# MikeMa's CNC Build



## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

So as I have alluded to in some other posts, I am in the process of build my own CNC. I started the process earlier in the year, and have spent much time planning and procure (as the budget allowed) the various components for the machine. I worked with a friend who designed and built his own CNC a number of years ago to design my machine.

The build got started in July when I assembled the frame for the gantry. From there I built the stand. So far the most time spent was making the bed. Which is a torsion box design made out of MDF. I went this route as the torsion box design is very strong, flat and stable, with the added benefit of the MDF being heavy, which makes a solid foundation for the machine, and to help dampen vibration.

Last night I reached the milestone where I successfully attached the gantry to the bed, and was able to (With ease!) move it back and forth. I posted a couple pics, and here is a link to a quick video of me moving it: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZAPFd_F4bv/

Materials used so far:
Plywood for the stand
MDF for the bed
8020 (30 series) extruded metal (size 6060 for the side rails, and the uprights for the gantry, 6030 for the rails of the gantry)
Linear Bearing Rails are SBR20
Lead screws are C7 Ballscrews


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Starting to look like something! hope the project is as enjoyable as it is educational.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

kp91 said:


> Starting to look like something! hope the project is as enjoyable as it is educational.


So far it has been both! I have never done precision work with any metals till now, so that has been very educational. So far all my metal pieces were pre-cut. However, after ordering the wrong connectors, and re-ordering the right connectors, I had to precision drill some holes. The setup at the drill press took me longer than the actual drilling of the holes. Despite the fact I have been woodworking as serious hobby for over 8 years, and have made plenty of boxes, the torsion box pushed my woodworking skills more than I thought it would. I used some techniques I never used before, and took a lot of time, patience, and skill at the table saw to get the pieces and joinery cut exactly right.

I attached a couple pics, one shows the web structure of the torsion box, the other shows the setup I used to create a dead flat surface to assemble the torsion box on. The 2x4s were all jointed on one edge, and the sent through the planer on the opposite side. Using shims they were all leveled. Using a precision straight edge, I verified I had them flat.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Looking good Mike ,and looking forward to seeing her in action . Looking at the design , are you going to have a single acme threaded rod underneath to move the Y axis?


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

That's really looking good, Mike! Are you going to be doing the electronics yourself or buying a ready to use enclosure?

David


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> Looking good Mike ,and looking forward to seeing her in action . Looking at the design , are you going to have a single acme threaded rod underneath to move the Y axis?


Thanks! I will actually be using ball screws over acme screws. The machine is fairly narrow, so I am using a single screw to drive the gantry. For a wider machine, I likely would have used two screws with two steppers.


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

MikeMa,

Looks really great. I have investigated to build my own, but have not yet taken the step. Good Luck and keep up the good work


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

difalkner said:


> That's really looking good, Mike! Are you going to be doing the electronics yourself or buying a ready to use enclosure?
> 
> David


I plan on wiring the electronic components myself. In fact, that is something I have been starting researching is what to use as an enclosure. Maybe I am being cheap, but it seems like electronics enclosures in the size I need are very expensive! Right now, I am thinking about making a plywood box (with appropriate venting for fans!).


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

MikeMa said:


> I plan on wiring the electronic components myself. In fact, that is something I have been starting researching is what to use as an enclosure. Maybe I am being cheap, but it seems like electronics enclosures in the size I need are very expensive! Right now, I am thinking about making a plywood box (with appropriate venting for fans!).


If it will help, Mike, I've attached the spreadsheet for the items I used in my build, including the enclosure. I've stripped the prices off because they will certainly have changed in a year and some items may no longer be available. I've also attached a PDF of the electrical schematic I created and followed to wire our CNC. Please understand, though, _*I am not an electrician*_ and don't claim to be. Use at your own risk. Having said that, though, it did work the first time and continues to so I guess it must be pretty close.

Photobucket hosed up all the photos of my build, which is posted here. so I'm thinking about putting all of those photos in a document then uploading so it can be seen again.

