The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: Typefighter01 on April 23, 2013, 07:20:11 pm
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Whats up gents??? After many years of ohhhing and ahhhing at all the cool CNC builds on the net, I am finally (with the wife's blessing) starting my own. ;D
With 2 fullsize MAME cabs, a visual pinball machine, a bartop MAME cab, and a half finished juke box under my belt, I thought it was time to take my cab building skills to the next level. I am going to do my best this time around to document the entire build (I almost snapped a pic of the UPS guy so no step got missed) but no guarantees.
Anyway, here are the spec of the machine I am building and some of the items I have collect so far.
1. The machine is manufactured in Ontario Canada by XZero CNC. It comes in kit form and the model is called a ViperXZ. You can order it in 30x24 (24x18 cutting area), 30x36 (24x30 cutting area) and 30x48 (24x42 cutting area). I ordered the 30x36 for a few reason which I will explain later...here are the machine specs:
-6 inch travel Z axis 20mm rails
-25mm Rails Y axis with 1605 Y axis high precision Ballscrew
-30mm Rails X axis with 2010 X high precision Ballscrew
-custom made bearing houses X,Y and Z
-Double row angular contact bearings on all Ballscrews
-3/4 inch uprights aircraft Aluminum with 1/2 inch 6061 aircraft Aluminum end frames
-Nema 23 Motor mounts and flexible couplings...4080 Profiles
It will be ready for pick-up Friday and I will post pictures of it then.
2.I also placed an order with George (the owner of XZero CNC, who has provided excellent customer service so far BTW) for a spindle mount for the Hitachi M12VC. During my research, I found many positive reviews for this router and the day I ordered my machine, I saw Amazon.ca had it on sale for $95 plus free shipping, so I pulled the trigger on this also.
3.Like I just said, I ordered and already received the Hitachi M12VC. There are many options available to pimp this router out (Super PID Conversion, precision colletts, dust shoes etc...) so it was an easy choice.
I spent an hour last week trying to add pictures to a post, and they would not upload, have no idea why and I ended up using Imageshack or something. I don't like to use those services in case they vanish, then your stuck with a post full of text and question marks. Tried again and still no lucky, I am on a MAC and I am running Avast antivirus, I am wondering if this is the problem? Anyway, I had a few pictures of the router for you guys, but I will have to see if I can do it from work. EDIT: sorry for lookin like a newb guys, pics below...
Wish me luck :applaud:
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I spent an hour last week trying to add pictures to a post, and they would not upload, have no idea why and I ended up using Imageshack or something. I don't like to use those services in case they vanish, then your stuck with a post full of text and question marks. Tried again and still no lucky, I am on a MAC and I am running Avast antivirus, I am wondering if this is the problem? Anyway, I had a few pictures of the router for you guys, but I will have to see if I can do it from work.
Your picture file sizes are probably too big. I use Microsoft Office Picture Manager to reduce my pic sizes to be forum friendly. File -> Export -> "Export using this size" select Document - Large -> OK. Doing this I can upload 8 pics (forum max) per post.
Looking forward to seeing this CNC unfold! :cheers:
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Thanks Neph...I checked in to see who responded, and there is the pic of the box with my router inside. I will try the other 2 pics now.
My goal is to have the machine cut out a complete bartop arcade cab during Christmas holidays...lets see if I can make it. It will probably be money that slows this build down. I just blew my play money for the next two years, I will be asking for lots of CNC parts for Birthdays and Christmas...
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I find it a bit weird that XZero CNC names their CNC machines based on their dimensions instead of their cutting area... but you made a good choice with the 24x30 inches model. I myself plan to build a bigger one after my desktop model is completed and I'm aiming for a 20x24 inches cutting area. Except for full-size cabinets I think you'll find that 24x30 is more than enough.
Excellent choice on the M12VC! This thing is very quiet at its lowest speed and its electronic feedback system will remove a lot of troubles from your setup, IMHO.
Maybe we should ask Saint for a "CNC" category, right below "Woodworking". :D
if you use a Mac, simply use the "Preview" program to resize your images to something smaller, a lot of people seem to use either 640x480 or 800x600 for posting photos. Just make sure to save them under new names if you don't want to lose the original files.
As for budget, see if your town has a sign making shop. If it's anything like mine, they throw away offcuts of very expensive materials like expanded PVC and polycarbonate, etc. Also, MDF is so cheap that it won't break your budget.
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Thanks for the tips Yvan...Not too sure why George lists the physical footprint of the table instead of the cutting area, but I am pretty confident I will be happy with its performance. Considering people throw Techno spindles on his machines and cut metal, I should have no issues cutting wood.
I have been following your build, and yours is truly DIY, got to respect that. I was going to try the MDF, gas pipe and skate board bearing route, but something didn't sit right with me and I didn't feel like investing months of time on something that would not work the way I wanted.
Maybe we should ask Saint for a "CNC" category, right below "Woodworking". :D
I wondered if it might make more sense to post this in the woodworking section, but I don't think it gets the same traffic as the projects section. I think that would be a good idea, even though the CNC builds on here are not technically "Arcade Controls or Arcade Machines", anyone who is a member here and builds one is for sure going to cut stuff that is "Arcade Related".
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I put the images of my build thread (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130690.0.html (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130690.0.html)) in a public dropbox folder. Very easy to set up. Just right click on them, get the public links and past it in your posts...
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I put the images of my build thread (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130690.0.html (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130690.0.html)) in a public dropbox folder. Very easy to set up. Just right click on them, get the public links and past it in your posts...
And in ten years, when ArcadeControls is still going strong and DropBox is long gone, so will the photos... ;)
We can host the images right here on ArcadeControls, I don't see the point of uploading and linking the images from another website. There's plenty of threads with broken images because of third-party hosting and I find that sad.
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Best of luck man! I too am building a CNC but I'm going for a 6'x4' cutting area and a metal moveable frame. Mountain on these forums is a WEALTH of knowledge when it comes to CNC machines. Dhokenfield is around too.
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Any update? Are you still waiting for the kit to arrive?
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Any update? Are you still waiting for the kit to arrive?
You beat me by an hour Yvan :hissy:
By the time I got home Friday I was beat and I had to work Saturday, so I spent all morning today going thru the machine top to bottom, doing an inventory of everything I received and giving it a good cleaning and deburring.
Here is how it sits right now...
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By the time I got home Friday I was beat and I had to work Saturday, so I spent all morning today going thru the machine top to bottom, doing an inventory of everything I received and giving it a good cleaning and deburring.
Here is how it sits right now...
You can tell it's a solid machine just by looking at it. I can't wait to see it run!
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George asked me if I wanted him to put the frame together (minus the Z axis) -for free- as he had the time. I figured there is probably no one better to assemble it, then the guy who made it, and even though I was looking forward to going through all the steps, I had to say yes.
This thing is an absolute beast. I am completely confident I will have almost zero flex when cutting wood. It is deceiving when you first look at it, considering it is aluminum, it was a real challenge moving it up a flight of stairs to get it to the kitchen table. Yes, the kitchen table, wife wasn't overly impressed, but I did not want it sitting on the floor of the garage.
Here are a couple of pics of all the parts that come with the kit (minus the router).
