# Another Build Thread



## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

I guess I should start this thread by going through my thought process for selecting the type of CNC router I wanted to build. I have a very limited work area in my basement so that was going to be a limiting factor right out of the gate. This is going to be a woodworking tool and later a laser etching & engraver. I love lasers.

The other major factor was budget. CNC routing can get very expensive, very fast! My target budget for this project was 2000 USD.

I have an existing sturdy worktable where I plan to locate the router. Next, what am I going to do with it; basically, small woodworking projects and laser engraving. Therefor I chose to build a machine with 750 x 750 mm footprint which will give me about 22.44” x 20.66” of travel.

The next consideration is what materials will this router be constructed from. Most DIY CNC routers are built using either MDF, aluminum extrusion, or steel. MDF can be easy to work with and cheap to buy and many first time builders use this material. Slotted aluminum extrusion, commonly from a company called 80/20, is used on many DIY CNC router design plans available on the internet. It offers many design options due to the large amount on mounting brackets and configurations the slotted design allows. Aluminum extrusion would also be the most expensive of the three methods I listed. Steel is also used to construct many DIY routers. Square tubing, angle, and flat stock are common and can usually be locally sourced. In most cases steel machines are welded together so a welder and the ability to weld are necessary. Steel is generally going to be less expensive per foot than aluminum extrusion. Unfortunately I don’t have access to a welder and power hacksaw so I am forced to go with the aluminum extrusions even though the cost is higher. The OX kits available from Bulkman 3D all use aluminum extrusions and this is the mechanical system we will utilize for the construction of our CNC router.

The OX kit utilizes V-groove bearings. The chamfered slot along the aluminum extrusion is designed to fit standard V-Groove Bearings that are part of a carriage assembly built with a simple Dual Bearing Plate. Bearing pressure is easily adjustable using a wrench and Eccentric Bushing. This seems to me to be a good compromise as opposed to the much more expensive linear rail systems.

One of the keys in making my decision to go with the OX kit was the type of linear drive that it utilizes. The most common on DIY CNC routers are ribbed belts, ACME screws, and ball screws. It seems to me that the main consideration when choosing which system to use is not about how “good” each system is, but what materials you are intending to cut, and what tolerances you will require.

Belts are the cheapest of all solutions, and look increasingly cheaper on longer runs where you would otherwise have to deviate away from standard 8mm leadscrews. All in all, belts are the simplest and cheapest to implement. Belts have the additional advantage that when the motors are powered down, you can move the gantry around by hand. The OX kit utilizes belts for the X and Y axes and a lead screw for the Z-axis since this machine will primarily be a woodworking tool as well as a laser engraver.

All of the OX kits include an option for stepper motors. I chose to include the stepper motor option when I purchased my mechanical kit of parts. The motors are NEMA 23 rated at 345 oz-in torque (2.45 Nm).

*Cost:* I estimated my cost for the complete machine and electronics around $2000. Here is the breakdown:
Mechanical kit including NEMA 23, 345 oz-in (2.45 Nm) stepper motors: $535.00
Router spindle assembly including VFD, mounting bracket, and W.C.: $265.00
Motor drivers: $100.00
Controllers & Misc. Electronics: $400.00
Miscellaneous tooling: $200.00
Software: $275.00
Total Project: *$2000.00*

I suspect that I will end up going over budget given the cost of tooling and software, but that is down the road. I will try to post to this thread on a weekly basis as we go through the selection process for the stepper drivers, controller and spindle, as well as getting into the wiring of this machine tool.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Looking forward to the build, Albert. Just a tip on writing up your description, though - add some carriage returns to make this easier to read.

Take lots of photos and share with us; we're ready for the build!


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Thanks for the feedback! After I posted I noticed it seemed kinda scrunched up.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Albert Z said:


> Thanks for the feedback! After I posted I noticed it seemed kinda scrunched up.


You can still edit it if you'd like to go back and fix it. We're ready for photos of the build! Mine was about 5 years ago and is here if you'd like to see my build.


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

difalkner said:


> You can still edit it if you'd like to go back and fix it. We're ready for photos of the build! Mine was about 5 years ago and is here if you'd like to see my build.


David,

It would also be best to have it as a stickie. As well as getting yours & the others posted up.

Im getting the popcorn


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Infrastructure Weekend*

Before we can get started with this build, I need a sturdy place to mount the router and I need power. That was my focus this weekend. I have an old Sears workbench (anybody remember Sears?) that is made primarily of sheet metal, but has a very heavy top deck. I'm not sure what the deck is made of, but it is heavy and 1-5/8" thick. The deck measures 24" x 72". I have been using it to collect "stuff". Now it will be re-purposed as my router stand.

The top deck is not secured to the frame so I removed it to see how sturdy the frame was. It felt a little wobbly so I added a 2' x 4' piece of plywood to the back which stiffened it up considerably. The plywood will also serve as a place where i can attach power panels, etc.

The router will require 110 VAC power as well as 220 VAC power. The 110 VAC is already available on a 20 amp circuit. We used to have a swimming pool out back when the grandkids were little but it is long since been dismantled. I had a 20 amp 110 VAC circuit dedicated for the pump and filter so I re-routed the wiring back into the shop and installed a 220 VAC outlet next to the existing 110 VAC outlet. Then I removed the 20 amp single pole breaker and installed a double pole breaker to give me 220 volts at the outlet. There will only be 2 cables going to the wall. All the rest of the electrics will be on the stand or machine.

The router itself will be attached to a sheet of 3/4" plywood measuring 48" x 31-1/2". This will all get fastened to the top deck described above. The attached pictures give you an idea of what we accomplished this weekend.

*CNC Router Specs*

Here are the specs that I am using for the router build:

Travel: X-Axis 22.44” (570 mm)
Y-Axis 30.5” (775 mm)
Z-Axis 4” (100 mm)
Linear Guide: V-Groove Bearings
Linear Drive: GT-3 Timing Belt
Linear Drive Z-Axis: ACME Lead Screw
Drive Motors: 345oz-in (2.45 Nm) NEMA 23 Stepper Motors with DM542T drivers
 Controller: RMH v3.1
Construction: V-Slot aluminum extrusions – 2040, 2060, 2080
Spindle: Vevor 1.5 kW, VFD, 220 volt, 24,000 RPM
Rapid Speed: 200 ipm (inches per minute)
Cutting Speed: 1/4" end mill, full width cut, 0.100" depth of cut, 50 ipm, material - hardwood (This is a fairly easy cut and is probably less than half the true cutting capacity)
*Previews of coming attractions*

My next posts are going to cover spindle selection, stepper driver selection, and most important - controller selection. Then we can start wiring this puppy. Stay tuned.

Albert


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the forum.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Stepper Motor Driver Selection*

As I mentioned at the start of this thread, I wanted to provide some insight as to why I chose the various components to build the CNC router. I am also trying to get caught up to the point where I can report on current activities. So let's get through the background info starting with the stepper motor drivers.

I confined my search to stand alone units only. I saw some packages that incorporated four drivers in the same package. I believe for ease of troubleshooting and repair that stand alone units are best. But, my O' my, what a bewildering array to choose from.

My intent was to evaluate three different drivers from three different price ranges in a side by side comparison. In addition, this would give me a chance to test the NEMA 23 motors that came with the OX mechanical kit.

The three drivers I chose to evaluate were:

TB6600 rated @ 4 amps from Amazon for $10.99
DM542T rated at 4.2 amps from Amazon for $28.99
Gecko rated @ 6.0 amps for $100.46
The pedigree for the Gecko drivers speaks for itself and I was not going to spend a hundred bucks just to run a test. If the lower priced drivers failed to do the job, then I would consider the Geckos.

These drivers work better with linear unregulated power supplies (like a simple transformer/bridge rectifier/filter) than with a switching power supply, because a switching supply will limit the availability of power when it's needed most, at the instant the motor starts to move.

My test setup is a 36V 10A homebrew power supply, an Arduino to provide a step pulse input which ramps up slowly from zero to establish the maximum running speed, the driver, and the 4 NEMA 23 motors supplied with the OX kit. No shielding or filtering was used, because I wanted to see how good the shielding and filtering is inside the driver under adverse conditions. Peak current for my motors is 3.0 amps so I selected 2.84 amps via the DIP switches on the driver. The documentation indicates that this is the peak current setting and that the RMS current value is considerably less, so I may be able to coax more torque out of these motors once everything is set up and running. I also tried various microstep settings from 2 through 128.

Using the Arduino configuration I was able to ramp the speed of the motors up and down and reverse direction with a button push. The Arduino setup is shown in the accompanying diagram. I will post the code if anyone is interested.

Motors connected to the TB6600 driver skipped steps and made alarmingly loud grinding noises, even when standing still. Not one of the motors performed adequately at any RPM. When I dropped the DM542T into the same setup, ALL of my motors worked fine, with no noise or skipped steps, produced boatloads of torque, and ran cool and quiet.

Stepping motors should not be noisy. Listen to a quality 3D printer and decide if it sounds more like a flute, or more like a bunch of gravel pouring out of a dump truck. If it's the latter, it's almost certainly because the driver is poorly designed. All that extra noise is power being converted into heat and noise instead of useful work.