Holler if I can assist - 

David


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

MikeMa said:


> I plan on wiring the electronic components myself. In fact, that is something I have been starting researching is what to use as an enclosure. Maybe I am being cheap, but it seems like electronics enclosures in the size I need are very expensive! Right now, I am thinking about making a plywood box (with appropriate venting for fans!).


I don't think that's being cheap , as pre built electronics seem way overpriced imo to. I want to buy the pro version of the 4x4 router table from CNCrouterparts , but with Daves direction I'm going to build the electronics myself .
In theory , you would think it would be much easier troubleshooting in the future if you assembled it yourself , as it would give you a better understanding of how it all functions . I'm looking forward to it actually. 

Dave has a really good thread on his entire build . He did one heck of a job on his electronics, as it looks pro


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Thank you @difalkner!


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## Zoyvod (Sep 17, 2017)

Looks awesome


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## originalgeek (Sep 28, 2014)

Have you seen the Maslow CNC 4' x 8' router? They were a successful Kickstarter campaign and sold as a kit for $500. They've made 750 so far with electronics & SW. I was an early backer and have received mine, so they're real. They're software and electronics are open source as well so it can be hacked. You may want to check it out here: http://www.maslowcnc.com and on KS


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

@originalgeek I have seen that machine previously, and while I am not certain it would meet to needs I wanted in a CNC, it is an interesting concept. I would be curious to hear about your experiences with it.


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## originalgeek (Sep 28, 2014)

@MikeMa Certainly will let people know how it turns out. As usual, building the kit depends on spare time! It comes in a USPS box that's 12x8x6 so amazingly compact to ship. The buyer provides the back support and stand. Not pretty, but very cost effective and compact. There are many YouTube videos of the first cut.


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## radios (Sep 30, 2009)

originalgeek said:


> Have you seen the Maslow CNC 4' x 8' router? They were a successful Kickstarter campaign and sold as a kit for $500. They've made 750 so far with electronics & SW. I was an early backer and have received mine, so they're real. They're software and electronics are open source as well so it can be hacked. You may want to check it out here: Maslow and on KS


if they used a four wire system, the unit could be layed down, and also, be less susceptible to kickbacks.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

I have made a little more progress on my build. I completed installing the lead screw for the bed axis. I made and glued brackets to the bottom of the bed to hold the mounting blocks for the screw. I drilled a hole in the center of the 8020 bar on the bottom of the gantry so that the screw can pass through it. I also fabricated a nut adapter out of aluminum plate so I could get the screw nut attached securely to the 8020. There were a few first for me on this, as I have never worked with a blank of any metal to make it into something useful. I have also never tapped screw threads either. I was able to get everything assembled, and tested it by attaching a battery powered drill to the screw, and was able to move the gantry back and forth with it.


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## BalloonEngineer (Mar 27, 2009)

Congratulations on your progress! I have been rooting for you as another intrepid DIY router builder, but realized I had not posted any encouragements to your build log. Don't be afraid of a simple wood box for your electronics - its what I did. I did add a plexiglas cover - it helps troubleshooting if you can see all the blinky lights inside!

My electronics were very simple, Ethernet Smoothstepper, Gecko 540 stepper driver, a 48V Power supply and a simple relay (which actually could be eliminated, but it works and was cheap). 

Have you figured out what control software you will use?


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

@BalloonEngineer Thank you for your encouragement! While this project is one of my most challenging and complex projects, I have been having a LOT of fun building it.

I have been leaning towards a wood box as well as using a plexiglas cover, especially since I have more than enough from another project.

As for software, I am going to start out using LinuxCNC, largely because it is free, and seems well regarded. I do have a PC with parallel port on the motherboard, and I do have some working knowledge of using Linux. Since parallel ports are getting to be a rarity on PCs, I eventually will be adding a Smoothstepper, and switching to Mach 3 on a Windows machine.

For the CAD/CAM side, I plan on using Fusion360, which is also free for hobbyists. While it is used more for the 3D printers, it does work well with CNC Routers as well. As the budget allows, I do hope to get VCarve at some point.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Its true electronics enclosures are expensive but don’t forget they are for a reason, they are used by professionals. I build cnc as a hobby and I make my enclosures with 1/8” thick aluminum plates which my local supplier cuts to my dimensions. 