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Close up of the Z and the Hitachi spindle mount. You will notice in the pic of the spindle mounts that the one on the bottom is "brighter" than the one above it, this is the result of going over all the pcs with Scotchbright. I am glad I never touched it on Saturday, because I was just going to take the Scotchbrite and just start scrubbing and polishing, but after Googling "brushed aluminum", I found the correct technique is to only push or pull in one direction. It really makes a difference...
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Aluminium construction, ballscrews, M12VC... I wish I had that machine too. :D
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Best of luck man! I too am building a CNC but I'm going for a 6'x4' cutting area and a metal moveable frame. Mountain on these forums is a WEALTH of knowledge when it comes to CNC machines. Dhokenfield is around too.
:notworthy: Mountain FTW...Have you started a build thread Kahlid? I'll take a link to Dhokenfields if it exists...
Couple of notes about Xzero CNC:
As near as I can tell, George does not have an actual "storefront". I met him in the parking lot of an industrial area (outside of a machine shop) and he had it in the back of his car. Not the usual way to do business, and seemed quite strange. George however, was a real gentleman, a genuine nice guy, so I can only assume he does not feel like spending $5000 a month on rent and considering most of his business is south of the border, it makes sense. His e-mail responses (to me anyway) have been prompt and curtious.
During my research into what CNC I wanted to go with, it was a video on Youtube that sealed the deal for me. This guy built a ViperX2, which is a heavier duty, bigger cutting area version of a ViperXZ. Check this out...I personally wouldnt do it, but cool example of the build quality.
MVI 1478 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ-Auy9DjDI#)
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Quick update: I loosely put the entire machine together and I found I was missing a few bolts. I am missing the 4 spindle mount bolts, a set screw and 1 of the bolts for the Z-axis ball nut. I e-mailed George about them since I also forgot to grab the 14 T-nuts and bolts he was going to give me for the table top (I never paid for these, so my fault for forgetting, if he sends them, great, if not, I will order them my self).
Also, I noticed the grease zerks he sent for the Y and Z are straight and too long. Once they are installed, it is impossible to grease the ball nuts without ripping each axis apart. Not sure why he would supply these type of zerk fittings, as they will never work.
Z axis pic showing the zerk fail, and a pic of the X ball nut with the type of zerks I need...
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Almost forgot...I also ordered the start of a table for this thing. I am not a big fan of the 2x4 legs and plywood top for a work bench. Doesn't mean it is not the right way to go and extremely strong, it just looks unfinished to me. I am going to give these legs a shot http://www.amazon.ca/Shop-Fox-D2910-Workbench-System/dp/B0000DD362/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1367536570&sr=8-3&keywords=workbench (http://www.amazon.ca/Shop-Fox-D2910-Workbench-System/dp/B0000DD362/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1367536570&sr=8-3&keywords=workbench) .
They get good reviews for their strength, but get a zero for the way they are shipped, lets hope I get a good batch :dunno . I want to integrate my computer monitor and keyboard into the design, I want it to look planned. Since these are just legs I ordered, I can make the tabletop any size I want. I might make a partial cover, just to reduce the noise and dust (I know I need a dust shoe and vacuum, the dust shoe gets ordered next). I will post pics of the legs when they arrive...
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Grease zerks... that's something I never heard before. Then again you're the first owner of a ballscrew CNC that I talk to! ;)
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Quick update...finally received my legs from Amazon.ca. They initially arrived on Tuesday, but the crossbeams and hardware were missing so I had them send me a replacement order ASAP. I assembled them after dinner and I took the advice from a few reviews I read. Others had ordered these legs and were shorted some of the hardware or received damaged parts, so when the new set arrived, they would piece together the straightest and least scratched legs (it was a good thing I did, because the screw on foot for one of the legs was at least on a 10 degree angle when screwed all the way in, so I switched this one up).
It is pretty beefy and I like the powder coat, it is thick and the colour is sort of "off white...
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Next items will be the table top, dust collector and dust shoe. Just like an arcade cab, if I put the electronics on this thing and get it cutting, I will never install all the other items I want to.
George is the man :angel: . Once I let him know about the missing T-nuts and bolts, he sent them out that day Purolator. I don't need to rip the machine apart to install these T-nuts...they just drop right in...
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Any progress on your build?
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I think I have settled on the dust collector I will use... http://www.busybeetools.com/products/DUST-COLLECTOR-PORTABLE-1HP-CSA-CRAFTEX.html (http://www.busybeetools.com/products/DUST-COLLECTOR-PORTABLE-1HP-CSA-CRAFTEX.html) . Anyone on here with any dust collector experience that thinks this model is not up too task, please chime in. For $185 I will have a 1HP dust collector, 600CFM, and even comes with 10' of 4" hose. Considering the amount of times in a year I will actually use it, it will probably be strong enough. If I find it is not working, I can always lay out the big dough and use this unit for smaller jobs with the included dust hood. Looking at the pics, the bag lays sideways, so the entire until should fit perfectly under the router table on the bottom bench, keeping with my "all in one" plan.
I stumbled across this free CAD/CAM software today and I think I might give it a try http://www.heeks.net/ (http://www.heeks.net/) . I will at least play around with it through out the summer and if I find it is not working for me I will step up to the more commonly used programs.
Any progress on your build?
I managed to find time to frame out the basic structure of the table-top, but I was short wood, so I will screw the ribs in place later this week. I am thinking on my way home Friday, I will pick up some MDF for the top itself...expect an update on Sunday.
Thanks Yvan for stopping in periodically and checking up on my progress, it is good motivation :applaud:
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I am also watching this thread ::)
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
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That's a great looking kit! What are you going to do for a controller and motors? I will be building a new updated machine this fall too. I have slowly been buying parts to build my end all machine. All aluminum carriages, ball screws on the z, R&P on the X and Y, and hardened v-rails.
High airflow is where its at on the dust collector. 600 cfm may be a bit low depending on how fast you plan on running it.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,131171.msg1349409.html#msg1349409 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,131171.msg1349409.html#msg1349409)
Good luck with the build.
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I think I have settled on the dust collector I will use... http://www.busybeetools.com/products/DUST-COLLECTOR-PORTABLE-1HP-CSA-CRAFTEX.html (http://www.busybeetools.com/products/DUST-COLLECTOR-PORTABLE-1HP-CSA-CRAFTEX.html) . Anyone on here with any dust collector experience that thinks this model is not up too task, please chime in. For $185 I will have a 1HP dust collector, 600CFM, and even comes with 10' of 4" hose. Considering the amount of times in a year I will actually use it, it will probably be strong enough. If I find it is not working, I can always lay out the big dough and use this unit for smaller jobs with the included dust hood. Looking at the pics, the bag lays sideways, so the entire until should fit perfectly under the router table on the bottom bench, keeping with my "all in one" plan.
I would go with the Harbor Freight dust collector for.
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/stationary-dust-collectors/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html (http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/stationary-dust-collectors/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html)
A lot of guys use these because of the price vs performance. Once you can afford an upgrade, add a DIY Thien separator and a Wynn filter and you will be set.
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That's a great looking kit! What are you going to do for a controller and motors?
