Info PR:n/a(http://toolbarqueries.google.com/tbr?client=navclientauto&hl=en&ch=62107011373&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&features=Rank&q=info:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instructables.

com%2Fid%2FBu

Explore (/tag/typeid/)
(/)

Create (/about/submit.jsp)

let's make Contests (/contest/)

Community (/community/) You (/you/)

share what you make >

(/)

(/about/submit.jsp)

MiniLaser
Info.com/MiniLaserEngravingMachine

EngravingMachineInfo.Access 10SearchEnginesAtOnce.

DMS3&5AxisCNC Router
AboutThisInstructable

65,353views 524favorites

Posted: Oct21,2013 License:

Benne(/member/Benne/)
Follow
(/files/deriv/F8S/G95S/HMVJDE8H/F8SG95SHMVJDE8H.LARGE.jpg)

51

(/member/Benne/) Tags:
CNC(/tag/typeid/categorytechnology/keyword cnc/) building(/tag/typeid/categorytechnology/keyword building/) DIY(/tag/typeid/categorytechnology/keyworddiy/) Machine(/tag/typeid/category technology/keywordmachine/) G(/tag/typeid/categorytechnology/keywordg/) code(/tag/typeid/categorytechnology/keyword code/) router(/tag/typeid/categorytechnology/keyword router/) Technology(/tag/typeid/category technology/keywordtechnology/) Workshop(/tag/typeid/category technology/keywordworkshop/)

routing(/tag/typeid/categorytechnology/keyword routing/)

Addinstructableto: Group

Related
CNCStompPadProject| CNCProgramming|GCode Programming|CNCPlasma Cutting(/id/CNCStompPad ProjectCNCProgramming GCodeP/) $400DIYDrawerSlideCNC Machine(/id/400DIYDrawer SlideCNCMachine/) bystangtime
(/member/stangtime/)

(/id/CNC

(/id/400DIY

(/files/deriv/FAQ/OMF0/HMVJDE8G/FAQOMF0HMVJDE8G.LARGE.jpg)

DIYCNCRouterPlans:How toBuild(/id/DIYCNCRouter PlansHowtoBuild/) byMakeItWithJason

(/member/MakeItWithJason/)

(/id/DIY

ThisinstructablewillshowyouhowIbuiltmyCNCrouter.Ihopeyoucandrawsomeinspirationfrom mybuildandthatthisinstructablewillbehelpfulforyourfutureprojects.Thisinstructableshowsall thestepsIwentthroughindesigningandbuildingthisCNCrouter. ThemainthingIlikeaboutaCNCrouter,isthatitissoversatile.Youcanuseitasadrillingmachine, arouter,asaw,amillandevenasalathe.Becausemyworkshopisverysmall(itsmorelikeashed), Ididnthavetheroomforallofthesetools,butIstillwantedtobeabletomakeveryprecisepartsfor differentprojects.ThatswhyIstartedtothinkaboutbuildingaCNCrouter. AfterdoingsomeresearchIdecidedtodesignandbuildmyownmachine.Ittookmyalmost6months tobuildanddesignthemachinefromstarttofinish.Beforestartingtheactualdesigningofthe machine,Ididalotofresearchontheweb.Irecommendtakingalookatthefollowingwebsites: cncroutersource.com(http://cncroutersource.com)andcnczone.com(http://cnczone.com).These websiteswillprovideyouwithatonofinformationandanswermostofyourquestionsonCNCrelated topics. Pleasenote: IbuiltthisCNCrouterasfinalprojectforschool(alsocalled'profielwerkstuk'intheNetherlands). WhenIstartedthebuild,Iwas16yearsoldandIfinisheditwhenIwas17.AlthoughIhavedonea coupleoflargerprojectsinthepastandhavebeendoingFTCrobotics(http://USfirst.org)forthelast fewyears,IdidnthavethatmuchexperiencewithbuildingCNCmachines.Thismachineactuallyis thesecondCNCmachineIbuilt.Thefirstonewasawoodentestmachine,whichIbuilttogainsome experienceandlearnmoreaboutCNCmachines.Itriedtobuiltthismachineasgoodaspossible, withthetools,theknowledgeandthebudgetIhadatthetime.Ithinkthemachinecameoutpretty niceandIhopeyouenjoyreadingaboutit.

CNCPictureCarving (/id/CNCPictureCarving/) bystangtime

(/member/stangtime/)

(/id/CNC

FromSketchUptoCNC Fabrication(/id/From SketchUptoCNC Fabrication/) byphooddaniel

(/member/phooddaniel/)

(/id/From

SeeMore(/tag/typeid/?q=)

Step1:Thedesign

(/files/deriv/FY8/JU3K/HMVJDDML/FY8JU3KHMVJDDML.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FW5/1S07/HMVJDDMG/FW51S07HMVJDDMG.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FUO/NXIM/HMVJDDMI/FUONXIMHMVJDDMI.LARGE.jpg) (/files/deriv/FA2/43X0/HMVJDDMJ/FA243X0HMVJDDMJ.LARGE.jpg)

Beforestartingtobuildamachine,youwillalwayshavetomakesomesortofadesign.Sometimesit onlyhastobesomesketchesonapieceofpaper,butforthismachineamoreprecisethree dimensionaldrawingwasrequired.Imademydesignusinggooglesketchup (http://www.sketchup.com/).Googlesketchupisafreecadprogram,whichyoucandownloadfrom theweb.Ifounditwasveryeasytoworkwith,althoughIhadneverworkedwithacadprogram before.Youwontbeabletodrawascomplicateddesignsasyoucan,byusingotherprogramslike Autocad(http://www.autodesk.nl/products/autodeskautocadlt/overview),butformypurposesit workedjustfine. Mymaingoalwastogetalloftheproperdimensionsformyparts,sothatIcouldorderthemonline.I wantedtoseeifallofmypartsweregoingtofittogether.Becausethemachineconsistsofalotof movingparts,Iwantedtomakesurethatnothingwouldhitoneanotherwhilerunningthemachine. (/files/deriv/FAF/2OXA/HMVJDDMK/FAF2OXAHMVJDDMK.LARGE.jpg) WhenIstarteddesigningthemachineIalreadyhadsomepartslikethelinearrailsandtheball screws.Iboughtthesefromsomeonewhohadbuiltatestmachineforhiswebshop.Iusedthesame electronicsforthismachine,asIusedforthewoodentestmachineIhadbuiltearlier. Thesearethebasicdimensionsandpartsusedforthemachine: Overalldimensions X:1050mm Y:840mm Z:400mm Travel