Sometimes if I have to trim these plates I made a jig and along with my Skill Saw (with aluminum cut blade) I can cut these plates to what I want

The average size is about 20”x20”x12” deep but it depends what you want to put inside – you don’t want the enclosure to be crowded. To make for a nice looking job I always use DIN rails for all my connections plus wiring ducts to enclose all wiring. 

Don’t forget you want to have 1 or 2 fans inside to help with the air circulation. I buy all my 22.5mm ON/OFF push buttons from eBay (hard to find because most are momentary switches)


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

@kolias, I do understand why they are expensive. I know they are typically all metal so that you can easily ground all the components. I am actually planning lining the bottom, where all the components will attach to, with aluminum. In my research I have seen the importance of good airflow, and I am planning on putting a good cooling fan in the enclosure. I think I have a good source on where I will be getting the power bottom for my control box. Thanks!


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

A quick progress update. I worked on attaching the lead screw for the X Axis on the gantry. The 8020 bar that holds the screw is set back on the gantry for two reasons. First, if it was lined up to the other two bars, I wasn't able to get the anchor fasteners tightened, and two, it does add it the overall rigidity of the gantry. So I ended up fabricating L brackets to extend up high enough so that the screw will be centered to the stepper, once it is mounted, but also so that the nut was below the level of the bearing guides. It took some tweaking to get it where I wanted it.

My next step is to start making a prototype of the Z Axis, out of MDF. This will help me work out any issues that I wasn't able to identify in my drawings, as well as allow me to order the exact amount of aluminum plate I will need.


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## Kitwn (Oct 14, 2017)

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished machine, especially how you approach the z axis.

If you're going to use a dedicated PC for running LinuxCNC, one without lots of extra hard drives and fancy graphics cards, you may have room for the motor drivers etc. in the same case. Either that or a separate PC enclosure. A local advert may produce an obsolete computer (with free dust!) for a few dollars who's case alone will be worth the investment.

Re parallel ports: Although these have dissapeared from the back of most new motherboards, many still include a parallel header on the motherboard itself. That old (but not THAT old) PC may be just the thing after all.

Kit


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Thank you @Kitwn. I had considered using the PC case, or one of the many I have laying around in our basement, from previous PC builds. The PC I am going to use has a fairly compact case, so I wouldn't want to put much more into it for fear of blocking air flow.

I dd a quick search on new motherboards, and even the headers seemed to have disappeared, unless you look for a model that is a couple years old.

For me, LinuxCNC and the old PC I have is to get the machine running. The reality is I don't want to rely on the parallel port long term. I will eventually move to Mach3/4 and use a smooth stepper.


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## Kitwn (Oct 14, 2017)

Mike,
My own machine is operated using a scrap PC, cheap Chinese breakout board and stepper drivers which were chosen on price partly because I wasn't sure I could build a working machine at all.
Now I have a router which has done useful work but has many mechanical flaws which are it's major weaknesses at present. Once I have the next upgrade completed I suspect performance will be primarily limited by the electronics so that's where the next round of improvements will be. I very much like the Smoothstepper concept, taking exact pulse timing out of the computer's hands has to be a good thing and driving/monitoring the router via an Ethernet cable from my main PC outside the dusty area will be more convenient and free up a small area of precious bench space in my tiny workshop.

Kit


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

@Kitwn
The nice thing is, you don't really need a high-end PC to run a CNC, just a dedicated one that isn't running too many other processes that could interrupt the pulses. I am going to make some small upgrades to the PC I am going to use, more for purposes of extending longevity as well to better stand up to the shop environment. My original plan for the steppers and electronics was to get a cheap Chinese set via eBay. However, Automation Technologies has a better kit for a little more money. The cost difference for me is worth it for buying from a company that I can contact easily if I have any issues.

As for any home built machines, I think there will always be opportunity to make improvements on them. We are probably never really done building them.