Thanks for stopping in Mountain...At the moment, I am kind of leaning towards CNCrouterparts.com's Nema 23 3 axis kit http://www.cncrouterparts.com/3-axis-electronics-kit-p-74.html (http://www.cncrouterparts.com/3-axis-electronics-kit-p-74.html). I am pretty confident I want the Gecko G540 and I know they have the power supply, stepper motors and the G540 matched well (the pre-fabbed cables are a nice touch also). I know I could get a lot more for less money if I shopped around, but the owner of CNCrouterparts is a regular member on CNCzone and seems well respected and I don't feel like cheaping out on this part of the build.
I think I have settled on the dust collector I will use... http://www.busybeetools.com/products/DUST-COLLECTOR-PORTABLE-1HP-CSA-CRAFTEX.html (http://www.busybeetools.com/products/DUST-COLLECTOR-PORTABLE-1HP-CSA-CRAFTEX.html) . Anyone on here with any dust collector experience that thinks this model is not up too task, please chime in. For $185 I will have a 1HP dust collector, 600CFM, and even comes with 10' of 4" hose. Considering the amount of times in a year I will actually use it, it will probably be strong enough. If I find it is not working, I can always lay out the big dough and use this unit for smaller jobs with the included dust hood. Looking at the pics, the bag lays sideways, so the entire until should fit perfectly under the router table on the bottom bench, keeping with my "all in one" plan.
I would go with the Harbor Freight dust collector for.
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/stationary-dust-collectors/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html (http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/stationary-dust-collectors/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html)
We don't have Harbor Freights up here in Canada, the closest thing is either Princess Auto or BusyBee Tools. The nearest equivalent BusyBee offers to the one you linked to is this one http://www.busybeetools.com/products/DUST-COLLECTOR-1HP-CRAFTEX-CX-SERIES-CSA.html (http://www.busybeetools.com/products/DUST-COLLECTOR-1HP-CRAFTEX-CX-SERIES-CSA.html). It's only 1HP but moves 825CFM and certainly looks better constructed and comes with a 1 micron bag. Looks like stepping up to 2HP puts me in the $400 plus range and that will blow the budget to finish this thing. I think no matter what, I will step it up to this model as I won't have to change the bag as often and for $50 more it moves a 1/3rd more air.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,131171.msg1349409.html#msg1349409 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,131171.msg1349409.html#msg1349409)
I am keeping this link right hear so it does not get lost...Thanks for the help...
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I am also watching this thread ::)
I was occasionally peaking in at your "The Game Vault" thread, but once you went vertical CRT, I was hooked. My next full size cab will be a Shmups tribute cab for sure...loves me some DoDonPachi.
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Its been slow go on it. I bought 2 rotarys in hopes to play ikari warriors. Been a pain in the ass trying to get them to work. But games do look awesome on it. Having a few probs with the monitor flicking and sides being concaved.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
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Great progress man, I like the build platform. The Dhokenfield build is actually on Joe'sCNC forum. I'll see if I can grab the link but you've got Mountain here now so you are all set.
Another comparable dust collector versus the Harbor Freight one is the Delta 50-760 (http://www.amazon.com/DELTA-50-760-1-5HP-Vertical-Collector/dp/B00078V9KA (http://www.amazon.com/DELTA-50-760-1-5HP-Vertical-Collector/dp/B00078V9KA)) Still need to add a Wynn dust cylinder and a Thein separator but after that you should be all gravy.
I don't have a build thread because it's on the back burner right now as I want to finish Battletech POD, another arcade machine and my new shiny ClearVUE Dust collection system.
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Tabletop structure is done :applaud: MDF tabletop tomorrow...
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Tabletop structure is done :applaud: MDF tabletop tomorrow...
Good progress! Can't wait to see everything setup and ready to cut!
Can you record your first arcade-related CNC cut for us? Almost all YouTube and Vimeo CNC videos are furniture-related or signs… ::)
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Looking good. Are you using T-track as your hold down system?
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Can you record your first arcade-related CNC cut for us? Almost all YouTube and Vimeo CNC videos are furniture-related or signs… ::)
For sure...I feel your pain.
Looking good. Are you using T-track as your hold down system?
If you are talking about aluminum T slot for the table top, probably not. George quoted me $300 for a T slot table top (this includes the labour to have all the mounting holes drilled and all mounting hardware). Considering I have a perfect peice of 3/4" MDF sitting in the garage and George gave me 16 T nuts and bolts for free, it will cost me nothing to put a top on it. I know for my first project (bartop arcade) I will just screw the wood I am cutting directly to the spoil board. Down the road, however, it would be nice to have an adjustable hold down system. It's funny, just before you posted this question, I was checking out an MDF CNC build where the builder drilled holes in a grid pattern every two inches and then screwed "nut serts" into the spoil board. He just made little adjustable hold arms with bolts and voila. It is still a couple steps away, so I have some time...any suggestions?
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I'm also in the process of cluttering my house with CNC parts, little bit here and there mainly all the aluminum and rails.
The way I am planning to do my hold down and spoil board is:
-Mount a 3/4" MDF full size of my cut area, deck it with the machine and seal it.
-Then mount T-Track (like from Rockler) every 6-8" (this will depend more on the size of the arms you use).
-Then lay 3/4" MDF planks between the T-Tracks.
In theory the top layer of MDF shouldn't need to ever be decked & when its chewed to hell, cut new planks and replace..
At the rate I'm going though it will be x-mas before I have all my parts, lol..
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Yeah, my table is similar what Buick455 describes. However, I bolted the spoil boards down with plastic bolts recessed into the spoil board when I first built the machine. I have since replaced the spoil boards and used polyurethane to secure them. This way, after re-surfacing them several times, all I need to do is glue another set of boards down and its good to go for a few more years.
Here is a video of my machine in action. You can see the red channel running along the Y axis. The head of a 1/4" bolt slides into them perfectly and the little white knobs were made with the machine.
http://youtu.be/nwLJGXYWdRk (http://youtu.be/nwLJGXYWdRk)
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I'm also in the process of cluttering my house with CNC parts, little bit here and there mainly all the aluminum and rails.
The way I am planning to do my hold down and spoil board is:
-Mount a 3/4" MDF full size of my cut area, deck it with the machine and seal it.
-Then mount T-Track (like from Rockler) every 6-8" (this will depend more on the size of the arms you use).
-Then lay 3/4" MDF planks between the T-Tracks.
In theory the top layer of MDF shouldn't need to ever be decked & when its chewed to hell, cut new planks and replace..
At the rate I'm going though it will be x-mas before I have all my parts, lol..
Thanks for the info Buick...I like the idea of only decking the machine once. Have you started a build log yet?
Here is a video of my machine in action.
Didn't know your machine was on YouTube. Looks like it is pretty well sorted, lots of good ideas.
Put down the first layer of the tabletop this afternoon, 3/4" MDF, countersunk and pre-drilled with 2 1/2" #8 wood screws...
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Also managed to screw down the second tabletop layer, which is 3/4" white melamine (countersunk with the same #8 wood screws). The surface is 100% level and true and it is rock solid :applaud: Next step is to place and level the machine. It is drilled and tapped on the bottom of each side for legs (M? something, not sure what size of bolt anymore, I will have to use some Google-Fu). I think instead of legs, I will bolt through the tabletop itself and use a combination of nuts, washers and a stud to hold the machine down and to level it. I intend on making an enclosure with plexi doors to help with noise and dust and I will be using the same 3/4" melamine. Here is a couple of "not so good pics" of how nice it looks in the white melamine, should make for an easy to clean and professional looking surface.
