Scratch built CNC for fun, and parts.

[Hasersys]

I am no expert at all. I just love to tinker an build things.


I posted a thread asking about Materials to use for control horns. I have drawn some up on Sketchup, and will be putting them into my cnc machine. In the post Balu Asked me to post info on my cnc machine so here it is.


I will try an shorten it up.
About 4 years ago I started building my own circuit board(Driver Board) kinda. I followed a few other builds, and eventually came across one that I liked. So following this particular build I built my board. I did the whole copper clad, ink jet, Etching. Made my board. Years went by, so did other projects, and changing of parts, testing ect, My board was done. Used it for a while for testing, but never built the actual cnc. Finally one day I went ahead an ordered a few more stepper motors, but went with a 4 wire setup, instead of using the junk printer, and scanner motors I went with small NEMA17s. This meant I needed a new driver board. I went from Uni, to bipolar motors.. I haven't dived that deep into it in a long time so can't explain the differences. But this began what brought me to my new machine.

Driver Board:The machine has a cheap TB6560 driver board.
Stepper Motors:3 NEMA17 steppers
Power Supply:A very small power supply that I specifically ordered using a super simple calculation to figure out how many amps I need and volts.
Router: My cheap Dremel
Software: Kcam, Sketchup, Cambam, Inkscape

I also have a laser for it, but burnt the diode out! Laser will be back in SOON I hope.


The routing area is about 12"x12" but I never push it past 10x10. Depending on what I am doing, engraving, cutting, or material type its speed can very. I think I get about 12-13 ?ipm? before I miss steps.

 

[jhitesma]

Love it, would love to see more details on the mechanics of it!

 

[Hasersys]

Love it, would love to see more details on the mechanics of it!

It is pretty simple, although it may not look it. You have your X,Y,Z 3 axies. Each is driven by a stepper connected to a threaded shaft, that shaft runs through a nut lock to the table, or the plate holding the Dremel. The computer tells the driver what to do, and the driver then tells the motor. Since my machine is small, I move the table that the material I am cutting is sitting on. X is on the bottom, and Y is mounted to the X table. I will have to take a video of it moving so you get an Idea. The only video I have right now is very short.

 

[Hasersys]

YEa, so. MY gopro is HHHoooorrrible

Will have to do it again but next time with my Iphone in the sunlight.

 

[Balu]

Thanks for the info. You make the build sound so easy

 

[Hasersys]

Thanks for the info. You make the build sound so easy

Oh it isn't that hard. I probably only have $200 into it. I still need to make a bunch of improvments but it works. Also I always seem to find a way to break it. My favorite part is being able to design thins in sketch up and put them into the cnc. I broke the y axies the other day, only need about 30 minutes to fix it but just havent gotten around to it. I have a laser I am adding to it, but I burnt out the diode, so I need to get a new diode. After that I will be laser cutting an engraving. I am planning a new build with better steppers, better router, and a much larger cutting surface.

 

[JasonEricAnderson]

SO EXCITED!!! Don't take this as being to weird or anything by you are my new best friend! I've been trying to figure out how to build what is basically a pen plotter for dollar store foam board (20x30) so that I can take my SketchUp plans and 'print' them directly onto the foamboard. I think I have the basics worked out in my head but I've never done anything at all with stepper motors or motor controllers.

I would LOVE to have you take a look at what I'm thinking of over here (The Flyplotter) and get your thoughts/ideas/input on how I might be able to tie this all together.

At first I was thinking of a standard CNC setup where the material doesn't move but since I'm only drawing on foam board I realized it would be simper to approach it like a printer rather than a CNC. I'd use rollers to move the foam board in one axis and then I'd only need to move the 'carriage' holding the pen in a single axis.





The big fuzzy area in my head is setting up the controller to accept, what I was thinking would need to be Gcode, from SketchUp. Again, ANY thoughts or guidance you could offer would be so greatly appreciated. This is kind of a brain splinter of mine and I just can't get the idea out of my head, it seems so doable.

 

[Hasersys]

SO EXCITED!!! Don't take this as being to weird or anything by you are my new best friend! I've been trying to figure out how to build what is basically a pen plotter for dollar store foam board (20x30) so that I can take my SketchUp plans and 'print' them directly onto the foamboard. I think I have the basics worked out in my head but I've never done anything at all with stepper motors or motor controllers.

I would LOVE to have you take a look at what I'm thinking of over here (The Flyplotter) and get your thoughts/ideas/input on how I might be able to tie this all together.