I ordered three more DM542Ts for my CNC setup and tossed the TB6600 right in the recycling bin. You can spend a lot more on something like a geckodrive but you won't see a boost in performance commensurate with the 300%-500% price increase, unless you have very specific torque or voltage requirements.

The next step will be to test the drivers and stepper motors with the master controller. So I mounted everything on a breadboard and am waiting to finish wiring the controller so I can test the operation of everything before it goes on the router.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Infrastructure Redux*

Yesterday I received my electrical cabinet which will house the power supplies and stepper motor drivers. So I decided to finish working on the base for the router.

i needed a way to secure the table top to the sheet metal cabinet base. I purchased a pair of 1" aluminum angles and bolted them longitudinally to the cabinet base. Then I laid out the table top and drilled holes through the table top and through the angles. Then the table top was secured to the base with 1/4" x 2" carriage bolts. The holes in the table top were counterbored so that the bolt heads would not protrude above the table surface.

I then bolted the electrical cabinet to one end of the cabinet base.

See attached photos.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*CNC Controller - Part 1*

I spent a lot of time and research before making a decision regarding the type of machine control I wanted to implement. This is also the riskiest purchase I will be making which I will explain as we go along. Naturally, one of the major factors would be cost. But there are other factors to take into consideration such as ease of implementation, software requirements and environmental considerations. In the end, the decision comes down to whether you want a PC controlled CNC machine or do you want a stand-alone machine with integrated controller.

Let’s discuss PC control first. To begin with, you need a dedicated PC for the CNC machine, preferably a desktop unit. It does not have to be a high power PC, but it is still an additional cost and it has to operate in a dirty, dusty environment. Then you have to buy the software to run the CNC. The standard appears to be Mach3. Why would you go with anything else when there are so many resources to refer to? But the cost is $175 per license. Then things start to get tricky. You need a so-called breakout board to interface between the PC and the stepper drivers and other peripherals. There are lots of cheap Chinese devices out on the market and there are lots of horror stories associated with them.

If you want to avoid the risk of dealing with junk then the Smoothstepper seems to be the unanimous choice. But that is another 200 bucks. Then I am still going to install all of this gear into an enclosure and wire it all up which will cost at least another $200. To top it all off I would want to have an MPG (Manual Pulse Generator) in order to facilitate moving all three axes manually.

So what about stand-alone controllers? Well, the first thing is you don’t need a dedicated PC. You can do all of your design on a remote PC, transfer this to your CAM software (on the same PC), then load the G-code file onto a USB drive and plug it into the CNC machine controller. Seems pretty simple, but do I need to buy any additional software? The short answer is no. What you need to buy is the hardware with integrated firmware. At the present time the best stand-alone solution seems to be (for me at least) the 4 Axis 500KHz Linkage Offline Motion Controller System RMHV3.1/DDCSV3.1. It is available from Amazon for $275 and includes a 100 Pulse Handwheel MPG with Emergency Stop. In summary here are some specifics:

4.3 inches TFT screen, resolution ratio: 480*272;
Input power: 24~32VDC;
Output power: 0-10V, mainly for spindle speed
MPG Resolution: 100PPR;
17 operational keys;
Supports the USB flash drive to read the G code,and the size of G code file has no requirement;
The highest uniaxial output pulse is 500KHz and the pulse width can be adjusted.
It supports most common stepper motor drivers
From a cost and operating standpoint, my decision was the Offline Motion Controller System RMHV3.1/DDCSV3.1. Keeping my fingers crossed that this was not a big mistake! We'll know in the next few days as I get this prepped and wired.

*A word of warning!* This is definitely NOT plug and play. For one thing, the manual is written in Chinglish which is full of grammatical and syntax errors. Therefor if you are not familiar with concepts such as open collector outputs and optically isolated grounds I would advise staying away from this controller.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*CNC Controller - Part 2*

I wanted to minimize the number of wires and cables and I wanted a hand held controller similar to the CNC Router we have at work. I also did not want a separate MPG and its associated wiring to deal with. My solution was to disassemble the MPG and mount the individual components along with the controller in a 7” x 7” x 2” plastic enclosure. This way I could wire the MPG components directly to the controller inside the enclosure. The rest of the connections to the main electrical cabinet are made via a DB25 connector.

The RMHV3.1 has input connections for end of travel limit switches on four axes. I chose to go with soft limits and that saves eight wires plus ground that does not have to go to the main electrical panel and then eight separate pairs going to limit switches on the machine. I will install hard limits for home in the X, Y, and Z axes.
Before cutting the openings for the controller and associated components, I covered the enclosure with painters tape to make it easier to mark the cut lines and to protect the enclosure finish. The tape would be removed after all the cutting and fitting was done. I then measured and laid out the openings for the parts I harvested from the hand held MPG and mounted everything in the case.

Next step was to wire up the controller. If I were to utilize all the I/O available on the controller, it would require a 37 pin DB connector to link it with the main electrical cabinet. By selecting only the functions I intend to use (i.e. eliminating end of travel limit switches) I was able to utilize a 25 pin DB connector.
The connections to the RMSV3.1 are divided up into four ports:

MGP Port – manually generates pulses to drive stepper motors
Stepper Port – Connects to stepper motor drivers
Spindle Port – Connects to VFD for spindle control
Input Port – For all peripheral devices i.e. limit switches, probe, etc.
I started the wiring by connecting the individual components to the MGP port. This did not involve connections to the DB25. The individual components that were wired into the MGP port are:

E-Stop button
Rotary Encoder
Speed selector switch
Axis selector switch
Attached is a chart I developed as an aid to understanding and wiring the MPG components. SW1 and SW2 refer to the selector switches for speed and axis. The colors correspond to wire colors to aid in identification.

Next it was time to wire up the DB25. Once again I developed a chart to keep the connections and pin numbers straight. Colors on the chart matched the wire colors. The DB25 utilized crimp pins that were then inserted into the connector housing. This saved a lot of soldering. I used ferrules on the other end for insertion into the RMSV3.1.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Missing Pieces*

I decided to take a break from controls and wiring in order to check out all of the mechanical components in the kit.

After unpacking all of the mechanical parts, I started to layout all of the structural members to see how everything would fit together. It became Immediately apparent that I was missing a 2040 member 750 mm long. This is the center structural member that supports the spoiler board. Also missing were four end plates that join the 2080 longitudinal members to the 2040 horizontal members.

Even more surprising, there were additional structural members included that I have no idea what to do with. These are:

2 pcs. – 2080 x 28” long
2 pcs. – 2040 x 18” long




























If anyone has any idea what these additional pieces are meant for I would love to know.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*CNC Controller - Part 3*

OK, Great! I’ve got all the MPG wiring finished and also the wiring from the DB25 to the controller finished. However, I did not connect any wires to the Stepper Port. I’m going to connect the wires from my breadboard test setup to the controller. 

I already tested the motors and the drivers using the Arduino as a pulse generator, so I know we’re good on that end. Now we get to see how the MPG works and if the controller can run the stepper motors.

Step 1 is to test the MPG unit. I connected the drivers mounted on the breadboard to the RMSV3.1 controller. Then I switched the controller MODE to MPG and selected the X-axis using the rotary switch on my control box. Then by rotating the encoder wheel I was able to get the X-axis stepper motor to turn. I tried all three speed settings using the rotary switch on the hand held controller and that seems to be working correctly. This was then repeated for the Y and Z axes.

There are three speed positions available, 1X, 10X and 100X. The 1X position results in a very clunky motion and in my opinion not very useful. The 10X gives a nice smooth motion and 100X results in a very rapid but smooth motion.

I switched the controller MODE to CONT and used the buttons on the RMSV3.1 to move the stepper motors. I was very pleased to see that all the motors performed very smoothly and quietly at 100% speed setting. I should also mention that I had the microstep setting at 8 and the current limit at 2.84 Amps.

Now that I’m satisfied that the RMSV3.1, MPG, stepper drivers and stepper motors are all playing nice with each other, it’s time to look at the overall electrical arrangement. The first step is to disconnect the drivers on the test bench from the RMSV3.1 and connect the wires from the DB25 in the hand held controller to the corresponding terminals in the stepper port. Then we need to migrate all of the components from the test bench into the main electrical cabinet which will be the subject of my next post.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

This brings back memories of my build. Keep 'em coming along, Albert!


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## TimPa (Jan 4, 2011)

looking really good, enjoying your build thread! i'll bet it was exciting to see things move!

you may consider placing the fullwave rectifier on a heatsink, as it is a huge heat maker, and may be short lived otherwise.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Hi Tim

Glad you are enjoying the build. I didn't realize how much work is required to keep the thread going so I appreciate the feedback.

You are spot on about the heat sink. The diodes drop 1.4 volts each half cycle so at 9 amps we have to dissipate 12.6 watts continuously since this is a full wave bridge. See attached.

Stay tuned for more fun and games as I figure this puppy out.