EDIT: The side with the 2" relief is the front, and the doors will slide in there, the back has a 6" relief, cables and power will be fed up through this area. I am thinking on using the generic black plastic computer desk cable management holes with the little rotating disk...
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Looking good TF!!
I'm still trying to decide how I'm building a base and fitting it in my garage :dizzy: On paper, mine is 68"x61" overall, so its gonna be a big damn base/table. I was going to build it with wood but its just too big, I think I'm going to weld it and hope I can keep it square enough.
Keep the updates flowing, I need all the incentive I can get :lol
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On paper, mine is 68"x61" overall, so its gonna be a big damn base/table.
Just for a scale reference, my table is 38"x60", so yes, it is gonna be a big damn base...space is the price you pay when you want to go big.
Found time to clear out a home for this thing.
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Just lost 20min explaining what I did...I normally copy my reply before I post, but I forgot and I got some error, now I am pissed off :banghead: Here are some pics of the CNC now mounted to the table I built, I will go into detail about what I did later tonight...
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I am done my hissy fit now, so here is how the legs work. I have a 6" M10 Hex cap head bolt that comes up through the bottom of the table, there are two washers on the head, then the table and another two washers, then a nylon lock nut facing down and a nylon lock nut facing up. At the moment, I only need to loosen the top lock nut and spin the bolt from under the table to level the machine, it works better than I planned. I didn't want the table to effect the CNC machines level and square, so only one hole is drilled so the bolt is tight and the other three legs I drilled the holes 1/32" oversize in case the table expands and shrinks with the weather. I have attached another pic of the leg with the lock nut tightened.
In other news, I was one click away from ordering the KentCNC dust shoe until it calculated shipping...$47 :censored:... no way I am paying $50 to ship an 8" x 6" piece of plexiglass and some broom bristles. I will take my wife out to dinner for $50, then just glue a broom to a tupperware container. I will have to figure something out later.
I will start to level the machine tomorrow and add the z-axis...I also picked up some 45 degree grease nipples, so I will install these and grease the ball nuts before anymore assembly.
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Very cool! Just ordered my cnc last week! Pretty geeked!!
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I have a kent unit on my cnc. Works well
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I have a kent unit on my cnc. Works well
Hey Mac,
I have no doubts what so ever on the quality or how well it works, but to get it shipped to my door in Barrie ON Canada, it would cost me at minimum $185, throw in the Hitachi exhaust flange, now were at $200 and this is assuming I don't get dingned with some kind of duty at customs. Who know what price it will end at. Considering it is about $9 in materials, $200+ dollars is hard to swallow. Might make my own...this is BYOAC (or BYOCNC).
Very cool! Just ordered my cnc last week! Pretty geeked!!
What CNC kit did you order?
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Items completed today
- installed new grease nipples
- greased all ball nuts
- level up table
- level up CNC machine
- mounted z-axis
- installed spindle mounts
- mounted router
- installed misc set screws and bolts
Here are a few pics of the z-axis and router installed...
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I have a small problem :dunno CNCrouterparts.com sells a nice NEMA 23 stepper kit that comes in two flavours. I can either order their 380oz kit, or for the same price, I can order their 320oz low inductance steppers. Even though the 320oz kit would seem "less powerful" then the 380oz steppers, I have been reading up on them and it looks like the low inductance motors will offer a broader torque curve. They are on back-order and I am in no rush, so I think I will wait and order the 320oz kit, the problem is, the 320oz stepper have a 3/8" shaft diameter and George installed 1/4" couplers. The particular couplers he sent are called (I think) "spider couplers", they are two metal halves with a piece of plastic sandwiched between them. They just split apart, so I removed all three sides and took a few pics of them. I know there is no way I can accurately drill the one half out to 3/8", but my neighbour owns a lathe (big sucker too, had it installed into his garage with a forklift) and I am thinking this is something he could quickly throw in his chuck and drill and ream for me. Any thoughts? I know I could order the proper ones, but I am sure he would do it for free and I know it will get done right...
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I would never attempt to do such a modification without a lathe.
Oh, wait. ;)
Ask him if he thinks it can be done. He should know his machine.
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I wound up stopping using that exhaust flange on mine after I went through 2 mv12c's. run without it now and seems fine. This routers been going 10 times longer. I'm also using those std nema 23's from Ahren. Work great. Will buy a spindle at some point.
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I wound up stopping using that exhaust flange on mine after I went through 2 mv12c's. run without it now and seems fine. This routers been going 10 times longer.
Looks like the exhaust flange might be impeding air flow causing some cooling issues (just a guess). Thanks for the heads up.
Once again, great customer service from George. I had sent him a link to this build thread after e-mailing him about the missing bolts and it looks like he has been following. He has made a suggestion for a stepper kit and I think I will take his advice, here is a link that shows the specs of the 270oz kit he is offering http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-Ship-Free-Ship-to-USA-3Axis-Nema23-Wantai-stepper-motor-270oz-3A-4Lead-CNC-/130835454122?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e766698aa (http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-Ship-Free-Ship-to-USA-3Axis-Nema23-Wantai-stepper-motor-270oz-3A-4Lead-CNC-/130835454122?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e766698aa)
Only difference between the kit in the link and the one he offers is his comes with a 48v power supply. Considering his price is half of the CNCrouterparts.com kit, I will give it a try (it's actually less than half).
If you are still following...Thanks George :applaud:
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:applaud: :applaud: :applaud: Stepper Kit showed up today. Again, I went on the advice of George, and ordered the 270oz Wantai stepper kit. Considering the cheap price, I figured at the very least it was a good introduction to CNC electronics. I would provide some exact specs, BTTH, I really have no idea what I am looking at. I know the 270oz steppers are well matched to the size of machine I am building, I know the 48V power supply is a nice upgrade, and from what I have read Wantai seems to have a pretty good reputation (looks like I also scored 2 DB25 cables for free instead of 1 :) ). What I really need to nail down is all the switch settings on each driver board, were they connect to the breakout board and find a home for every other wire thats hanging off the steppers. No instructions of any kind are included, but I noticed while surfing Youtube that a lot of the DIY videos for CNC electronics are based around this exact or similar kit from Wantai. Here are the spec for those that know and a couple of pics for those who don't...
3 PCS Nema 23 Stepper Motor single shaft with 270 oz-in,3A holding torque,4 Leads
3 PCS Stepper Driver with 4.2A DQ542MA replacing M542 ,
1 PCS Power Supply for ???W,48VDC,
1 PC DB25 Breakout Board
2 DB25 Cables
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CNC machine: check
Interface board: check
Stepper drivers: check
Stepper motors: check
Power supply: check
… why haven't you cut anything yet? :laugh:
Kidding aside, here's a real question for you, maybe you wrote about it but I missed it: do you have any routing bits for the M12VC? If you do, which ones? What are the cutting diameters and cutting lengths?
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Hey Yvan,
I was just thinking about routing bits the other night while I was starting my spoil board. I guess I will order a precision collet set :dunno but as for the cutting bit itself, I was going to come here and ask (maybe selfie will chime in as I have read posts from him before and he seemed to know the difference between upcut bits, downcut bits and compression etc.).
In fact...I will ask him right now...
@selfie-I am going to cut bartop cabs out of 3/4" melamine coated particle board, can you suggest some specs on the type of bit I might need?
