Cutting foam sheets... with a needle!
- Thread starter dkj4linux
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dkj4linux
Elite member
Great looking Spitfire, Verris! I'm glad your bearing-based "contraption" is working nicely for you. You do really nice work.
I'm now using this configuration for my needle cutter and have built two of them. My fishing/flying/golfing buddy has cut half a dozen Little Slingshot gliders and a down-sized FT Old Fogey without issue with the first one and I'm about ready to start using the other one to test your gcode-controlled speed control
If you aren't already, you might periodically lube the needle loops (where they go around the crankpin) with a drop of light machine oil. The little loops will actually help hold it for a while and may allow a longer lifetime for the crankpin.
Another option... there seems to be a trend back to the flywheel-based cutter for a number of us. Joachim, Dave, Basscor, and I have all made our latest cutters with the flywheel. It does away with the wear and tear on the crankpin but does require balancing... not really a big deal (see post #1050) but a necessity for smooth operation. All my early cutters used a flywheel setup.
Also, with the original cutter I had settled on the inflation needle as my guide of choice... but now that we're all taking pains to get near/almost straight-line motion of the needle in the guide -- with less resultant friction/heat -- I'm thinking the welding guide tip might be preferable. There's less "slop", needle-in-guide, and, with it's blunt/rounded nose, it might "slide" across the foamboard surface a bit better and not be so likely to catch when it comes into incidental contact with it.
Please keep posting on all the great progress you are making... I (and I'm sure others) get a real kick out of seeing this thing being used to make real airplanes
-- David
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RC Sea Foam Guy
Member
Hey David and all y'all,
Just got my MPCNC built, running and I now know what gcode means ... sorta!
Next I need to build a needle cutter and get plane drawings into gcode.
Recommendations?
Also if anyone is interested in printing a needle cutter base out for me to get me started, I will pay!
--Glenn
Just got my MPCNC built, running and I now know what gcode means ... sorta!
Next I need to build a needle cutter and get plane drawings into gcode.
Recommendations?
Also if anyone is interested in printing a needle cutter base out for me to get me started, I will pay!
--Glenn
RC Sea Foam Guy
Member
That would be great.
I am hoping to get a common platform without paying out big bucks.
My interest lies in what guys here on the forums are designing.
I like your cutter with the bearings, seems like a great solution.
I am pre noob as far a 3d printing goes, but printing a needle cutter might be a good first print.
I am hoping to get a common platform without paying out big bucks.
My interest lies in what guys here on the forums are designing.
I like your cutter with the bearings, seems like a great solution.
I am pre noob as far a 3d printing goes, but printing a needle cutter might be a good first print.
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dkj4linux
Elite member
Hey, Glenn. Congrats on getting your MPCNC built and running. What kind of tool mount do you have... the MPCNC stock one, the Hicwic quick-change, other?
As you have probably gleaned from reading through the thread, the needle cutter is quite easy to build using any of several techniques... and most of the recent ones should work well. Verris's bearing-based one seems to work nicely if that's the way you want to go. My sideboard version (modeled after Joachim's KISS cutter) seems to be working well though I'm still using wooden sideboards rather than PTFE/teflon and it really needs more testing. I plan to eventually put it up on Thingiverse... either a mod to the one that's there or a new one.
Also, the genuine plane builders have now shown up in force (I'm not one...) and will be a great help to you to get your plans committed to gcode. I look forward to seeing that mini-guide Verris mentioned... that should be a great help. I get by but do it so little/infrequently that I forget and have to relearn every thing every time I want to work/rework a design and generate a new cutfile.
-- David
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You may want to look back at post 242 where David builds a cutter from mouse traps. I also do not have a 3D printer (yet) so this is the route I took. Works great for me.
What plane are you looking to cut out? I have several plans ready to go in Estlcam and would be happy to share them.
dkj4linux
Elite member
A "senior" moment?