X:730mm Y:650mm Z:150mm Motors:Nema233Nm(https://impulsecnc.nl/nl/webshop/stappenmotoren/nema233nmdetail) Controllers:LeadshineM542V2.0(https://impulsecnc.nl/nl/webshop/stepperdriver/leadshinem drivers/leadshinem542v20detail) Spindle:KressFME800(http://damencnc.com/nl/gereedschappen/kress/kressfreesmotoren/42) Linearrails:X:Sbr20 Y/Z:Sbr16 Ballscrews:X/Y:16mm5mmpitch Zaxisdrivescrew:M10withhomemadedelrinnut Aluminumprofiles:30/60mmMisumi(http://us.misumiec.com/)100mm Aluminumplates:15mmthick CAD/CAMsoftware:CamBam Controllersoftware:Mach3 Themachineisalmostentirelybuiltfrom15mmthickaluminumplateand30x60mmaluminum extrusions.IbuiltthisCNCrouterusingaverylimitedamountoftools.ThemaintoolsIusedwerea drillpressandalathe.BecauseIdidnthavetherighttoolstocutthealuminumplatestosize,I designedthemachinearoundstandardsizesandorderedtheplatesonline,alreadycuttolength.The aluminumextrusionsIusedwerealsocuttolengthandIorderedthesefrommisumiEurope (http://www.misumieurope.com/start.aspx?lang=EN). WhendesigningaCNCrouteritishelpfultoaskyourselfacoupleofquestions.Hereyouwillfindthe designprocessIwentthroughformyCNCrouter. WhattypeofCNCrouterdoyouwanttobuild? TherebasicallyaretwotypesofCNCrouters:themovingtabledesignandthemovinggantrydesign. MovingtablestyledesignsareoftenusedforsmallersizeCNCrouters.Theyareeasiertoconstruct andcanbebuiltmorerigidthanamovinggantrystylemachine.Thedownsideoflettingthetable moveinsteadofthegantry,isthattheoverallfootprintofthemachineinretrospecttoitscutting envelope,isabouttwiceaslargeaswithamovinggantrydesign.Thereforeitprobablyisbetterto makeamovinggantrystylemachine,ifyourcuttingenvelopeislargerthanabout30x30cm.Because Iwantedtobuildamachinewithacuttingenvelopeofabout65x65cm,Iusedthemovinggantrystyle design. WhatdoyouwanttocutwiththeCNCrouter? Thisdeterminesprettymucheveryanswertothequestionsbelow.Iwantedtousethemachinefor plywood,hardwoodsandplasticsmainly,butalsoforaluminum.Ifyouwanttocutmaterialsharder thanaluminum,IrecommendbuildingaCNCmill(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milling_machine), insteadofarouter. Whatmaterialwillyouusetoconstructthemachine? Thisisdeterminedbythequestionabove.Agoodguidelineisthatthematerialyouusetoconstruct themachineisstrongerorasstrongasthematerialyouwanttocut.Soifyouwanttocutaluminum, youshouldusealuminumorevensteeltobuildthemachine.IhaveseenwoodenCNCroutersthat cancutaluminum(youwillfindsomeonyoutube),butthiswentveryslowandthemachineshaveto beverywellconstructed.BecauseIwantedtocutaluminumwiththisCNCrouter,Ibuiltitoutof aluminum.Icouldhaveusedsteel,butthisismoredifficulttomachineandIdidnthavetheproper toolsforthat. Whatlengthoftraveldoyouneedforeachaxis? Myfirstintention,wastobuildaCNCrouterthatcouldhandlestandardsizesheetgoods,likeplywood andmdf.IntheNetherlandstheseare62x121cm.SofortheYaxis,Iwantedatraveldistanceofat least620mm.Themachineisplacedinasmallshedinmybackyard,withaverylimitedamountof space.Icouldntmakethemachinetoobig,becausethenitwouldreallygetinthewayandtakeupall thespace.SotheXaxisonlyhas730mmoftravel.Thisislessthanthefulllengthofasheetof plywood(1210mm),butIfiguredthatifIwantedtomachinesomethingreallylargeacouldcutthefirst part,thanslidethesheetforwardandcutthelastpart.Byusingthistechniqueyoucancutpiecesthat aremuchlargerthanthenormalXtraveldistance.FortheZaxisIfiguredthat150mmwouldbe enoughtopossiblyuseafourthaxisinthefuture. Whattypeoflinearmotionwillyouuseforthemachine? Therearemanyoptionstochoosefromforlinearmotion:drawerslides,ballbearingsonVrail,V groovebearings,unsupportedroundlinearrail,fullysupportedroundlinearrailandprofilelinearrail. Thelinearmotionsystemyouusewilltoalargeextentdeterminethecuttingqualitythatyoucan achieve.Iwouldrecommendgoingforthebestsystemthatyoucanafford.Afterdoingsome research,Ifoundthatfullysupportedlinearrailswouldbethebestoption,thatIstillcouldafford.If yousearchonebayforSBR12,SBR16orSBR20youwillfindanumberofdifferentsellersandsetsto choosefrom.Ifyouarebuildinga3axisCNCrouter,youshouldbuyakitconsistingofthreesetsof linearrailsandtwolinearbearingsperrail.Linearmotionbearings2008 (http://stores.ebay.com/linearmotionbearings/)isagoodebaystorefromChina,thatsellsanumberof

differentkits,evenwiththeballscrewsincluded. Whatkindoflineardrivesystemwillyouuseforeachaxis? Thebasicoptionstodriveeachaxisare:timingbelts,rackandpinionanddrivescrews.For homemadeCNCrouters,drivescrewsaremostcommonlyused.Screwdrivesystemsworkbyplacing thestationarynutonthemovingpartofthemachineandholdingthescrewinplaceonbothends.The screwgetsattachedtothemotor.Ifthemotorsstartstoturn,thenutwiththemovingpartofthe machineattachedtoit,willmovealongthescrewandsetthemachineinmotion. FortheXandYaxis,Iusedballscrews.Ballscrewsprovideverysmoothmotion,withvirtuallyno backlash.Backlashistheamountofplaybetweenthedrivescrewandthenutandissomethingyou dontwantinaCNCrouter.Ifyouwanttoreadmoreaboutbacklash,Irecommendtakingalookat thewebsitecncroutersource.com(http://www.cncroutersource.com/precisionacmeleadscrew nut.html). BallscrewsaremoreexpensivethanACMEscrews(whichareagoodalternative),butwillagain highlyimprovethecuttingspeedandcuttingqualityyoucanachieve. FortheZaxisIusedhighqualitystainlesssteelM10threadedrod,withahomemadedelrinnut. Whattypeofdrivemotorandcontrollerareyougoingtouse? Concerningthemotors,therearetwobasicoptions:servomotorsandsteppermotors. ServomotorsaremainlyusedforhighendCNCroutersandareveryexpensive.Theyuseencoders toprovidepositionfeedbackandrequiremoreexpensivecontrollers.Steppermotorsarewidelyused onhomemadeCNCroutersandtherearemanydifferenttypesandsizes.Thesizeofthestepper motoryouneeddependsonwhatyouwanttocut,howfastyouwanttocutit,whattypeoflineardrive andmotioncomponentsyouuse,howlargethemachineisetc.Iused3Nmsteppermotorsformy machine,whichisprobablyoverkill. Thecontrollermustsuitthemotorthatyoureusing.Youcanuseindividualdriversforeachmotor,as Idid,oryoucanbuya3or4axisdriverboard.YoucanreadmoreabouttheelectronicsIusedin step14. Whattypeofspindlewillyouuse? MosthomemadeCNCroutersuseastandardwoodworkingrouterortrimrouterasthecuttingspindle fortheirmachine.Mineisnoexception.IusedaKressrouter,whichisofslightlyhigherqualitythan standardwoodrouters,andithasanice43mmclampingflange.Ifyouwanttocutalotofdifferent materials,somesortofspeedcontrolcanbereallyhandy.TheKressrouterhasabuiltinspeed controlbutyouwillfindthisonmostrouters.Ifyouaregoingtobedoingalotofreallyheavycutting youmightwanttolookintoairorwatercooledspindles.Youcanfindthese (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html? _trksid=p2053587.m570.l1313.TR3.TRC1.A0.Xwatercooled+spindle&_nkw=watercooled+spindle&_sacat=0&_from=R40) onebayaswell,buttheywillcostyoualotmorethanastandardrouter.TheyuseaVFDforspeed controlandcanbemuchquieterthanstandardrouters. WhatwillbethetotalcostsforthemachineanddoIwanttospendsomuchmoney? IestimatedthetotalcostsforthisCNCroutertobearound1500euro.ACNCrouterisexpensivebut youcansavealotofmoneybybuildingoneyourself. AfterIhadfoundtheanswerstoallofthequestionsabove,Icameupwiththefinaldesignformy CNCrouter.Asyoucansee,mydesignisnotextremelydetailed.Youwontseetheexacthole locationsonallofthepartsforinstance.Itisdifficulttodeterminehowmanyboltsyoushoulduseto puttwopiecestogether,ifyouhaveneverheldthosepiecesinyourhandsbefore. Forme,thisdesignwasenoughtogivemeagoodviewonhoweverythingwasgoingtoworkoutand whichpartsIshouldorder. Afterthedesignwascompletedandrejected/redesignedacoupleoftimes,Icouldstartorderingallof thepartsneeded.The30x60mmaluminumextrusionsandallofthealuminumplatesforthegantry andZaxiswhichIusedfortheXaxiswereprecuttolength.Ialsoorderedsomeheavydutyanti vibrationlevelingfeet.

Step2:TheXaxis

(/files/deriv/F3M/1KW1/HLOBZLTE/F3M1KW1HLOBZLTE.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FPN/HUZB/HLZRQRYA/FPNHUZBHLZRQRYA.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F0Z/UWHL/HLZRQRYC/F0ZUWHLHLZRQRYC.LARGE.jpg) (/files/deriv/F21/FM8U/HLOBZLR0/F21FM8UHLOBZLR0.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FPX/O0VZ/HLOBZLTD/FPXO0VZHLOBZLTD.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FXI/6JBR/HLOBZLTB/FXI6JBRHLOBZLTB.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FZI/LT21/HLOBZLTF/FZILT21HLOBZLTF.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FX9/OPUZ/HLZRQRYB/FX9OPUZHLZRQRYB.LARGE.jpg)

TheXaxisconsistsofabasicframe,madeoutof4piecesof30/60aluminumextrusionsandtwo 15mmthickendplates.Therearetwo6.8mmholesintheendoftheextrusions.Iusedametaltapto createanM8threadontheinsidesoftheholes.AfterthatIcarefullylaidoutthepositionsforthe holesontheendplates.Iactuallyclampedbothplatestogetherwhiledrilling,tomakesurethatthe holeswouldlineuponbothends.Ialsodrilledfourholesinthemiddleofeachplatetomountthe bearingblocks.Idrilledfourextraholesinoneofthesideplates,toattachthemotormount. Imade4blockstoholdthelevelingfeet.Theblocksarepiecesofaluminum(50x50x20).Iusedfour m5boltsandtnutstomountthemontotheouterextrusions. Thelinearrailsfitdirectlyontothealuminumextrusions.FortheXaxis,Iused20mmdiameterrails. Thepredrilledholesinthebaseofthelinearrailslineupexactlywiththeslotsinthealuminum extrusions.Icouldeasilymountthemusingm5boltsandtnuts.