@Yvan-Do you have any suggestions on a bit?
I am thinking downcut bit 1/4" or 3/8" diameter and around 2 or 3" long.
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@Yvan-Do you have any suggestions on a bit?
I am thinking downcut bit 1/4" or 3/8" diameter and around 2 or 3" long.
I would go for a 1/4" bit, for three reasons:
- less dust and particles from the cuts
- less noisy
- you'll be able to cut smaller holes and finer internal radiuses
You will probably want a 1/4" diameter, two flutes (selfie, can you confirm that?), downcut (to protect the top laminate), 1" cutting depth (no need to pay for a longer bit).
Myself, I use a 1/8" diameter, one straight flute (neither upward nor downward), 3/8" cutting depth on my MDX-3.
I also already have a Dremel #650, 1/8" straight router bit (http://www.dremel.com/en-ca/Accessories/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=650) for CNC64 and the Black and Decker RTX.
Of course, since you're new to all this, the real first advice I can give is to not buy expensive bits at first. Breaking a 10$ bit is annoying but breaking a 50$ one is worst.
I only buy 10$ bits for both my MDX-3 and CNC64, although I don't think either machine would be able to break 1/8" bits. Both the spindles and the stepper motors aren't powerful enough.
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@selfie-I am going to cut bartop cabs out of 3/4" melamine coated particle board, can you suggest some specs on the type of bit I might need?
I am putting together a bartop using 3/4 inch melamine right now. Do not get more than 1 sheet to test. I am running into a lot of issues with chipping even using a new carbide tipped bit.
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@selfie-I am going to cut bartop cabs out of 3/4" melamine coated particle board, can you suggest some specs on the type of bit I might need?
I am putting together a bartop using 3/4 inch melamine right now. Do not get more than 1 sheet to test. I am running into a lot of issues with chipping even using a new carbide tipped bit.
No worries jbenesh...this is not my first foray into building cabs out of melamine coated particleboard. Although generally disliked on the forum, I love the stuff. I have built 2 full size MAME cabs, a bartop cab and a visual pinball machine. I actually use white melamine shelving from Home Depot, I usually buy the 30" x 60", but it also comes in 30" x 72"...not only is the particleboard better quality than the regular uncoated stuff, but I can tell you for sure, the melamine coating they use on the shelving is thicker than the regular 4' x 8' sheets. You pay a premium of course, but not painting and having a perfect surface for artwork is heaven to me. Only suggestions I can give you for chip free cutting is...if you are using a circular saw, move your blade up as far as you can so it just cuts both surfaces, and plan your cut so the exposed edge is on the bottom (plan your cuts so exposed edge is on top for table saw). As for the router, make your long cuts with a circular saw, but cut around a 1/4" away from your line, then take your router and a straight edge and slowly route upto your final line. I will post some pics tonight of my MAME cab sides to show you how nice it looks.
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To cut melamine without splintering either surface you need to buy a compression bit. I use these on my cnc to cut melamine parts. I agree also the covering on 4x8 sheets is way too thin.
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jbenesh-a close-up of one of the corners on my MAME cabs CP. Not a terribly interesting picture, but with patience, every single edge on my cab has a finished edge like this.
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jbenesh-a close-up of one of the corners on my MAME cabs CP. Not a terribly interesting picture, but with patience, every single edge on my cab has a finished edge like this.
I have no idea what I am looking at.....
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jbenesh-a close-up of one of the corners on my MAME cabs CP. Not a terribly interesting picture, but with patience, every single edge on my cab has a finished edge like this.
I am guessing it is a difference in the sheathing thickness. The 4'x8' panel I cut up had a seriously thin layer of coating on it. The particle board underneath is just fine but edge routing or even using a sacrificial board for drilling holes has left me with some major chipping on the edges. If I knew earlier that there were options with a thicker coating I would have looked into them. As it sits now, I think my next cab will be laminated.
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jbenesh-a close-up of one of the corners on my MAME cabs CP. Not a terribly interesting picture, but with patience, every single edge on my cab has a finished edge like this.
I have no idea what I am looking at.....
jbenesh is having troubles with melamine coated particleboard chipping on him while cutting. The picture I provided is one of the corners on my MAME cabs control panel. I am trying to demonstarte to him that with patience, it is possible to get chip free results using this product. The way you have been building cabs Cory, you will fly right by Melamine coated particle board and jump straight into laminate :cheers:
To cut melamine without splintering either surface you need to buy a compression bit. I use these on my cnc to cut melamine parts. I agree also the covering on 4x8 sheets is way too thin.
Thanks mac, compression bit it is...
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Thanks for the explanation and something to read as I woke up way too early.
I prefer to do paint but that is because I can justify a few gallons of paint that can do a bunch of cabs but not a little bit of laminate that does 1 or 2 cabs at the same price.
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Any progress?
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Any progress?
I was wondering the same thing.. Just assume he got it up and running and cant stop playing with it :P
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Any progress?
I was wondering the same thing.. Just assume he got it up and running and cant stop playing with it :P
I wish...I have only had 2 days off in the last month, so I thought I would relax tonight and finish my spoil board tomorrow, but with Yvan and yourself needing a CNC fix, it motivated me to go out and complete it. So I present my finished (still need to trim nylon screws and surface the table) spoil board. Before I get into pics and what I did, I noticed a slight discrepancy on my actual cutting area. I ordered the 30" x 36" Viperxz as it has a quoted cutting area of 24" x 30". Maybe I am naive in the world of CNC, but I didn't think cutting past the end plates should really be considered the "cutting area". To get the full 30", I need to cut around 2" over the end plate (even then it is really only 29" and change and that is with a 1/4 cutting bit. So I am not overly impressed, but again, I am new to this and any CNC purchase in the future will take this into account (see first pic showing overhang to achieve the full 30"). Also, the only way I could reach the full 24" cutting width, would be with a table surfacing bit as I think they are around 1 1/2" wide, but with a 1/4" bit, the actual width is more like 23 1/2", not the end of the world and doesn't change my goal, but I am glad I noticed this now so I can account for the shortfall.
On to the spoil board...I liked both Buick and Mountains ideas on only surfacing the table top once, and then replacing the top "strips" as they get routed and destroyed. My ears also perked up when Mountain mentioned nylon screws as I knew these could be safely surfaced with the rest of the table. I made the spoil board in 2 pieces...the bottom piece I cut to the exact table top dimensions 24" x 36" and it's held down with 16 x M6 bolts and T-nuts. The top piece is cut to the actual cutting area of 24" x 30" and offset 2" over the front end plate to ensure it is centred under the router. The top board is held to the bottom board with sixteen 1/4 x 20-2" nylon screws. MDF does not take well to a tap, but it does not mind having a bolt screwed through a tight hole leaving an "impression" of the threads. I drilled my holes, threaded a metal bolt through the holes and then screwed the nylon screws in. See the next 2 posts of pics as I go through installing one of the nylon fasteners.
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Step by step installing nylon screws...
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Heres the spoil board installed, just need to trim screws and surface.
I am in the process of building a dust shoe and I should have pics by next weekend. It is more like a pressure foot and does not follow the Z axis up and down, but is adjustable to the table top and rides relative to the Y, google "Vortex pressure foot" for an example. Looks like it will cost me $3.98 to build (I am not kidding, I have everything I need sitting around from other builds, I am just not sure if the lexan I am using is thick enough, we will see).
