Hobby CNC

[nick mulder]

Anyone made a 2 or 3 axis (or 4 or five for that matter) CNC/dremel type router ??

check out CNCzone.com

You can get them so fine tuned and with resolution so much that you can get photographic results:

http://70.85.87.12/stepper/Gallery/gallery.htm (look at the top link)

..not to mention that you could make/repair camera parts with one

I am investigating making a motion control system for cine work (and long exposure stills) and in turns out I am going to be using the exact same stepper motor system as the people making these routers so might make one also to get double bang for my buck ...

interested if anyone else has seen or played around with it

 

[Dave Wooten]

I wouldn t mind having a set up that I could dupilcate and modify brass instrument mouthpieces i.e. trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba, etc...

would have to be able to cut brass bar stock

 

[barryjyoung]

Dave you would want a lathe for that, not a mill or router (same thing). There is a sherline CNC lathe big enough to do instrument mouthpieces for about $2300 at

http://www.sherline.com/CNCprices.htm

These are tiny lathes, but if all you are doing is mouthpieces, they will work fine for you.

 

[Dave Wooten]

thanks,

what would i use for the throat and back bore...cutting the outside shape and the cup etc?

 

[barryjyoung]

Very tiny boring bars from Micro 100.

 

[barryjyoung]

And for the outside turning you would use standard high speed steel or carbide tool bits

 

[Dave Wooten]

I'll look into this,

the throats and backbores are tapered and different that the outisde, which for trumpet is a morris..would be nice if a small shop set up would be possible for custom work etc...

 

[barryjyoung]

A CNC lathe would do the trick Dave

 

[barryjyoung]

I have decided to use Xylotex 269 oz/in stepper motors and 4 axis driver box. This will be used with a 3 axis ballscrew kit from CNC Fusion to convert my Grizzly minimill to CNC. Does anybody have any experience with these retrofit parts?

 

[epatsellis]

I have no experience with a minimill, I have one of those monster benchtop mill/drills (that weighs ~700 lbs.) However, within reason a larger motor and better drives will give you much better long term performance. I usually use a 34 frame stepper, more bang for the buck, in my experience, but you may not be able to fit that on your machine. The only drives I have used that have been absolutely flawless have been the Geckodrives. Top notch product and top notch support, Mariss is an example of how to run a small business (and he's a pilot too, always a plus in my book)

erie

I have decided to use Xylotex 269 oz/in stepper motors and 4 axis driver box. This will be used with a 3 axis ballscrew kit from CNC Fusion to convert my Grizzly minimill to CNC. Does anybody have any experience with these retrofit parts?

 

[barryjyoung]

I have heard great stuff about Gecko drives. I also know that NEMA 34 are better than NEMA 23 motors. The problem is that I need to get this thing up and running quickly and the closest thing I can find to a turnkey kit uses Nema 23 motors and a Xylotex driver board.





I usually use a 34 frame stepper, more bang for the buck, in my experience, but you may not be able to fit that on your machine. The only drives I have used that have been absolutely flawless have been the Geckodrives. Top notch product and top notch support, Mariss is an example of how to run a small business (and he's a pilot too, always a plus in my book)

 

[barryjyoung]

Wow, been so busy I have not had a chance to keep you all updated. The CNC conversion of my minimill has begun. I purchased a 4axis drive box from Xylotex with four 269 oz/in stepper motors and the ballscrew and motor mount kit for three axes from CNCfusion. I just finished mounting the Y axis ball screw and motor mount and motor this morning. The ballscrew was too long and I had to install and remove it 4 times while grinding it to length. The bearing collar (which adjusts for near zero backlash) on the X axis was so tight that I stripped the socket head cap screw trying to remove it. Now I have to drill it out and replace it wilh a high quality screw. I had the four motors running on my kitchen table, can't wait to get the mill running under computer control.

 

[epatsellis]

Just wait til you make that first piece, you'll be so thrilled you'll have to show everyone. Just remember, it's just a hobby (just like photography.....)

erie

 

[barryjyoung]

Hi erie:


Well I probably won't be quite as excited as most home shop machinists who cnvert their machine to CNC since I have been running CNC's for a living for the past fifteen years, but I am sure every word you say is quite true.

 

[barryjyoung]

My minimill converted to CNC ebgraved "cameramaker.com" into a piece of mahogany Monday morning at 12:10 A.M.

The birth of a new CNC is a wondrful thing.

Just hav to install the limit switches and build the table extension slide now and wll be ready to start making fixtures to mass produce camera parts.

 

[nick mulder]

I've spent today soldering one of the drivers for my servos - its an open source chip/driver collaboration mostly from Germany and Japan - Apparently I'm building around the 900th board - still some way to go tho until I mate it and its two brothers (yet to be made) to a as of yet unpurchased mill (;

 

[barryjyoung]

900 boards? Wow Nick. You designed your own drivers? Wow Nick.

I've spent today soldering one of the drivers for my servos - its an open source chip/driver collaboration mostly from Germany and Japan - Apparently I'm building around the 900th board - still some way to go tho until I mate it and its two brothers (yet to be made) to a as of yet unpurchased mill (;

 

[nick mulder]

no no no - I wish tho (;

A german made the chip with all the PID parameters and PC interface - a japanese guy designed the PCB - many germans Beta tested it etc.. I'm the 300th or so 'customer' (900/3 axis give or take) - the maker of the chip is kind enough to sell them for beer money and he has made 900 so far ...

I have made a little stepper driver that takes parallel port step/dir input - but it just uses standard stepper driver chips so isnt really a great make, but the current limiting stuff is my design - so I'm kinda proud about that one ... its really only for little 50oz-in steppers tho and I am yet to find an application outside of playing around... maybe I could use them to automate props when I get around to build my cine motion control system (big long project that one)