Step3:Gantrysideplates

(/files/deriv/FPH/QY3V/HMEXWY9Y/FPHQY3VHMEXWY9Y.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FPH/L3NV/HMEXWYDR/FPHL3NVHMEXWYDR.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FKJ/E9M7/HMEXWYEC/FKJE9M7HMEXWYEC.LARGE.jpg)

ShowAll10Images

(/files/deriv/FLD/BQMN/HMEXWYDY/FLDBQMNHMEXWYDY.LARGE.jpg)

Thegantrysideplatesarealmostidentical.Theonlydifferenceisthatoneofthemhasfourextra holesforattachingthemotormount.Thewholegantryismadeoutof15mmthickaluminumplates. Drillingtheholesinthesideplates,wasquitesimple.AlthoughIhadtoworkveryprecisely.Togetthe (/files/deriv/F0O/7HLC/HMEXWYEN/F0O7HLCHMEXWYEN.LARGE.jpg) holesinexactlytherightspot,Icarefullymarkedtheirlocations,thenIusedacentrepunch,tocreate alittledivot.ThenIwentovertothedrillpressandusedacentredrilltocreateaholethatguidesthe actualdrillbit.ForthelargerholesIusedasmallersizedrillbitfirstbeforeusingthefinalsizedrillbit. BecauseofthewayIhaddesignedthegantry,Ihadtodrillholesintheendfacesofthesideplates.I originallyplannedtodothisonthedrillpress,butthepartsdidntfitunderit.SoIhadtocomeupwith adifferentsolution:usingthelathe.Imadeaspecialholderonthemovingcarriageofthelathe.I drilledtwoextraholesineachplate,tokeeptheminplaceonthecarriage.NowIcouldeasilydrill perfectholesintheendsofthesideplates.Theonlythingthatwaslefttodo,wastotaptheholesfor (/files/deriv/FXY/K6NX/HMEXWYES/FXYK6NXHMEXWYES.LARGE.jpg) anM8thread.

Step4:Assemblingthegantry

(/files/deriv/FGM/IYCO/HMEXWYM8/FGMIYCOHMEXWYM8.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FED/5K68/HMEXWYLK/FED5K68HMEXWYLK.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FJZ/MO76/HMEXWYLM/FJZMO76HMEXWYLM.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FSY/VBLU/HMEXWYLL/FSYVBLUHMEXWYLL.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FRY/82I6/HMEXWYK2/FRY82I6HMEXWYK2.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FQC/DW3P/HMEXWYK4/FQCDW3PHMEXWYK4.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F04/S9BX/HMEXWYK5/F04S9BXHMEXWYK5.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FJ0/6KIM/HMEXWYJX/FJ06KIMHMEXWYJX.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FG3/70KG/HMEXWYKC/FG370KGHMEXWYKC.LARGE.jpg) (/files/deriv/F3D/9L7O/HMEXWYJY/F3D9L7OHMEXWYJY.LARGE.jpg)

Therestofthegantryismadethesamewayasthesideplates.Themostdifficultpartwasgettingthe linearrailslinedupcorrectly.Thelinearrailshadtolineupwiththeedgeoftheplate.Whenmarking theexactholelocations,Iclampedtwopiecesofaluminumprofilestothesidesoftheplatetolineup therails.OnceIhadmarkedtheholelocations,IdrilledandtappedthemwithanM5thread.When attachingtherailstothegantry,youhavetomakesurethatthedistancebetweentherailsoverthe entirelengthiscompletelyeven(therailsmustbeparallel). IusedthesamemethodfordrillingtheholesintheendfacesasIdidwiththesideplates. Imadesomecornerbracketstoaddsomeextrastiffnesstotheassembly.Onthefinalassemblyof (/files/deriv/FKG/8763/HMEXWYK6/FKG8763HMEXWYK6.LARGE.jpg) themachine,Iactuallyleftthemout,becauseIdidntfeltliketheywereneeded. Theplateonthebottomofthegantryisverysimple.Idrilled6holestoattachittothesideplates.In themiddleIhadtodrilltwoholesformountingthenutholder.

Step5:Yaxiscarriage

(/files/deriv/FGM/HH0J/HMEXWYT1/FGMHH0JHMEXWYT1.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FJN/7FTD/HMEXWYSQ/FJN7FTDHMEXWYSQ.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FCE/NVAQ/HMEXWYZ2/FCENVAQHMEXWYZ2.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FVB/Y9KX/HMEXWYT4/FVBY9KXHMEXWYT4.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FJ6/IJ7A/HMEXWZ19/FJ6IJ7AHMEXWZ19.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FOI/ZSO5/HMEXWZ1A/FOIZSO5HMEXWZ1A.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FXY/G6EO/HMEXWZ1B/FXYG6EOHMEXWZ1B.LARGE.jpg)

TheYaxiscarriageconsistsofoneplatewith8linearbearingsattachedtoit.Drillingtheholeswas prettystraightforward,butagainithadtobeveryprecise.BoththelinearbearingsfortheYaxisand theZaxisgetattachedtothisplate.Becausethebearingsaresoclosetogether,eventheslightest misalignmentcausesittojam.Imadetheholesonly0.2mmoversized,butIhadtodrillthemoutto 0.5mmtoalignthebearingscorrectly.Ihadtodoabitoftweakingtogetthecarriagetoslideeasily fromonesidetotheother.Boththerailsandthebearingsneededtobeadjusted.Iusedhighquality digitalcalliperstoalignthemasgoodaspossible.WhenIhadmadethedrivenutmountfortheY axis,Idrilledtwoextraholesintheplatetoattachit.IalsotriedtoalignthebearingsfortheZaxisas goodaspossible,butIstillhadtoadjustthemwhenIgottherestoftheZaxisfinished.

Step6:Zaxis

(/files/deriv/FNO/NDUP/HMVJCKFC/FNONDUPHMVJCKFC.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F8Z/6KRG/HMVJCIYL/F8Z6KRGHMVJCIYL.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FGZ/6OTN/HMVJCIYX/FGZ6OTNHMVJCIYX.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F77/DYH4/HMVJCIYN/F77DYH4HMVJCIYN.LARGE.jpg) (/files/deriv/F48/ZACX/HMVJCIYV/F48ZACXHMVJCIYV.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F4S/JTQC/HMVJCIYU/F4SJTQCHMVJCIYU.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FYK/HE3V/HMVJCIYT/FYKHE3VHMVJCIYT.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FB1/15J8/HMVJCIYQ/FB115J8HMVJCIYQ.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FAE/OD6F/HMVJCIYF/FAEOD6FHMVJCIYF.LARGE.jpg)

