Is anyone using cnc

[J-G]

You have mail Don

I have two or three 'clocks' which have put themselves on the 'back burner' due to some irritation so I fully understand your getting disheartened. Clocks really are fascinating but also very demanding as far as component accuracy - even though they might appear to be forgiving as far as 'loose' gears are concerned, after-all, they only move in one direction so backlash is the least of your worries

That looks like a good clean engraving Don

 

[CaptainBarnacles]

Nice. Steppers? Servos? What control board and software?

Sorry mate, we've been without internet for a bit, Vodafone broadband - never again!! but that's another story!

I have 4x Nema 23 steppers (dual drives on the Y axis), Hiwin linear rails, aluminium profiles (80x80, 40x160, 40x80) for the frame and a 2.2kw water-cooled spindle. I just need to get around to finalising the design and putting it all together. I'll start out with LinuxCNC through a cheap BOB and upgrade as funds allow. I like the look of the AXBB-E, it does everything I need at a sensible price. Also considered the Acorn and Mesa. What I really like the the look of is the Masso but it's a bit spendy for me at the moment.

 

[KingAether]

This threads been an interesting read as i've been considering CNC recently for some ideas; does anyone have a small, cheap, hobby machine that they would recommend? Hard to find good and consistent information under the £3k~ mark, im thinking closer to £300

 

[J-G]

This threads been an interesting read as i've been considering CNC recently for some ideas; does anyone have a small, cheap, hobby machine that they would recommend? Hard to find good and consistent information under the £3k~ mark, im thinking closer to £300

You'll be struggling with that budget! - It depends to a some extent on what capacity you want. a few years ago I bought a Roland MX-20 ~£2.4k with a work-space of 200 x 150 x 50, I takes .DXF files into its proprietory software so you can't feed it G-Code but it does give you a grounding as far as CNC workflow is concerned.

In July I found a s/h Denford MicroCompact Router with 400 x 200 x 100 capacity that does accept Standard G-Code. It is a 2003 build that has been updated to use an ethernet connected controller rather than the original parallel port and cost me £900 + ½ a day travel to collect

 

[sploo]

The CNC Zone forum (CNCzone.com- Largest Forums for CNC Professional and Hobbyist alike!) is probably the place to go to find out about machines. I bought about 15 years ago (well before the advent of the numerous cheaper machines) so I'm a bit out of the loop on what's available. There's also a good DIY sub forum; which may allow you to build something right down the low end of the price range. £300 might be a bit optimistic though.

There are a few light engraving type machines sold on sites such as Banggood; basic alum extrusion frames with ground rod sliders. That might be a cheap starting point for the mechanical side (vs making your own) but they won't handle much load.

 

[Phill05]

£300 might be a bit optimistic though.
Just a bit!! might cost you that for just the bed frame.
I would say firstly sit down and design what you think size wise you might want to cut out, then once you have the size your happy with start looking (looking only for prices) at the components that would build it.
Have a look for second hand machines you could rebuild to your requirements.
This all helps to give an indication of what it will cost.
Honestly a small cheep machine (cheep meaning this will be the sound you get out of it) will be so frustrating to try to use, I know I tried it.

I found an old machine that need rebuilding and spent some months re-making it to do what I wanted it for, maybe cost me more in my time but I learnt such a lot now if something does not work I can find out why easier.

Phill

 

[sploo]

It's also worth considering the intended purpose. E.g.:

Cheap + large area + not particularly accurate
Cheap(ish) + small + rigid (for hard materials such as metal) + slow

Rigid + accurate + fast + large means big money. Compromise on one or more and you can bring the costs down. If you wanted cheap + large area + low accuracy then the Maslow (Maslow CNC - Wikipedia) might be the answer.

 

[J-G]

and you shouldn't underestimate the cost of tooling and 'extras' - I bought a Mach3 Motion controller WHB04B from CNC4U - Pendant Wireless Mach3 - which has been an absolute boon. Shown at £108ish but by the time you've added Delivery & VAT you are talking >£130. You will also need some form of positioning and clamping components. I made a sacrificial table with 66 threaded holes in a 40 x 40 grid and the inserts cost £6.

Decent router cutters are upwards of £10 each - and that's just the straight ones!

These costs on their own are to some extent inconsequential but by the time they are all added together they soon eat into a £300 budget.

 

[threedee]

Its like the half-joke on pricing work (cheap/quick/fast, pick 2) but paraphrased:

Big, Rigid, Fast...
Big and rigid will be slow
Big and fast will be floppy
Rigid and fast will be small

Applies to cnc, 3d printers and laser cutters. Got a big(for home use) and floppy laser cutter. Making it rigid would cost half of what i paid for the damn thing. Its all a balancing act.

 

[KingAether]

Thank you for all the replies, i didn't mean to hijack the thread! Realistically i could probably reach around £1k if it was something i really wanted to try so I think i might find a local cnc buisness, get a few test pieces cut and see how they sell first. In the meantime i can read, learn and figure out the second hand-market a bit