Albert


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Electrical General Arrangement*

One of the issues I’ve been struggling with is the overall arrangement of the electrical controls and wiring. After considering all of the relevant factors I came up with the following design criteria:

The only thing mounted on the wall will be two Edison receptacles, one for 110 VAC and one for 220 VAC; thus there will be only two cables going out to the wall, everything else will be mounted on the router.
The RMHV3.1 will be mounted in a hand held box and this will be our primary control; in addition to the RMFV3.1 we will incorporate an MPG and E-Stop.
The VFD for the spindle will be mounted in its own separate cabinet with EMI filter and 12 VDC power supply for cooling fan. (220 VAC supply)
Everything else gets mounted in a separate cabinet (110 VAC supply); this includes 36 VDC linear power supply, 24 VDC auxiliary power supply, 24 VDC power supply for RMHV3.1, 12 volt power supply for system cooling, stepper drivers and everything else.
*Main Power Panel*
​*Inputs and Outputs*
In order to finalize the layout it was necessary to define all of the inputs and outputs into the main power panel. The inputs would be:

110 VAC main power
DB25 from the master controller
The outputs were determined to be:

4x cables to the stepper motors
3x cables to the Home limit switches
1x signal cable to the VFD cabinet
1x power cable (24 VDC) for the contactor coil
DB25 connection to RMHV3.1 master controller
*Main Power Panel Components*

IDE power entry module including fuse and EMI filter
ON-OFF push button switch DPST
36 VDC power supply for stepper drivers consisting of:
Toroid transformer
Full Wave bridge rectifier
10,000 uF smoothing capacitor
24 VDC power supply for RMHV3.1 master controller. This is a small DIN mounted supply rated at 1 amp.
24 VDC power supply for Contactor coil
12 VDC power supply for cooling fans
4x Stepper Motor Drivers
2x cooling fans and filters









*VFD Cabinet*
I wanted to isolate the Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) from the main electrical cabinet for two reasons. The first reason is that it uses 220 volt AC power and I did not want to mix the two high voltages in the same cabinet for safety reasons. The second reason is that all VFDs generate a lot of electrical noise which can be transmitted back through the power lines and also radiated to nearby components.

Being extremely lazy I did not want to turn on two separate switches – one for 110 VAC power and another for 220 VAC power. That is the reason for the contactor. Thus when I turn on the AC power to the main electrical cabinet, it will energize the contactor and power up the VFD.

I had an old metal electrical box that I rescued on a dumpster diving expedition. My original thoughts were to mount the VFD in this enclosure. However as this build is progressing I am having second thoughts. One half of the router base is a set of drawers for storage. The other half is completely open space. At this point I am leaning toward mounting the VFD on the back wall of this open space along with the contactor and EMI filter. There should be enough air circulation so that I would not have to install a cooling fan.










I found a nice piece of aluminum plate in my garage stash and laid out the VFD components on it and they fit quite nicely. That ices it! The old steel enclosure goes back to the dumpster and the VFD and associated components will go inside the router base. 










*So to summarize:
VFD Assembly Inputs:*

220 VAC @ 20 amps
24 VDC for contactor coil
0-10 VDC for spindle speed from RMSV3.1
Open collector output from RMSV3.1 for spindle ON/OFF
Control Ground
*VFD Assembly Outputs:*

0-220 V variable frequency to spindle
To be determined: Where to locate the 12 volt supply for spindle cooling pump and fan.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Mystery Solved!*

Back in Post #12 I reported that I was missing a piece of 2040 that supported the spoiler board as well as end pieces that attach the 2080 longitudinal rails to the 2040 horizontal members.

In that same post I reported that I had 2 pieces of 2080 and two pieces of 2040 that I had no idea what to do with. They were not mentioned in the construction manual. While surfing the CNC net I found a video describing an upgrade to the standard OX build. It consisted of adding an additional 2040 horizontal member on each end to stiffen the frame and a couple of 2080 longitudinal members to support the spoiler board. 

It seems as though this upgrade was incorporated into the kit, and that's a good thing! 

The end plates that I thought were missing have also been included. However they are no longer simple triangle plates. See photos.
















*An unexpected surprise!*

While taking a closer look at all of the structural members I noticed that the ends were pre-tapped for M5 threads. What a time saver this will be not to mention lubrication mess and chips to clean up. 










*Wheels*

While taking a break from the electrics I Managed to get all of the wheels assembled. Each assembly consists of two bearings, a spacer and a wheel. The entire assembly is pressed together. I used a 5 mm bolt to ensure concentricity and put the assembly between a pair of washers. I threaded a nut onto the bolt and held the nut in a vice while I tightened the bolt. Worked like a charm!


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

It's all kind of like an erector set for grownups, right! Looking good, Albert!


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Today I began working on the gantry end plates by bolting on the stepper motors. Next I attempted to install the rollers on the opposite side of the gantry plate and immediately hit a snag. The drawings call for M5 x 30 mm low profile screws for attaching the roller assemblies to the gantry plate. I searched high and low and could not find these screws. I went on line and ordered 30 of these buggers and now I have to wait on the USPS. Meanwhile I thought I might bore you with how and why I selected the spindle for my CNC router.










*The Router Spindle*

Like most everything else involving CNC routers, there are a variety of spindle types out there. Some made for wood, some made for metal, etc. As usual there are many factors involved when choosing a spindle for either your pre-build machine, or your homemade CNC machine.

If you are building a CNC machine, then you also need to make important decisions regarding the router spindle. Again, I realize a lot of hobbyists are bound by budget and that surely applies to me. After all, that’s part of the challenge. However, there are many choices to choose from within the same price bracket.

One of the most important decisions for the hobbyists, I believe, is the noise level. If you are anywhere near neighbors or your own house, then this is a huge consideration. You don’t want to be running an extremely loud machine for hours at a time.

*Power*
When looking at trim routers that can be adapted for CNC use, I see that they are all in the 1 HP range. This is equivalent to 746 watts of power. So this gave me a good starting point. However when you look at standard routers such as the Bosch 1617es and the DeWalt DW618K, they are both rated at 2.25 HP or 1.68 kw. This is sufficient power to more than handle any woodworking jobs I will attempt. Many spindle motors are listed by their rating in kilowatts instead of horsepower, so I will be searching for a spindle motor in the 0.8 to 1.5 kw range. 

A 1.5-KW motor is a good choice for mid-sized to smaller machines, as well as even some large benchtop machines. You can perform the most common operations on wood and plastic workpieces as well as cut out parts from aluminum sheet.

*220 volts vs. 110 volts*
While it's said that an electric motor doesn't "know" the difference between 110 and 220, your electric service will. A motor running on 220 pulls half the amperage than on 110. Thus, if you want to use a 2 HP motor, it will pull about 18-21 amps on a 110 circuit. If, however, you want a 2 HP (1.5 KW) motor on your CNC machine running on 110, you'll have to furnish a 30 amp circuit which means a new breaker and heavier wire since pulling 20+ amps on a 12ga. wire can be done, but you're asking for trouble, a possible fire, and complaints from family members when the lights blink every time you turn on the machine, not to mention numerous breaker trips. Since the wiring is already in place, I can convert to 220 by simply installing a 220 volt breaker in the panel box. It’s a no brainer!

*Air Cooled vs. Water Cooled*
While searching through the advantages and disadvantages of hand held routers in the 1 HP range, one of the complaints was that these machines tend to run very hot, often to the point where the operator can no longer hold the router. Looking over the many choices available, it seems to me that 1 HP is the breakeven point for air vs. water cooling. There are other factors impacting how hot the router will get. Some jobs on the CNC may run an hour or more. Another factor is how hard the machine is working, i.e. type of material, depth of cut, etc. So, all things being equal, IMHO a water-cooled spindle is preferable to air cooled once we hit the 1 HP (.746 KW) point. Closed loop cooling systems for computer MPUs are cheap and readily available. In addition, water-cooled spindles are quieter than air-cooled.

*Why Choose VFD Spindles*
VFD spindles are a great alternative to using hand held routers to power your CNC machine. Hand routers are designed for small jobs in your hand not for running for hours on end. Hand routers often handle this unintended workload surprisingly well however they are in almost every way the wrong tool for the job.

*VFD Spindle Pros:*

Significantly quieter than handheld routers
Better speed range and availability of collet sizes.
Much higher duty cycle – they are designed to run all day.
No brushes to wear out.
Higher torque in lower speed range
Considerably better tool runout (accuracy) which leads to higher quality output and longer tool life.
GCode Control (automatic control from software) – Most often (depending on the CNC controller) you can start/stop and set the speed of the spindle via G-code and also override these speeds from the machine control software in real-time.
*VFD Spindle Cons:*

Price – doing it right with approved products will absolutely cost more than picking up a handheld router and bolting it to a CNC machine.
Potentially RF Noisy (electronically not audibly) – Cheap or incorrectly commissioned/programmed VFD’s can send you down a rabbit hole chasing EMF noise-causing all sorts of failures during machining. It’s hard to chase noise without an oscilloscope and training.
At the end of the day the advantages of VFD significantly outweigh the disadvantages. Today we have pre-engineered systems that are truly plug and play.
And the Winner is….
*Vevor 1.5kw 220v Water Cooled Spindle Motor Kit: VFD, Clamp, Pump, Pipe, and 14pcs ER-11*

*







*

The kit includes the spindle motor itself, the VFD, fourteen collet inserts, a 5-m roll of tubing, a submersible water pump, and a spindle motor mounting bracket. The collet size this motor uses is ER11, which is relatively small and only allows you to use bits with a shank less than 7 mm (.276”). You could upgrade the collet assembly, but you would have to consider the limitations of the motor before attempting to put any really large bits in it. With that having been said, it is highly unlikely that we will be using tools with a shank greater than ¼” (6 mm).