ThelinearrailsoftheZaxisgetattachedtothemovingpartoftheZaxisassembly.Therails neededtobeoffsetafewmillimetersfromtheedgeoftheplate.IusedthesamemethodasIdidfor (/files/deriv/FYL/41HR/HMVJCIYR/FYL41HRHMVJCIYR.LARGE.jpg) theYaxis,toalignthem.Ifoundtwopiecesofplastic,ofjusttherightthickness,whichIcoulduseas

spacers.Iknewtheedgesofthealuminumplatewereparallel,soIclampedtwopiecesofaluminum totheedgeoftheplateandaddedthepiecesofplastictospacetherailsoutfromtheedge.OnceI hadmarkedtheholelocations,Ijustdrilledandtappedthemagain.Makesurethatyoumarkwhere thepiecesgo,sothattheholesstilllineupwhenyouputeverythingbacktogether. TomountthetopplatetotheZaxisassembly,Idrilledandtappedthreeholesintheendofthe routermountingplate.IdidthiswiththesamesetuponthelatheasIdidfortheYaxisplates.Ihad originallyplannedtoattachtheZaxissteppermotordirectlytothetopplate.SoItriedtomillsome (/files/deriv/FLL/J697/HMVJCIYH/FLLJ697HMVJCIYH.LARGE.jpg) slotsinthetopplatetoattachthesteppermotor.Thisdidntworkoutsowell,becauseIdidnthavea propermillingsetup.SoIcutoffthepartwiththeslotsandfabricatedadifferentmotormountoutof plastic(seestep12). Ialsomadetwobearingblocksoutofthesameplasticmaterial,whichgotattachedtothetopplateas well.Thedrivescrewispieceofstainlesssteelthreadedrod(M10).Thedrivescrewisclamped betweenthetwobearingswithtwonuts.IdrilledandtappedthetimingpulleyforanM10threadand justscreweditontothetoppartofthedrivescrew.Itisheldinplacebythreesetscrews.Thedelrin drivenutgetsattachedtotheYaxiscarriage(seestep10).
(/files/deriv/F8V/1V9L/HMVJCKFH/F8V1V9LHMVJCKFH.LARGE.jpg)

TheroutermountwaspremadeandIordereditfromdamencnc.com (http://damencnc.com/nl/gereedschappen/kress/kressfreesmotoren/147).Ithasa43mmclamping ring,whichfitstheKressrouterthatIamusing.

Step7:Timingbeltsandpulleys

(/files/deriv/FR8/OSO4/HK48339G/FR8OSO4HK48339G.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FQL/OMY6/HMVJCLBZ/FQLOMY6HMVJCLBZ.LARGE.jpg)

ShowAll7Images

(/files/deriv/FVT/52YC/HMVJCLC4/FVT52YCHMVJCLC4.LARGE.jpg) Ididnotwantthemotorstobestickingoutofthemachine.Becausethiswouldincreasetheoverall sizeofthemachinebyabout15cmineachaxis.Normallyyouwouldmountthemotorsontheoutside ofthemachineusingaspecialmotormountorstandoffs.Thiswayyoucancouplethemotorsdirectly totheballscrewswithaflexiblecouplerofsomesort.ThisishowIdiditonthefirstwoodenprototype (/files/deriv/F7V/T385/HMVJCLC1/F7VT385HMVJCLC1.LARGE.jpg) machineIbuilt.Formostpeoplethiswillprobablyworkoutjustfine.ButwhatIfoundwas,that becausethemachinewasplacedinaverysmallshop,themotorswouldreallygetintheway. Becausetheywerestickingoutbyalmost20cm(motor+standoffs)Iquitefrequentlywouldbump againstthem.

ThatiswhyIplacedthemotorsontheinsideofthenewmachine.BydoingthisIcouldnotdirectly couplethemotorstotheballscrews,butIhadtouseatimingbeltandpulleys. Iorderedthetimingbeltsandpulleysfrombeltingonline.co.uk(http://beltingonline.co.uk/).Theyhave abigvarietyoftypesandsizes.Iused9mmwideHTD5beltsandpulleys.Whenusingabeltdriveto connectyourmotortotheleadscrew,youcanuseagearreduction.Byusingasmallergearonthe motoryoucanusesmallermotorsandstillgetthesametorque(althoughyouwillofcourselose speed).BecausemymotorswereprettylargeIdidnotneedanygearreductiontogetmorepower. TosavesomemoneyIorderedthetimingpulleyswithouttheholesforthesetscrewsandwithonlya pilotholeinthecentre.Iusedthelathetodrillouttheboretothecorrectsize.Fordrillingtheholesfor thesetscrews,Imadealittlejigoutofsomesteelhexagonalbarusingthelatheandthedrillpress.
(/files/deriv/FYX/QATU/HMVJCLC9/FYXQATUHMVJCLC9.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F4B/UDL8/HK4833AG/F4BUDL8HK4833AG.LARGE.jpg)

Step8:Motormounts

(/files/deriv/FU9/S6AQ/HLR2L3BZ/FU9S6AQHLR2L3BZ.LARGE.jpg)

Themotormountsaremadefrompiecesofaluminumtubing.MinewereprecuttolengthwhenI orderedthem,butyoucanalsouseapieceofsteeltubingandcutitintosquarepieces.Themotor mountsfortheXandtheYaxis,hadtobeabletoslideinandout,totensionthetimingbelts.Ifyou useanormalcouplertoconnectyoursteppermotors,Irecommendmakingorbuyingsomestandoffs. Iusedthelathetomaketheslotsandtodrillalargeholeinonefaceofthemount,butyoucouldalso dothisonanormaldrillpress. Istartedbymakingalargeholeinonesideofthemountwithaholesaw.Thisallowsthemotortosit (/files/deriv/F6U/PRI7/HLR2L3DB/F6UPRI7HLR2L3DB.LARGE.jpg) flushwiththesurfaceanditalsomakessuretheshaftiscentered.Themotorisfastenedtothemount withfourM5bolts.Imadefourslots,intheothersideofthemount,toallowittoslideinandout.I clampedthepieceonaspeciallatheattachmenttomillthefourslots.

Step9:Bearingblocks

(/files/deriv/FWT/790B/HLSH5BGC/FWT790BHLSH5BGC.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FXT/ZGKS/HLZRQS49/FXTZGKSHLZRQS49.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FNV/DC3F/HLZRQS4B/FNVDC3FHLZRQS4B.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FGZ/WYR3/HLZRQS4D/FGZWYR3HLZRQS4D.LARGE.jpg)

ShowAll8Images

ThebearingblocksfortheXandtheYaxisaremadefrom50mmaluminumroundbarstock.Icut offfourequalslabs,each15mmthick.Ithenfacedoffeachsideoftheblanksonthelathe.After markinganddrillingthefourmountingholes,Iusedthelatheagaintodrilloutalargeholeinthe centreoftheblank.Ithenmadethecavityforthebearingtositin.Thebearingshavetobepressed inandtheblocksgetboltedontotheendandsideplates.Idrilledandtappedaholeintheendofthe ballscrewstoholdtheminplace.Byinsertingabolt,Icouldtightenthemagainsttheangularcontact bearings.Theendoftheballscrewwasturneddownonthelatheto11mm.Thisisthepartwerethe timingpulleygetsattachedto.Theveryendoftheballscrewwasturneddownalittlebitfurtherto (/files/deriv/FVA/B6W7/HLZRQS4A/FVAB6W7HLZRQS4A.LARGE.jpg) 10mm,sothatitcouldbepressedontothebearing.Onthefloatingendoftheballscrews,Ijustused standardballbearings.

(/files/deriv/F5V/BPZ2/HLZRQS4C/F5VBPZ2HLZRQS4C.LARGE.jpg)

Step10:Zaxisdrivenut+mount
(/files/deriv/F9C/ACV3/HLZRQS4F/F9CACV3HLZRQS4F.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F0N/LHKP/HMMF7UU9/F0NLHKPHMMF7UU9.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F75/2MYY/HMMF7UUB/F752MYYHMMF7UUB.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F24/FA6M/HMMF7UUD/F24FA6MHMMF7UUD.LARGE.jpg)

IdidntuseaballscrewfortheZaxis.InsteadIusedstandard,buthighqualityM10threadedrod.I madeanutoutofapieceofdelrin.Delrinisaverygoodmaterialforthispurpose,becauseitisself (/files/deriv/FYH/FOYM/HMMF7UUC/FYHFOYMHMMF7UUC.LARGE.jpg) lubricatinganditwontwearoutovertime.Ifyouuseagoodqualitytaptomakethethreadsinthe nut,thebacklashwillbeveryminimal(Ihaventnoticedany).InsidetheZaxisassembly,therewas verylittleroomtomountthenut.Andsincemyhomemadenutwasround,Ineededtomakeaspecial mount.Themountconsistsoftwopiecesof12mmacrylic.IwasabletousethehomemadeCNC

routerofmyschoolteacher,tomaketheseparts.Theroundnutfitsverysnugglyinsidethepiecesof acrylicandisheldinplacebyasmallbolt.Theboltkeepsthenutfromspinninginsidethemount.I drilledandtappedtwoholesinthelittlefeetoftheholders,tobeabletomountittotheYaxiscarriage

Step11:XandYaxisdrivenutmount

(/files/deriv/FJE/B1XB/HMMF7UUF/FJEB1XBHMMF7UUF.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FO7/Q5D8/HMMF7UUG/FO7Q5D8HMMF7UUG.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FNH/327B/HMMF7UZI/FNH327BHMMF7UZI.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F61/HBNB/HMMF7UZJ/F61HBNBHMMF7UZJ.LARGE.jpg)

