ERC TimSav - Cheap DIY CNC Foamboard Cutter

Edwardchew

Active member
Hi there, some of you guys may have already know about this new foldable, cheap & easy to build cnc foamboard cutter.

Other than the active FB group, upon request, I also started a thread here for those of you who are more familiar with the forum format.

You can find every everything in the links below. Do share your builds, suggestion, advice, questions over here. I'll try to answer them :)

► Intro Video 1 -
► Intro Video 2 -

►Parts List,
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zTNSittC1sCufzYuYdqd8FPCVIePndh7tBC4QH7mYQI/edit?usp=sharing

► Build Video Playlist,
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi6je1WREEbjoInyKWx8gT3_yp1iGkm0d

► FB Group. Join us! All the Q&A there
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1485787088236063/

► Link to purchase a complete KIT
www.edwardrc.com

***Also, have discussed with Josh from Flite Test earlier. I decided that there will not be a repository of the svg or gcode as FT Speed Build KITs are the life blood of Flite Test, without them, without their hardwork, without the proceed from the sale of the speed build KIT, there won't be these awesome free Plan for us to download. So let's not get FT affected by this.

This machine is meant to save you time from hand cutting, NOT for commercial use. If you want to sell Speed Build KIT, i believe you can order from FT and resell them.

► You can support Flite Test by buying their Speed Built KITs here
https://store.flitetest.com/diy-rc-airplane-kits/c12698

Cheers
 

dehager

Well-known member
I have been wanting to build some sort of CNC router/cutter for some time but lack the space for a permanent tool. Edwards design hits all the marks for me. I have purchased his component kit and ordered the extrusions from Open Builds. I will be documenting my build on the ERC TimSav Facebook group and will monitor thread as well. Really excited to try creating plans from the Outerzone Vintage & Old-Timer and AeroFred plans websites.

I have started printing while I wait for the parts to arrive.

Printing on an Ender 3 Pro
  • 3D Solutech PETG
  • Temps: 236C Filament / 70C Bed
  • Speed: 40 mms
  • Layer height: 0.3
  • Outer perimeter: 3 layers
  • Infill: 25%
printing frame.jpg
 

jpot1

Elite member
Instructions were great. Had some challenges with the top Y axis plate and had to loosen some screws to get everything situated but otherwise not too difficult of a build. Fired up the motor and electronics look good. Need to secure the wires and calibrate but so far so good!

Built from the kit ordered through Edward. Really made this simple.
5752C50E-5CF5-4D77-BF7E-A70EAD0D50C9.jpeg
 

Edwardchew

Active member
Instructions were great. Had some challenges with the top Y axis plate and had to loosen some screws to get everything situated but otherwise not too difficult of a build. Fired up the motor and electronics look good. Need to secure the wires and calibrate but so far so good!

Built from the kit ordered through Edward. Really made this simple.
View attachment 149009
Oh yeah! That's fast! This should be the first pic ever built with the LITE KIT!

Issue with the Y upper plate is the misalignment of screw to the hole i guess?

You got so many foamboards :ROFLMAO:
 

dkj4linux

Elite member
Well... I guess I've officially started my build. Tapped the 2040 and fastened on one endplate... whew! Tuckered me out... :rolleyes:

20191124_201453.jpg


20191124_201606.jpg


Also, been looking at an alternative controller ... an Eleksmaker Mana SE v3.2, that is a little less clunky and doesn't require soldering any wires to it. I had one on hand from an Eleksmaker A3 laser machine build I'd done (daughter is using it...but it now sports a 3-axis controller) and it's perfectly suited to this machine... Nano-based, a4988 drivers for X/Y, a servo port, and a constant +12v output. The Robotini Grbl 0.9i with servo support loads and runs fine... been running cutfiles with the test setup shown below. I've also grown fond of using a Raspberry Pi (here a Pi ZeroW) running the V1Pi image, created by @jeffeb over on V1Engineering/MPCNC forum, that has Octoprint and CNC.js pre-installed, that connects to the CNC controller through USB, and serves up a webpage over wifi for CNC control; i.e. allows sitting in recliner with CAD, CAM, and CNC control in 3 tabs of my browser... :eek:

20191124_092218.jpg


eleksmaker_manaSE-v3.2.jpg


I'm also working on a couple of schemes that streamline the PDF to gcode generation process... that allows use of more current, up-to-date versions of Inkscape, Gbl, and other software. I've been piddling with this stuff off and on for the past couple of years... and I think that with a little more serious attention this can all be made into a much more automated process. I'll probably document this part of it over on my needle cutter thread, as it builds on work that had originally been presented there by Shur, Moebeast, and others. It's not specific to just one CNC... but is a general approach for conventional 3-axis machines, as well as those like Edward's. Plus, Edward has presented a machine and workflow that works... and I don't want to confuse things for him and his growing community by throwing an alternative scheme into the ring, especially one that hasn't been fully developed to this point.

Later. -- David
 
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The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Just curious - what is the lowest possible cost I could build something that would cut my kits for me?
 

dkj4linux

Elite member
This machine is probably it...but it'll depend a bit on how handy you are, what form "my kits" are in, and whether you can 3dprint your parts or not.

Buy Edward's kit for $89 USD shipped... buy one each, 1000mm 2020 and 2040 V-slot extrusions (about $50), and print your parts (< $20 filament). Easily under $200.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
This machine is probably it...but it'll depend a bit on how handy you are, what form "my kits" are in, and whether you can 3dprint your parts or not.

