it off an old laptop - another $30 or so for a PC card port. And bits and bobs such as case, wiring etc.

Software: Too cheap to buy Mach 3 after all that so EMC2 it is.

[Ron Dunn]

Wow, I had no idea the Kress spindles had come down so much for Australian buyers.

When I got my FME 1050-1 it was around $300. Now it is around $165 plus shipping. I think I paid about $200 for my LB/E.

I agree, this makes the Kress a better buying proposition than the Proxxon LB/E, although I still think the Proxxon has a slight edge for fine work.

[cruch]

What is recommended motors and controllers for John cnc?
G540 Stepper Controller Package (inc 3 x 387 oz.in Motors) [CC-06] - US$508.00 : Homann Designs!, The preferred CNC Component Supplier
Or
3-Axis ProboStep Stepper Motor Driver Kit -
Price range 400 - 600usd
Usage for carving and milling/cutting. I am totally new regarding cnc stuff..
Using an old xp computer (not laptop)

[vtx1029]

If your running off a laptop you should run via usb. Look at the planet USB controller

[cruch]

And what is recommended
Bosch PR20EVSK Colt or DEWALT DWP611PK?
The dewalt has the DNP616 Plunge Base Dust Collection Adaptor. Good to have.
John, can you provide this mount DWP611 for your cnc?

[microcarve]

And what is recommended
Bosch PR20EVSK Colt or DEWALT DWP611PK?
The dewalt has the DNP616 Plunge Base Dust Collection Adaptor. Good to have.
John, can you provide this mount DWP611 for your cnc?

Looks like a very nice router!.....But I don't make mounts/holders
for routers these days. There are too many choices and router
dimensions change sometimes.

I don't know who makes one for that DeWalt. I usually suggest
k2cnc for the Colt mount. It's nicer than I could make it for the $$...
and it's all metal.

Probotix also has many holders that bolt to my Z's. There are a lot
of choices...

And...while I'm thinking about it, Wolfgang Engineering is making
more spindles...though in limited quantities. Those are for work
that would require Very-Very fine detail machining. I may make adapters
for those ---if needed.


John

[cruch]

Wolfgang Engineering, i have been to their site. Handmade spindels Price is ok

[Mr Overkill]

Hi John,

I have read about half your thread on these brilliant machines so far and learned plenty about manual and CNC machining along the way - you could turn this thread into a best selling book!

I am seriously thinking about getting one but I am really short of space in the workshop. If I added a flat base and some weight, would the machine work reliably in the vertical position?

Thanks, Nick

[Walky]

What is recommended motors and controllers for John cnc?
G540 Stepper Controller Package (inc 3 x 387 oz.in Motors) [CC-06] - US$508.00 : Homann Designs!, The preferred CNC Component Supplier
Or
3-Axis ProboStep Stepper Motor Driver Kit -
Price range 400 - 600usd
Usage for carving and milling/cutting. I am totally new regarding cnc stuff..
Using an old xp computer (not laptop)

I have both. The Probotix kit is very, very nice, but the G540 is a little better, easier to setup, and have lots of protection systems to make it "unkillable". The G540 can be directly wired to a VFD, which is nice.

If you're in a tight budget and don't mind the extra work needed to get it in an enclosure, the Probostep is a good choice. I've been using it with my main machine for a couple of years, and sold another machine with one more than a year ago that has also been going strong AFAIK. Their email support is great, too.

If you are willing to pay extra, go with the G540, you can't go wrong with it. The extra current and voltage, plus the 4th axis makes it quite "future proof" in case of machine upgrades.

Also, customs might be a deciding factor depending on your country. I'll only go with G540's from Ebay from now on, not only for the 4th axis (I'll only use dual X motors from now on) and the panel mounting, but because my local customs office seems to have decided to always charge me full fee for anything from Probotix (about 150 extra bucks for a full 3 axis kit). If it wasn't for the customs issue, I might be getting the cheaper Sidestep drivers for small builds (nice little drivers they are).