At first I was thinking of a standard CNC setup where the material doesn't move but since I'm only drawing on foam board I realized it would be simper to approach it like a printer rather than a CNC. I'd use rollers to move the foam board in one axis and then I'd only need to move the 'carriage' holding the pen in a single axis.

View attachment 22788
View attachment 22789


The big fuzzy area in my head is setting up the controller to accept, what I was thinking would need to be Gcode, from SketchUp. Again, ANY thoughts or guidance you could offer would be so greatly appreciated. This is kind of a brain splinter of mine and I just can't get the idea out of my head, it seems so doable.

If I have time after work tonight I will try an draw up something to give you an idea of what may work. Basically a cnc like mine but having all axies on a XYZ gantry. You could use all of the same software, and hardware I have used to accomplish this, but it would have to be much bigger than my cnc.

 

[JasonEricAnderson]

If I have time after work tonight I will try an draw up something to give you an idea of what may work. Basically a cnc like mine but having all axies on a XYZ gantry. You could use all of the same software, and hardware I have used to accomplish this, but it would have to be much bigger than my cnc.

Were you able to put some rough notes together? I was just thinking that if I can get a working version of this built I could bring it to FliteFest and run sheets of foam off for people.

 

[Craftydan]

Were you able to put some rough notes together? I was just thinking that if I can get a working version of this built I could bring it to FliteFest and run sheets of foam off for people.

yes, please

 

[JasonEricAnderson]

More doodling. I like the idea of using Kevlar strands rather than timing belts like the PrintrBot Simple for cheapness and ease of use. For now I've doodled in some arrangements of things with the idea of foam platen rollers paired up with gears and belts/Kevlar.

 

[Hasersys]

More doodling. I like the idea of using Kevlar strands rather than timing belts like the PrintrBot Simple for cheapness and ease of use. For now I've doodled in some arrangements of things with the idea of foam platen rollers paired up with gears and belts/Kevlar.
View attachment 23954

I have given it thought, just been really busy with work. Only have gotten to fly about once in two months, and havent ran my cnc in a few weeks. I would try building more of a cnc to be honest. I would do away with the rollers. Basically make a cnc kinda like mine, but bigger, and run your cnc gantry with all axis moving it. Keep the foam in one spot. Just like a larger cnc machine. This cuts down on the complicated how to of making it work right, and also would allow you to clamp a sharpy, or router into place. Giving you the option to plot out plans, or rout out parts.

 

[Nathan_116]

Okay so whenI first saw this thread I went YES!!!! Just what I't looking for, but after reading \I realized it isn't what I'm looking for but it could very easily take that turn. I having been thinking, for about a year now, how nice it would be have something to cut out the foam board plans, along with things like control horns, fire walls, and multirotor frames.

Especially now that the mini came out I find that th esmall parts involed are just too much to cut out with an extacto knife. It took me almost 2 hours to cut out the parts for the mini scout, when the duster took me less than two hours to cut out and assemble. Having a cnc with the capabilities of cutting out plans, either by mill or laser, would expedite this process even more. I would buy kits from FliteTest, but as a newbie, no airframe usually lasts more than a day, so it would get kinda expensive quick. I probably have already spent over $50 on airframes, just foam not including glue, plywood for mounts and control horns, blades, and tape, and if I had bought the speed build kits it would probably be closer to $500 and for that price I would have bought a super cub or apprentice witha spare wing or fuse and props, and still been cheaper.

I love the idea of the interchangable heads, the laser and mill, but would also love to see a 3d printer head as I feel as these are becoming a huge part of the hobby. I'm looking for something with a cutting surface of atleast 20"x30", but would much rather have a little wiggle room at 24"x36" as tehn it doesn't limit me to just foam board. It wouldn't need to be all that powerful as I can't imaging cutting through foam board plywood, even upt to like 1/2" being that hard as long as you run it at the right speed and have a sharp tool. Having a cover on it to contain the dust created would be an added plua as when we use the one in my tech class at school, the fine dust particles get everywhere and it make the floor slippery and the air all cloudy.

I have this dremel already as I got it for Christmas last years. I would like it not to be perminantly mounted though, the "dremel" that is, as I would like to be able to use it in other settings for different jobs.

Thanks, and keep up the brainstorming.

 

[Nathan_116]

also, as for roller, would someting like slideing door rail and wheel work. I figure the ones made for glass dors would be able to handle the weight just fine and they tend to roll pretty smoothily.