Size: 1.5 KW
Cooling: Water cooling with pump and hoses included
Control style: 220-V AC VFD with computer control
Collet size: ER11
Rated speed: 0-24,000 RPM
Price: ~$270
Available from: Vevor 
The only concern I have is the quality of the VFD drive at this price point. However I will go with this package to start with. If the drive begins to present a problem I will replace it with a Hitachi WJ200-015SSF. One other note – I plan to ditch the pump supplied with this package in favor of a closed loop CPU cooling system.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

I like your reasoning, Albert. I went with the Hitachi WJ200 - 022SF because it is a far better VFD than the Chinese models and it has far less electrical noise. One thing that I've learned is that Bosch and other companies that tout horsepower ratings for their routers tend to exaggerate their numbers whereas the spindle rating is likely a true(r) number. 

My spindle is a 3kW water cooled and yes, it is very quiet and runs very cool. I think the longest job I've run is about 45 minutes and both the spindle and bit were easily handled with bare hands when the job finished. I don't recall the spindle ever getting above just slightly warm.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Been a few days since my last post. Been extremely busy with work, college visits with my grandson and did I mention that I mentor a teen robotics club. Still I managed to get a little work done on the router.

Finished wiring the VFD electrical panel. The inputs and output wires connect to terminal strips at the top of the panel.









As mentioned in a previous post, the kit did not come with any 30 mm M5 low profile screws. I had to order some and they finally showed up. I finished attaching the wheels to both gantry plates. The bottom wheels are installed with eccentric spacers to permit a tight fit to the rails.









Next I worked on the X-axis gantry front plate by attaching the spacer blocks and 8 mm Acme nut block. I have some concerns about the nut block as it does not seem to be fitting up square to the rest of the plate. I will keep an eye on this and if it becomes a problem I will have to enlarge one of the holes and pin the block to the plate in order to get it into alignment.

I then attached the wheels to the spacer blocks. The wheels on one side are fitted to eccentric spacers for adjustment.











Finally, I have been pondering how to attach the beast of a spindle to the 2060 V-slot carriage. As you can see from the photo, the mounting bracket base is much wider than the 2060 Z-axis V slot. My solution is to manufacture a carrier plate that can be bolted securely to the 2060 with extensions at one end to accommodate the M8 spindle bracket mounting bolts. The carrier plate would be attached with eight M5 screws.

I ordered a 3/16" thick sheet of T6061 aluminum 12" x 12". I drew up the carrier plate in AutoCad from measurements taken from the spindle mounting bracket and the 2060 carrier rail. When my aluminum plate shows up, I'll cut out the part on the robotics club CNC router.

Last night while fitting all the pieces together I realized that the overhang from the spindle mounting bracket is going to interfere with the V-wheel mounting bolts thus restricting the amount of Z-axis travel to about 3". I would like at least 4" of travel and preferably 5" depending on the height of the spoiler board. As the build progresses I will make a determination of exactly how much Z-travel is available. At that point I may opt to buy a longer 2060 carrier and lead screw (250 mm). We shall see as we progress.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Some Thoughts on Spindle Mounting*

If we go back and look at my first post, I attached a stock photo of a complete OX-CNC Router. I you look closely at the photo you can see clearly that the V-rail for the Z-axis is supported by four rollers. Because of the heavy overhung load due to the heavy spindle and mount, it would be highly desirable to have the extra rigidity provided by the fourth roller.










This would seem on the surface to be a straightforward modification. Simply replace the existing 3-hole spacer block with a 4-hole spacer block, add an extra pair of wheels and Bob’s your uncle. Hold on! Not so fast my friends. This is turning out to be a bit more of a slog than I first supposed.

Based on the stock photo showing four rollers, one would think that a 4-hole spacer block would be readily available from one of the on-line suppliers of OX kits. Such is not the case! I have scoured the internet looking for a 4-hole spacer block and have come up with zilch – nada. Oh, there are lots of 3-hole spacer blocks to be had, but no 4-hole, at least not that I have been able to come up with.

The next avenue I explored was making my own 4-hole spacer blocks. The original spacer blocks that came with the kit were fabricated from 12mm x 20mm anodized aluminum. This size is not readily available, at least in small quantities so I opted for ½” x ¾” aluminum stock which is easily obtained at fairly low cost. I drew up the part in AutoCad but ran into another snag. The eccentric adjustment spacer is a precision fit into a 7.13mm hole which is not a standard drill size. Grainger offers a 7.13mm reamer at the bargain price of $176.00. What I _don’t_ want is a loose fit on the eccentric; otherwise I would be better off with no fourth wheel. So that essentially kills the idea of manufacturing my own spacer blocks.

So, how to get that fourth wheel installed without breaking the bank and re-designing the Z-axis? My solution is to buy a 3-hole spacer block, saw off each end and mount it to the X-axis plate above the existing 3-hole spacer block. This way I would only have to drill a pair of holes in the X-axis plate to accommodate the 5mm fixing screws. See the attached drawing for details.










So in order to make these mods I ordered a pair of wheel assemblies, a spacer block, some ¼” spacers, a pair of eccentric spacers and hardware for installation. While at it I also ordered an anti-backlash nut block to replace the one that came with the kit. So now we wait.

*Electrical Cabinet*

Meanwhile, I got started on the electrical cabinet by installing the exhaust outlets at the top of the cabinet and the fans in the bottom of the cabinet. The fiberglass reinforced plastic is tough as hell on saw blades. Completely destroyed two blades cutting the holes for the inlet and outlet.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Great to see how this build is progressing, Albert.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Not much going on in the shop these past few days. Been working on the electrical panel layout and component placement. This will determine where to put the penetrations for the cables to the stepper motors and limit switches.
Referring to the attached drawing (sorry if it’s cocked a little), the toroid transformer, 10,000uF capacitor and 50 amp full wave bridge comprise the 36 volt power supply. The transformer is double wound with each winding rated at 7.5 amps. I am wiring them in parallel to increase the overall capacity to 15 amps.








In the upper right hand corner are the auxiliary power supplies. There is a 24 volt power supply dedicated to the RMHV3.1, another 24 volt supply for the contactor coil located on the VFD panel and a 12 volt supply for the fans. These are DIN rail power supplies and take up very little room in the cabinet. (See photo).

I used conventional terminal strips for the 36 volt DC and 110 volt AC distribution.

For the control wiring I decided to use DIN rail terminal blocks. These are quite convenient to use since all you have to do is strip the end of the wire, insert and snap shut for a solid connection. The ID for each terminal block corresponds to one of the wires coming from the DB25 connector except for the 24 volt RMHV3.1 power which goes directly to the DIN mounted power supply. In the process of laying out the connections for the terminal block, I realized I forgot to include the separate 12 volt supply and ground connections for the probe and limit switches. I will have to go back into the control box and add these.


















Happy Thanksgiving everyone and thanks for watching my thread.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Continuing on from my previous post, I have spent quite a few hours working on this project with not a lot to show for it. Nevertheless I have been soldiering on with most of the time spent on mounting the electrical components to the sub-plate which will get installed in the electrical cabinet. A good bit of time was spent putting labels on all the terminals. In addition, I installed the DB25 connector into the side of the electrical cabinet as well as the 4 connectors for the stepper motors.



















I got tired of waiting for the spacer block that I was going to partition (see post #23) so I took one of the existing spacer blocks and cut it up in order to prove the concept. Seems to work pretty well - now I just need the other spacer block to finish the Z-plate assembly.










*How are we doing with the budget?*

Way back in post #1 I estimated the cost of this project to be $2000. Every project manager has to track expenses vs. budget so this is where we stand to date:

OX CNC kit $514.86
CNC Controller $291.50
Electrical Cabinet $143.99
Spindle & Accessories $262.99
Stepper Drivers $ 84.76
Misc. Elec. & Mech. parts $396.97

*Total Spending $1695.07*


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

I like following your posts, but starting to get a bit too technical for this old brain.... LOL


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Been a busy week, but I finally got all of the mechanical parts I need to get on with the build. I installed the new spacer block and anti-backlash nut on to the front plate of the X-axis assembly. I test fitted the Z-axis 2060 V-slot and everything looks good. I adjusted the eccentrics so all the wheels turn and the 2060 slides up and down without binding.










Next I attached the NEMA 23 stepper motor to the X-axis gantry back plate. This was followed by joining the front and back plates together with the rollers and appropriate spacers sandwiched in between.










Next we moved on to the Z-axis assembly. Here is where we ran into a bit of difficulty. The Bill of Materials specifies the spacer between the motor and the end plate to be 40 mm. However, when I assembled the unit this resulted in the motor coupling hitting up against the end plate. I took everything apart and measured the spacers and found that they were only 38 mm long. To solve the problem I used three 1 mm precision shims to increase the distance to 41 mm. This gave me 1 mm clearance between the coupling and the end plate.

