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## Kitwn (Oct 14, 2017)

Mike,
A big part of the motivation for me to build a CNC router was the challenge of designing and building the machine itself, on a budget and using materials I could buy locally in a remote corner of WA or get online without crippling postage costs. Having got the move-things-with-stepper-motors bug from moving cameras about it was an obvious step.
I would never have just bought an OTS machine, where's the fun in that? (I do understand that many readers want a machine as a production tool, not as a project in itself).

Having made the router, you then have to find things to do with it...

https://vimeo.com/210020811
https://vimeo.com/224014481

Kit


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

@Kitwn 100% agree on the challenge of designing and building the machine, while keeping a reasonable budget! I have thoroughly enjoyed this project. And I am right there with you, part of that challenge is sourcing the material without breaking the bank. The next thing I have to source is the 1/2" thick aluminum plate for my Z axis and router mount.

Great work on those projects! They are beautifully done! Definitely gives me inspiration and motivation to get my machine up and running.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Made some more progress on the CNC this weekend. First the longer rails for the gantry I ordered arrived. I decided to get the longer rails after taking some measurements of the bed, gantry, and lead screw, and found that I would definitely benefit from a little large capacity. (About 2-3 inches mores) After getting those installed, I worked on making prototypes of the parts I will be making out of aluminum plate with MDF. Next steps, I need to source the ½” aluminum plate and fabricate the actual parts. Also, I need to finish the stand the CNC is on. I need to put the bottom shelf in place, and build a rack for the PC and control panel.


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## BalloonEngineer (Mar 27, 2009)

Good progress! Have you figured out your final X, Y, and Z travels? Looks like a very useful size. 

One thing about SBR rails is that you can alter the hole pattern, the aluminum support is easy to drill out. I replaced expensive to buy metric hardware with less expensive (and larger) inch sized hardware. If you choose to do this, you can separate the hardened steel rails by removing the Allen screws on back side (add a number on one end so you can keep rails and supports matched). At a minimum, I would remove the Allen screws, separate the rails, debur the holes in the aluminum supports and reinstall the screws with loctite. There were burrs on mine that kept rails from seating fully, and some were not very tight. 

Richard


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Thank you Richard! 

The travel is approximately 27.5"x20.75"x8".

With exception to the bearing block screws, All my screws are standard units. I did drill out the mounting holes on the aluminum support to accept a 1/4" screw. I did pull the rails off the aluminum stands, and made sure all the screws were tight (like you, I found some were not).

I did order the aluminum plate that I will need to finish out the Z axis, so hopefully that will arrive soon. In the meantime, I am working on finishing out the stand with putting the bottom shelf in place, and making another shelf so that I can stack the PC and the control panel, with room between each to allow air flow.


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## Gary Salisbury (Apr 11, 2014)

May I ask what software you used to create the "CNC - Electrical schematic.pdf"? It looks very professional. I have used Microsoft Visio but it is nowhere as nice as what you used.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

A quick update on my build, as I am still waiting on my aluminum order to come in. This weekend I milled and cleaned up the 2x4s I used to make a level surface for the torsion box bed, and used that to make a shelf that the control box will set on once it is build. I started getting ready to draw up the design for the enclosure, but after some discussions with a friend, decided I was better off waiting on that phase until I have all the electronics that will go in it in hand. I have all the aluminum for the machine ordered, so I can provide a more complete materials list that have gone into this machine, not including the electronic components. Once I get those ordered, I will provide a complete list of those.