This morning I was asked by a fellow technology buddy at our local school district (where I eventually retired from...) about my 3d printer recommendations these days. I told him about all my forum buddies and the various printers many of us use and talk about these days... and, in one of those crazy "just do it!" and "I'm too old to put it off for 'one of those days' any longer" moments, I talked myself right into ordering one of the Original Prusa I3 Mk2 kits!
While I didn't *need* another printer, I really don't use my Prusa Mendel I2 (3mm, 0.5mm) any more... and the quality, popularity, and calibration capabilities of the Prusa I3 Mk2 are so much above anything I've ever used/owned, I just decided to go for it. Talking with my buddy this morning and revisiting all the "hoopla" surrounding that printer... and with Verris showing off all those quality prints right here in my own thread... I figured I really couldn't go too wrong choosing it.
So there you have it! Just what I needed... another excuse to keep a gullible old man working on this stuff
-- David
This morning I was asked by a fellow technology buddy at our local school district (where I eventually retired from...) about my 3d printer recommendations these days. I told him about all my forum buddies and the various printers many of us use and talk about these days... and, in one of those crazy "just do it!" and "I'm too old to put it off for 'one of those days' any longer" moments, I talked myself right into ordering one of the Original Prusa I3 Mk2 kits!
While I didn't *need* another printer, I really don't use my Prusa Mendel I2 (3mm, 0.5mm) any more... and the quality, popularity, and calibration capabilities of the Prusa I3 Mk2 are so much above anything I've ever used/owned, I just decided to go for it. Talking with my buddy this morning and revisiting all the "hoopla" surrounding that printer... and with Verris showing off all those quality prints right here in my own thread... I figured I really couldn't go too wrong choosing it.
So there you have it! Just what I needed... another excuse to keep a gullible old man working on this stuff
-- David
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You should definitely not be disappointed. It's a great machine.
I finished printing a new copy of my bearing cutter last night with a smaller hole for the MIG tips I picked up. Going to try it with these and see if it can be improved any more. I think I might be able to move the bearings a bit closer together to get them even straighter but that will be for the next print after I've decided if I like the inflation needle or mig tip better.
I finished printing a new copy of my bearing cutter last night with a smaller hole for the MIG tips I picked up. Going to try it with these and see if it can be improved any more. I think I might be able to move the bearings a bit closer together to get them even straighter but that will be for the next print after I've decided if I like the inflation needle or mig tip better.
...all for the needle...
Hi folks, I made some progress with my CNC...
First test for the X + Y axis --- they are running fine....so I realy do hope to have my own needle/laser cutter within the next 2 weeks.
I will give the timing belt a try...but I left enough space for changing the construction to run with 2 ballnut-drives. Most parts for the belt-drive are bolted and/or screwed
By now, I'm looking for the Z-axis....will make 2 versions: one lightweighted with a small stepper for the laser and the needle cutter - and a more "heavier" one for the milling spindle.
After that, I have to do some alignments (and to cut the bolts to the right lenght)
The small Arduino-Driver-Board is looking a kind of "funny" when compared to the big steppers...but the drivers are working fine.
Joachim
Hi folks, I made some progress with my CNC...
First test for the X + Y axis --- they are running fine....so I realy do hope to have my own needle/laser cutter within the next 2 weeks.
I will give the timing belt a try...but I left enough space for changing the construction to run with 2 ballnut-drives. Most parts for the belt-drive are bolted and/or screwed
By now, I'm looking for the Z-axis....will make 2 versions: one lightweighted with a small stepper for the laser and the needle cutter - and a more "heavier" one for the milling spindle.
After that, I have to do some alignments (and to cut the bolts to the right lenght
)
The small Arduino-Driver-Board is looking a kind of "funny" when compared to the big steppers...but the drivers are working fine.
Joachim
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dkj4linux
Elite member
Hi folks, I made some progress with my CNC...
...
The small Arduino-Driver-Board is looking a kind of "funny" when compared to the big steppers...but the drivers are working fine.