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Nice to see some more progress. I hope I can get CNC64 up and running soon because the whole spindle assembly of the MDX-3 feels like it's going to rip apart sometimes. Whoever designed this part was a :angry:.
As for your cutting area, it's usually measured by the center of your cutting bit. I can't wait to see you cutting parts.
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Any progress?
I was wondering the same thing.. Just assume he got it up and running and cant stop playing with it :P
I wish...I have only had 2 days off in the last month, so I thought I would relax tonight and finish my spoil board tomorrow, but with Yvan and yourself needing a CNC fix, it motivated me to go out and complete it.
No rest for you!! I do need the fix.. So if we stay on your ass you'll be done by monday? :laugh:
I am building vicariously through your build, the wife and I decided we should 're-fi" our house (before rates start creeping back up) so CNC parts are on the back burner for the time being. I did get my steel for the frame/table though, so I guess I'll be tripping over it on the garage floor for a little while.
I also like Mtn's nylon bolts idea, might borrow it myself. The thought of clipping a bolt head with a surfacing cutter makes my teeth hurt.
Keep it up TF!!! you will be makin dust before you know it :cheers:
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Another CNC "fix" comin' at ya :D Took some of that overtime money I have been making and spent it on some computer goodies. I was originally going to use one of two old Pentium 4's I had lying around, both of which had parallel ports, working copies of Win XP and were free. I was then just going to build a CNC control box to house the drivers, breakout board and PS and call it done, but the more I thought about it, the less enthused I was about using 10year old PC's with my new CNC build (or, I am looking for any excuse to build another computer, tinker and spend money needlessly on things I already own :dunno ). Anyway, I stumbled on a couple of blogs on the intranet were guys had used PC cases to house there CNC electronics and a few had actually housed all there CNC electronics and PC's in one case...I like the idea of an all in one solution so this is the direction I went. First, a list of what I have and what is on order...
HAVE
- Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
- ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS AM3+ AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
- Corsair TX-650M Modular Power Supply
ON ORDER OR NEED
- Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9
- AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX
- Win 7 64bit Home Premium
I choose the case based on its reasonable price, its massive size and the ability to remove the hard drive cages as I knew I would need this space for my drivers and break out board (also, it fit under the table I built and I am a sucker for white). The motherboard I chose I saw used in at least 2 other CNC builds as it has native Legacy port support (parallel and serial), it is a microATX board, so it would also gain me valuable space inside the case and it supports AM3+ procs. The only thing I can see that it doesn't offer that might have been cool to have (for future upgrades) is USB 3 support, but I can't really see how this will ever be a problem for what I have planned. The power supply is modular, 650watts and was on wicked sale. Here are some pictures of the case and a few with it opened up and hard drive cages removed. You can see there is loads of room and I should have no problems with space or ventilation (yes, I know it will be a dusty environment, I have dust control ideas already planned).
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Here is a couple of step by steps of me removing HD cages, installing PC power supply, temporarily installing motherboard and test fitting CNC power supply. I can swim inside this case, I will have a home for everything. I am thinking I will mount the drivers and breakout board on a nice piece of plexi and orientate them so the twin fans on front of case will blow right over them, should work a treat. I probably won't have any update until next week as I am still working everyday, but then I get a week off so I will have lots to post...
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Looks like a damn good excuse to buy computer stuff. I talked the wife into letting me build another PC for the living room (youtube, video chat, surfing, watching vids, ect) about a year ago, I haven't been in my office upstairs in a long time, lol.. was it needed, NO, so why did I want it so bad :dunno
I have seen a few people use automotive paper filters for there cases (you know the square/rectangular ones), that and aiming the intake down is my plan. My garage is dusty without my wood tools being used (dirt driveway doesn't help). I would like to build a plexi cabinet (maybe a room with how big it is) to keep the normal dust off the router dust :P
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I have seen a few people use automotive paper filters for there cases (you know the square/rectangular ones), that and aiming the intake down is my plan.
Thats exactly what I was thinking Buick...considering the case I chose has lots of flat rectangular air vents, I could easily make some simple bezels out of sheet metal and drop a universal rectangular K&N filter in it. This way, I can just pull them periodically, spray 'em off and plop 'em back in.
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update?
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I do have a small update...other than the OS, the computer is completely built :applaud: . I did make one small change, it looks like if I use Mach 3 for my CNC controller than 64bit windows is not going to work unless I want to use an external motion controller. Mach 3's parallel port driver does not work with 64bit windows, so to make things simpler, I will just go 32bit. Since I am going 32bit, I changed up the ram and went with two 2g sticks and saved a bit of money. I also have most of my CNC electronics buttoned up. I mounted the electronics to a board that bolts to the inside of the PC case and mounted the power supply to the bottom. I even have the back limit switch and stepper I/O plate done, I just need to mount it. See pics...
Speaking of OS's, I was one inch away from installing LinuxCNC (it used to be called EMC2), but I chickened out. I really don't feel confident installing it and I would rather get the machine running and enjoy it than fumble around learning a new operating system.
Next step is to wire the drivers and limit switches to the I/O panel and wire in the power supply. After that, I will make some custom stepper cables, install Mach 3, some kind of CAD/CAM software and then start testing. If everything plays nice, I will go back to the machine itself and start on dust shoe and cable chain.
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I'm happy to see progress on your CNC setup, but I'm also saddened by the lack of precision-cut, arcade-related parts.
... Oh wait, I'm guilty of the same thing.
Carry on. :laugh:
My low-cost TB6560 board (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/221231191824) will pale compared to your setup. Then again CNC64 will never be a match for your machine either. :lol
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This is nothing short of awesome. I love CNC (have for a while) and am planning (dreaming, wishing, hoping) to have mine set up in the next 12 months... My personal plan is to go with a (ahem) 'larger' format configuration, and I was leaning towards the Blackfoot (http://www.buildyourcnc.com/blackFoot48v40.aspx) or greenBull (http://www.buildyourcnc.com/greenBullCNCMachineKit.aspx) CNC kit. My original thought was that if I went with a larger format (the greenBull can do 6'x10' stock!) that I could effectively use a single sheet of MDF to custom fabricate an almost complete arcade cabinet, or else, mass-produce custom parts without the need to continually replace the stock.
I originally had a CNC machine design in Sketchup I was considering building from scratch, but I figured that my own "STTP3" arcade build took long enough - so I could always build the CNC machine WITH a CNC machine in the future. ;)
I can't wait to see more of your machine in action! (And a huge shout out to Mountain as well - love your setup, man!)
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My low-cost TB6560 board (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/221231191824) will pale compared to your setup. Then again CNC64 will never be a match for your machine either. :lol
Not so sure about that Yvan. I think my drivers are pretty good quality, but the breakout board that came with my kit...mehhh.
This is nothing short of awesome.
Appreciate that Rick...my goal was to have something cut by Christmas and the more I work on it, the more realistic that goal seems. Just hope it doesn't take as long to get done as the Turkey Puncher :cheers:
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Not so sure about that Yvan. I think my drivers are pretty good quality, but the breakout board that came with my kit… mehhh.
One thing is absolutely certain: your steppers, with 270 oz-in holding torque, are much stronger than mine, which are only 10.5 oz-in. I only paid 4$CAD each for my steppers but you probably paid a lot less per oz-in.