1 sheet of 3/4" MDF - Torsion box bed
2 rails 8020 30-Series 6060 39.5" for side rails. Full machine is supported on these rails
2 rails 8020 30-Series 6060 25" for gantry upright
4 rails 8020 30-Series 3060 27" for gantry rails
2 lengths of 12"X2.5"x2.5"x3/16" angle aluminum
4 pieces of 6061 Aluminum plate 14"x3"x3/8" for various adapters and brackets
2 pieces of 6061 Aluminum plate 8"x4"x1/4" for router hanger gussets
1 piece of 6061 Aluminum plate 36"x8"x1/2" for Z axis and router hanger
1 Sheet of 3/4" Plywood for stand
4 2x4s for level surface for bed construction, then for shelf
2 SBR20-L300mm Linear rail guide
2 SBR20-L700mm Linear rail guide
2 SBR20-L1000mm Linear rail guide
1 SFU/RM 1605- L350mm-C7 ballscrew with end machined
1 SFU/RM 1605- L650mm-C7 ballscrew with end machined
1 SFU/RM 1605- L1050mm-C7 ballscrew with end machined
12 SBR20UU Linear blocks
3 BK & BF 12 support for ballscrew
3 6.35x10mm Flexible Couplings
1/4 Sheet if MDF for scratch surface
T-Track
Casters
1/4 sheet of Plywood for retractable casters (not made yet)

I am not sure what software that difalkner used to create the electrical drawing, however I do agree he did a very nice job on it!


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## BalloonEngineer (Mar 27, 2009)

Mike, What type of flexible couplings did you get? If they are the aluminum ones with a spiral cut, I would recommend replacing them with the Oldham type couplings. I originally had the spiral aluminum type on my Z axis and it led to some issues (poor surface quality).

Also, you may wish to add some diagonal bracing or shear panels on your cart. Once that gantry and Z axis get moving around, you will be surprised how much movement you get. My frame weighs hundreds of pounds and I could barely budge it, but once I got the router going, it was rocking and rolling (without wheels!).

How will you cut your aluminum plate? If you know someone with a CNC router, even if they can’t do all the machining, see if you can use it to at least spot drill hole patterns. Good practice for you in designing for the CNC. That works better than making prints and attaching to the plate and manually punching (although my issues were probably due to my lack of metalworking skills).

Richard


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

@BalloonEngineer For the couplers, that is what I have. If I have issues, they will be replaced. They were included with the lead screws.

I will keep an eye on the stand, if I start seeing movement, I will make the modifications to it

As for cutting the plate so far I have simply been using my table saw and band saw to make my cuts. For the critical pieces, I have already made MDF prototypes/templates, and have good alignment with those. The drilling I will be doing will come directly off of the prototypes.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Since my last update, I got all my aluminum plate in that I will need to finish out the X axis and to build the Z axis. The biggest piece I ordered was 8”x 36”x ½”. That piece was heavy. I got it cut down to the pieces I needed a couple weeks ago, and last weekend started working on the plate that will move along the X axis. This is where I ran into some issues. If you recall, I made an MDF prototype of this piece. It turns out the MDF was not flat, and threw off my measurements for the real piece. So the first attempt at drilling holes ended in failure. I couldn’t get all the screws in, and the plate was way out of square. Attempt #2, I didn’t use the prototype for drilling as I did on the first one. However, I discovered that when I cut that plate, I must have had some blade deflection as the ends were out of square. Unfortunately, I did not discover this after I drilled the holes the second time. After widening the holes, I did get all the screws in, but the plate was out of square, and did not move well.

Attempt #3…. This weekend, I FINALLY got it right. After shortening the piece by an inch to get it squared up, and to make an offset to have room to drill more holes. I did the layout completely fresh directly on the work piece, double and triple checking everything for square, as well as checking alignment on the machine. I did my drilling in phases so that I could make sure I was staying in alignment. The result was all the screw holes were 100% right on! This resulted in a very square alignment of the plate, and very smooth travel. Once all that was verified, I counter-bored all the screw holes so that the heads were below the level of the plate, leaving room for the rails for the Z Axis.

Next step is to work on the nut adapter so that I can get the plate attached to the lead screw, and then start working on the Z Axis.

Link to video of me moving the X Axis: https://www.instagram.com/p/BbshV-rFVYZ/?taken-by=mamader


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Gary Salisbury said:


> May I ask what software you used to create the "CNC - Electrical schematic.pdf"? It looks very professional. I have used Microsoft Visio but it is nowhere as nice as what you used.





MikeMa said:


> I am not sure what software that difalkner used to create the electrical drawing, however I do agree he did a very nice job on it!