Next I attached the motor assembly to the Z-axis 2060 V-slot. Then I slid the X-gantry assembly onto the Z-axis V-slot and threaded in the Acme lead screw into the flexible coupling. Then I tightened the coupling and brought the lock collar up against the bearing and tightened it as well. To finish off the Z-axis assembly, I slid the lock collar and bearing on to the lead screw and then attached the bottom plate to the 2060 V-slot. I adjusted all the eccentrics so that the Z-axis assembly moved freely when turning the coupling by hand and that all the wheels were contacting the V-slot.

Now it was time to move on to the X-Axis gantry assembly. The X-axis gantry consists of three aluminum extrusions: two 2060 x 500 mm and one 2040 x 500 mm as well as two side plates with NEMA 23 stepper motors attached. I started by attaching one of the side plates to the aluminum extrusions. Next I slid the X/Z gantry assembly onto the aluminum extrusions as well as sliding in some T-nuts for attaching the reinforcing corner brackets. Next, I attached the other side plate as well as the reinforcing corner brackets and we now have a complete X-gantry assembly. Before going any further I will check to make sure everything is square and plumb.


























Sooner rather than later I must get back to the electrical wiring, but in the words of Scarlett O'hara " Tomorrow is another day"


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

While checking to be sure that everything is square and plumb I identified two problems. One of the issues involves mounting the spindle, which I will address a bit later. However, my immediate concern is that the Z-axis is not plumb. I spent a couple of hours measuring and thinking about the problem and I believe I have identified the root cause.

Using a machinist’s square I checked the plumb of the left side spacer vs. the right side spacer. First the left side. I pushed the straight edge up against the spacer block and observed whether or not the base was sitting squarely on the work plate. Indeed it was as I could not discern any gap whatsoever between the base and the work plate. Note that the bubble is just a touch off center to the left. This is shown in the following photo:










Next I moved to the right side and repeated the procedure. Here is where things began to get a bit sticky. I slid the machinist square along the work table until it just contacted the spacer block. I immediately observed that the base of the machinist square was still firmly on the work table but the bubble had shifted considerably to the right.










This was certainly an indication that the right spacer block was not square and perpendicular to the work table. But by how much was the question. Next, I moved the scale until it contacted the entire spacer block. Then I observed the relation of the base to the spacer block, there was a significant gap as shown in the next photo.










So where do we go from here? One option is to scrap the entire project and take up basket weaving or needlepoint. But that isn’t gonna happen!

Here’s what we’re going to do: Dis-assemble the whole bloody works and find out why the left side spacer blocks are cocked out of plumb. Fix the problem and I’ll get back to you.

As far as the spindle mount goes, my original thought was to machine an adapter plate to attach the spindle mount. But that would not work because of interference with the spacer mounting bolts. I decided to order a totally different spindle mount and we will see how that works out. Talk about project cost creep!

Meanwhile, I’ve got a bit of electrical wiring to deal with.


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## TimPa (Jan 4, 2011)

looking pretty good, enjoying your build, thanks for posting it!
on the spindle mounting plate, you can "design in" some adjustablity for tramming the spindle (oversized/elongated holes?). typically, one axis is trammed by loosening the mointing screws and shifting the spindle until perpindicular to the table. the other axis is trammed by inserting shim material strategically where needed between the spinle and mounting plate. probably a good idea to get it close now, then do a final check later when you get it all assembled and locked down.

tramming is easiest done by bending a 1/4" rod into a z shape. insert one end into a 1/4" collet. rotate the rod around so you can see where the rod is closer or farther from the table. hope i described it well enough, i'm sure there are utubes about it.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Acknowledgement*

Thanks for the input Tim. I’m not quite at the stage where I will do actual tramming, but I will use your input when I get down to the final tramming and leveling. One quick question: Steelers or Eagles?

*Progress*

This is going to be somewhat difficult to describe, even using photos; but I will give it my best shot.

I completely dis-assembled the entire gantry, then proceeded to re-assemble it step by step. This time, instead of tightening the bolts as I went along, I left everything loose and only tightened everything at the end when it was square and level. Also, I alternated the tightening sequence so that one side or one sub-assembly would be torque balanced as I proceeded. Another significant change in the re-assembly process involved the Z-axis support rollers. I will try my best to explain.

If you go back and review posts #23 and #28 you will see that I added a 4th support roller for the Z-axis spindle support. If you look carefully, you can see that the spacer blocks for both sides are machined identical; that is they are machined with 7.12 mm openings for a 6 mm eccentric spacer. Aha! But the instructions provided say to use a 6 mm aluminum spacer on one side and a 6 mm spacer on the other.










So, I removed the 6 mm aluminum spacers and replaced them with the 6 mm eccentric spacers. Now I had some adjustment available when I wanted to tram my router. Each eccentric provides up to 1.25 mm of linear adjustment, so if I adjusted the eccentric 1 mm on the right, I could compensate 1 mm to the left and thus adjust the perpendicularity of my spindle. Jeez, I hope that makes sense to whoever is reading this!

OK folks, here is the bottom line: after re-assembling the entire gantry, and incorporating the techniques mentioned above, everything is within 0.5 degrees of perpendicularity which I expect to correct when I do the final tramming.

And now, if you don't mind, can we get back to the electrical wiring?


























The inclinometer images represent the top of the Z-axis stepper motor, the X-axis gantry rail, and the base that the entire assembly rests on.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*It's Beginning to look like a CNC Router*

I was on a roll today! I started by fitting the gantry assembly to the 2080 x 750 mm side rails. These side rails sit on top of two 2040 x 494 mm cross pieces at each end of the base assembly. The "X" and "Y" rails are joined by a special end plate that you can see in the photos. In hindsight I should have made a drawing of these end plates because I cannot find them anywhere from the usual sources on the internet.

Well, I'm not going to disassemble this puppy just to take measurements and make a drawing.

Next, I added the 454 mm long piece of 2040 above the 4954 mm long pieces (the photos tell it all better than I can describe). It's important to mention that you have to plan ahead in order to avoid dis assembling later just to add some "T" nuts. So, I inserted 3 T-nuts into the top of the 454 mm 2040 for attaching the spoiler board, two additional T-nuts in the 494 mm section for attachment of the router to the plywood base, as well as the T-nuts required for the triple L-brackets.

Finally, I added the two 2080 x 710 mm Y-axis spoiler board supports and base frame stiffeners. These were secured to the 2040 cross pieces with triple L Brackets as shown in the photos.

During the entire assembly process, I was constantly checking the assembly for squareness using machinist squares and calipers. When I was satisfied with the squareness and alignment i tightened all of the fastening screws.

Mechanically, I see five major steps to accomplish going forward:

Install the timing belt mechanical dive system
Mount the spindle
Mount the spindle cooling system
Install the spoil(er) board
Fasten the router to the table base
Tomorrow I am off to Lowes to buy some MDF. I promised to help my grandson with his physics project, and I may (not promising) get back to wiring the control panel.

I want to emphasize once again that the instruction set that I am working from is NOT the same machine that I am building. However, it is a helpful guide as I slog through this process.

Until next post...


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Looking really good. Kinda cool seeing one without any dust on it but they'll get dusty pretty soon once you begin using it.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

As promised, getting into the wiring of this puppy. First, I finished all of the openings into the electrical cabinet and installed the rocker switch, the fuse holder and the IEC electrical power connector.

All of the external connections other than the DB25 will be via 4-pin aircraft connectors. I mounted these on the side panel below the DB25.

A good deal of time was spent crimping and installing the contacts into the DB25 making sure that they matched up with the connections to the controller.

I wired up all of the 110 VAC connections to the 12V and 24 V power supplies. Still need to tie all of the grounds together.


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## TimPa (Jan 4, 2011)

looks like you are having great fun! and doing a really nice job at the same time. thanks for posting. there is light at the end of the tunnel!


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Thanks Tim,

You're right, I'm having a ball doing this project but I'll have more fun making sawdust!


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

@Albert Z Hey Al... your avatar. I've seen it before. What movie?
Looks like Burgess.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

The Movie is _*Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb*_ It was released in 1964

The actor in the avatar is Peter Sellers playing the role of Dr. Strangelove. In the movie he also played the roles of RAF Group Captain Lionel Mandrake and President of the United States Merkin Muffley.

Produced and directed by the incomparable Stanley Kubrick.


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

Albert Z said:


> The Movie is _*Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb*_ It was released in 1964...


OK... seen that on youtube a couple years back. Now Yoohoo wants you to buy or rent it. No thanks.
But thanx for the info!


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Spoiler Board*

Went down to my local Lowes and purchased a 4' x 8' sheet of MDF. Took two of us to get it off the shelf and over to the cutting station. It yielded five pieces of spoiler board 17-7/8" x 29-1/2" enough for a lifetime (mine anyway).  

Set one of the pieces into the router and it fit perfectly!










*Electrical Control Cabinet*

Meanwhile, back in the electrical department:


Finished all 110 VAC connections
Finished wiring up the 36 VDC bus and distribution
Wired up the 12 VDC connections for the cooling fans
Wired up the 24 VDC power connections for the RMHV3.1 controller
Completed all of the connections from the DB25 to the distribution blocks on the DIN rail
Completed all of the wiring into and out of the stepper motor controllers
Next I took my DVM and checked for any short circuits as well as continuity from the distribution blocks on the DIN rail to the DB25 as well as the stepper motor controllers. I plugged in an IDE power cord and connected the controller box to the electrical panel via the DB25.