FortheXandtheYaxis,Imadeadifferentdrivenutmountoutofapieceofaluminum.Theballscrew nutshavetwosmallflangesononeside,withthreeholesinthem.Iusedoneoftheholesoneach sidetoattachthenuttotheholder.Theholderismadefromapieceofaluminumandismachinedon thelathe.BecauseIdidnthaveamill,Iusedthelathewithafourjawchuck.Thesepieceshavetobe machinedveryprecisely.OnceyouhaveattachedthenutstothegantryandYaxiscarriage,you shouldbeabletomovethesepartseasilyfromonesidetotheother,byturningtheballscrewsby hand.Ifthedimensionsoftheholdersareincorrect,thenutwillgetjammed,andyouwontbeableto turntheballscrewbyhandanymore. (/files/deriv/F6H/E1T3/HMVJDJKQ/F6HE1T3HMVJDJKQ.LARGE.jpg)

Step12:Zaxismotormount

(/files/deriv/F6D/2O9F/HMVJDJKR/F6D2O9FHMVJDJKR.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FDS/EAUT/HM8DD6MW/FDSEAUTHM8DD6MW.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FQ7/RE5E/HMMF7V1N/FQ7RE5EHMMF7V1N.LARGE.jpg)

TheZaxismotormountisdifferentfromtheothers.Itismadefrom12mmacrylicandwasalsocut withthehomemadeCNCrouterfrommyteacher.Ihadoriginallyplannedtomakethemountoutofa plateofaluminum,butmachiningthatwastoodifficult.Thebelttensioncanbeadjustedbyloosening thetwoboltsontopandslidingthewholemotormountassembly.The12mmacrylicworksjustfinefor now,butImightreplaceitwithapieceofaluminuminthefuture.IfoundoutthatwhenIwas tensioningthebelt,theacrylicplatewouldbendalittlebit.

(/files/deriv/FJQ/5QKM/HMMF7V1U/FJQ5QKMHMMF7V1U.LARGE.jpg)

Step13:Thecuttingbed

(/files/deriv/FB9/RT5S/HMVJDJMN/FB9RT5SHMVJDJMN.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FD2/BQWO/HLSH5BC0/FD2BQWOHLSH5BC0.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F1M/9I1Q/HLSH5BCA/F1M9I1QHLSH5BCA.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F1F/KJMP/HLSH5BC2/F1FKJMPHLSH5BC2.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F30/WQCK/HLSH5BC1/F30WQCKHLSH5BC1.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FQF/DIKL/HLSH5BC3/FQFDIKLHLSH5BC3.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/F32/TFQA/HLSH5BC6/F32TFQAHLSH5BC6.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FNW/RCWW/HLSH5BC5/FNWRCWWHLSH5BC5.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FPH/EANQ/HLSH5BC4/FPHEANQHLSH5BC4.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FWO/PBLM/HLSH5BC9/FWOPBLMHLSH5BC9.LARGE.jpg) (/files/deriv/FD6/95ZK/HLSH5BC8/FD695ZKHLSH5BC8.LARGE.jpg)

ThefinalpartIhadtomakeforthemachinewasthecuttingbed.Thecuttingbedisaveryimportant partofthemachine,andoftenoverlooked.Therearemanydifferenttypesofcuttingbeds.Examples are:tslottabletop,perforatedtabletop,vacuumtableoryoucouldjustuseadisposabletabletop andscrewyourstockrightontothetable.Analuminumtslottabletopwouldprobablybethebest,but itwillcostyouafewhundreddollars,dependingonthesizeofyourmachine.Ichoosetousethe perforatedtabletop,becauseitfittedwithinmybudgetandIwouldstillhavelotsofclampingoptions. Thecuttingbedformymachine,ismadefroman18mmthickpieceofbirchplywood.Ifasteneditwith M5boltsandtslotnutstothealuminumextrusions.Iboughtabout150M8hexagonalnutsforabout 4dollars.UsingaCADprogram,Idrewhexagonalshapesinagridwithaholeinthemiddle.ThenI (/files/deriv/F24/2ZXI/HLSH5BCB/F242ZXIHLSH5BCB.LARGE.jpg) usedthemachinetocutoutallofthepocketsforthenuts.Insteadofregularnutsyoucouldalsouse Tnuts,butthenyouwouldhavetoflipthetabletopovertoinsertthem.Anotherproblemyoucan haveisthattheyfallout. Ontopofthepieceofbirchplywood,Iinstalledapieceof25mmthickMDF.Thisisthedisposable surface.Iusedalargerrouterbit,tocutholesthroughbothpieces.Theholeslineupexactlywiththe centreofthehexagonalshapescutearlier.ThenIunscrewedthepieceofmdfandinstalledallofthe nutsinthepieceofplywood.Imadetheholesslightlyundersized,soIhadtouseahammertopound themin.ThenIreinstalledtheMDFsurfaceandcheckedifthealignmentwasstillcorrect.

Ialsoflattenedthetabletoptoensurethatthesurfacewasparalleltothexandtheyaxisand perfectlyflat.

Step14:Theelectronics

(/files/deriv/FIK/7JB6/HMVJCLDI/FIK7JB6HMVJCLDI.LARGE.jpg)

Theelectronicsformymachineconsistofthefollowingcomponents: Mainpowersupply48VDC6,6Amp 3driversLeadshineM542V2.0 3steppermotors3NmhybridNema23 Breakoutboard Relay25A,230VACoutput,432VDCinput Mainpowerswitch Powersupplyforbreakoutboard5VDC Powersupplyforcoolingfans12VDC 2coolingfans(80mm) 2poweroutletsforKressrouterandshopvac Estopstillneedstobeinstalled Limitswitchesstillneedtobeinstalled

Ifyoudontwanttospendalotofmoneyonelectronicsyoucanbuyakitfromebay.Therearealotof differentsellerswithpricesinthe200400dollarrange.Beforeorderingakityoushouldthinkabout whatsizesteppersyouneed.Iyouarebuildingasmallmachineforcuttingwoodandplasticsonly 270ozinor1.9Nmmotorswillgiveyouplentyofpower.Ichoose3Nmmotors,becausethemachine itselfisquitelargeandheavyandIplannedonmachiningsomehardermaterialslikealuminuminthe future. Ifyourmotorsarenttoolargeyoucanusea3axisdriverboard,althoughitisbettertouseindividual drivers.Individualdriverscanhandlemoreampsandfeaturemicrostepping.Theyaremorereliable andwillgiveyoubetterresults.ThedriversIuseactuallycamewiththekitIordered.Theycanhandle 4,2ampsmaxandupto125microsteps. Themainpowersupplyisconnectedtothedriverswith14gaugewire,whichismainlyusedinRC airplanes.Thesewiresareveryflexible,butofhighqualityandcanhandleplentyofamps.The5VDC powersupplyisconnectedtothemainpowerinlet.Forthecoolingfans,Iinstalledapoweroutlet insideoftheenclosure,sothatIcoulduseastandard12Vwalladaptertopowerthem.Themain powergetsswitchedonandoffbyalargepowerswitch. The25Arelayiscontrolledbythecomputerthroughthebreakoutboard.Theinputterminalsofthe

relayareconnectedtotheoutputterminalsofthebreakoutboard.Therelayisconnectedtotwopower outlets,whichpowertheKressrouterandshopvactosuckuptheshavings.WhentheGcodeends withthecommandM05,themachinewillautomaticallyswitchofboththeshopvacandtherouter.To switchthemonyoucaneitherpressF5orusetheGcodecommandM03.

Step15:Electronicsenclosure

(/files/deriv/F5P/1AE1/HMVJCKSZ/F5P1AE1HMVJCKSZ.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FAT/BKLU/HMVJCKTN/FATBKLUHMVJCKTN.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FGR/X8AR/HMVJCKTA/FGRX8ARHMVJCKTA.LARGE.jpg)

ShowAll17Images

(/files/deriv/F60/RM2E/HMVJCKTI/F60RM2EHMVJCKTI.LARGE.jpg)

SinceItemporarilymountedtheelectronicsonapieceofwood,totestthemachine,Istillhadtomake agoodenclosure.Idrewouttheroughdimensionsandplacesforallofthecomponentsonapieceof paper.ItriedtoarrangetheminsuchawaythatIcouldeasilygettoalloftheterminalstoinstallthe (/files/deriv/FF2/ITGV/HMVJCKTD/FF2ITGVHMVJCKTD.LARGE.jpg) wires.IalsomadesurethatIwouldgetasufficientairflowthroughtheenclosure.Thisisvery importantsincethesteppercontrollerscangetquitewarm. Allofthecablescanbeconnectedinthebackoftheenclosure.Iusedspecial4wireplugs,becauseI wantedtobeabletodisconnecttheelectronicsfromthemachine,withouthavingtounscrewanyof

thewireterminals.Ialsoinstalledtwopoweroutletstoprovidepowertothespindleandashopvac. ThepoweroutletsareconnectedtotherelaytoswitchtherouteronandoffautomaticallyinMach3.I mountedalargepowerswitchonthefrontoftheenclosure. OnceIgotallofthecomponentsarrangedthewayIwanted,Idesignedallthepiecestomakethe enclosurewithaCADprogram.IthenusedtheCNCmachineitselftocutoutallofthesidesandthe base.Imadealidwithapieceofplexiglasinthemiddle.Itheninstalledallthecomponentsandtried tokeepthewiringascleanaspossible.

