[MCRIPPPer]

hello.

i have owned my x2 mill for about two years and have had alot of fun with it, but i have slowly stopped enjoying manaualy milling(mostly after using a real full size knee mill at work, and a enjoy lathe work more than mill) i think it is time to go cnc the bring back some fun into my machining, and expand the capabilities of my little home shop.

i have been looking at the china ballscrews in 1605 and 1204 sizes. not sure which i should go for. i know the 1204 would be easy to mount, but since both sizes are about the same cost, is it better to figure out a way to fit 1605?

im planning to use timing belts to couple the motors to the screws since i dont like the coupling systems too much.

ok, so im looking at these two kits of motor hardware

3-Axis NEMA23 CNC Kit (48V/ 7.3A/381 oz-in / KL-6050, 60VDC, 5.0A) | Automation Technology Inc

or this.

3-Axis NEMA23 CNC Kit (36V/9.7A/425oz-in/KL-4030) | Automation Technology Inc

not sure if the higher voltage/less torque is better than more torque/lower voltage. im guessing both have plenty of power for an x2 (seen people running in the sub 300 oz in)

so with one of these motor setups, what belt ratio should i look at (for X,Y) guessing it might be ok to do slightly more reduction ratio on Z.

i also want to make a 4th (using timing belts as well) axis but want to keep the size pretty small. i want to use the smallest stepper possible while still being able to hold the spindle steady(guessing my belt ratio would be between 5:1 to 10:1 )

[bladehunter]

G'day mate good to see you over here at the 'zone. I'm sure you'll get a wealth of help from the very fine gentlemen here.

[MCRIPPPer]

no opinions?

[hoss2006]

A better package would be this.
G540 3-Axis NEMA23 381oz in PSU48V/7.3A With Single Shaft Motors | Automation Technology Inc
You'll have the 4th axis driver already, just add another motor or get all 4 now with a better power supply.
G540 4-Axis NEMA23 381oz in, PSU 48V/12.5A,1/4? Single shaft | Automation Technology Inc
If you insist on belt drives you don't need to gear down, run them 1:1, they'll work just as well as everyone else who go direct drive with oldham couplers.
If you need some tips look here.
Hossmachine Homepage
Hoss

[MCRIPPPer]

are the individual drivers that bad? what is better about the geko?

[hoss2006]

The 6050 package is a waste as the drivers are way more capable than the 381 oz/in steppers need, 381 oz./in steppers are a very good choice for the x2 though.
The 4030 package is underpowered for the x2, i know for a fact.
The g540 provides drivers that are a great match for the 381's voltage and amperage requirements, has a built in bob for other inputs, has a built in spindle control, requires a much smaller footprint for installation and much less wiring.
It's also a proven good performance package by many other users with x2's before.
Hoss

[MCRIPPPer]

or for the same price i could get my 4th motor too. with this setup.


4-Axis NEMA23 CNC Kit (48V/ 7.3A/ 381 oz-in / KL-6050) | Automation Technology Inc



do the geko drives perform better than the 6050?

[hoss2006]

Yup, I use 6050's on my bigger g0704 mill with 570 steppers and they work great.
Some would find the benefits I listed for the g540 worth the money but also the bigger power supply included a bonus.
If wiring and room for the drivers (1 6050 is as big as the whole g540) is not a problem then go for it, you can always buy a spindle control board later if you need one.
Hoss

[MCRIPPPer]

think i will go with the 4 axis with the 6050 drivers. leaves more room for added voltage or bigger motors (might move to bigger machine someday)


planing to run with the ESS.


what is the most recommended windows version for running mach3 and some CAD/CAM??? is 7 better than XP? i know XP computers are cheaper. i have a laptop with windows 7 that really does not do well with my freecad and mach3 that i installed.

[bladehunter]

I run the 6050's & 570's on my BF-20 and in the little time I've been running it haven't had any issues.

Hoss is The Man to listen to.

[MCRIPPPer]

been chatting with my new pal chai. getting some linearmotionbearings balscrews for my mill. talk to this guy if you need ballscrews. mine are only $85 shipped for all three axis. (not machined though)

[MCRIPPPer]

got my motors and drivers and smoothstepper ordered up.


working with chai to get my ballscrews shipped out.


its coming together!

next challenge is the computer side of it. i will try to run it off of my win7 laptop for now and see how it works out. but i want to get a dedicated desktop style PC to run the mill.

[MCRIPPPer]

got my motors and controllers, but ESS is backordered

played around with it and got a motor holding position. breadboarded pushbutton switch for pulse. motor steps around ok.

i have a few questions about the kl-6050 motor drivers. specifically the SW4 setting. the instructions on kl website suck badly. on the motor controller itself it says half or full current setting is sw4. on the instructions it says it is 1/2 or 1/8 microstep, but there are 4 switches dedicated to microstepping! so what does SW4 do. it seems to be current. my motors have way more holding power on "full current" switch setting. but then on the description on the website it says " 1/2 current(use this one)". i have the current setting on the 3 switches set to 3.5A, which is the max for my motors.

[Stigoe]

SW4 is for dropping the current to 1/2 after a short time of no movement, reducing the heat from the motors. I'm not sure how long the period is, but you probably tested after this period so the current had dropped and you got less torque than when the switch is off, but under normal operation you have full current and full torque.

[MCRIPPPer]

ok thanks.

[MCRIPPPer]

im thinking about adding some sort of small handwheels on the back shafts of the steppers for quick manual things but when i spinning the stepper when everything is powered off it charges the power supply and will lock up the stepper motor for a few seconds. how do people wire up the system to allow manual turning of the screws without locking up the motors.

[109jb]

Personally, I don't see the need for handles to "manual mill". Once CNC'd, you can use either jog, or MDI input to do whatever you want. Also, you would want to have balanced handles because of the rpm that the steppers can run. the handle sticking off the end can be a hazard in powered use, so maybe a removable handle would be best. If you really want to do it, it seems that the motor is locking because of the driver. Sonds like your only recourse is to disconnect the motor from the driver. As I understand it, some drivers can be damaged if powered up without the motor connected. So, if you disconnect the motors you may be running the risk of burning out the driver if you forget to re-connect it. I don't believe my setup exhibits the lockup you are describing, but then again I don't use it like a manual machine.

Good Luck with whatever you decide.

[MCRIPPPer]

basically the FET in the driver are letting power back through (all FETs have a diode in them) and charge the capacitors in the power supply, which can then power my controller and cause holding torque once it reaches the minimum voltage of the driver. has anyone hooked up encoders with handwheels on them to simulate manual control?

i have also been looking at the Xbox controller option, but it seems like its more for jogging than for controlling actual dimensions and position of the machine.

[bladehunter]

Use a Pendant with a jog wheel

Some like this: CNC4PC

[hoss2006]

Or one from VistaCNC, I have the iMach 3 P2-S, it's great.
vistaCNC
Hoss