Without any further procrastination I flipped the power switch on and...

Voila!!!

The fans are running, the stepper motor drivers are energized, the RMHV3.1 controller is energized and sees no faults.

There is much more to do. I have to wire up the limit switch outputs as well as the spindle control outputs. Then, after testing, I have to re-locate the electrical control panel to the router cabinet base. Then, connect the stepper motors and make sure we have proper rotation.

Meanwhile we still have to address the 220 VAC side and the spindle VFD.

So here are some pics from a rather exciting week for an electrical geek:


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas holiday! Time to get back to the build.

*Spindle Mounting Issues*

As you may remember from one of my earlier posts (#20 & #23), the spindle I purchased came with a mounting bracket, and quite a mounting bracket it is! Weighing in at over 2 pounds this is an impressive hunk of metal. However, try as I might, and in consultation with some other knowledgeable folks it was determined that this mount would not work out for my build. So, I searched the net and found what I considered a suitable replacement and ordered it. Here is a pic of the bracket that came with the spindle:










The new bracket arrived this past week. Unfortunately, using this new bracket is not going to be as straightforward as I anticipated. The biggest obstacle is the interference with the roller mounting screws. These screws protrude past the rollers and lock nuts 3.7 mm and interfere with anything bolted to the Z-axis 2060 that extends past the 60 mm footprint.











If I shortened the roller attachments crews from 65 mm to 60 mm there would not be sufficient penetration into the lock nut.

I had purchased a 12” square of 3/16” (4.7 mm) Type 6061 aluminum plate which I was going to use in order to fabricate an adapter to use with the original spindle mounting bracket. As I mentioned previously, the screws protrude 3.7 mm past the lock nut. By attaching the new mounting bracket to a spacer plate fabricated from the 3/16” stock we can achieve 1 mm clearance between the new spindle mounting bracket and the protruding roller mounting screws.

Now 1 mm is not very much, so I plan to place a 1mm washer under the head of each roller mounting screw. There is plenty of clearance in back of the mounting plate to facilitate this. The result will be to reduce the protrusion to 2.7 mm, and provide clearance of 2 mm between the screws and the spindle mounting bracket. Or…………

I can simply take out my Dremel, attach a cutoff wheel, and cut the bolt protrusion flush with the nut. Always a very good possibility.

Here is a drawing of the spacer I intend to use sandwiched between the Z-axis 2060 rail and the spindle mounting bracket. Notice that the spindle mounting bracket and spacer are attached to the Z-axis rail with the 5 mm dia. screws.









Finally, there is one other issue that needs to be addressed. The Z-axis rail in my router is 60 mm wide. The new spindle mounting bracket that I just purchased can be used for both 60 mm wide and 80 mm wide rails, but……….

When you bolt on the right angle corner brackets using the 60 mm mounting holes, the corner brackets protrude into the spindle opening. I will have to grind or mill off a portion of the corner bracket in order to fit the spindle into the bracket opening.










As it turned out, I spent about 15 minutes with a half-round bastard file and the spindle slipped right into the hole.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Re-engineering at its finest. Good job.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Woo! Yoo!

I have my DB25 cable from the controller to the main electrical cabinet checked out and no problems.

Next, I made up a 4-conductor cable to go from the main electrical panel to each individual stepper motor. Now for the moment of truth.

I connected the X-axis cable to the X-axis motor using a 4-position terminal strip. I powered up the main electrical cabinet, reset the hand held controller, set the mode to _*MPG*_ and rotated the MPG wheel. Yeah! The X-axis motor moves. I then changed modes to _*step*_ and the X-axis motor moved one step each time I pressed the controller button. Finally I switched the mode to _*CONT *_and pressed the X- axis button and the motor ran as long as I kept the button pressed. Worked in the opposite direction as well.

I repeated the process with the Z-axis. Here I had to be a bit careful because I only had about 1/2" of travel due to the bloody screws sticking out. (See my previous post). Yet again I experienced great results in all three modes.

Moving on to the Y-axis, I repeated the same procedure, only this time there was no movement of the Y-axis motors. Time for some troubleshooting, but not tonight. I am dead tired after fighting with lasers all day. Should not be a difficult problem to solve.

By the way, is it possible to post videos?


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Albert Z said:


> By the way, is it possible to post videos?


If they're hosted on a site like YouTube. Widescreen videos preferred over portrait video, btw.


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## TimPa (Jan 4, 2011)

that is great progress, you gotta love it when things move, correctly!
remember to terminate and ground the shields at the controller box end, and not at the other end. if you already knew that, sorry.
thanks for posting your build.


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

TimPa said:


> _remember to terminate and ground the shields at the controller box end, and not at the other end. if you already knew that, sorry._


Not a thing wrong with some sage advice! Better to remind everyone, whether you know or not to prevent future mishaps. Should it happen eventually... well you'll learn a lesson.

Looking forward to the video AlbertZ

When you going to take orders


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Hope everyone had an enjoyable, healthy and safe New Year Holiday.

With that being said, let's get back to the business of building a CNC router. Recall from my previous post that I had the X-axis and Z-axis working in all three modes.

Continuous
Pulse
MPG
However, the Y-axis motors would not operate in either of the three modes.

I have a handy little DMM that has the capability to display waveforms (what wont they think of next?). I checked the pulse output for the X and Z axes and sure enough I got a pulse waveform. I was lokking for something resembling a square wave or trapezoidal pulse, but hey, as the paramedic said, "I got a pulse".

Ah, but there is no pulse signal on the Y-axis when measured at the terminal board. I checked the Y-axis pulse terminal in the RMHV3.1 controller, and the controller was doing its thing generating a pulse. I checked the continuity all the way back to the terminal board in the main electrical cabinet. That is where I was losing my signal!

I pulled the wire out of the terminal block and checked for pulse. Yes! It's there!

All of the signal wires going into the terminal distribution blocks are 22 AWG. 22 AWG is the threshold for reliable contact.

My solution was to put ferrules on all of the signal leads going into the terminal distribution blocks. I now have control of all three axes through the RMHV3.1 controller.  

Meanwhile other things are happening with spindle mount modifications which I will detail in a subsequent post.

Albert


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Been under the weather the past few days – just wanted to stay in bed, stay warm and sleep. Finally got back to the shop last night and got some mechanical work done and a bit of wiring in the electrical cabinet.

Recall back in Post #41 I discussed some of the spindle mounting issues that I was experiencing. Basically, the new spindle mounting bracket that I had purchased was hitting the roller mounting screws. What I needed was an adapter plate in order to mount the spindle mounting bracket to the Z-axis rail.

I procured a piece of 3/16: aluminum plate and cut out an adapter on an _Axiom Auto Route Pro+ B18_ using _Vectric 2D_ software. I got the part home and found out I had a problem. The spacing of the gaps in the Z-axis rail are 40 mm center-to-center. I assumed the spacing of the holes on the right-angle mounting brackets would also be 40 mm center-to-center. Wrong! The holes were 42 mm center-to-center and resulted in the screws hitting the sides of the mounting holes.

























Rather than bastardize the mounting bracket, I trudged back to our maker space and cut a new adapter plate with the correct hole spacing and I made the plate a bit shorter and narrower. The holes for mounting the spindle bracket were drilled and tapped for M5 screws. The three holes at the top and bottom of the plate were drilled to 5.5 mm. Then I got sick.

After regaining my strength, I went down to the shop and attached the spindle mounting bracket to the adapter plate using four M5 x 10 mm screws. Then this sub-assembly was attached to the Z-axis rail using six M5 x 10 mm screws. Finally, I inserted the spindle into the mounting bracket and tightened it down. I didn’t take time to get everything perfectly plumb because I was anxious to see how the NEMA 23 stepper motor would handle the load. I energized the electrical cabinet and ran the spindle up and down using the controller and the MGP. The motor handled the load without breaking a sweat. Everything looks good except those screws are only 1 mm away from the mounting plate as you can see in the photos. 

























I was on a roll so I decided to install the pulleys on the Y-axis and X-axis motors and proceed with the GT3 belt installation. It was here that I ran into another problem. The GT3 belt is secured at each end of the rail sliding the belt under a T-nut and clamping down with a 5 mm screw. This assumes that you have room under the T-nut to slide in the belt. This only works if you have flat T-nuts. I prefer to use machined T-nuts which have more thread and provide more secure attachment when mounting to the rails. However, they don’t work so well when you want to use them to clamp down the ends of the timing belt. I ordered some flat T-nuts from McMaster Carr which will be delivered on Tuesday. That will finish up the mechanical assembly.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

I mis-spoke! I ordered the flat T-nuts from Amazon and they were delivered today!

I installed and secured the timing belt on the X-axis and gave it a quick test. The motor missed steps and stalled if I kept pressing the button. Not good. I went into the controller and found that the pulses per unit was set at 1260. I kept backing that down until the speed was roughly where I wanted it and the motor was running smooth. I set it at 80 pulses per unit and did the same for the Y-axis. I set the Z-axis to 320 pulses per unit and that gives just about the right speed. Later when everything is assembled, I will calibrate the axes and set these parameters so that they are spot on.

Tomorrow I will enlist the aid of my grandson and try to shoot some video of everything in motion.

