Anyone interested in building a CNC?

[Ben Tang]

I just ordered 3 steppers and sparkfun stepper controllers and intend
to build a simple CNC from a hybrid of the instructables I've been
reading.

For the X-Y table frame:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-Build-Desk-Top-3-Axis-CNC-Milling-Machine/

For the electronics :
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-wire-an-arduino-based-3-axis-CNC-machine/

Just wondering if anyone's got similar interests in building a CNC or
have done this before?
Also is there anyone good with G-codes and hooking this whole rig up?
I have read the instructables and done quite a bit of thinking and
I've got some idea how to do this now, but its always nice if I've got
someone knowledgeable who could help me out.

BTW I'm estimating the whole cost to be in the neighbourhood of S$300
only... Maybe hackspace might want one to complement the makerbot.
(Although I could see how Makerbot is already a CNC, and you just need
to swap out the extruder for a router head)

Ben

[Roland Turner]

In fact someone's already experimented with mounting a Dremmel on a Makerbot; presumably this means that the model -> gcode toolpath already exists, somewhere...

- Raz

--
Chat: http://hackerspace.sg/chat

[Roland Turner]

In fact someone's already experimented with mounting a Dremmel on a Makerbot; presumably this means that the model -> gcode toolpath already exists, somewhere...

- Raz

On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 12:00 AM, Ben Tang <kenjy...@gmail.com> wrote:

--
Chat: http://hackerspace.sg/chat

[Jan Detlefsen]

http://dank.bengler.no/-/page/show/5470_grbl

> --
> Chat: http://hackerspace.sg/chat
>

[Jan Detlefsen]

you said you already got the stepper driver, but here are 3 one one
shield, inspired buy the grbl project

https://www.synthetos.com/webstore/index.php/assembled-electronics/grblshield-grbl-arduino-diy-cnc-shield.html

[Ben Tang]

Thanks for the advice but alas I have already gotten in the mail
today. Its not too much of a trouble nailing down 3 boards onto a
shield myself but my concern is how to use ReplicatorG to drive the
custom machine I'm piecing together.

I see the cupcake CNC is supported but its an extruder and mine a 3-
axis router cutter. I think I've got to write my own driver for my
machine which I'm a bit new to and somewhat apprehensive about. I
could use some help on getting RelicatorG to work with my machine
right now.

On Aug 2, 12:40 pm, Jan Detlefsen <lopsta.ecomme...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

> you said you already got the stepper driver, but here are 3 one one
> shield, inspired buy the grbl project
>

> https://www.synthetos.com/webstore/index.php/assembled-electronics/gr...
>

[Ben Tang]

Roland,

Who might have this modified driver for ReplicatorG?
Has it been posted online? Or did you mean its one of our hackerspace
members trying this out?

Ben

On Aug 2, 10:21 am, Roland Turner <roland.tur...@gmail.com> wrote:
> In fact someone's already experimented with mounting a Dremmel on a
> Makerbot; presumably this means that the model -> gcode toolpath already
> exists, somewhere...
>
> - Raz
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 12:00 AM, Ben Tang <kenjyano...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I just ordered 3 steppers and sparkfun stepper controllers and intend
> > to build a simple CNC from a hybrid of the instructables I've been
> > reading.
>
> > For the X-Y table frame:
>

> >http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-Build-Desk-Top-3-Axis-CNC-Mil...
>
> > For the electronics :
>
> >http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-wire-an-arduino-based-3-axis-C...

[Ben Tang]

Jan,

I blabbered too much in my earlier two posts. I looked at your link
and that Grbl seems to be what I need. I'll check out Vector cut as
the G-code generator too (Seems like that's what the guy used in his
you tube vid). If Grbl is what I think it is, then all I need is to
configure my machine and let Grbl compile the G-code for it.

