CNC Mill Build Thread (Video and parts pics)

[Charlie don't surf]

Very cool! So, is this an expensive venture?

[Seabass]

Just think Reg, the cabinet will be on castors so the entire thing can be loaded with ease. maybe I should haul the thing to your house for a weekend of machining.

That black box is broken down below:

Enclosure $30
Gecko Drives $267
Breakout Board $120
Power Supply $50
EPO $8
Switches $5
AC Inlet $3
Fan $13
Misc Wire $15
Ribbon cable $5

$515.00

I am sure I am missing some stuff here and there. I thought the major parts were going to be where the money went, but I found out this thing is way worst than RC10 rebuilds. It is nickel and diming me to death.

In the end I am figuring a total of $3000 from start to finish. This is going to include the machine itself, all the software, cables, wood, coolant system, basically everything.

[Charlie don't surf]

That's about 1/2 or less than a turn-key machine right?

[Seabass]

Yeah, I am saving a bit of money from the turnkey machine. If you were to buy the same machine from A2Z, just the machine alone is $2500. You would still be looking at another $1500 - $2500 to get the rest of the components. There are companies out there who will sell you the controller ready to go with stepper motors for about $1000 - $1500. From there all you would need is a PC to make the machine run.

I could have bought a RTR controller but I want to know the machine inside and out. If I have problems, I already have an in-depth knowledge of how the thing is put together.

[losiXXXman]

I'm a pretty good carpenter (IMO... ) and I'd say your cabinet looks great. The whole project is just awesome. For me, I'd even be happy just to come across a manual machine for a cheap price just so I could play with it and make some things here and there. I'm just SO low budget I cannot even touch that right now.. For now, i just have to satisfy my needs with what I can do with the table saw, jigsaw, drill, and dremel... I've often wondered if a drill press could do some light machining, if you could find a way to step up the speed, and had a cross slide vise down on the platform. (Obviously no aluminum, just soft plastics I would think.)

[GoMachV]

I'm a pretty good carpenter (IMO... ) and I'd say your cabinet looks great. The whole project is just awesome. For me, I'd even be happy just to come across a manual machine for a cheap price just so I could play with it and make some things here and there. I'm just SO low budget I cannot even touch that right now.. For now, i just have to satisfy my needs with what I can do with the table saw, jigsaw, drill, and dremel... I've often wondered if a drill press could do some light machining, if you could find a way to step up the speed, and had a cross slide vise down on the platform. (Obviously no aluminum, just soft plastics I would think.)

I will leave most of this to the guys that know their spindle bearings
However, Phin did some light machining in his ruff n tuff thread

Picked up a TPS chain drive a month or two ago that I want to use on one of these truck builds but the plastic bits are beat up and dyed, and would just ugly up the rest of the new parts on these cars. So I decided to try and make new side pieces for it out of delrin.

Don't have a CNC so using my drill press I took the same basic approach that gomachv does with his pin router and used the old side pod as a template.




Because of the thickness it required several passes, lowering the bit a little each time. Not the quickest method so only got one side mostly complete. I'm happy with it though.

[Phin]

This is the video which taught me that I could use a drill press to do some simple machining on a drill press.

[youtube]gJYWUX0g6A8[/youtube]

[losiXXXman]

Phin, can you try that link again? Mach5, your pin router thread is a BIG inspiration as well. I wish I hadn't returned the router and table I got for Xmas 2 years ago. Ill get one again one day....

[Phin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJYWUX0g6A8

[youtube]gJYWUX0g6A8[/youtube]

[losiXXXman]

Thanks man!

[Seabass]

Tested the coolant system tonight and it is probably overkill for the size of the machine. The volume of liquid moved is pretty impressive for the super cheap fountain pump I picked up from Harbor Freight. I wanted to use something really cheap and affordable that can be replaced by a quick trip into town if the thing ever decides to give out (Which I am sure it will judging by Harbor Freight stuff). I could have picked up a complete coolant system but I wanted to stay relatively cheap.

The lock line and valve are industrial standard so I am completely out of line with my coolant system.

Still waiting for the one part to tie the power into the controller (Stupid China shipping). The cabinet is also to the point to where I have to stop. I need my coolant catch pan to arrive before I finish the top half of the cabinet.

This thing is so close to being finished and it is killing me waiting on the parts to arrive. If I build it right the first time, my problems should be minimal when it comes time to machining.

One thing I already know I don't like is the Z axis for the machine. The OEM Sherline lead screw for the Z axis leaves a lot to be desired. I found a guy who provided an in depth write up on converting the stock Sherline z column to accept a Kerk lead screw which is the same lead screws the mill has for the x and y axis. I can work with the stock lead screw for the time being but a retrofit will soon be in order. I also picked up a carbide bit today for the CF sheet I plan on running first. Once I get the machine mounted I will take a video of the first cut I make and post it in this thread.

[GoMachV]

Sweeeeeet! Glad to see it's getting closer!

[limestang]

Great project. I have built up a small machine shop over the years and would love to try CNC sometime. I have found the following website very helpful so thought i would pass it along:

http://www.mini-lathe.com/

Note the mini mill content as well as upgrades.

- Limestang

[Seabass]

I have used that site several times for caring for the seig. X2 mill and 7x12 lathe I have. Very good information there.

[Seabass]

Totally frustrated right now

I got the motor steps per inch calibrated and for the life of me I cannot get the axis' to home properly. The past two nights I have scratched my head, done tons of research, watched countless videos, etc and it still is not making sense.

I thought I set the home limits as instructed by the video but when I try to set the G54 work offset (where the material is in the machine), the thing has a mind of its own and tries to cut the part off the table. I has adjusted the offset and the machine still tries to move to the material off the table.

I am not a complete moron when it comes to this stuff, but nothing is making sense anymore. I have probably watched the homing and offset youtube video 5 complete times while standing in front of the machine and it still isn't working right.

UGH!!!

EDIT:

I decided to stop using the sample programs provided with the software and a lot of my issues went away. I was able to set the work offset and control where the material was in the machine. I still have some issues but nothing like what I was experiencing. I am mentally drained right now...

I made an actual test cut with the machine to see if the machine would cut what I told it to. I cut a 1 inch square in a block of wood. After the program ran its course, the square in the wood measured 1.002 x 1.003. Not bad for the first run but definitely not where I want the machine to be. The main problem I ran into is the lack of a proper measuring tool.

To set the axis travel accurately, you need to move the table several inches to calculate the steps per inch. You need a dial test indicator which I do not have (yet). I had to make my calculation using a dial indicator which only allows me to measure inch of travel. I can get it close if I am running really small parts, but if I want to run a part let's say 10 inches, that two or three thousands will turn into 20 - 30 thousands off. That won't cut it for what I want to do. The good thing, Mach 3 has the capability to automatically calculate the steps per inch making things much easier than the math involved. Once the DTI gets here, I should be able to get the machine to stay within 2 thousands as long as I run the calculations multiple times.

If you are lost at this point, you should see the rest of the stuff that I have no idea about...