Below is a shot of the waveform on the X-axis with the pulses per unit set at 1260. Note that each increment on the horizontal (time) axis is 5 microseconds.









The next picture shows the waveform with the pulse per unit set at 80. We have a nice clean square wave with just a bit of noise superimposed. That should clean up when I finish wiring up all the grounds.










I am a very happy camper!


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Just a quick update this evening............

I had used 4-pin aircraft connectors to run cable to the stepper motors. What I completely overlooked was how to tie the shields to ground back at the electrical panel. I could have run an external wire tied to the shield back into the panel, but that would have looked like crap, although electrically feasible. Instead, I ordered some 5-pin connectors, and I am in the process of converting from 4-pin to 5-pin and bringing the grounds inside the cabinet in this manner.

Meanwhile I ordered some limit switches with integral switch bounce elimination circuitry. Trying to figure out how to mount them.

Finally, it occurred to me that in my last post I kept referencing a specific page in my controller that most of you would have no idea what I was talking about. So here is a pic of the specific page where you can set up the motor parameters.










Meanwhile, I am trying to figure out what post-processor this controller uses that is compatible with Vectric V-carve. 
I would like to shoot a video with the machine actually executing a profile without the spindle and bit.

AZ


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## TimPa (Jan 4, 2011)

Albert Z said:


> Meanwhile I ordered some limit switches with integral switch bounce elimination circuitry. Trying to figure out how to mount them.


not sure which type you ordered, but you want to mount them such that if the switch/circuitry were to fail, the switch does not get smashed. seen it happen too many times, bad design.

its great to see the use of an oscope. had one tied to my hip for 19 years. looking for a used 2 channel, have to recap an old stereo receiver. that 1052 looks nice...


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Finished installing the timing belts and exchanged the 4-pin motor connectors for 5-pin motor connectors. Time to see if we can start moving things using the RMHV3.3 controller.

You can see the results here:

CNC Router Stepper Motor Test - YouTube


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

I feel like Jethro Bodine after he finished repairing a car. He was left wondering why he had all these extra parts left over. It turns out that I had two X-shaped pieces left over and couldn't seem to figure out what they were for. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but the kit did NOT come with instructions nor was there one available online. However, I did find a set of instructions online for the OX router and that is what I used. Unfortunately, nowhere was the installation of the X-pieces mentioned.

I went back to the vendor from whom I purchased the kit and perused photos of the finished builds. That is how I figured out the purpose for these parts. They are to reinforce the gantry assembly and take the cantilever load off of the rollers. This allows the load on the rollers to be distributed evenly.

Starting with one side I removed the nuts securing the rollers. Then, keeping pressure on the bearing assembly, I removed the shorter screw and inserted a longer 45 mm screw. Then I slipped a 6 mm spacer over the longer screw. I did this for all seven rollers. Then I slipped the X-piece over the screws and replaced the locking nuts. I repeated the process for the other side. The result is that it stiffened up the gantry considerably. The only slop remaining in the entire assembly is in the Z-axis. I'll discuss this in a subsequent post. 

The attached photos will give you a pretty good idea of what I am talking about here.

Does anyone remember *"The Beverly Hillbillies"*


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

It's about time I checked out the spindle operation. But before I get into that, let's review the power distribution on my build. First, we look at the 110 VAC power distribution. The wiring schema is shown below:








You will see that power supply PS3 energizes a contactor coil located on the VFD panel. So, when the 110 VAC is switched on the contactor energizes and the 220 VAC to the VFD is also switched on.

Next, here is the wiring schema for the 220 VAC panel. Without wiring the interface to the RMHV3.1 controller, we should be able to manually operate the spindle.








Here is a photo of the 220 VAC panel:









The connection to the spindle motor is at the far right side of the panel (nothing plugged in yet).

After carefully checking all the wiring connections, I hooked up everything except the signal wires to the RMHV3.1 controller. I wanted to see if I could manually control the speed of the spindle motor.

You can see the results on this U-tube video.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Looking for Some Input from Those Following This Thread*

After making the adapter plate for the spindle mount, I am still not satisfied with the robustness of the entire assembly. Clearly the spindle mounting arrangement was intended for a much smaller spindle than the one I have chosen. I am concerned with the overall machine height. Without doing a FEA, it is clear that the possibility of induced harmonic vibration exists. I would like to relocate the Z-axis stepper motor to reduce the overall height of the assembly..

I am not happy with the design wherein the Z-axis rail moves up and down with the spindle. Also, the 2060 aluminum extrusion rail is relatively puny. I would prefer to see a more robust support for the spindle mount.

I have been puzzling over where to mount the home and end of travel limit switches. Since the rail moves with the spindle, I would have to fabricate a pair of brackets that attach to the X-axis rails. They would be prone to damage and would further restrict the X-axis travel.

I have been considering a possible upgrade for the OX CNC Router using C-Beam aluminum extrusion. The C-Beam (4080) would form the Z-axis rail and the length would be increased to 330 mm instead of the existing 200 mm. This would permit approximately six inches of travel instead of the current three inches. The C-Beam would be fixed and would bolt to the X-axis carriage assembly. The Z-axis motor would be mounted behind the C-Beam and power transmitted to the lead screw via a timing belt. 

Pros:


Lower overall machine height
Lower center of gravity - less vibrations
Easier to reach Z axis to manually turn (versus reaching in between motor and C-Beam in the conventional setup) for manually adjusting Z Zero
Increase the travel distance to six inches
Future: Reduction Drive (Pulley ratios) for even more torque
Provide a place for mounting the limit switches since the rail is fixed and does not move up and down.
Cons:


More parts
Cost: At least another $100
Probably be required to disassemble the entire X-axis assembly
Time: Lost time when I could be getting ready to make things.
I will need to order some additional parts:


1 x 500 mm long C-Beam (to be cut down to 330 mm)
1 x Double Wide Gantry Plate
1 x 500 mm long 8 mm Acme lead screw (to be cut down to ~330 mm)
1 x C-Beam End Mount
1 x NEMA 23 Reduction / Stand Off Plate
1 x 3GT (GT2-3M) Timing Pulley - 20 Tooth - 9mm Belt - .25" Bore
1 x 3GT (GT2-3M) Timing Pulley - 20 Tooth - 9mm Belt - 8mm Clamp Bore
1 x 3GT (GT2-3M) 9mm Timing Belt - Closed Loop
Since I have not carved my first piece of wood, it is quite possible that the existing Z-axis assembly will work quite well. Or I may be rather disappointed which would lead to discouragement. Should I bite the bullet now? Or should I take a chance and see how things work out. I am interested in your opinion. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Albert


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Cannot help you with that one, Albert.

Not a CNC user, just following the thread to see how it works out for you....

IMO, since you have invested so much time, effort and money, I would continue to, at least, a testing stage.....


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

@Albert Z you got this far... please continue. Once done post another video w/ first cut. ditto @jw2170 

Nice that you're detailed w/ description as baffling as it is to me that I wished I would have taken the time to learn
the electronics stuff. Oh well.

Being discouraged doesn't happen here and there are no bullets for biting, so you'll have to continue.

Take the chance, we're in your shoes now.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Z-Axis Upgrade*

After careful consideration, I decided to go ahead and order parts for the Z-axis upgrade. Here is the way I see it: I want more Z-axis travel and I need a method for mounting the home as well as the end-of-travel limit switches. If the upgrade would have cost several hundred dollars, I might have settled for the existing configuration, but the total cost for upgrade parts will be around $100. A considerable sum to be sure on my limited budget, but doable.

*Limit Switch Configuration*

Speaking of limit switches, I finally decided that I would use Hall effect sensors. For those not familiar with Hall Effect sensors, they are a type of proximity switch, but they are triggered by a magnet. A major downside to using Hall Effect switches if you are machining ferrous materials is that the magnets tend to accumulate metal filings.

The biggest advantage is that there are no mechanical parts to wear out. They are extremely reliable and completely electronic.

Here is the switch I will be purchasing:









And here are the specifications:

Type: NJK - 5002C
Mounting: M12 cylinder
Output: NPN open collector, three wire, normally open
The detection distance: 10 mm
Supply voltage: 5-30VDC
Output current: 150 mA
Detected objects: permanent magnets
Switching frequency: 320 KHZ
Wiring: brown-positive, blue-negative, black-signal
My RMHV3.1 controller has an internal 12-volt bus used specifically for external limit switches and Z-axis probe. So, the controller will integrate very nicely with the Hall Effect limit switches.

Two 4-conductor cables will connect the RMHV3.1 with the limit switches. One cable will have the signals for the Home limit switches and the +12 VDC. The other cable will have the signals for the End-of-Travel limit switches and the corresponding ground. These cables will terminate to a 12-position terminal strip located close to the router base. A 3-conductor cable will connect each limit switch to the terminal strip as depicted in the wiring schema shown below:


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*An Update on Progress

Z-axis Rebuild*

All the parts are on order. My grandson and I are doing the 3D CAD drawings using Onshape cloud-based software. I expect the parts to be here in about two weeks. China Express.

*Infrastructure*

The supporting table is not level and is not supported on all four legs. I've got it stabilized with wedges but looking for a better solution.

