[awerby]

Most people building CNC machines are building routers, that work with softer materials, up to and (sometimes) including aluminum. But for steel, you need a different machine altogether, a milling machine. It has to be built heavier and more rigidly, with a spindle that has a lot of torque but not much speed, the reverse of a router spindle. If this is your first hardware project, building a good router is going to be challenging enough. Once you've done that, you'll be in a better position to think about building a mill, although most people that want to do that end up retrofitting an older industrial machine, which can often be obtained cheaply in a non-working or marginal condition.

Andrew Werby
ComputerSculpture.com ? Home Page for Discount Hardware & Software

[Splinterdone]

hello all midwest woodworker with a romaxx WD1 have had it about a year and can not complain about the quality of the machine at all. am slowly building skills just run my first tiling job, made a sign 56" on my 36" router. Am currently trying to get a handle on limit and homing switches needed to run the 2010 screenset for mach3

[tfresh]

Hi everyone I am Tim from Buffalo NY. I am a service engineer and looking to learn more about machining. Hopefully have one soon when I get some more space.

[fixed1t]

Hi, I'm Malcolm aka fixed1t, I recently purchased one of the CNC 3020t-d 4 axis machines off eBay, which arrived damaged but is now fixed. I'm in the process of setting it up before using it properly so I don't kill it or injury myself. The first thing I've done is modified and 110 litre box to work as enclose for £9.99, which cuts the noise down by nearly 20db and will hopefully prevent swarf etc going everywhere and catch any broken bits are parts I may inadvertently create. I've also investigated the awful noisy fan and reduce its noise by over 10db. I've also bought some end-stop switches and am just about to try and wire in the X-axis to test the principle before doing Y and Z. The motherboard is a JP-3163B which has pins for Vcc, X, Y and Z but just need to figure out why there is no power coming out of VCC. I plan to run each end-stop in series perm ON so I am planning to us 5v rail, I assume its all TTL. Once I have the switches in place so I can't crash the gears without trying extremely hard, I'll set about figuring out how to use the machine. I'm semi retired and repair some old mechanical toys so I hope to be able to machine some very small plastic gears and larger pieces, with help from this community :-) I have a very wide ranging and active youtube site as fixed1t with all kinds of videos from cleaning mould in shower grout, fixing Android Tablets, building my Tupperware CNC Enclosure, repairing kiddies toys and Apple mac support. I hope to be able to contribute actively to the group once I get the hang of things.

Cheers Malcolm

[VitalSign]

Hello. I'm Kevin. I recently procured an old MultiCam router that is having some issues with the controller. I'm hoping to learn how I can retrofit this router to work on a new PC (currently runs on an old Windows 95 machine) and if possible, cut out the controller machine (run everything through the PC). I have a lot of reading to do as I am not familiar with the CNC terminology yet. Any advice on where to start would be greatly appreciated.

[rukangu]

Hello all,

My name is Andrew and I'm deeply interested in automation and DIY electronics. I joined to learn from all the good folks at CNC zone, gurus and apprentices as well - and, eventually build my own CNC machine. How far am I in the process? Well, I have an astrosyn stepper motor, programming skills(C), some tools and unshakable determination. Thank you all.!

[CNY_Dave]

Taig DSLS3000 on the way as I type this... manual Taig lathe on the bench now.

I have no idea about this CNC stuff, as in I can twiddle dials on the lathe and mill, I know *what* the G-codes do, going from CAD to G-codes though is a total mystery, as is how the heck I zero in a part to where the G-codes think they are going to start... already thinking of tweaking the parts during re-design to minimize tool changes as I assume you need to re-zero on a tool change.

We will be making some prototype parts here at work with them, bearing blocks, some holes in 1/4 and 1/8 inch plate, and some work on the lathe similar to pen making.

Dave

[fixed1t]

Gary, thanks for the reply, a number of my brothers Heavy Metal guys, turners, fitters, welders and metallurgists and I ended up Psychiatric Nursing then Artificial Intelligence (AI) programmer then AI CAD lol I've always done electronics as a hobby and some time ago started fixing a friends disabled sons toys. I'm getting him into robots as there are some great old ones out there, but cheap plastic gears and strong kids hands don't mix very well as you can imagine. So some of them need new gears and cogs and the manufacturers stopped making them decades ago.

I recently did a simple fix on a toddlers 'power drill' LOL with broken cog, I tried gluing not even araldite would hold it so I had a brainwave to hot roll a replacement gear from polymorph using the existing gears, here's the video I did for boy, he likes to watch them as they make him laugh hearing my voice and watching me fix things, usually that he'd broken.

Hot Rolling A Polymorph Replacment Cog From Surrounding Cogs And Gears

its a laugh really (poor quality cog) but it got me thinking.