[microcarve]

Hi John,

I have read about half your thread on these brilliant machines so far and learned plenty about manual and CNC machining along the way - you could turn this thread into a best selling book!

I am seriously thinking about getting one but I am really short of space in the workshop. If I added a flat base and some weight, would the machine work reliably in the vertical position?

Thanks, Nick

Thanks Very Much, Nick!



I haven't run more than 4-5 projects with it sitting upright like
that, but I don't see why it wouldn't work just fine.

It is a bit of a PITA to fix stuff to the table, but that's also a
problem that should be easy to overcome. There are ways to
make holding fixtures that aren't as heavy like my cheap vise.

I'd meant to fix one to the wall and run it for awhile, but never got
around to it yet. It could be tilted slightly on a shelf on a wall and
that might make fixturing easier as well.

I think it'd work fine. If I had time, I'd rig one up just to be sure.


John

[Mr Overkill]

I think the extra difficulty in attaching parts to the table is more than offset by the space saving in my case - if I ever move to a larger space, I can always lay it flat again. As I have a reasonably well equipped workshop, I was thinking of making a detachable fixturing plate if the vertical table becomes annoying.

[microcarve]

I think the extra difficulty in attaching parts to the table is more than offset by the space saving in my case - if I ever move to a larger space, I can always lay it flat again. As I have a reasonably well equipped workshop, I was thinking of making a detachable fixturing plate if the vertical table becomes annoying.

That'd work. I used to use lots of different bolt on MDF fixtures for
various parts. Easy to swap them out for any particular part I was
working at the time.


John

[Mr Overkill]

FYI: I noticed Aussie users saying they didn't have much choice for spindles locally. Have a look at Sydney Tools:SYDNEY TOOLS - Laminate Trimmers for laminate trimmers. They also have a page for die grinders if that's more your thing. They also have an ebay store that often has cheaper prices.

[gadgetwiz]

FYI: I noticed Aussie users saying they didn't have much choice for spindles locally.

While there's a broad spectrum of price points for these tools, there's not very much discussion even on the Australian woodwork forums as to the merits of specific trimmer or grinder models. I suppose people use them, are happy, and leave it at that. Most people on that forum also seem to use the more expensive tools, probably for good reason. It then becomes potentially a hit and miss affair for the inexperienced builder.

My budget was sub $200 so I basically decided to opt for a known quantity (kress) which is commonly sold as a general purpose CNC router + premade mounts are available. Luckily the strength of the A$ makes this possible ATM. I don't have more than the basic power tools so making a suitable mount was going to be pretty painful. Hopefully when the MV3 arrives this will all change

[Mr Overkill]

Agreed, the guys on the woodwork forum probably don't know or particularly care what the run out on their routers is. You never read anything on the bearing construction either; how do you know which models are better for plunge cuts, etc?

I haven't decided on a spindle yet - it might be home-grown with a belt drive and brushless motor, or a small Chinese VFD unit. I have some friends designing their own spindle for a Lumen Labs table and for the projected price, its hard to pass by.

If you don't have the tools to make a spindle mount, have you thought about farming it out to a place like CNC Machine Shop | Custom Waterjet, Plasma, Laser Cutting | eMachineShop.com ? They are not cheap, but I would call their work fairly good value for money.

[cruch]

Possible to get the Bosch PR20EVSK Colt or DEWALT DWP611PK in 220v version?
I only found the 110v of both.

[gadgetwiz]

I have some friends designing their own spindle for a Lumen Labs table and for the projected price, its hard to pass by.

Let us know how you get on the spindle!

If you don't have the tools to make a spindle mount, have you thought about farming it out to a place like CNC Machine Shop | Custom Waterjet, Plasma, Laser Cutting | eMachineShop.com ? They are not cheap, but I would call their work fairly good value for money.

I'm ordering mine from k2cnc but will check this out. Thanks!