Hey Guys - @Gary Salisbury and @MikeMa - sorry, but I'm just now seeing this. I'm glad y'all like what I drew; it was fun to draw! I used CorelDraw X8 and drew from scratch, no templates or ready-made clipart. I mention this because some of what I drew may not be to any known standard.

David


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## BalloonEngineer (Mar 27, 2009)

A couple of my pieces have some extra lightening holes as well. Won’t hurt anything. :wink:


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

BalloonEngineer said:


> A couple of my pieces have some extra lightening holes as well. Won’t hurt anything. :wink:


I figure it is all part of the learning process! Each step I take on this build is something new for me! I figure some of the extra holes may come in handy for something else along the way. Others should be hidden by the rails. The rest, well, those are speed holes!


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

I don’t see why your X axis plate has to be so long. Looking at the video on Instagram I would say the moments on that plate will be quite high but of course I don’t know what you plan to install at the top part of this plate. On my cnc this plate is 6”x16.75”x3/8” thick.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

@kolias Actually my X-Axis plate is comparable to yours. The dimensions of that plate is 6.5"x16"x1/2" thick.


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

MikeMa said:


> I have made a little more progress on my build. I completed installing the lead screw for the bed axis. I made and glued brackets to the bottom of the bed to hold the mounting blocks for the screw. I drilled a hole in the center of the 8020 bar on the bottom of the gantry so that the screw can pass through it. I also fabricated a nut adapter out of aluminum plate so I could get the screw nut attached securely to the 8020. There were a few first for me on this, as I have never worked with a blank of any metal to make it into something useful. I have also never tapped screw threads either. I was able to get everything assembled, and tested it by attaching a battery powered drill to the screw, and was able to move the gantry back and forth with it.


Out of curiosity... are you guys able to place (2) dual lead screws for the bed axis??
I ask because I saw some screw lead on each side with the gantry. It was dual X I
believe, just not sure which company had it. What would it do for you? beats me
just sounds cool. Maybe balloon could enlighten us or others?


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

@UglySign There is a definite advantage to having 2 lead screws to push the gantry. In fact larger CNCs will have 2 lead screws, each with their own stepper/servo motor. The wider the gantry the more opportunity there is for extra movement, especially at faster speeds. Having a lead screw on either side vs. one on the middle goes a long way to prevent the extra movement and adds a lot of rigidity. 

For now, since my machine is not that wide, I went with the single lead screw. However, I wouldn't be surprised if at some point I decide to make the needed modifications to take it to two lead screws.


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

Mike that was a thought-fart I had because I seen it recently.
I just fig'd i'd mention it and like you state you may do it for the future.

Is it possible to do on the gantry Y direction? Asking for trouble i guess.

Anyways, nice build going on there. It's like one big long a$$ car model
putting together.


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

Probotix uses 2 Y motors to move the gantry on all their CNCs. Every new day when it homes the software automatically touches both off to square up the gantry. It is also what allowed them to have no part of the gantry assembly running under the bed. 

4D


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

@UglySign Thank you, it has definitely been a challenging, but fun build so far.

Anything is possible. It comes down to benefit vs. cost.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

I was able to take advantage of the long weekend, and got more work done on the CNC. I fabricated a nut adapter so that I could attach the X Axis plate to its lead screw. This was a bit of fussy work so I could get a perfect fit, requiring me to take a bunch of pieces apart every time I tested the fit. I was finally able to get it. After I got that fitted, I spent some time getting everything buttoned up and solid. If you notice the adapter I made extends back a bit. This is so I have something that will make contact with the stops I put in. Once I get the limit switches, these will mount to the stops. The last pic shows the CNC in its current state, ready for me to start working on building out the Z Axis.

After I got to that stopping point, I did a MASSIVE shop cleaning, as it was an absolute DISASTER. 

Link to the X Plate moving under drill power: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb0dawolDaN/?taken-by=mamader


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

I know you're eager to get it moving and cutting; I know I was when I started getting close. Looking forward to the next bit of progress!

David


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Thank you David! I am definitely very eager to get it going! I am hoping to get started on the Z Axis this weekend, hopefully the last of the yard that needs to be done doesn't delay me too much!