Damn, now I'm curious about the holding torque of the steppers in my MDX-3. :laugh:
edit: you should test your power supply, stepper drivers and motors, before installing them on your CNC machine.
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edit: you should test your power supply, stepper drivers and motors, before installing them on your CNC machine.
100% Yvan, I have a test bed started on the downstairs living room coffee table. I will post a video of steppers moving once I get everything sorted.
Couple more updates...first, computer is completely finished and runs like a champ :applaud: .Installed Windows with nary a hiccup, computer boots up in 15 seconds and other than my graphics (on board), most items scored 7.0 or greater on the WEI (I don't hold a lot of stock in the score, but it is nice to see them all above 7.0). Installed trial versions of Vetric's Cut2D and Mach 3 and I am going to start configuring Mach 3 sometime tomorrow night.
Also, finished soldering and heat shinking all my stepper and limit switch cables. I am using the micro switches out of my MAME cab for testing (cab is not running at the moment, ---smurfy--- X-Arcade switches at that), but a guy at work is going to get me 6 high quality Omron switches with the levers and roller tips.
Since my computer will be located under the router table, and I won't want to be reaching under to hit the E-stop so I thought I would make my own Mach 3 pendant. Nothing fancy at all, just the basics functions that I can hold in my hand. I am thinking:
1.E-stop
2.X/Y and Z jog buttons
3.Pause
4.Start
5.Router Speed-simple plus and minus buttons(I think this is where the SuperPID conversion for my router comes into play)
6.Incremental Jog
I am thinking something like this http://www.lowcostcncretrofits.com/jogremote.html (http://www.lowcostcncretrofits.com/jogremote.html) ,just not as childish looking (too many primary colours for my taste), and $400 US :dizzy: any dime store keyboard encoder and a few buttons and I can do the same thing. I picked up one of those plastic project boxes from Sayal Electronics (there is a store located in Barrie ON for you southern Ontario folk) I am going to use it as my pendant, fits nice in the hand and it was cheap. Here is a couple of pics...
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That's a lot of hardware, but you're probably still missing an important piece: a dust separator for your shop-vac.
I made a really crappy dust cyclone made with a Chapman's orange sorbet (http://chapmans-ice-cream-5b61a826.s3.amazonaws.com/Products/MainImage/9538w01-2LSORBET_ENG_Orange.png) container and vinyl tubing weeks ago and it worked quite well, apart from the tubing being too small and the container not being strong enough to withstand the pressure. But even so, it did separate a huge amount of dust, so I'm working on something better and more permanent.
I've been cutting pieces for a Thien baffle dust separator (http://www.jpthien.com/cy.htm) since this morning, I'll keep you informed about the results.
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I've been cutting pieces for a Thien baffle dust separator (http://www.jpthien.com/cy.htm) since this morning, I'll keep you informed about the results.
How bout cutting 2 sets ::) . Just kidding, but yes, keep me posted as I am getting awfully close to making sawdust.
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I've been cutting pieces for a Thien baffle dust separator (http://www.jpthien.com/cy.htm) since this morning, I'll keep you informed about the results.
How bout cutting 2 sets ::) . Just kidding, but yes, keep me posted as I am getting awfully close to making sawdust.
I wouldn't mind so much, however we probably don't use the same size of shop-vac hoses and our dust bucket will probably differ too. I have a shop-vac mini and my dust bucket will be about the same size, it would be too small compared to the sawdust-making capabilities of your machine. :laugh:
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You project is coming along nicely! Looking forward to seeing your first steps ;)
When using mach3 you could use on of these remotes:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=mach3+remote&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xmach3+mpg+remote&_nkw=mach3+mpg+remote&_sacat=0 (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=mach3+remote&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xmach3+mpg+remote&_nkw=mach3+mpg+remote&_sacat=0)
A lot cheaper and less childish than the one you posted ;)
Regarding the dust collection: I can advise the oneida air dust deputy deluxe kit. I have one myself and it works absolutely great!
http://www.oneida-air.com/inventoryD.asp?item_no=AXD000004&CatId={6EE79B16-EB63-43E7-8F30-1E06240A24A4} (http://www.oneida-air.com/inventoryD.asp?item_no=AXD000004&CatId={6EE79B16-EB63-43E7-8F30-1E06240A24A4})
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When using mach3 you could use on of these remotes:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=mach3+remote&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xmach3+mpg+remote&_nkw=mach3+mpg+remote&_sacat=0 (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=mach3+remote&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xmach3+mpg+remote&_nkw=mach3+mpg+remote&_sacat=0)
A lot cheaper and less childish than the one you posted ;)
Wow, those are cheap, I will take a look around for some reviews.
Regarding the dust collection: I can advise the oneida air dust deputy deluxe kit. I have one myself and it works absolutely great!
Looks like it is designed for a shop vac with the 2.5" hose and Mountain has convinced me to step up my vacuum specs to the big stand-up jobbies and 4" hoses, but it is a good link none the less as I haven't pulled the trigger on any dust collection yet.
I've been cutting pieces for a Thien baffle dust separator (http://www.jpthien.com/cy.htm) since this morning, I'll keep you informed about the results.
How bout cutting 2 sets ::) . Just kidding, but yes, keep me posted as I am getting awfully close to making sawdust.
I wouldn't mind so much, however we probably don't use the same size of shop-vac hoses and our dust bucket will probably differ too. I have a shop-vac mini and my dust bucket will be about the same size, it would be too small compared to the sawdust-making capabilities of your machine. :laugh:
I figured as much, just fooling around.
I wish I had some friends who were into arcade building and CNC machines, but all mine are into sports and drinking and I don't do either. It is nice to be part of a community that has similar interests and are so helpful. Thanks to everyone that has stopped by and offered advice, it is appreciated... :cheers:
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Took me 4 hours last night and 4 hours tonight to finally figure out that the 3.5mm mono chassis jacks that I installed for my limit switches have a switched loudspeaker cut-out :banghead: I said to myself when I installed them "Why is there 2 leads for positive when it is a mono jack?". Didn't realize 1 lead went dead when you insert the plug :angry: . Thankfully I did the X axis right or I never would have figured it out.
I will try to do a big update this coming long weekend as I have a few other items completed including getting the steppers to move under Mach 3 :applaud: .
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DIY, KADE powered, Mach 3 pendant...not too shabby for $70. Graphics are just printed on sticky paper right now, once I am satisfied, I will print on adhesive vinyl and laminate.
I want to use the vinyl cutouts on the button tops like Pongo use to make, anyone know who makes them now? It isn't wired yet as the KADE encoder is still in transit, should have it mid next week.
Couple pics including one of me holding it for scale.
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I want to use the vinyl cutouts on the button tops like Pongo use to make, anyone know who makes them now?
SlammedNiss has taken over for Pongo.
B/S/T thread here (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130477.0.html).
Scott
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DIY, KADE powered, Mach 3 pendant… not too shabby for $70.
That's a lot of buttons! Mine won't be as fancy as that!
Keep us informed of your progress! :cheers:
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I want to use the vinyl cutouts on the button tops like Pongo use to make, anyone know who makes them now?
SlammedNiss has taken over for Pongo.
B/S/T thread here (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130477.0.html).
