CNC-2116 - Up and running, sort of (2015-03-21)

[Yvan256]

Don't apologise for Boring updates, At least you keep giving us updates.  Gonna be fun when you finally have 2 cnc 64s busy making up the big brother cnc256.

I did not even think about the fact that there is going to be two CNC64's making the parts for CNC256!

And on top of that, reading this is still better then staring at ping traces trying to work out why we keep losing connection to one of our DNS Servers.    I am sure that the problem is in the routing

Data getting lost in tubes, you say? Better call Mario and Luigi!

[Yvan256]

Here's what all the six panels look like so far. At last, it's beginning to look like something!

I'm still looking for bearings for the threaded rods, the local stores are asking insane prices for those. The next panels will be the ones shown in the Sketchup image.

[Yvan256]

I just added 400 more parts to the project.

Okay, so I cheated a little. It's 300 bolts and 100 nuts. Those parts are needed, maybe just not all 400 of them.

I cleared a place on the workbench, it's now dedicated for building CNC64. Still the same 8 panels except this time they're all bolted together. There's also a photo of the next panel being cut, it should be ready in less than two hours about 15 minutes. I'll update this post once it's cut, cleaned and bolted to the right side.

edit: post updated with 3rd photo. It's almost funny that CNC64 is around the same depth, front to back, as MVS99-6.

[Yvan256]

I moved the MDX-3 to my parents' house so I'm able to cut panels about six times faster. I cut five panels yesterday, should have been six but I screwed up on a small panel, hence the bolts sticking out the front on the right side.

In my apartment I used the settings "speed 15, milling depth 1" to cut down on the noise, but at my parents' house I use the settings "speed 5, milling depth 10". A lot more noise, the cuts aren't as clean on the edges but the precision still seems spot-on. The MDX-3 has an automatic speed controller, if the spindle can't cut as fast as I ask it will slow down the cutting speed to compensate.

The front panel should say "CNC64" but I cut too deep and the middle dot of the "6" just got ripped away by the router bit. 

I need 19 more panels to complete the base of CNC64, not counting the moving platform for the Y-axis (front to back).

[Yvan256]

I had to re-cut the front panel with the bearing. I also still need to recut the two long red parts on the left and right which are not connected to the front in the photo and another small panel like the ones in the front. Those small setbacks aside, it's progressing incredibly fast since I've moved the machine to my parent's house. I still need to paint all of those panels, too.

I'll need to cut a longer threaded rod and make it fit the bearing at the front, cut the 8 mm smooth rods and build the moving platform but the Y-axis is nearly complete.

I can't wait to build CNC256 so that my MVS99-6 project can progress as fast as this build! We create the design and let the machine cut the parts. Everyone should have a CNC machine! 

[Yvan256]

Since CNC64 uses threaded rods to move the axes I'm going to need a controller to move them manually. Instead of going for a ready-made and boring controller, I thought I'd design one in line with the kinds of projects I have in mind for the bigger CNC. Cutting a second controller for CNC256 will also means one less thing to design for the bigger machine.

I still haven't found proper buttons for the up/down movements and maybe a spindle on/off button, but here's what it would look like so far. The best part is that I designed it so the MDX-3 can cut the parts required.

I'm not sure about adding small T-molding because the MDF is 3/8" thick (9.7 mm) and I'm having a hard time finding any in black, I've only found Polished Brass at Suzo-Happ.

So far I'm thinking about using the Grayhill 04A-B01 joystick for the X/Y movements but I need suggestions for the buttons, especially from those who built micro/mini cabinets using the 04A-B01. Your buttons seem to be the right size compared to the joystick. I only use Digi-Key for electronic parts because ordering from U.S.A. suppliers always means brokerage fees and duty charges making the whole process incredibly more expensive than the parts themselves.

Since there is no holes to attach the joystick I was thinking about holding it between the top plate and a smaller MDF block underneath, with a hole cut inside to fit the joystick body.

[Nephasth]

Planning on taking any orders when you've got your big CNC up and running? I could use a few stand alone CPs (flat packed) for the Troubleshooter down the road...

[Yvan256]

Planning on taking any orders when you've got your big CNC up and running? I could use a few stand alone CPs (flat packed) for the Troubleshooter down the road...

As long as someone has precise plans and it fits inside the cutting area of the CNC machine, I'm willing to take custom orders for various parts. What's the size of your CPs and which material and thickness are we talking about? I don't think I'd be able to machine the top of an aluminium briefcase directly, not necessarily because of the aluminium but because of the thickness of the briefcase itself. Unless you can send only the "top panel" part of the briefcase, if it's at all possible.

[Nephasth]

Lap size, 5/8", mdf or ply

[Yvan256]

Lap size, 5/8"

The cutting area for CNC256 is planned for 24x19 inches and my main target is 5/8" MDF/particle board/plastic, but I'll be trying 1/8" aluminium too.

[Nephasth]

I'll be trying 1/8" aluminium too.

Oh really?

[Yvan256]

I'll be trying 1/8" aluminium too.

Oh really?

I've been tempted to try 1/8" aluminium on the Roland MDX-3 for a long time. At the slowest possible speed and lowest possible cutting depth, I'm pretty sure it would work.

Keep in mind it's not a laser, so internal corners will have a 1/16" radius because of the 1/8" cutting bit. To cut aluminium, however, I could buy special bits. I tried cutting PCBs with a "diamond chipbreaker" bit and the results were nothing short of amazing. If it can cut PCBs I'm pretty sure aluminium wouldn't stand a chance.

Let's continue this discussion via PMs for your custom CPs request.

[Yvan256]

Small update on the MVS-style controller for CNC64/CNC256.

I still need to find buttons of the proper size, ideally in red, yellow, green and blue. Apart from the holes diameters and positions for those buttons, the plans are more or less complete for the controller casing.

For such a small part, it's actually quite complex because I wanted flush edges in the front and back and a minimum of bolts to assemble it.

[Nephasth]

What size do you need the buttons to be?

Here's some 20mm buttons in the colors you're looking for: http://www.paradisearcadeshop.com/en/95-sanwa-20mm-snap-in

[Yvan256]

What size do you need the buttons to be?

Here's some 20mm buttons in the colors you're looking for: http://www.paradisearcadeshop.com/en/95-sanwa-20mm-snap-in

I already have a yellow, green and blue SDM-20, but the "ring" of the body has a diameter of 22.8 mm and the plunger a diameter of 14.1 mm.

From my Sketchup plans and the Grayhill joystick I would need 13.5 mm rings with 10 mm plungers. I found 10 mm bouton caps in the proper colors at Digi-Key (AT422C, AT422E, AT422F and AT422G) but the buttons that are supposed to go under these caps are way too expensive, I'll probably make something from cheaper buttons.

I'm also thinking about using an old SNES gamepad, I think the buttons are small enough and they're already the right colors, I would only need to make a custom PCB to go underneath.

Below is images comparing the Sanwa SDM-20 and the NKK AT422* caps. You can see the SDM-20 is way too big compared to the joystick. I'm not aiming for an arcade-perfect, scaled-down version of a real MVS control panel but it just looks wrong if the buttons are bigger than the joystick. There's also the small detail that the buttons are physically overlapping themselves.

[Yvan256]

This is what I have so far, the photo is missing the two long vertical plates shown in the Sketchup image because I'm unable to make parts float in mid-air in real life. The machine is currently disassembled because I had to paint some panels.

I'm thinking about possibly redesigning the back plate where the motor is attached because it's extremely fragile due to the big hole. The redesigned panel would fit NEMA17 and maybe NEMA34 mounting holes, so I would make a NEMA34 "adapter" plate for my low-cost Hurst motors. Putting the motors and their couplers "outside" the machine would also allow more flexibility in choosing parts for the machine.

It's only missing a few parts before I can start testing the Y axis! The short threaded rod in the picture is 1/4" but it's too small for the 608ZZ "roller blade/skate" bearing, so I need to make my own couplers to go from the 1/4" motor shafts to 5/16-18 threaded rods and a small holding plate for the bearing in the front. That's what the two unused holes next to the bearing are for. The temporary electronics are ready for the motors, I simply hard-coded a cutting pattern into an ATmega328 so I can test the motors without needing a whole computer. I'm planning to use Grbl for computer-free operation and for a more compact and portable system without having to rely on obsolete parallel ports.