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Just a quick update, to let everyone know they haven't missed anything. I haven't been in my shop since November due to the holidays and the temperature being too cold. My shop is in my unheated garage that after it gets below freezing the kero takes too long to warm everything up to make the space workable. Hopefully will get some shop time eventually.


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

I also have an unheated garage where most of my shop lives. There is a gas heater in there which was working when I bought the house, but after tearing down the rear condemned deck to rebuild it the workers found a gas line that fed the heater that wasn't buried. They had to take it out because it violated the local building codes. 

When I bought my Probotix Meteor I installed it in an unused basement room that is heated and cooled when needed. Much nicer to work in that room than the freezing garage.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

So I managed to finally get some time out in the shop. I worked on getting the Z-Axis rails mounting holes done. This included drilling out and tapping the screw holes. Once I got the rails mounted, I wanted to see how close I got it to the original prototype. If you recall, I had a lot of problems with getting the X-Axis plate mounted properly, so I wasn't using the prototype as a guide, but rather went back to measurements. I was pleasantly surprised that the prototype plate fit! This will help a great deal with making that part. Hopefully I will get some more shop time soon!


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Looking good, Mike! Keep posting your progress and photos.

David


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Thank you David!


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

So a quick update. The CNC build has been on hold for a bit, probably till next summer. Due to some life circumstances, I needed to do some woodworking to help with a bit of a life reset. (Don't worry no health related issues) Once I complete this project, I am hoping to get back on the CNC build.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Yes, I am reviving an old thread, but it is my old thread, so I guess that is okay, right?!?  So, in my last post on this thread I mentioned the build going on hold due to life circumstances which was a divorce. I am in a much better place now with an awesome and very supportive girl friend in my life. At one point I had put the partially built CNC into storage as I wanted it out of my shop to make some space. Since then I bought a small K40 C02 laser, and my girl friend bought us a 3D printer. We started having a lot of fun with those, and started make some money with them. With that, I found the spark that I once had to build to finish the CNC. While it is not finished yet, I am happy to report it is up and running!!

I did make some changes. Originally the Y Axis was going to be moved by a single centered ball screw. I was concerned that the gantry would too easily come out of square to the table, so I added a second ball screw, with each stepper on its own driver and limits on each side. The benefit to that is not only is the gantry far more likely to stay square to the table, it will automatically square itself during the homing process during the start-up process. I pretty much started completely over with the Z Axis. A lot of the work was done when I was not in a good state of mind and, well, it showed. While aluminum plate is about 2x more expensive than it was 4 years ago, I elected to buy fresh and started new. One BIG difference, is instead of making drilling templates from MDF, I designed my templates in Scetchup and then 3D printed them. I would attach the template to aluminum work piece and do the drilling I needed at the drill press. Worked GREAT. Finally, there is one item I did cheat on. Rather than building the actual mount for the router, I bought the tramming mount kit that is used on Avid CNC Machines (very helpful company by the way!). 

The controller computer is an 8GB Raspberry PI 4 running LinuxCNC on top of Raspberry PI OS. The controller board is a MESA 7i96 which connects to the PI via Ethernet. Mesa does have a couple boards that do connect directly the PI, but I wanted to the flexibility if I found I needed to move to a more high-powered PC. So far the PI has worked great. 

Remaining tasks:
1) Work out dust collection (amazing how much saw dust that thing flings into the air!)
2) Build Electronics Enclosure
3) Improved spoil board with work piece hold downs
4) Z Axis touch plate


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

So as temperature permits (the CNC works fine in the cold, I however do not) I have been working on the CNC over the winter and spring. I have completed a few projects with it and have been learning a lot from it. As I mentioned in my last post I still have parts on it to finish. While using it, I found that dust collection really was a top priority as the dust really does fly when it is running and makes a big mess! 

For now I am using a shop vac for the DC. I may eventually attach it to one of my larger DCs but its position in my shop doesn't really allow for that right now. That may change as I am planning on rearranging my shop sometime this spring when I can move everything out on the driveway with no risk of rain.