Joachim
That a really good looking machine you're building, Joachim. Interesting belt drive as well... is that some kind of H-bot setup? Yeah, those little motor drivers are really impressive for their size. That should make a really fine laser/needle-cutter system
-- Davidtimingbelt drive
...not the same, but tricky too! This system reduces speed by 2:1 and increases power and resolution by 1:2.
A big advantage is the use of a single stepper for the main axis - this reduces the danger of "crabbing" (when 2 steppers are not running sycronized)
I do not have any experience with such belt drives...I think, this will be good enough for the needle and the laser...
...but if this is strong enough for real milling???...we will see :black_eyed:
Joachim
...not the same, but tricky too! This system reduces speed by 2:1 and increases power and resolution by 1:2.
A big advantage is the use of a single stepper for the main axis - this reduces the danger of "crabbing" (when 2 steppers are not running sycronized)
I do not have any experience with such belt drives...I think, this will be good enough for the needle and the laser...
...but if this is strong enough for real milling???...we will see :black_eyed:
Joachim
dkj4linux
Elite member
Interesting belt layout, Joachim. I have a terribly inaccurate little Makeblock X-Y plotter v1 that only drives one side of the way-too-flexible "gantry"... I may see if I can belt it up like yours and still use the one motor. Might be fun to play with...
Also, another quick question... what kind of glue is that you are using to glue up your plywood assemblies? My woodworking days are pretty much way behind me and Elmer's wood glue was all I ever used...
Thanks for all the info.
-- David
Hi David, normaly I'm using a good, strong "white Glue"...but for some special joints, I'm using semi-thick CA to fix the parts before drilling holes for the bolts and to harden the plywood (these are the parts with the differnt color on the pics)
The most parts are "bolted threw" with long M8 and M6 screws.
RC Sea Foam Guy
Member
Hey thanks
I have already cut and built most, the manual way.
Any that you would share would be great, they would sure help getting this all figured out.
I am hoping to get to the point of cutting out some of the planes that other designers are putting on these forums.
Glenn
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RC Sea Foam Guy
Member
Hey David
I have the tool mount that Vicious1 sent. I bought all the do das from Vicious one.
Thanks for introducing me to it with this thread.
I was about to invest thousands in laser cutter that would handle 20 x 30.
I feel much better about this, and it is forcing me to learn new stuff.
Sad to say I am also old, but now the old job pays me to stay away!
So time to start making a needle cutter.
Thanks for sharing all the info guys.
The First Cut....
...with the new CNC and the "KISS-Needle Cutter"
Hi...just finished the first test-run with my new build CNC and the (K)eep (I)t (S)o (S)imple version of the needle cutter.
1> --- The cutter with the thin (0,5mm) needle and the longer curved rails is working very well...there is no heating up in the guide at all.
2> --- I'm a little suprised about the precision of the belt drive...the results are better than exspected!!!
This is the version of the cutter
I made up my mind to keep the X-axis (and the gantry) as lightweighted as possible. The needle cutter (and later on the laser) are not producing any sideforce to the Z-rails...so I use the slider-rails from a drawer for this. At the moment, the drive is made from a normal threaded longer screw (working with 2 normal nuts) and a much smaller stepper.
I can change the whole Z-axis for a "HiTech-System" when using a real milling tool with a heavier spindle
this system is not looking very "professional" ... but it is working without any flaws
I wanted to have a look on the entry and end point of the needle...with a little dark clour on the needle, you can watch this very closely.
a cutted part with 1000mm/min
toolpath speed a little too high (1500mm/min)...or needls revs too low.
The next step will be a Z-axis with good rails and a ball-nut-spindle-drive ...orderd the parts this day.
Greeting form Germany
Joachim
By the way...when testing the new cutter, I had a close look to the "old prototype" (cutting a few dinos and 10 or more sets of planes...
>> there is no wear within the guide or on the needle...only the tip is a little more blunt
...with the new CNC and the "KISS-Needle Cutter"
Hi...just finished the first test-run with my new build CNC and the (K)eep (I)t (S)o (S)imple version of the needle cutter.