*Electrics*

Got the VFD panel installed inside the supporting table. Need to make a couple of changes to the wiring in the main electrical cabinet but gave away my wire to the robotics club I am mentoring. After making the changes, I will mount the electrical cabinet in its permanent spot on the supporting table.

*Limit Switches*

I am super excited about using the Hall Effect limit switches. I tested them on the work bench, and they work flawlessly. Depending on the size of the magnet I use, the trigger range is either 5mm or 10mm. The sensors I am using are NJK-5002C. Attached are photos of one of the sensors installed on the Y-axis.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

TimPa suggested that it may be safer for the limit switch to be mounted on the side of the plate rather than in front of it. In case of a crash the limit switch would not be damaged. Another advantage is that I can epoxy a magnet to the side of the plate instead of fabricating and mounting a separate magnet holder.

After dinner this evening I quickly cobbled together a mount for the limit switch which faces the side of the plate. I love it!

Thanks Tim


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

*Covid*
Yes, I succumbed to the virus everyone loves to hate. Fortunately, I have been vaccinated & boosted but that didn't make me immune. Coughing, running nose & general lethargy were the primary symptoms. I didn't really feel like going into the workshop - just wanted to sleep. Finally came around today and thought we might catch up.

*Main electrical Panel*

Finally got all of the wiring finished and mounted the electrical cabinet to the base. Still have to make up cables for the Home & Limit Switch wiring.
































*VFD Panel*

Got the VFD panel hooked up permanently to 220 VAC. Also, all the wiring from the controller is now connected to the VFD panel as well as the spindle power connections.










*Cable Tracks*

I procured a couple of cable tracks that I am pondering how to attach and mount. The one on the left will be mounted on the X-axis and is 10x20 mm. The one on the right is the main cable track and will be mounted parallel to the Y-axis. it is 15 x 30 mm. How to attach the ends of these cable tracks poses some interesting challenges.










*Spindle Cooling*

The following photos show the spindle cooling system I have chosen. It consists of two separate components. The first is the coolant reservoir and pump combo. It operates off of 12 VDC. The second is the fan and heat exchanger (radiator) which also operates off of 12 VDC. There are two challenges associated with utilizing this system. The first is how to physically mount these components on to the gantry. The second challenge is to figure out how to plumb these components since the tubing diameters for the heat exchanger and the pump are different and the tubing for the spindle is totally different. Stay tuned for future posts how I figure this out.




























*Z-Axis Rebuild*

Still waiting for the parts to arrive from China. Stay tuned.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Now that I have all of the electrics permanently installed, I have been checking to see if all systems are still working as they should. The X, Y and Z axis drives are working quite well, very smooth and quiet.

I have been able to get the spindle running directly from the VFD drive itself but have not been able to establish communications with the controller.

The tiny booklet provided with the VFD drive is full of tables that you need a magnifying glass to read. However, I found one table that I believe has the answer to what I need. This is a list of what they call Basic Function Parameters, and it lists 22 of them. I am only interested in two of them so I will replicate a portion of the table here:


*Function Code*​*Name of Function*​*Setting Range and Data Content*​*Ex-factory Value*​F000​Parameter Locking​0: Invalid 1: Valid0​F001​Control Mode​0: Keyboard
1: External Terminal
2: Communication Port0​F002​Frequency Setting Selection​0: Keyboard
1: A|1
2: Communication Port
3: Panel Potentiometer
4: A|2
5. PFI
6. A|1 + A|23​


Let’s start with F001 Control Mode. We are given three options, one of which is the keyboard. This refers to the keypad on the faceplate of the VFD drive itself. Obviously, I don’t want to have to dive underneath the router every time I want to start and stop the spindle. So, the obvious selection would be External Terminal which would be the RMHV3.1 Controller.

The next parameter is F002 Frequency Setting Selection. This is the spindle speed control. Raising the frequency increases the spindle speed. Decreasing the frequency reduces the spindle speed. As configured from the factory, I can increase or decrease the speed of the spindle by rotating the potentiometer on the faceplate of the VFD. If I want to control the spindle speed from the RMHV3.1, I need to select Option 1: A|1 which supplies a 0-to-10-volt signal to this terminal which is proportional to the speed of the spindle.

Next, I am heading to the shop to implement these changes and report the results of the test.

Well, I just got back from the shop after implementing the changes (I think, cause it aint easy) and nothing, nada, bukes. Only local control for the spindle. I just finished a virtual on-line meeting; I have another tomorrow evening and I’m trying to get past the ravages of Covid. When will I get time to work on my machine?

Just to make my evening complete, I got an e-mail from Open Builds telling me that a couple of parts I ordered for the Z-axis upgrade are no longer available. I just poured a glass of merlot and I’m going to settle into bed with a good detective novel. Good night!


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Things have slowed down considerably on my build. The primary reason is that I am a mentor for a local high school robotics team, and we are in the middle of build season with our first competition scheduled for the second week in March. So, it has been all hands on deck - six days a week.

However, things have not stopped completely on my build..........

*Spindle Control*

Still trying to figure out why I cant turn the spindle on and off from my controller. In truth I have been doing a lot of research, but not a lot of time in the shop.

*Cooling System*

I have pretty much figured out the configuration and how I want to mount the components on the router frame. I have an evening off tomorrow and will cut some aluminum and fabricate a mounting bracket.

I also ordered some 9mm OD x 6mm ID for interconnecting the components. This is very flexible and replaces the stiff tubing supplied with the spindle.

*Z-Axis Upgrade*

Still no word on parts delivery. I still need to find replacements for the timing pulley that is no longer available from Open Builds.


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## TimPa (Jan 4, 2011)

your work with the robotics team is commendable!! good luck in the competition!

this is probably one of those instances where the journey itself is more worthwhile than the destination...


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Yeah, I really get a charge from working with these kids. Our first competition is the greater Pittsburgh Regional in four weeks and this is our most ambitious design ever. The robot will feature swerve drives and a full autonoumous mode. Unfortunately it sort of puts my build on the back burner, but hey, if the kids are all in - so am i!


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Yeah, I'm back. After 2 months working with these kids 6 days a week at the shop and at the practice field and two regional competitions it is time to get back to my router project.

If you recall, I was having issues with getting the controller to communicate with the VFD. After much trial and error, I definitely confirmed that the issue was not with the controller. (no need to get into the technical details, suffice it say we proved the controller is not the issue). 

I went through the Chinglish manual going through all the programming parameters. Whatever I did only made things worse and there was no one I could talk to. I went on-line to some other forums and no one could help me with my issue. After all, what can you expect from a $75 VFD.

Tonight, I bit the bullet and bought a TECO Westinghouse L510 inverter. I chose this inverter because the manual is in easy to read English, has an easy to understand set-up protocol, and a great troubleshooting guideline.

Also, I need to get back to my Z-axis upgrade.

Talk to you soon

Albert


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## TimPa (Jan 4, 2011)

nice to see you back Albert, how did the team do?


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Our Team did not fare so well at the Greater Pittsburgh Regional but we did manage a 6th place finish at the Smokey Mountain Regional in Knoxville, TN. (Out of 48 teams competing all over the Southeast)

I'm heading to the shop now to tear apart the VFD panel.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Just checked my e-mail and this is the one message I did not want to see:
_"Hi Albert,

Thank you for ordering from Marshall Wolf Automation. We are processing your order and anticipate it to ship from Illinois in 4-5 weeks via UPS Ground.

Let me know if you have questions."_

I did a search of other sources for an identical VFD and I could get one in 7-10 days but at a cost of $70 to $100 more.

I still have to do a re-build of the Z-axis so I will let it ride for now.

I will post an update on the cost of this project in a future post.


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Been a while since I posted but I have not been idle. While waiting for the new VFD I have been working to install the Hall Effect limit switches. In addition I have added the CableTrax in order to keep the cabling neat and in order. While in the process of adding the CableTrax and the limit switches I ran into a couple of problems.

The first problem was that the “Y” axis stopped working. WTF! My worst fears were that the controller shit the bed. I brought out my Siglent O’scope and checked the output inside the controller box. I got a beautiful square wave signal which matched the same signal I got on the other two axes. Next, I checked the pulse signal in the distribution terminal board in the main electrical panel. Nothing… nada. The problem was in the cable or the DB25 connectors between the controller and the main electrical panel. We eventually isolated the problem to the DB25 connector going in to the main controller panel.

I have configured my limit switches as follows:

X – Home X – End of Travel

Y – Home Y – End of Travel

Z – Home Z – End of Travel

I have not wired up the Z – axis limits since I will be completely rebuilding the Z-axis assembly. However when putting the X and Y axis limits through their paces I discovered that the Y-axis end of travel limit was not operating as it should. In other words the POS was defective!

Next steps are to replace the Y – End of travel limit and start to rebuild the X-axis assembly


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## TimPa (Jan 4, 2011)

crickets...

how are you coming along Albert?


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## Albert Z (Oct 23, 2021)

Six weeks ago my wife underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. For the time being I have been focused on her rehab and my project has been put on hold. Did I start this project too late in life?


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

Prayers and well wishes for your wife to make best possible speedy recovery.

Never too late to experience the joy of creating with your hands and keeping your brain active.


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## TimPa (Jan 4, 2011)

i am very sorry to hear that news!

i hope your wife has a complete and smooth recovery! sounds like she has a great rehab nurse!


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