I'm using a Arduino Mega at present, but want to use a dedicated
demilanouve board ultimately for my CNC machine. But since Grbl is an
interpreter and it seems to be flashing the code into the arduino,
won't I have to break up my code if I'm doing large builds with too
many line of G-code to fit in the arduino? (This is quite a
theoretical question at present since I don't envision myself doing
something that complex right now)

On Aug 2, 12:38 pm, Jan Detlefsen <lopsta.ecomme...@googlemail.com>
wrote:
> http://dank.bengler.no/-/page/show/5470_grbl

>
> On 2 August 2011 09:21, Roland Turner <roland.tur...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > In fact someone's already experimented with mounting a Dremmel on a
> > Makerbot; presumably this means that the model -> gcode toolpath already
> > exists, somewhere...
>
> > - Raz
>

> > On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 12:00 AM, Ben Tang <kenjyano...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> I just ordered 3 steppers and sparkfun stepper controllers and intend
> >> to build a simple CNC from a hybrid of the instructables I've been
> >> reading.
>
> >> For the X-Y table frame:
>

> >>http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-Build-Desk-Top-3-Axis-CNC-Mil...
>
> >> For the electronics :
>
> >>http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-wire-an-arduino-based-3-axis-C...
>

[Roland Turner]

I was thinking particularly of http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2071 , but it's not clear how he's driving it.

- Raz

> > Chat:http://hackerspace.sg/chat

--
Chat: http://hackerspace.sg/chat

[Jan Detlefsen]

i'm not sure how it stores the data. would think better go with a
bigger one to be sure. mega should have enough space i think.

> --
> Chat: http://hackerspace.sg/chat
>

[Jan Detlefsen]

about the makerbot extension, i think it depends what you want to cut
with the CNC. The frame for the makerbot was never intended to handle
any forces other than moving the printer head back and forth. also you
won't have any proper way to fix the material. it's probably fine to
do CNC supported drilling in pcb or something similar with very low
forces.

[Roland Turner]

Good point! This may explain why the mount-a-Dremel approach hasn't been developed any further.

- Raz

--
Chat: http://hackerspace.sg/chat

[Ben Tang]

Actually I'm thinking of using a flex-cable extension for the dremel.
Should lead to faster slew rates in the Z-axis due to the greatly
reduced weight.

On Aug 3, 12:24 pm, Roland Turner <r...@raz.cx> wrote:
> Good point! This may explain why the mount-a-Dremel approach hasn't been
> developed any further.
>
> - Raz
>
> On Wed, Aug 3, 2011 at 11:42 AM, Jan Detlefsen <
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> lopsta.ecomme...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > about the makerbot extension, i think it depends what you want to cut
> > with the CNC. The frame for the makerbot was never intended to handle
> > any forces other than moving the printer head back and forth. also you
> > won't have any proper way to fix the material. it's probably fine to
> > do CNC supported drilling in pcb or something similar with very low
> > forces.
>

> > On 3 August 2011 10:36, Jan Detlefsen <lopsta.ecomme...@googlemail.com>

> > wrote:
> > > i'm not sure how it stores the data. would think better go with a
> > > bigger one to be sure. mega should have enough space i think.
>
> > > On 3 August 2011 10:33, Roland Turner <r...@raz.cx> wrote:
> > >> I was thinking particularly ofhttp://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2071,
> > but
> > >> it's not clear how he's driving it.
>
> > >> - Raz
>

[Gideon Simons]

This morning I woke up with a big headache and also two ideas for a CNC machine with a different paradigm. 

This could be a very interesting and challenging project, even if we just bring it to a proof of concept state. 

I would be very happy if any of you gurus want to meet up and discuss the ideas.

I have been wanting to make a CNC as well for a long time, so would be nice to hook up with you guys and see how your own projects are progressing.

Gideon

Gideon

[Ben Tang]

Please speak your mind.
My direct email is kenjyanoumi[at]gmail{dot}com

I'm still working on the platform right now.

[Gideon Simons]

Thanks Ben! will write you an email soon with some more info.

After looking the things up a bit there are some similar things going on, it maybe easier to implement.

