[Brian_M]

Hey Everyone,

So I have been on a few forums here and found some designs that I based mine on, here is a pic:

https://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/45344?

I think I have sourced good prices on ballscrews ($275 for all 3 axis) and MGN15 Linear Guiderails ($250 for all 3 axis), but let me know if there are better deals for Canadians please!

My other big concern is the Spindle. I was originally going to get a Dewalt 611 router, but after seeing that it isnt ideal, noise and precision wise, for aluminum. I looked around for Watercooled VFD spindles 110v, but have not been able to find anything under $500 CAD
which is a bummer for me, since I expected a spindle to cost me <200. Has anyone been able to find this type of spindle that can be shipped to Canada, IE not on Ebay.com or Amazon.com (Since Im in Canada I cant use those sadly)

Other than those two things, I believe I am ready to start ordering stuff, but I want to just get some feedback on my design first. Here is a Solidworks model of it, with pictures:

https://grabcad.com/library/custom-cnc-router-v2-1

I saw this design have lots of success, and it was cheaper in extrusion to do this than my other one, so I went with it. Any feedback would be really appreciated, thanks!

[NIC 77]

Those prices seem like a screaming good deal. That's USD? Does your rail price include 12 bearing blocks?

It's worth it to take some time to think about what ballscrew pitch you want to use. But you'd really need to give alot more details such as what motors you plan on using, with a torque vs speed graph, what your goals are for top speed and acceleration, the types of screws, and the weights of the moving parts before I could comment more.

I don't believe a spindle will be more precise, but I do believe it's worth it for other reasons. You don't want to cut aluminum with a router if you can avoid it.

How are you going to surface and cut out all of those parts?

[Brian_M]

Well im using standard 12mm ballscrew that ive seen many others use with regular nema 23 steppers, so I thought it was probably just work, am I mistaken?

Here is a link to the parts:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

The linear guides come with 1 block, so I have to buy an extra block for each, not a big deal.

[DSpeck]

You'll find the blocks aren't all that cheap, so be prepared for the extra cost.

Unless you go with a router, you are not going to find a spindle worth the bother for <$200. When you get into cutting aluminum, the spindle will be much more rigid than a router, so the extra money spent on it will pay off in better accuracy and surface finishes. They are also much quieter than routers. I've never seen anyone say they'd rather go back to a router after buying a spindle!

Also, you can use ebay.com and Amazon.com, you just have to make sure the seller will ship to Canada. Especially on ebay, it varies by seller, so if they don't say they ship to Canada, you'll want to ask the vendor about it. Often they just didn't fill out the shipping terms for international shipments.

[wizard]

If it is an issue of money for the initial build, install a DeWalt and upgrade when the cash comes in.

Hey Everyone,

So I have been on a few forums here and found some designs that I based mine on, here is a pic:

https://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/45344?

I think I have sourced good prices on ballscrews ($275 for all 3 axis) and MGN15 Linear Guiderails ($250 for all 3 axis), but let me know if there are better deals for Canadians please!

My other big concern is the Spindle. I was originally going to get a Dewalt 611 router, but after seeing that it isnt ideal, noise and precision wise, for aluminum. I looked around for Watercooled VFD spindles 110v, but have not been able to find anything under $500 CAD
which is a bummer for me, since I expected a spindle to cost me <200. Has anyone been able to find this type of spindle that can be shipped to Canada, IE not on Ebay.com or Amazon.com (Since Im in Canada I cant use those sadly)

Other than those two things, I believe I am ready to start ordering stuff, but I want to just get some feedback on my design first. Here is a Solidworks model of it, with pictures:

https://grabcad.com/library/custom-cnc-router-v2-1

Depending upon what you mean by "building a router for Aluminum" that can be an incredibly lite machine for the task. I'm not getting the warm fuzzy feelings that. a decent milling machine would provide nor a rigidly designed router. That isn't to say it won't do aluminum as it certainly will, just that it MIGHT not meet your expectations. The whole gantry design has me a bit worried for several reasons.

I saw this design have lots of success, and it was cheaper in extrusion to do this than my other one, so I went with it. Any feedback would be really appreciated, thanks!

At some point in the design process building with steel makes more sense for a router that is targeting the machining of aluminum. It is stronger and frankly more cost effective in many cases.