The first piece was running the hose in a way that would move with the gantry without binding it up. You can see in the photos the solution I came up with. Through the hose a pipe, there is a copper wire running for grounding as the static discharge could cause problems with the CNC operation.

What I ended up spending a lot of time on is the dust shoe. I started out with a basic dust shoe design where the entire bottom is open. This design picked up some dust, but not what was directly under the router, even with the brush strip. So I made a new dust shoe that the opening was only around the router, and had a channel to go back to the vac hose. Test with the router off, especially with the brush strip, worked well. However, as soon as the router was turned on, it didn't work at all. The reason being is that when the router runs there is an internal fan for cooling purposes. The problem is that this fan blows down on the work piece which worked completely against the vac air flow. Pretty much NO dust was being picked up. So I went back to the drawing board and designed a dust shoe that redirected the airflow from the router away from the work piece. Without the brush strip, this actually worked better. With the brush strip it is very effective!

The dust shoe is in two parts, the first part is what clamps on to the router. The bottom part snaps on to the first part using rare earth magnets and some pegs to keep it from shifting. Having the bottom part removable is important as it maintains easy access to the router collet for bit changes. Also, not having the bottom piece on prevents it from getting in the way when running smaller bits.


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

MikeMa said:


> *Yes, I am reviving an old thread, but it is my old thread, so I guess that is okay, right ?*


yes, that's the best kind


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

A quick update. Using the Raspberry PI as the computer for the controller was always considered a bit of an experiment. For the most part it worked well. However, on some random and infrequent occasions the ethernet connection would temporarily drop, and I would have to quit LinuxCNC then try to rehome everything as close as possible to resume. Since most of the stuff I have done so far is small, the couple times that it interrupted a job as more of a minor inconvenience. However, this would not have stayed a minor inconvenience especially as I am starting to move to bigger more complex jobs. So I started messaging with some of the LinuxCNC gurus and it turns out this is has been an issue between the PI ethernet and MESA connection, and still uncertainty as to what is causing it. With it being random, it makes it even harder to troubleshoot. Most PI users use one of MESA SPI solutions which interfaces to the PI directly on the GPIO. So my two options were to replace my current MESA controller with on meant for the PI or replace the PI. While replacing the controller with one compatible to the PI would have been a little less expensive, it would have been a lot more work to reconfigure everything with more downtime for the CNC. So I chose a PC. Again, working with LinuxCNC gurus I found a refurbished mini HP PC that uses desktop chipsets that would be a good choice. I was able to get the new PC going within a day and the machine is back up and running. The cost was not high (under $200) and it is a much speedier computer. Latency is much lower on it, so I believe this was the correct choice.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

One thing to know that when building a CNC, just because the machine is running and being productive doesn't mean the build is done! In fact I just completed a major component of the CNC, which both the CNC and my CO2 laser was able to help build. When I first got my machine up and running, the controller electronics were basically on a piece of plywood, and the wiring, admittedly, was poor. The result of the poor wiring was interference from other poor tools/machines, which meant that I could not use any of them while the CNC was running. So I finally set out to build the enclosure for the electronics, and ended up doing rewiring a lot of it, including switching to shielded cables to and from the stepper drivers. Also I took care to make sure power supply wires were as far away as possible from signal wires & cables. Finally, made sure everything had a ground wire running to it. The result is something that looks a lot better, and my tests so far have indicated that skipped steps from power tool interference has been resolved!!


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

A couple more updates on the CNC build. First, the router does hang over the bed by about 2". On that end, I epoxied some T Track in and glue spacers to make a vertical mounting surface. This will let me do things like dovetails and box joints on the ends of boards. I am also going to build an extension that can attach to the T Track so that I can also take advantage of the full length of the CNC too. Once I get the extension done, I will rework the spoil board so that I can attach hold downs to clamp down work pieces rather than using double-sided tape. The other piece is I got a touch plate installed and working. The touch plate was a bit fun and challenging as I had to do some GCode programming in LinuxCNC to get it to work. Nearly have all the to-do items completed on my punch list!


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