Buy Edward's kit for $89 USD shipped... buy one each, 1000mm 2020 and 2040 V-slot extrusions (about $50), and print your parts (< $20 filament). Easily under $200.
Sweet - I can do that!
 

jpot1

Elite member
I have another question - how do you make the files for cutting the kits?
@The Hangar - check out Edward RC YouTube channel. He has done a build video and has instructions for all of it. My all in was easily under $200. Kit from Edward, extrusions - check out PDTech on eBay. Had a buddy print me the parts for the cost of filament. I’m under $150. Would have been less but I had to by a metric tap/drill bit set.
 

Edwardchew

Active member
Well... I guess I've officially started my build. Tapped the 2040 and fastened on one endplate... whew! Tuckered me out... :rolleyes:

Also, been looking at an alternative controller ... an Eleksmaker Mana SE v3.2, that is a little less clunky and doesn't require soldering any wires to it. I had one on hand from an Eleksmaker A3 laser machine build I'd done (daughter is using it...but it now sports a 3-axis controller) and it's perfectly suited to this machine... Nano-based, a4988 drivers for X/Y, a servo port, and a constant +12v output. The Robotini Grbl 0.9i with servo support loads and runs fine... been running cutfiles with the test setup shown below. I've also grown fond of using a Raspberry Pi (here a Pi ZeroW) running the V1Pi image, created by @jeffeb over on V1Engineering/MPCNC forum, that has Octoprint and CNC.js pre-installed, that connects to the CNC controller through USB, and serves up a webpage over wifi for CNC control; i.e. allows sitting in recliner with CAD, CAM, and CNC control in 3 tabs of my browser... :eek:

I'm also working on a couple of schemes that streamline the PDF to gcode generation process... that allows use of more current, up-to-date versions of Inkscape, Gbl, and other software. I've been piddling with this stuff off and on for the past couple of years... and I think that with a little more serious attention this can all be made into a much more automated process. I'll probably document this part of it over on my needle cutter thread, as it builds on work that had originally been presented there by Shur, Moebeast, and others. It's not specific to just one CNC... but is a general approach for conventional 3-axis machines, as well as those like Edward's. Plus, Edward has presented a machine and workflow that works... and I don't want to confuse things for him and his growing community by throwing an alternative scheme into the ring, especially one that hasn't been fully developed to this point.

Later. -- David
Wooww. An alternative to uno + cnc shield under testing.

Haha you can throw anything. I like that the community is making improvement to my machine.


This machine is probably it...but it'll depend a bit on how handy you are, what form "my kits" are in, and whether you can 3dprint your parts or not.

Buy Edward's kit for $89 USD shipped... buy one each, 1000mm 2020 and 2040 V-slot extrusions (about $50), and print your parts (< $20 filament). Easily under $200.
Well actually easily under $150. $89 for the KIT, $28 for 2020 and 2040 Alu Extrusion, remaining depends how cheap you can get the 3D printed parts, and the 4.5mm drill bit and M5 thread tapper.

@The Hangar - check out Edward RC YouTube channel. He has done a build video and has instructions for all of it. My all in was easily under $200. Kit from Edward, extrusions - check out PDTech on eBay. Had a buddy print me the parts for the cost of filament. I’m under $150. Would have been less but I had to by a metric tap/drill bit set.
How much is the tap and drill bit? 4.5mm drill bit and M5 tapper right?
 

dutchmonkey

Well-known member
@The Hangar - check out Edward RC YouTube channel. He has done a build video and has instructions for all of it. My all in was easily under $200. Kit from Edward, extrusions - check out PDTech on eBay. Had a buddy print me the parts for the cost of filament. I’m under $150. Would have been less but I had to by a metric tap/drill bit set.
thanks for the ebay suggestion just made that order as well so i am $123+ me 3d printing parts seems to be well worth it so far
 

Michael9865

Elite member
@The Hangar - check out Edward RC YouTube channel. He has done a build video and has instructions for all of it. My all in was easily under $200. Kit from Edward, extrusions - check out PDTech on eBay. Had a buddy print me the parts for the cost of filament. I’m under $150. Would have been less but I had to by a metric tap/drill bit set.

Thank you for suggesting PDTech.
 

jpot1

Elite member
Wooww. An alternative to uno + cnc shield under testing.

Haha you can throw anything. I like that the community is making improvement to my machine.



Well actually easily under $150. $89 for the KIT, $28 for 2020 and 2040 Alu Extrusion, remaining depends how cheap you can get the 3D printed parts, and the 4.5mm drill bit and M5 thread tapper.


How much is the tap and drill bit? 4.5mm drill bit and M5 tapper right?

Yes, I had no metric drill bits at all and made due with a tap set I found on amazon for about $10.
 

dkj4linux

Elite member
Initial moves of first completed axis... Y-axis is temporarily my X-axis and running a cutfile generated in Lightburn. Please note that for Grbl-based machines that are "re-using" M3/M5 laser commands for servo-lift and we're doing center-line "engraving"... almost any Grbl-based laser gcode generator can be used to produce good gcode for Edward's TimSav as well. This might be very handy later, when we start hanging a laser on this thing, and we can use the identical workflow we use for needle-cutting...


As I noted before, I'm using an Eleksmaker ManaSE v3.2 2-axis controller (X/Y) with servo output for Z... and it is almost perfect for this application. The Nano is running Rotini Grbl 0.9i with servo enabled... just as Edward's Uno/CNC shield setup is doing. I'm also using a Pi ZeroW, connected to the controller through USB, and it runs the V1Pi image with CNC.js (and Octoprint) pre-installed -- courtesy of @jeffeb3, of V1Engineering/MPCNC fame -- which serves up a webpage over wifi for CNC control... in a Chrome browser tab.

20191125_154245.jpg


-- David