(/files/deriv/F4Q/9HCL/HMVJCKT9/F4Q9HCLHMVJCKT9.LARGE.jpg)

Step16:CNCsoftware

(/files/deriv/FBI/5FHB/HMVJDJSZ/FBI5FHBHMVJDJSZ.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FSH/BE8S/HMVJDJSV/FSHBE8SHMVJDJSV.LARGE.jpg)

TocontrolaCNCrouter,youneed3differenttypesofsoftware.ACADprogram,tocreateadrawing. ACAMprogramtocreatethetoolpathsandoutputtheGcode.Andacontrollerprogramwhich translatestheGcodeandcontrolstherouter.IamusingCamBamtocreatemostofmydrawingsand createthetoolpaths.CamBamisasimpleprogramandisveryeasytoworkwith.Ithassomebasic CADfunctionalities,soformostprojectsyoudontneedadifferentCADprogram.BeforeCamBam cancreatethetoolpaths,youneedtosetacoupleofparameters.Examplesare:thediameterofthe toolthatyoureusing,thecuttingdepth,depthperpass,cuttingspeedetc.Whenyouhavemadethe toolpaths,youcanoutputtheGcode.TheGcodeisthemachininglanguage,thattellsthemachine whattodo. ForthecontrollersoftwareIamusingMach3.Mach3sendsoutthesignalsthroughtheparallelportof yourcomputertothebreakoutboard.YouuseMach3tozerothecuttingtoolandstartthecutting (/files/deriv/FR3/PC31/HMVJDJSS/FR3PC31HMVJDJSS.LARGE.jpg) program.Youcanalsouseittocontrolthespindlespeedandcuttingspeed.Mach3hassomebasic wizardsbuiltin,whichyoucanusetooutputsimpleGcodefiles.Anexampleisthewritewizard, whichyoucanusetoquicklywritesometextandoutputittoGcode.(Seestep17foranexample).

Step17:Usingthemachine

(/files/deriv/FUA/9JWM/HMVJDDPP/FUA9JWMHMVJDDPP.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FUU/YUMH/HMVJDE5T/FUUYUMHHMVJDE5T.LARGE.jpg)

(/files/deriv/FDO/M76F/HMVJDDPN/FDOM76FHMVJDDPN.LARGE.jpg)

ShowAll8Images

(/files/deriv/FGG/XG8J/HMVJDE6P/FGGXG8JHMVJDE6P.LARGE.jpg)

Afterseveralmonthsofwork,themachineisfinallyfinished.Aftertheinitialtesting,thefirstthingI madeweresomeholddownclamps.Thefirstbigprojectwastheelectronicsenclosure,whichyou haveseeninstep15.Ihavealsobeencuttingsomedifferenttypesofgearsandsomesigns.One (/files/deriv/FGQ/M2M9/HMVJDDPQ/FGQM2M9HMVJDDPQ.LARGE.jpg) thingIquicklyrealizedwasthataCNCroutermakesalotofdustandcanbeprettyloud.Tofixthe dustproblemImadeadustshoe,towhichashopvaccanbeattached.Reducingthenoiselevelwas moredifficult.Myparentswerekindenoughtopayforthematerialcoststobuildafullenclosurefor themachine.SoImadealargecabinetinwhichtheCNCmachinestands.Iusednoiseabsorbing platestocovertheinsideofthewalls.Theelectronicsandtheshopvaccansitintwodifferent compartmentsunderthemachine.Thecabinetreallycutsdownonthenoiselevelandmakesusing themachineevenmorefun.
(/files/deriv/FVM/BXXG/HMVJDDPV/FVMBXXGHMVJDDPV.LARGE.jpg)

Step18:Conclusion

(/files/deriv/FKP/52DT/HMVJDJUP/FKP52DTHMVJDJUP.LARGE.jpg)

Sothatsaboutit.NowyouknowhowIbuildmyCNCrouterandwhyIdiditthewayIdid. Althoughyouprobablywontbebuildinganexactcopyofmymachine,Ihopeyoucandrawsome inspirationfrommydesignandbuild.Ihavelearntalot,bybuildingthisCNCrouterandreallylook forwardtousingitforfutureprojects. Iwouldliketothankmyschoolteacher,NopVelthuizen,whichgavemetheopportunitytobuildthis machine.HeallowedmetocomeovertohisownworkshopanduseallofthetoolsIneededtobuild thisCNCrouter.Hegavemealotofinformationandinspirationandhelpedmewhereneeded,to successfullycompletethisproject. Ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleaseleaveacommentandIwilltrytoansweryourquestionsassoonas possible. Linkstousefulwebsites: CNCzone.com(http://cnczone.com/) CNCroutersource.com(http://www.cncroutersource.com/) CamBam(http://www.cambam.info/downloads/) Mach3(http://www.machsupport.com/software/downloadsupdates/)

DamenCNC.com(http://damencnc.com/en) Linearmotionbearings2008(http://www.ebay.com/sch/linearmotionbearings2008/m.html) Beltingonline.co.uk(http://beltingonline.co.uk/) Misumiusa.com(http://us.misumiec.com/)

Wehaveabenicecommentpolicy. Pleasebepositiveandconstructive.

RichEditor

AddImages

Preview

Post

Helloeveryone,

Benne(/member/Benne/)(author)says: Oct22,2013.11:37AM

Reply(CF7HJ4UHN386SHM)

1 Thankyouallforthekindwords,Ireally (/member/Benne/) appreciateit.IhadneverthoughtthatI

wouldgetsomanynicecomments,views andfavoritesonmyfirstinstructablein suchashortperiodoftime. Thefollowingtwoorthreeweeks,Iwill havetostudyformyexaminationweek,so Iwon'thavemuchtimetoeditoradda videotothisinstructable.Iwouldliketo makeavideowhichexplainsthe design/softwareprocess,fromdrawingto finishedpartandIwilldefinitelydothat whenIhavetimeagain. Inthemeantime,pleasevoteformeinthe Icouldmakethatcontest:)
flag

kmmarlow(/member/kmmarlow/)says: Niceworkmate! Ithinkitstimetoupgrademine:) Oct22,2013.5:36PM

Reply(C0BYHLIHN3872QC)

2 (/member/kmmarlow/)

flag

Benne,thanksfortheinstructable.Verywell done,Ithink.Ithinkit'sverycoolthatyou (/member/keverett458429/) builtaprototypeinwoodaheadoftime greatstrategyforlotsofdifferentbuilding projects,Ithink.Iwonder,ifyouhadittodo again,howwouldyouchangeyourdesignor buildparameters?IaskthisbecauseI've beenworkingonaCNCgantryrouterfor3 yearsnow.It'sbeenworkingsincethefirst year,butIkeepfindingthingstoimprove andmodify.Oneimportantthingyou've confirmedformeisthatahighschool studentcandothiswithoutadoubt!.I'm puttingtogetheraroboticscourseforhigh schoolstudentsandthiswasanimportant revelation.ForthisIthankyouagreat, great,deal.NowIwillhaveabitof confidenceitwon'tbeovertheirheads.

keverett458429(/member/keverett458429/)says: Oct22,2013.4:47PM

Reply(CURNWIIHMVJALM8)