Gideon

[Jan Detlefsen]

btw you don't need to stop with a CNC mill, there are a few DIY laser
cutter projects using a simple aluminum profile frame

http://www.buildlog.net/cnc_laser/index.php

> --
> Chat: http://hackerspace.sg/chat
>

[Ben Tang]

I would have started with laser if it weren't illegal in Singapore to
operate anything above 5mW without a license.
I even got green laser pointers I eBayed from Hong Kong confiscated by
customs coming thur the post!

There are 200+mW red lasers I salvaged from DVD burners and they do
burn black neoprene foam, but a 10 W IR diode or above would be ideal
as it would allow metal working.
I've been oogling this technology for sometime now...if only it
weren't for the nanny state.

I'm done making bearing rails for the x direction of the XY platform.
Need to buy more parts before working on the Y and Z.

On Aug 11, 10:12 am, Jan Detlefsen <lopsta.ecomme...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

> btw you don't need to stop with a CNC mill, there are a few DIY laser
> cutter projects using a simple aluminum profile frame
>
> http://www.buildlog.net/cnc_laser/index.php
>

> On 9 August 2011 21:15, Gideon Simons <gideon...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Thanks Ben! will write you an email soon with some more info.
> > After looking the things up a bit there are some similar things going on, it
> > maybe easier to implement.
>
> > Gideon
>

[Tamas Herman]

On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 11:53 PM, Ben Tang <kenjy...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I would have started with laser if it weren't illegal in Singapore to
> operate anything above 5mW without a license.

what could be the reason behind this rule? who can get a license and how?

in my home town's university has a world-wide acknowledged laser
research group and lab.
i remember as a kid i've seen some helium and argon lasers at the
botanical graden.
my father developed replacement solutions for those made out of a
couple of stronger
laser leds, so these things were everyday things in our household.

so, such a regulation sounds very strongly WTF for me... feels
childish actually.
maybe we should just rent a flat in jb and have such stuff there...

--
tom

[Jan Detlefsen]

in a nanny state logic you could shoot people in the eyes, cut arms
off and use it as a weapon in other ways. you know mounted in a 40 kg
box with water cooling and 220V mobile power source :)
i'm not sure you can use solid state lasers for cutting, most use
glass tubes, i think 40 Watt is minimum to use as a cutting tool.
so far i have only seen one DIY project for a laser that can process
metal. You need insanely high power and everything will get much more
expensive (mirrors, cooling, protection, frame, etc) most peeps cut
acrylic, wood or textiles. if you see metal parts placed in a laser
cutter, it's usually for etching where glass powder gets melted onto
the surface.

> --
> Chat: http://hackerspace.sg/chat
>

[Ben Tang]

A quick search on instructables.com yields a whole bunch of hits.
The one I've admired most is this:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Zach-Radding-Homebrew-Laser-Cutter/step2/Zachs-first-lasercutter/

Oh, and lookie there! its a family friendly 25W laser! (...just
kidding... I won't let my son in my lab actually..and he invested in
goggles...I didn't...)

Question not the wisdom of the nanny state... for the sake of
returning to Singapore I sold off my gun collection in Texas too...
including a rather rare Mateba.

Actually I was considering sintering powder but I dunno if its even
practical to build for a home lab. Sintering has the advantage of not
having to provide the cutter with a block of material each time you
want to make anything, especially if most of the material gets drilled
away in the process.

On Aug 12, 2:04 am, Jan Detlefsen <lopsta.ecomme...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

> in a nanny state logic you could shoot people in the eyes, cut arms
> off and use it as a weapon in other ways. you know mounted in a 40 kg
> box with water cooling and 220V mobile power source :)
> i'm not sure you can use solid state lasers for cutting, most use
> glass tubes, i think 40 Watt is minimum to use as a cutting tool.
> so far i have only seen one DIY project for a laser that can process
> metal. You need insanely high power and everything will get much more
> expensive (mirrors, cooling, protection, frame, etc) most peeps cut
> acrylic, wood or textiles. if you see metal parts placed in a laser
> cutter, it's usually for etching where glass powder gets melted onto
> the surface.
>

> On 12 August 2011 00:49, Tamas Herman <hermanta...@gmail.com> wrote: