The Gameroom Designs CNC Project

[bfauska]

I don't know how many bit selection resources you've been drawing from but here is a link to a document I find useful when introducing the idea of bit selection to my interns at work or my students. It's by no means a definitive guide but it covers some basics in a nice way that can help you down the track to bit/feed/rpm nirvana.
http://academy.cba.mit.edu/content/tutorials/akf/Downloads/ShopBot%20Trainings/router_bit_basics.pdf

[Rick]

I don't know how many bit selection resources you've been drawing from but here is a link to a document I find useful when introducing the idea of bit selection to my interns at work or my students. It's by no means a definitive guide but it covers some basics in a nice way that can help you down the track to bit/feed/rpm nirvana.
http://academy.cba.mit.edu/content/tutorials/akf/Downloads/ShopBot%20Trainings/router_bit_basics.pdf

Dude. Duuuude. This is amazing, thank you! I've looked at a number of websites, some of which that have corroborated some of this information, but certainly not in the depth that this document goes into. This is simply awesome. I really appreciate it!

Thank you!

[lamprey]

I cam across this, maybe you should pick one up as a little brother to your CNC machine!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1853707494/pancakebot-the-worlds-first-pancake-printer

[Locke141]

I don't know how many bit selection resources you've been drawing from but here is a link to a document I find useful when introducing the idea of bit selection to my interns at work or my students. It's by no means a definitive guide but it covers some basics in a nice way that can help you down the track to bit/feed/rpm nirvana.
http://academy.cba.mit.edu/content/tutorials/akf/Downloads/ShopBot%20Trainings/router_bit_basics.pdf

Thats very cool. Just emailed the link the my school DT teacher. He is trying to learn how to better use the school Roland EGX.
Thanks for sharing.   

[Rick]

Here's a quick potato pic of the machine cutting out a full sheet for a Contender cabinet:



I'm cutting a three-pass set at (a very conservative) 90IPM with a 1/4" straight bit I got from Canadian Tire (3 bits for $9.99? Yes, please!) and it's going very well. Lines are crisp and smooth. The only thing I may need to fix is the final depth pass, as it would seem that even with a depth of .630" (for a .625" piece of wood) it's not getting all the way through. This may be a z-axis measurement issue, or an issue with the height reporting back to the controller, or even a programming issue. I figure I'll re-run a final pass with an additional 1/8" and that will get through the final bit of melamine.

[pbj]

Whoa... whoa... whoa........ you actually cut a board?

 

[Rick]

Whoa... whoa... whoa........ you actually cut a board?

 

I did, sir! Finally, and at long last, I have cut one entire board worth of arcade cabinet goodness.

I'll say this - melamine is a ---smurfette---, and I hate working with it. It's sharp, and prone to chipping on the edges. That being said, I'll be trimming this bad-boy down and finishing the edges tomorrow, and then assembling it for a buddy to pick up later this week.

[yotsuya]

I can't believe your old lady is letting you do that inside the house. I cut a board outside and there's dust everywhere for months. I couldn't imagine doing that inside the home.

[pbj]

Igloos are easier to clean than adobe.

[Rick]

I can't believe your old lady is letting you do that inside the house. I cut a board outside and there's dust everywhere for months. I couldn't imagine doing that inside the home.

I can't claim that the dust shoe on the machine was ever my own design, but whoever invented this thing needs to get a big handshake - it seriously takes at least 90% of the dust out of the air while it cuts. I do keep the curtains to the room closed as much as possible, and I'm considering installing a window fan to blow out into the driveway while i'm working. That room got HOT - like 5 degrees hotter than the house hot - over the course of the cutting - so it would help in that regard as well.

But yeah, you're right. My Wife is very considerate to let me do this in the house. I am working towards putting a proper workshop in the backyard, but since I'm now out of work again, that's on the back burner in the short term. That's really why this beast is here in my dining room - it IS definitely temporary.

[chewyb]

Would you be willing to post the files for your machine? I'm designing a similar machine, and they would be very helpful

[Rick]

Would you be willing to post the files for your machine? I'm designing a similar machine, and they would be very helpful.

I'm sorry, but I don't share my design files. I can tell you that I designed it from images of the Green Bull CNC machine, found on BuildYourCNC.com, and made my own personal modifications to the design. Some worked, some didn't. If you have any questions regarding how the machine was built, I'd be happy to answer them. I'll even provide some pictures of the various assembled components, if you need them.

I am very excited to announce a new part of my machine, which I haven't seen anyone else do as yet. I have implemented a "cut cam" in the dust shoe, which is essentially an inexpensive endoscope (camera on a wire) that can take waterproof/weatherproof video.



(Yes, it's the same thing your local proctologist would use to check out your colon. No, I did not check out my own colon. Yes, I did put it down my throat as far as I could to check out my innards. Yes, it hurt. No, I don't have pics.)



So, here's a pic of it installed on the CNC dust shoe:



...and here's a pic of the video it's capturing:



It's helpful when I want to zero the z-axis, as I now don't need to physically raise the dust shoe to make sure it's working properly. It's handy that way.

[rablack97]

I will have to say, pretty sweet man.

Also, wow, in the living room, that's a wife that has trully bought into your business.

[Rick]

I will have to say, pretty sweet man. Also, wow, in the living room, that's a wife that has truly bought into your business.

Thanks! It's a big-ass machine, but I've tried to make sure it's as clean as possible. The dining room originally had a full wall and door, and we opened it up to the living room so it was more 'open concept'. We have full drapes, however, that seem to keep 90% of the remaining dust enclosed, and I put a fan in the window blowing out... ...every little bit helps!

My Wife is amazing. I know how much of a pain it is not having a dining room, but as long as it's pumping out arcade kits, she's pretty cool about it.

[Rick]

My face when I realize I forgot tabs on the first part on my new sheet of MDF:



Thankfully, it was only the first part, and my machine screamed in agony when it jammed up... ...so, I knew something was going wrong. I've readjusted, started the cut from the next 'new' part, and we're continuing. It ended up cutting a full-depth swath through the middle of the first part, so I'll be cutting that piece again.

 

Something for all of you new CNC guys out there: when you're setting up a bunch of parts to cut, don't do what I used to do. I used to set up a full sheet, and select ALL of the cuts of each specific type to cut in a group. (So, I'd highlight all of the slot cuts, and say "cut the slots to 1/4" depth, then select the holes and say "cut interior holes", then I'd select all of the external cuts, and say "cut exterior cuts".) This is bad practice, because if your machine gets through all of the holes perfectly well, and then gets jammed up on one piece (let's say it jogs 1/4" out of alignment) every, single, stinkin' piece will go bad from there.

My new "best practice" is to setup a separate cut pattern for each piece, individually. That means, I cut the holes out of a control panel, then the external cut, and then move on to the next piece. If something screws up terribly, as long as you catch it before your machine continues onto many, many other pieces, you will be in a much better place.

To tell the truth, it took me way too long to learn this lesson. I think I've had to throw out about three or four full sheets of MDF before it dawned on me. I don't want others to go through the same thing.