Afewobservations(Irealizeunsolicitedso disregardifyou'reuninterested)onyour currentbuildare:1.Nicecleanbuildreally cleancomparedtosomecabelingand wiringaresowellhidden(ohyeah,you haven'twiredinyourlimitsyetortheE Stop...thatwilladdabitofclutterpossibly, butverywelldonesofar..2.)ReallyTALL theaspectratioofXYregionsisdeceiving whenaddedtoyour5"zspan.Iwouldthink theleverarmactionoftheverticalgantry supportsandtheshortdistancebetween yourtwolinearbearingsundereachvertical supportwouldalreadyallowsomeflexor rackinginthatassemblypotential"apparent backlash"butreallyjustslop.Ifnot,great! If,undersomeadditionalpressuresay whencuttingaluminum,youseesomeflex tryspacingoutthelinearbearingssome. Youcanusetrigandsomesimplephysics tofigureoutwhatlinearbearingspacingwill giveyouasizeableincreaseinresistanceto anygantryrotationofyourdesign.HopeI've explainedthisadequately.Thisisjustan

intuitiveconcernonmypart,soitmayin fact,notactuallybeaproblemforyouatthe cuttingpressuresyouuse. Bestregards,andgoodluckinfuturebuilds andimoyourcncrouterisagreatadditionto theinstructablestable. k

flag

telauges2(/member/telauges2/)says: verygood,congratulations!
(/member/telauges2/)

Oct22,2013.3:57PM

Reply(CWIVAWCHN2BKCSC)

flag

1 (/member/LancerRobotics3415/) VERYcoolbuild.Wemaylookintobuilding

LancerRobotics3415(/member/LancerRobotics3415/)says: Oct22,2013.3:56PM HEY!LORDOFTHESCREWS!Hungout withyouguysatworlds.:P

Reply(CRJ92MTHN2BKCSA)

oneoftheseourselves:D Doyouhaveageneralpricerangefortotal materials?

BuildingaCNCrouter byBenne(/member/Benne/)
Download(/id/BuildingaCNCrouter/?download=pdf) (/id/BuildingaCNCrouter/) 18Steps ChristianKnuell(/member/Christian+Knuell/)says: Oct22,2013.2:36PM Verywellmade.I'donlytakesomemore careaboutthecables(I'vekilledmy (/member/Christian+Knuell/) computeroncebypinchingapowercable withthemachine)

Vote!
flag

+Collection ContestEntryin:

Favorite

Reply(CLCQAA3HN2CPYHE)
Isthisawinner?

Vote
flag (/contest/icouldmakethat/)

kylebrinkerhoff(/member/kyle+brinkerhoff/)says: Oct22,2013.1:17PM SOLID!thatsasupernicejobyouvedone their!iwaswonderingifyouwouldbeable 17 tohelpmefinishmycncrouterbyusing (/member/kyle+brinkerhoff/) yourmachinetocutoutpartsforit?ican payyouifyourinterested

Reply(C0UMDN9HN2BK986)

flag

ElectronExciter(/member/ElectronExciter/)says: Oct22,2013.1:05PM Excellenttutorial!Havingjustcompleteda 4'x4'homebuiltCNCmachineIknowhow (/member/ElectronExciter/) harditistomake...andminewasdone withMDFparts,notaluminum!Doyou noticeanyresonancethruthealuminum whencutting?IkeptmineMDFtoabsorb vibrationwhilecutting

Reply(COXEODRHMVJAJSV)

flag

Gabse(/member/Gabse/)says:

Oct21,2013.10:26PM

Reply(CSWUC8DHMVJDSTK)

Isitalsopossibletomakethecontrollerwithanarduino?
1 (/member/Gabse/) flag

Benne(/member/Benne/)(author)inreplytoGabse Oct22,2013.11:54AM Yesthisispossible,althoughI don'thaveanyexperiencewith 1 usinganArduinotocontrolaCNC (/member/Benne/) routermyself.Youwouldstillneed stepperdrivers,tocontrolthe motors,soIdon'tthinkitwould saveyoumuchmoney.There alreadyarefreeGcodeinterpreter

Reply(CVQAN28HN386SJ2)

programsavailable,whichyoucan downloadfromtheweb.Formore information,Isuggesttotakea lookattheCNCzone.comforum, whereyouprobablycanfinda betteranswertoyourquestion.Oh andIfoundthis: http://makezine.com/arduino/grbl/, whichlookslikeaperfectsolution, forasmallCNCrouter.
flag

1 (/member/Gabse/)

Gabse(/member/Gabse/)inreplytoBenne Oct22,2013.12:46PM Thanksforyouranswer,Ithink I'lltrytomakeittodrillpcb

Reply(CFR1U5GHN2CPY3D)

flag

BigTimeNice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(/member/studleylee/)

studleylee(/member/studleylee/)says: Oct22,2013.11:56AM

Reply(CE1WXJ9HMVJHQ38) flag

menglor(/member/menglor/)says:

Oct22,2013.5:39AM

Reply(CQ7L5NWHN30HCIM)

Ilovethis. IrecentlyconvertedmySiegX2MillingmachinetoaCnCmuchlikeyours,onlyminewasmetal (/member/menglor/) (obviously) WhereIamfindingahugelearningcurve,andIexpectthepeoplewhotakeonthisprojectwillas well,isthesoftware.yourdocumentationandscreenshotsaregoingtomakebuildingthisproject easy,butIexpectpeoplewillgetconfusedwhenitcomestimetodrive,test,cutandusethe softwaresideofit. Couldyoubetalkedintoaddingtoyourprojectherebymakingafewvideo's?onyoutube,orhere? Icouldlistahundredvideo'sIwouldliketosee.Frombasicstartingwithawoodblockandcutting myname,toconvertingaJpegtoacuttableimageandwhatnot. IseeinyourpicturesyouhavemadesomeWood"blockclamps"Iwouldliketoseeastarttofinish ofsomethinglikethateven. IhavesearchedYoutubeforCambamandBobCab,butIneverfindany"simple"doXandyoucan startcutting.
flag

Thanks! Iwilltrytomakemakeavideo, 1 explainingthedesign/software (/member/Benne/) process,aftermyexamination weekisover.Inthemeantimeyou couldwatchsomevideosfromthe CamBamwebsite: http://cambam.info/vids/.Ifound themveryinformative,whenIwas learningtoworkwithCamBam.

Benne(/member/Benne/)(author)inreplytomenglor Oct22,2013.11:47AM

Reply(C7PKZ09HN386SID)

flag

rusty13jr(/member/rusty13jr/)says:

Oct22,2013.9:44AM

Reply(CWP4Y1DHMWW01OK)

This.Is.Amazing!Iamblownawaybyyourbuild.Currentlyworkingonmyownmachinemadeour of45mmprofile.ButIamnearlytwiceyourage.Thisgivesmehope:)Whatisyouraccuracy/ (/member/rusty13jr/) repeatability?

flag

ThepartsthatIhavemadeso far,allwerewithin0.05mm(as 1 farasmycalipercantell).Ialso (/member/Benne/) madea100teethHTD5timing

Benne(/member/Benne/)(author)inreplytorusty13jr Oct22,2013.11:41AM

Reply(C6O4MLSHN386SHW)

pulleyoutof10mmacrylic.Itfits thetimingbeltperfectly,with+/ 60teethengaging,whichmeans thepartisveryprecise.

flag

Excellentwork!ThisistrulyinspirationalI havealwayswantedtocreatagantryCNC (/member/Mokeymark/) millingmachine,andIthinkyouhave providedthemotivationformetotackle theproject.Thankyou!

Mokeymark(/member/Mokeymark/)says: Oct22,2013.11:20AM

Reply(C6E7AYCHMVJHQ0Q)

flag

TechMojos(/member/TechMojos/)says: Wow,whatanabsolutelyimpressive post.Thankyouforsharingthis! Oct22,2013.11:20AM

Reply(C3OO8RUHMWW021L)

(/member/TechMojos/)

flag

Jtescobar(/member/Jtescobar/)says: wonderfulwork!!!!!
(/member/Jtescobar/)

Oct22,2013.10:15AM

Reply(CTH5JY6HMVJHPT9)

flag

jwoodford(/member/jwoodford/)says:

Oct22,2013.9:45AM

Reply(C66MYQWHN2BK70S)

Ithinkyouhavejustcreatedanideaforyourfirstbusiness.Makeallthebitsthatneedmachining andcannotjustbeboughtofftheshelf.Youcouldsellthepartsasakitwithpeoplebuyingthe (/member/jwoodford/) heavystockmaterialsintheirowncountry.StickthatonKickstarterandIthinkyouwillbeinundated inoffers.

flag

Pader(/member/Pader/)says:

Oct22,2013.8:49AM

Reply(CZMDAZZHN2BK6OK)

2 (/member/Pader/)