The design for the rest of the machine is almost complete but I want to make sure everything fits together in Sketchup before showing the whole machine.

[Yvan256]

There's already four panels ready for the upper part of the base assembly, but in the meantime here's a photo of the fully painted machine so far. And yes, I need to cut that threaded rod a bit.

The second image shows the nearly-complete design of the machine. Don't mind the two motors floating in mid-air.

[kahlid74]

Looking great so far man.  Keep on getting!

[Yvan256]

Sorry, no photo for this update because of a technical problem. Something about gravity.

Here's the progress so far, Sketchup-style. The two big panels at the back and the bearing plate for the X-axis are ready to be painted.

[Yvan256]

Here's a few photos of the last panels, some of them half-painted. Also included is the first panel cut in "expanded PVC plastic sheet", given to me by a local sign shop. I have enough of these to make the whole RTX mount assembly. The cutting depth wasn't set correctly for this new material so I had to finish cutting the last 0.2 mm by hand, I'll fix that mistake for the next panels.

The new MDF part is an LM8UU holder, I'll need three more of these to go with the still-to-be-cut Y-axis bed.

Also shown is the RTX with the lower part of the mount assembly. The upper part and the back of this assembly will be cut next. I like this PVC stuff a lot more than the MDF, but given its cost I have to stick with MDF for now. But if I have enough PVC panels I'll be making the mini-MVS-controller out of it.

I've only been playing with the Roland MDX-3 for a few weeks and all I can say is that having a CNC router is addictive. I design on the computer one day and the next one I have the real part in my hands. I still find that amazing. 

[Yvan256]

The left side panel of the upper part of the base has been cut, as well as the two big panels of the back. Only one more side, two smaller back panels and four joint panels are needed to complete the base.

The side panel has a lot of holes because I made it compatible with my Hurst motor, NEMA17 and NEMA23. Just in case... 

[Yvan256]

I cut a lot more panels since last time, here's the first update: the RTX mount is complete, minus the holes for the bolts at the front which need to be drilled manually. The whole mount is made of expanded PVC panels.

I'll be updating this post in a few hours to add photos of the completed and painted base.

edit: Added a third photo. It's already too old but at least it shows a bit of progress. The machine is actually quite more advanced than this, the base is completed and painted. I've already cut some parts of the Y-axis bed and some parts of the X-axis carriage.

edit 2: if anyone found this post searching for the diameter to use for the upper part of the RTX mount, I used 49.4mm and it seems to fit perfectly. There's some empty space because of the non-circular diameter of the body but it doesn't move in any direction.

[Yvan256]

The base being completed I have started cutting parts for the moving gantry and platform.

I've moved the "CNC64" inscription to the top right of the machine. The last photo shows the beginning of the moving platform for the Y axis.

You might notice some holes without bolts because I made a few mistakes about their position. I'll try and drill them manually since the machine is already bolted together and there's already other bolts in place to keep things aligned.

[jammin0]

This thing is looking pretty slick.  I can't wait to see what you come up with when you have a faster, bigger machine.  From concept to design to machine it's pretty sweet to see what you come up with.

[Yvan256]

This thing is looking pretty slick.  I can't wait to see what you come up with when you have a faster, bigger machine.  From concept to design to machine it's pretty sweet to see what you come up with.

Thanks. It's actually quite hard to concentrate on building CNC64 when I'm thinking about CNC256 at the same time. And after CNC256 is built and working properly, the real fun will begin. 

[Yvan256]

I only cut five panels this week-end, four of those are for the X-axis assembly. Two more panels and this assembly is complete and I estimate less than ten panels to complete the whole machine. It's almost too easy to build things when you have access to a CNC... or maybe I'm just not good enough with hand tools.

Here's two more photos of the progress so far. The X-axis assembly is quite sturdy but those LM8UU linear bearings are noisy as hell when moving the whole thing by hand, though the noise is lower when I move it slowly. Maybe I'll try bronze bushing for CNC64 Mark II.

[CoryBee]

Oh my jesus......

[Nephasth]

Looking sharp.

