Small CNC Router Build
- Thread starter CHJ
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CHJ
Established Member
ColeyS1":3kgo41sl said:
You and me both, first time I've ever embarked on a side project with such relaxed timescale objectives. But it provides an alternate grey cell stimulation and has made for a reacquaintance with 'spares' boxes that have not seen the light of day for 30-40 yrs. (the 'I should have some of those somewhere ' syndrome looms large)
It's the little things like circuit board connectors, in line crimps, shrink sleeving that you know were purchased in bulk way back when.
I doubt I or anybody else will see the day when the hoards of resistors of every denomination, capacitors and components ever gets consumed in these days of 'do it all' integrated circuits. (did I really use that many automatic feed roles of resistors?)
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AES
Established Member
Looking really tidy Chas, and a nice project to have on the back burner to come on now and then, when the fancy strikes. And re the "that may come in handy one day" box/es I've been surprised at the number of times I've found something that really WILL do. Even SWMBO has been impressed a few times - though it doesn't stop the fairly oft-heard pregnant remarks about "all that stuff in the cellar"!
("It's not a cellar, it's a workshop woman." "NOOOO, it's supposed to be for me to use too!" "Well the washing machine, drier, a load of gardening tools and CH is in there. What more do you want?"). Ah well.
Looking forward to seeing it in action Chas. If you get stuck for any gears, my previous offer still holds.
("It's not a cellar, it's a workshop woman." "NOOOO, it's supposed to be for me to use too!" "Well the washing machine, drier, a load of gardening tools and CH is in there. What more do you want?"). Ah well.
Looking forward to seeing it in action Chas. If you get stuck for any gears, my previous offer still holds.
CHJ
Established Member
Hopefully the gears will be here soon, having problems with tooth count on one used in Z axis but have been assured it can be accounted for in the software calibration. (Oh yeh! your assuming we get that far).
Found some more 'spares' this morning that will do,
No idea why they were hiding in a resistor draw.
And just whilst typing this another package arrives.
Found some more 'spares' this morning that will do,
No idea why they were hiding in a resistor draw.
And just whilst typing this another package arrives.
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worn thumbs
Established Member
Looking very promising.I got mine moving under it's own power a few weeks ago and it is a very satisfying moment when it does what you want.Totally homebrewed machine running Linuxcnc and using the Path module of Freecad to generate code.You might find the youtube videos of that aspect very interesting.Its a lot easier than typing G0's and G01's into wordpad and you get such luxuries as leaving holding tags on the workpieces to stop them flying around.I have just graduated to using ramp entry moves instead of simply plunging down in Z.
CHJ
Established Member
CHJ
Established Member
Last couple of days have seen a bit more progress.
Power Housing got its Felt anti-vib. edging.
and Base board attachment done.
Stepper Transmission Belts Initial fit.
Today saw the the start on Wiring Birds Nest termination which includes extending the Stepper motor lines
At least using the heat gun to shrink the joint sleeving added some extra warmth to the fingers that don't seem to be as dexterous as they used to be.
Not the neatest routing, a bit over length but have been informed there may be a different driver board on the way using more user friendly (for me) software so need to cater for repositioning of terminations on board.
At least the cover goes on.
A lot of work still to be done on the wiring 'tidying' front but need to prove that I can at least move the steppers before any of that takes place.
Power Housing got its Felt anti-vib. edging.
Stepper Transmission Belts Initial fit.
Today saw the the start on Wiring Birds Nest termination which includes extending the Stepper motor lines
At least using the heat gun to shrink the joint sleeving added some extra warmth to the fingers that don't seem to be as dexterous as they used to be.
Not the neatest routing, a bit over length but have been informed there may be a different driver board on the way using more user friendly (for me) software so need to cater for repositioning of terminations on board.
At least the cover goes on.
A lot of work still to be done on the wiring 'tidying' front but need to prove that I can at least move the steppers before any of that takes place.
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AES
Established Member
Looking good CHJ, birds nest & all. Those toothed drive pulley look pretty, hope they're not "just" cast monkey metal (I notice the 2 x centre holes are different diameters, the big dia presumably meaning a fair bit of torque to transmit. If so, and they are "monkey metal" then I hope the - presumably? - grub screw threads have a fair bit of meat on them).
CHJ
Established Member
Andy,
The pulleys seem pretty robust, they are low cost items anyway if they need replacing, being large volume items used in the printer world.
There is not a great deal of torque involved, the larger bores are more a case of accommodating the screw diameter on the Z axis and rigid drive strap axle in an attempt to help tie the two Y axis steppers in sync. negligible torque there.
Stepper motors have flats on the shafts so rotational loads on the grub screws is minimal.
The pulleys seem pretty robust, they are low cost items anyway if they need replacing, being large volume items used in the printer world.
There is not a great deal of torque involved, the larger bores are more a case of accommodating the screw diameter on the Z axis and rigid drive strap axle in an attempt to help tie the two Y axis steppers in sync. negligible torque there.
Stepper motors have flats on the shafts so rotational loads on the grub screws is minimal.
AES
Established Member
OK thanks Chas. I was only being an old woman anyway (and working from those - necessarily small - pix).