GreatinstructableBenne,especiallyconsideringyourapparentage.Itbearsseveralthingsin commonwithmyhomebuiltmachine(http://www.instructables.com/id/GoodqualityCNCMachine/). ThetwomaindifferenceswerethatIusedsheetsteel,lasercutandfoldedformygantryparts. IdidoriginallyuseatwinbeltdrivefortheYaxiswith'jockeywheel'tensionersbutfoundthateven thoughtheyweregoodqualitybelts,tensioningwasdifficultevenwiththetensionersandIwasnever surewhetherIwasputtingtoomuchstrainonthemotorbearings.Sonow,allthreeaxesofmy machinearedirectdriveusing12mmstainlesssteelthreadedrodfortheXandYaxesand8mmrod fortheZaxis.Asmymachineisconsiderablybiggerthanyours,Iwasnotworriedaboutthemotors stickingoutalittle.IalsomademydrivenutsbutusedHDPE(somekitchencuttingboards)with duplicatepiecesthatallowedtensioningifthereshouldbeanywear,butasyet,Ihavenothadto adjustthem.Thestainlessrodsarenotasprecisioncutasproprietaryitemsbutthepitchisalmost halfthatofreadymadeitemsandthereforeanyerrorisconsiderablyreducedandcaneasilybe eliminatedwithinMach3. Ihopethatyoupublishmanymoreinstructablesasyouobviouslyhavetalentandhaveaccessto suchgreatworkshopfacilities.
flag

jwebsd(/member/jwebsd/)says:

Oct22,2013.8:00AM

Reply(CYT7LYPHMVJAGJB)

(/member/jwebsd/)

Iamflabbergasted!Notonlyatyourinstructable,butthatyouasa1617yearoldcreatedallthis. Thereishopeforthehumanrace!Thankyouforbeingalive.Blessyourparents!
flag

vash1486(/member/vash1486/)says:

Oct22,2013.7:33AM

Reply(CQJ9R5YHMWW012K)

reallyimpressive!welldoneandtankyouforsharingyourproject:)
(/member/vash1486/) flag

ssamc(/member/ssamc/)says: Verywellwrittenfirstparttutorial. Iwasimpressedwithyourwork.

Oct22,2013.7:11AM

Reply(COIDCZ5HMVJHORP)

(/member/ssamc/) Congrats flag

BelloPhil(/member/BelloPhil/)says:

Oct22,2013.6:47AM

Reply(CAX4WEOHMVJAFXQ)

Verynicepieceofwork,Ihavetoagreewithanothercommentonhere,evenwithyourclear instructions,thisprojectisonesteptoofarforme!I'llstickwithallthetoolsyoumentioned.Ilook (/member/BelloPhil/) forwardtoseeingwhatelseyoucomeupwithinthefuture.

flag

AZSobo(/member/AZSobo/)says: Outstanding!
(/member/AZSobo/)

Oct22,2013.6:39AM

Reply(CP6EPCGHN2BK63B)

flag

strooom(/member/strooom/)says: HiBenne,

Oct22,2013.5:44AM

Reply(C5APQK3HN2R9SEK)

9 thanksforthiswonderfullinstructable!I'mgettingeagertobuildaCNCmyselfandwillcertainlyuse (/member/strooom/) theextensivedescriptionyoumade.

Proficiat,heelgoedgedaan:)
flag

KEUrban(/member/KEUrban/)says:

Oct21,2013.6:53PM

Reply(C1OW2CGHMWVZY5B)

5 (/member/KEUrban/)

CorrectmeifI'mwrong,butI'minferringthatEnglishisnotyourfirstlanguage.IfI'mcorrect,thenI'm doublyimpressedbyyourhighqualityprojectanditswellwrittenInstructable.Veryimpressive,sir.
flag

YesitistruethatEglishisnotmy firstlanguage.Inormallyspeak 1 dutch,soI'mhappytohearthat (/member/Benne/) youthoughtmyInstructablewas wellwritten.Thankyouvery much,Ireallyappreciateit.

Benne(/member/Benne/)(author)inreplytoKEUrban Oct22,2013.12:07AM

Reply(CHQBIJWHN2CPO66)

flag

(/member/black58/)

black58(/member/black58/)inreplytoBenne Oct22,2013.5:07AM Iagreewiththeabovereview. Excellentjob,welldone.

Reply(CTOEE5THMWW00HQ)

flag

jayawilliams(/member/jayawilliams/)says: Oct21,2013.2:29PM

Reply(CI0QZR7HMVJHJF6)

AndthisiswhyschoolsintheUSaredoomed.I'veseenwaytoomany16/17yearoldsthatcouldn't evenreadthis.Also,pointinfact,I'm29andwouldstruggletocompletethisprojectwithinstructions (/member/jayawilliams/) provided.AndIconsidermyselftobeafairlyintelligentperson.Verywelldone.

flag

xXLGXx(/member/xXLGXx/)says:

Oct21,2013.9:11AM

Reply(CQ62O5RHMVJDLDI)

Whatkindofcuttingspeeddoyougetwithit? Iknowthatthefasteritis,there'sachanceforlossofquality,butwhereisthe"sweetspot"soto (/member/xXLGXx/) say? Wonderfuljob.Iamalmostafraidtoaskwhatthetotalcostwas(notincludinglabor:P).Aluminumis notexactlycheapeventhoughitisfairlyavailable.

flag

Thecuttingspeedreallydepends onthematerialyouwanttocut.I 1 normallyrunthemachineataround (/member/Benne/) 1200mm/minwith2.5mmdepthof

Benne(/member/Benne/)(author)inreplytoxXLGXx Oct21,2013.10:06AM

Reply(C4FYTPIHMVJDLPV)

cut.Thisgivesmereallynice resultsinacrylicandbirch plywood,usinga5mmcutter.I don'treallyfeeltheneedtopush themachinetoit'slimits,butI thinkIcanrunthemachineway faster.Iwillhavetoexperiment morewithdifferentspeedsand settingstoreallyknowwhatit's limitsare.Iwilladdthecutting speedinformationtothis instructableonceIhavebeen usingthemachineforalittle longer. IthinkIspendaround1400euros onthemachineintotal.The aluminumplatesandextrusions costmeabout380eurosandthe electronicssomewherearound 400.IthinkIcouldhavesaved somemoneyontheelectronics,by buyingakitfromebay.Thelinear railsandballscrewsonlycostme 150euros,becauseIboughtthem slightlyused.Iknowthismachine isexpensive,butacommercial machinecancostyouupto10.000 eurosormoreandIthinkmy machineperformsjustaswellas mostofthem.
flag

Absolutelygreatpieceofwork.Hardto believethisisyourfirstinstructable,Ihope (/member/nopvelthuizen/) manymorewillfollowinthefuture.Can youshowusavideoofyourmachinein action?

nopvelthuizen(/member/nopvelthuizen/)says: Oct21,2013.6:27AM

Reply(CBRQHVYHMVJHHGF)

flag

1 (/member/Benne/)

Thanks!Iwilladdavideotothe intropageassoonaspossible.

Benne(/member/Benne/)(author)inreplytonopvelthuizen Reply(CJ8H4PVHMVJDKQP) Oct21,2013.6:47AM

flag

carlos66ba(/member/carlos66ba/)says: Fantastic!
(/member/carlos66ba/)

Oct21,2013.6:44AM

Reply(CDH8E6VHMVJHHHJ)

flag

Wehaveabenicecommentpolicy. Pleasebepositiveandconstructive.

RichEditor

AddImages

Preview

Post

AboutUs
WhoWeAre(/about/) Advertise(/advertise/) Contact(/about/contact.jsp) Jobs(/community?categoryGroup=marketplace&category=jobs_internships) Help(/community?categoryGroup=Help)

FindUs
Facebook(http://www.facebook.com/instructables) Youtube(http://www.youtube.com/user/instructablestv) Twitter(http://www.twitter.com/instructables) Pinterest(http://www.pinterest.com/instructables)

Resources
ForTeachers(/teachers/) ArtistsinResidence(/group/air/) Forums(/community/) Answers(/tag/typequestion/?sort=RECENT)

Mobile
Downloadournewappsfor iOSandandroid!

Join our newsletter:

enteremail

Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details? Join! id=com.adsk.instructables) iOS

Termsofservice(http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21959721) | (https://itunes.apple.com/app/instructables/id586765571) PrivacyPolicy(http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21292079) | LegalNotices&Trademarks(http://usa.autodesk.com/legalnoticestrademarks/) | MobileSite(http://m.instructables.com) (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=20781545&siteID=123112) VisitOurStore(http://store.instructables.com/) Copyright2013AutodeskInc.Allrightsreserved.

GoProToday(/account/gopro?sourcea=footer)