[Yvan256]

Here's the Z-axis, made of four more panels of expanded PVC, four LM8UU linear bearings, ten bolts and four nuts. It's only missing the delrin/acetal nut for the threaded rod in the back (the yellow part in Sketchup), otherwise it's complete.

[Santoro]

!

Subscribe.

[Yvan256]

Yesterday I cut the last panel for the X-axis assembly, which was the top panel.

I made a huge mistake on the tool support assembly... Given the vertical range of the Z-axis, the router bit would never have touched the material to cut. I'm not sure what went wrong in my Sketchup calculations. Maybe I shouldn't have used a Dremel 395 model for my measurements. 

Since I'm running low on expanded PVC panels, I cut a new one out of MDF for testing. Now that I know it's okay I'll have to cut a new one out of PVC. I'll keep the MDF one for the first CNC64 clone.

I'm only missing the motor mounts, delrin/acetal nuts and some paint coats on the last MDF panels, otherwise both the X-axis and Z-axis are finished. I plan on manually cutting straight lines just to test the power of the Black & Decker RTX with the Dremel router bit #650.

I'm not sure if I already mentioned it, but in case someone is wondering, I swapped the chucks of the Dremel 395 and Black & Decker RTX.

[floriske.nl]

PFf, respect for this build! Takes a lot of patience this way (building a cnc to build a cnc that is)

I hope you get enough accuracy out of this machine to build the new one with even better accuracy.

I myself thought about building myself out of extrusion profiles at first:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/72592758/cnc/Proef%203.jpg

But after calculating the costs I came in contact with Stepmores in China and most likely I'll be buying a SM-6090 of them for less instead:

http://i45.tinypic.com/290uagi.jpg

[jammin0]

PFf, respect for this build! Takes a lot of patience this way (building a cnc to build a cnc that is)

I hope you get enough accuracy out of this machine to build the new one with even better accuracy.

I myself thought about building myself out of extrusion profiles at first:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/72592758/cnc/Proef%203.jpg

But after calculating the costs I came in contact with Stepmores in China and most likely I'll be buying a SM-6090 of them for less instead:

http://i45.tinypic.com/290uagi.jpg

What price on that chinese cutter?  I got a quote for about $2500 US.

[floriske.nl]

Please don't let this topic end up being about Chinese routers  I know how these things can get out of hand quickly 

But just to answer your question: $ 2350 for the base version - $ 100 for usb control - $ 100 for a water sink - $ 100 for a spray cooling system. Comes with standard led light, limit switches and even a free calibrator if you ask for it. (Prices are FOB, exclude tax, import duties and shipping)

Now back to Yvan256's build 

[jammin0]

Right you are.  Back to the regular scheduled programming.

[Yvan256]

Back to the regular scheduled programming.

Tonight at 11:00, we discuss the lack of news on Yvan256's CNC64 project.

[Yvan256]

Instead of trying to cut nuts from an HDPE cutting board, I'll first try simple t-nuts. If it doesn't work for a CNC maybe it will work for something else later...

First two photos are the t-nuts, last two photos are the temporary control circuit. There's a lot on the protoboard, only the Atmel microcontroller on the upper right and the four IRLZ14 logic-level power MOSFETs in the bottom left corners are used for one motor. I plan on milling the final board with CNC64 itself.

[jammin0]

Dang.  I love how you're building the controllers yourself.  It's gotta be pretty rewarding.  Very cool.

[Yvan256]

Dang.  I love how you're building the controllers yourself.  It's gotta be pretty rewarding.  Very cool.

The main controller should be an ATmega328 running grbl, but I plan on trying to code the stepper drivers from an ATtiny84 and four IRLZ14 power MOSFETs for each motor. The goal is a lower cost and a tougher driver that's more immune to overheating.

[Yvan256]

I've been working on the prototype for the stepper drivers. An ATtiny84 will control a stepper motor via four IRLZ14. Only a few parts and wires left do to on each ATtiny84/IRLZ14's group. As you can see, I've cleaned up the wiring a bit.

After that, I need to code a small test program to see if all three motors are being controlled properly, then I need to program the actual code to convert the direction/pulse signals from the ATmega328 running grbl.

It doesn't matter if it's a CNC mill or an arcade cabinet, these builds are 50% hardware and 50% software.