1> --- The cutter with the thin (0,5mm) needle and the longer curved rails is working very well...there is no heating up in the guide at all.
2> --- I'm a little suprised about the precision of the belt drive...the results are better than exspected!!!
This is the version of the cutter
I made up my mind to keep the X-axis (and the gantry) as lightweighted as possible. The needle cutter (and later on the laser) are not producing any sideforce to the Z-rails...so I use the slider-rails from a drawer for this. At the moment, the drive is made from a normal threaded longer screw (working with 2 normal nuts) and a much smaller stepper.
I can change the whole Z-axis for a "HiTech-System" when using a real milling tool with a heavier spindle
this system is not looking very "professional"
... but it is working without any flawsI wanted to have a look on the entry and end point of the needle...with a little dark clour on the needle, you can watch this very closely.
a cutted part with 1000mm/min
toolpath speed a little too high (1500mm/min)...or needls revs too low.
The next step will be a Z-axis with good rails and a ball-nut-spindle-drive
...orderd the parts this day.Greeting form Germany
Joachim
By the way...when testing the new cutter, I had a close look to the "old prototype" (cutting a few dinos and 10 or more sets of planes...
>> there is no wear within the guide or on the needle...only the tip is a little more blunt
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dkj4linux
Elite member
I'm..mm..mm back!
I've been out of pocket most of this week... it's spring break for the local school district and I had opportunity to spend a few days at/on the lake. Using flyrods and flies, we caught lots of eating-sized "panfish" (crappie, yellow bass, etc) with a couple of surprises thrown in... a nice blue catfish (me) and a good-sized drum by my buddy
Just now getting back up to speed with what's been going on...
Great work on the CNC machine, Joachim! It'll be nice not to be dependent on that big, under-powered CNC any longer
That "old prototype" cutter of yours ought to be placed in the museum of "unexpectedly good" KISS tools... it's already served you well. I'd still love to see one of those planes you've cut... finished up and flying,
Since I've ordered the Prusa I3 MK2 printer -- hopefully to be delivered in 6 weeks or so -- I think I'm also going to order some *nylon* filament... and print the sideboards for my version of your "KISS needle cutter". The wooden ones actually seem to work pretty well though... so not in a real big rush.
Also came home to a package from UPS... a little USB digital microscope. Here's a freshly-pointed needle that's done no cutting yet...
So, that's where I am at the moment... more later. -- David
I've been out of pocket most of this week... it's spring break for the local school district and I had opportunity to spend a few days at/on the lake. Using flyrods and flies, we caught lots of eating-sized "panfish" (crappie, yellow bass, etc) with a couple of surprises thrown in... a nice blue catfish (me) and a good-sized drum by my buddy
Just now getting back up to speed with what's been going on...
Great work on the CNC machine, Joachim! It'll be nice not to be dependent on that big, under-powered CNC any longer
That "old prototype" cutter of yours ought to be placed in the museum of "unexpectedly good" KISS tools... it's already served you well. I'd still love to see one of those planes you've cut... finished up and flying
,Since I've ordered the Prusa I3 MK2 printer -- hopefully to be delivered in 6 weeks or so -- I think I'm also going to order some *nylon* filament... and print the sideboards for my version of your "KISS needle cutter". The wooden ones actually seem to work pretty well though... so not in a real big rush.
Also came home to a package from UPS... a little USB digital microscope. Here's a freshly-pointed needle that's done no cutting yet...
So, that's where I am at the moment... more later. -- David
RC Sea Foam Guy
Member
Looks great x33.
Hey David, I am preparing to use SketchUp and SketchUCam to cut out a neddle cutter mount, but I have a question.
How do I set the free travel speed, mainly the free travel Z speed, so my MPCNC does not overshoot?
Hey David, I am preparing to use SketchUp and SketchUCam to cut out a neddle cutter mount, but I have a question.
How do I set the free travel speed, mainly the free travel Z speed, so my MPCNC does not overshoot?
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