I have 2 very similar drive pulleys (from the pix) stripped off an old photocopier, but they both have TWO grub screws to match 2 diametrically opposed flats on the drive shaft (I just HATE to throw "good" stuff away).
But it sounds like the designers of your machine knew what they were doing.
I have 2 very similar drive pulleys (from the pix) stripped off an old photocopier, but they both have TWO grub screws to match 2 diametrically opposed flats on the drive shaft (I just HATE to throw "good" stuff away).
But it sounds like the designers of your machine knew what they were doing.
Steve Maskery
Established Member
Any of you guys remember DOGS and PAFEC? I worked there '84 to '91 and was the DOGSNC specialist. The job took me all over the world. I taught people how to use the software and wrote post-processors for different controllers, Fanuc, Siemens, Colchester etc.
We were often head-to-head with GNC. Ultimately GNC prevailed and PAFEC declined. There was a big round of redundancies shortly before I left and another not long afterwards.
Good while it lasted.
We were often head-to-head with GNC. Ultimately GNC prevailed and PAFEC declined. There was a big round of redundancies shortly before I left and another not long afterwards.
Good while it lasted.
CHJ
Established Member
Steve Maskery
Established Member
That pic looks familiar. I think I'm on it somewhere.
The Training Room was the original Morning Room. You can see the French windows at the front corner. It got the sun in the morning, as you would expect.
That meant that it was BOILING in the summer, what with 16 computer terminals buzzing in there (pre-PC days) and absolutely freezing first thing on a Monday morning in the winter when the heating had been off all weekend.
We regularly got rung up by the electricity supplier asking us to switch things off as we were stressing the tiny overhead power supply.
Incidentally, there are more windows on the outside than there are on the inside. For example, the one to the right of the French Windows is a blank, it looks like a window on the outside but there is no window on the inside.
By and large, happy days.
The Training Room was the original Morning Room. You can see the French windows at the front corner. It got the sun in the morning, as you would expect.
That meant that it was BOILING in the summer, what with 16 computer terminals buzzing in there (pre-PC days) and absolutely freezing first thing on a Monday morning in the winter when the heating had been off all weekend.
We regularly got rung up by the electricity supplier asking us to switch things off as we were stressing the tiny overhead power supply.
Incidentally, there are more windows on the outside than there are on the inside. For example, the one to the right of the French Windows is a blank, it looks like a window on the outside but there is no window on the inside.
By and large, happy days.
CHJ
Established Member
Major hurdle mastered, have run the system from PC today as far as proving steppers run.
Only using Repetier Host printer software (easy manual input) but at least it has proved that things are working in the right direction.
Did have one minor glitch, sometime between the publishing of the wiring write-up I had and loading the latest version of Marlin Software on the RAMPS Board the end-stop switching requirement has changed from NC to NO.
Only using Repetier Host printer software (easy manual input) but at least it has proved that things are working in the right direction.
Did have one minor glitch, sometime between the publishing of the wiring write-up I had and loading the latest version of Marlin Software on the RAMPS Board the end-stop switching requirement has changed from NC to NO.
CHJ
Established Member
worn thumbs
Established Member
I know nothing of this particular machine's software,what is it?I pondered both Arduino based solutions and LinuxCNC for mine before selecting the LinuxCNC solution.Cost didn't come into it as they were both free.
CHJ
Established Member
Arduino and Marlin Firmware.
Expected CNC-GCode-Controller (Java) to run it.
Cant get it to connect, says 250000 baud rate is not supported (which is what Repetier host connects at)
Accepts 115200 rate but does not get M110 response. obviously I have a mismatch somewhere in the Marlin Firmware and what GCode controller is sending.
Expected CNC-GCode-Controller (Java) to run it.
Cant get it to connect, says 250000 baud rate is not supported (which is what Repetier host connects at)
Accepts 115200 rate but does not get M110 response. obviously I have a mismatch somewhere in the Marlin Firmware and what GCode controller is sending.
CHJ
Established Member
CHJ
Established Member
OK sorted it, all down to getting computer and router to talk to each other down the same speaker tube. So much for intelligent systems that think they know best.
Now comes the brain scratching while I try to get my head around setting work area and travel limits etc.
And check movement calibration with the pulleys I have fitted in case firmware needs adjusting.
Now comes the brain scratching while I try to get my head around setting work area and travel limits etc.
And check movement calibration with the pulleys I have fitted in case firmware needs adjusting.
AES
Established Member
This really is a fascinating project Chas. I don't pretend to understand over half of what you've written above (I shall never attempt such a thing myself) but speaking purely from a "mechanical" viewpoint it all looks very nice indeed. I remember at least one other member, probably a couple, making and posting about such gear, and I "takes me 'at orf" to you all Sir.
Just as a matter of personal interest, no matter how good it is mechanically, there must be some backlash, especially when the cutter changes axis in a 3D cut. How is that allowed for? I presume some software "tweak"? (Or have I completely misunderstood - quite likely)?
Just as a matter of personal interest, no matter how good it is mechanically, there must be some backlash, especially when the cutter changes axis in a 3D cut. How is that allowed for? I presume some software "tweak"? (Or have I completely misunderstood - quite likely)?