So I thought why don't I get myself a CNC machine and make some replacement plastic or brass gears myself. I've had two 2 metre panels of plexiglas (still in paper wrapping) in the garage for over 10 years so my plan is to try and do some simple trials before moving on to plexi. But before I wreck the new machine trying, I'm just setting up limit switches, just installed the X limit switch which seems to be working well, here is the video, what do you think? Is it a sensible location?

Installing X-axis Limit End-Stop Switches On CNC 3020 Router

Under the spindle holder seemed the most sensible location with minimal snagging potential.

I've also created a plastic enclose from a 110 litre plastic box to stop sharp bits flying around.

You say you've been machining for 30 years, what do you normally machine?

Malcolm

[larspeed]

Hi, everyone!

I'm Lars from Norway.
Fiddling with / engineering automation systems puts food on my table, and spend a lot of time tinkering with old cars, including a racer, makes my life worth living. Above all I'm a family man, ofcourse (in case my wife should read on here...).

I've worked in a shop with CNC mills and lathes for 5-6 years, also during electronics engineering studies. The controllers were an old Heidenhain TNC 135 (Metba MB50), couple of Fanucs (Johnford, Mori Seiki), Fagor (Geminis) a HAAS VF3 and last an Acramatic 2100 (Cincinnati Arrow 750).
I left the shop after graduation to work elsewhere, but am keeping in touch. And the A2100 machine is what I've recently adopted/bought from the shop and placed in my own house, as the shop were swapping it out for a HAAS VF1 - lucky me!(?).

Looking forward to learn and contribute - this looks like the place to be!

[bpeng]

Hey all,

I'm Ben from Melbourne, Australia. Currently studying my last year of Industrial Design with the intent of designing a new laser cutter that is (hopefully) more affordable and accessible to students and creators alike.
I've come here to learn and soak in as much as I can and hope I can get a helping hand with any questions that I'll have.

Cheers!

[Mati_87]

Hello everyone!
My name is matias, I'm from Argentina. Working together with my father in his workshop dies. I'm operator 2 cnc cutting machines thread, a Mitsubishi MV1200 and Royal Arc.
I hope to learn a lot from you and share the little that is.
Apologize for my English, I use an online translator to communicate.

Best regards

Matias

[halfghan]

Hey everyone. I'm Tim from Durham, North Carolina. I'm totally new to the CNC world, but a lifelong tinkerer/woodworker. Interests are R/C, arduino, woodworking, and homebrewing (electric/automated). Looking forward to learning everything I can from you all!

[ormund]

Hello everyone,

My name is Ormund, I'm a physicists turned electrical engineer and have been doing microcontroller development for many years. I recently started working from a co-working space and now have access to some CNC machines thus my reason to join this forum.

[djole1]

My name is Djokica and I repair CNC machines. I also work with various electronic equipment.

[kanav]

Hello,
I'm Kanav from India. I help out with my father in his workshop making jacks for trucks and cars.We have worked lifelong on mechanical lathes and CNC is a concept that is completely new in India.I am starting to see why and why not it is so popular here.I want to make a cnc at home so that I can boost my production.I already have a mechanical lathe with 3 foot bed that lying unused and would like to convert into cnc lathe.

[Superoo]

G'day to All,
Chris here from Western Australia,
Just purchasing a Chinese USB CNC6040 router, been lurking here reading the wonderful resources, and thought I would join.
Hoping the setup process (tomorrow I think) is reasonably painless, lets see...

Anyway, keep up the good work on a nice looking forum.

Cheers,
Chris

[backache]

Hello, I'm Matt No idea on CNC all my is all manual experience. Into woodworking, welding and have a small lathe.
Just trying to catch up with the times..

[speed_racer]

Hi All, Troy from Melbourne, Australia here.. I have been a long time reader.. After taking delivery of my opti BF20L 2 weeks ago and playing around with it. I thought I would sign up and contribute as well as ask some questions..

I work in IT and been around microprocessors for a while, Learnt a bit about PLC's at school and have always been keen on build a CNC machine. So this is the start of something I think/hope.

[Superoo]

I was looking thru the list of users and was shocked to see that 3/5th or more of the members have ZERO posts.

I'd like to say WELCOME to all the new members, and to the old members that haven't posted.

I'd also like to extend an offer for you all to chime in and say hullo, mayhaps tell us what you do, how you're involved in CNC etc. We'd love to hear from you!!

(group)

'Rekd

Hi Rek'd

Perhaps a part of the reason for 3/5 of members posting, is that newbies find the information they need by searching this great forum, before having to post and ask the question.

I have done HEAPS of searching here, and it has helped me enormously, without having to post a question (yet).

I'll receive my router today, then probably drive you all mad with the number of questions.

Cheers,
Chris

[Coyote_ar]

Hi everyone, im new to the CNC business, im just finishing with my first CNC machine, a 3d printer. And i found the experience of building it very enjoyable, so i want to start doing some research to build other machines like a CNC router.

I hope i can learn a lot here, and share my experience.