Scott
Thanks Scott
That's a lot of buttons! Mine won't be as fancy as that!
Keep us informed of your progress! :cheers:
Electronics are pretty much done...just have to review my driver dip switch settings and some motor tuning and hopefully I can post a video.
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Looking good TF!!
Really like the diy pendent, I might have to look into that If the Xbox controller I see people using falls short.
I already have an extra controller and USB dongle so we shall see, one day, lol.. At the rate I'm going maybe next Christmas :dunno
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Any update? :P
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Looking good TF!!
Thanks Buick...
Any update? :P
Yes Yvan, I have a few.
First, I think I have gone as far as I can with the trial version of Mach3. I am, to the best of my knowledge, ready to start installing my electronics on the CNC frame. I have my steppers tuned and running very smoothly and I will just have to test accelaration and velocity on the machine itself to see when they will stall and back them off a bit.
Second, I received my KADE in the mail and I will wire it tommorow night. I have already loaded the firmware and programmed the buttons. I have one end of the DB9 cable attached to the pendant and I will wire the other end to computer later in the week.
I did just finish one cool project...I found myself leaving the 48V power supply and drives turned on when ever I was done testing and shut the computer off. It would always be around a half hour later, I would run down stairs, turn off the switch located at the back of computer and sure enough I would find the steppers hot. I am not too keen on leaving the power supply on for days once it gets into the garage, so I built a relay switch inside an old computer PSU. I installed a 120VAC solid state relay that turns on and off with a 5V signal, I included a 10amp thermal breaker (I currently had no fuses between the incoming house current and the 48V power supply, so this turned into a two birds , one stone affair), I mounted the relay to an old CPU heat sink and plopped a bigger fan on top. I have tested it and it works a charm, probably the most satisfing electrical project I have ever done as I made sure every wire was colour coded, heat shrunk and spec'd and grounded everything properly :applaud: . So as it sits, the power supply and stepper drives will always turn off with the computer, but I have intercepted the 5V signal, and I will be able to turn it off independently from the computer as it gets sent to a switch on the pendant and installed a 5V green LED to let me know that it is on.
Third, got a simple ASUS 18.5" LED monitor for my birthday, so that's done.
Fourth, and this is the first time in the project that I have not been able to do exactly what I wanted, I asked all the family to just give my some bucks for my B-Day so I could buy my dust collector, I don't know how much I thought I was going to get, but it turned out to be $200. $200 does not get you a whole hell of a lot when it comes to dust collectors, and going on the advice of Mountain and the guys, I was looking for a 2 or 3HP unit with a canister and some kind of Cyclone or Thien baffle setup, problem is, I need more like $800. So, I ended up getting what I originally was going to pick up as it was $209 out the door. My plan is to get the machine running with the dust collector I bought and then step up to a real collector later on, maybe Christmas. I will take a few pics of it tomorrow.
Fifth, and this is more of an experiment, but I have a type of wire loom that might actually make a pretty good, free, diy, cable drag chain. Before I post pics or describe it, I will test later in the week so I don't look like a doorknob (money is starting to get tight, so expect more free diy options :blah: ).
Question:I am going to take a video later this week describing the CNC electronics and showing the steppers moving, but I am not interested in posting it on YouTube. I really only want to share what I am doing (at least on video anyway) with the BYOAC community. What other options do I have?
Anyway, here are a couple boring pics...
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Other than a few zip ties, you can stick a fork in the computer and electrical side of this build...I am done :cheers: .
Pendant works perfect BTW :applaud: .
Started to work on the drag chain holder on top of the Y axis today and then got bored after dinner so I made a label for the I/O panel on the back of the computer to help keep everything organized (see pic below, including a few pics of the dust collector).
Even though I could not afford the dust collector I wanted, at least my original plan of housing the dust collector under the table will work as the one I bought is the one I took dimensions from when I first built the table.
Next item on my list is to put a shelf under the table and install computer and D/C.
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Nice to see progress on your CNC build, I can't wait to see you cutting some panels! :cheers:
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Ridiculously over engineered, complicated, Y axis relative, $16, custom, sheet stock only, CNC dust shoe :dunno .
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Ridiculously over engineered, complicated, Y axis relative, $16, custom, sheet stock only, CNC dust shoe :dunno .
Looks awesome! How does the flexible tubing work for you? I had actually used something similar with a dust collector I had, and the damn tubing collapsed under the suction.
I was watching this video last night, and thought about your build.
My First Home Built CNC Router UT2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQzoGTbPrSM#ws)
Now that I have a source for CNC, I'm - so - excited to have them cut my own home-built CNC machine I had been working on. Of course, after watching that video, I'm wondering where I can find 12mm aluminum sheets.
:o
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Nice video Rick...kind of makes me wish I had popped for the aluminum table top and a real spindle :cry: .
Funny, the guy in the video is using the same type of cable management tubing that I have lined up to use. It is cable management tubing used for Home Theatre setups and I have like 50' of it. Once I finish up the dust shoe I am working on cables next.
Ridiculously over engineered, complicated, Y axis relative, $16, custom, sheet stock only, CNC dust shoe :dunno .
Looks awesome! How does the flexible tubing work for you? I had actually used something similar with a dust collector I had, and the damn tubing collapsed under the suction.
Theres no way it will collapse with the current dust collector, but use it with 5hp and 1800cfm, and it might. There is a coiled plastic wire inside that keeps its shape, I will keep you posted on its performance. Here is a link to just the hose http://www.busybeetools.com/products/HOSE-PVC-4IN.-25FT-ROLL.html (http://www.busybeetools.com/products/HOSE-PVC-4IN.-25FT-ROLL.html) .
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In case anyone thought this project was dead, it's not, I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the dust shoe and I am now just getting the electronics installed. I could not be more satisfied with my DIY dust shoe, I can't wait to post a video of it in action. Speaking of videos, I took one today for you guys of the CNC in motion and the dust collector turned on, but I don't have a mini Fire Wire cable, so I will have to take another video with my wife's IPhone.
X and Z are moving smooth as glass, but the Y axis is running a little rough, not sure what is going on. I turned the acceleration way down and it is not stalling, but it is doing the rough kind of "grumble" when it is coming to a stop. I will play with the motor tuning and see if I can smooth it out.
I need to mount the monitor to some kind of swivel arm and also make a more solid mount for the dust house to be lifted up out of the way.
Wife suggested two things...first, she said to move the CNC into the middle of the garage storage area so I could get around to all sides of it :cheers: (I originally had it tucked into the corner) and second, she "forced" me to grab 2 plug in florescence shop lights so I could see what the hell I was doing :applaud: .
Here is a couple of pics, I will post a video as soon as I get a minute.I think I am exactly on target to have a bartop cut by Christmas morning ;D .
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It's cool to have a dedicated area for your CNC. I can't wait to see it cutting something, especially with your DIY dust shoe.
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Okay .... now you KNOW we want to see a video .... SEVERAL VIDEOS, actually .... of your creation in action.
:applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:
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Who can tell the difference between the first pic and the second? Those of you that have played with Mach 3 might recognize the tap. file.
I have to help the wife clean the basement, I will check in later to see if anyone can tell which test was the fail (one pic was done a month ago, the other 10min ago). Back in a bit...
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I'm going to guess the top one was the failure since the line goes off the paper?
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Welcome to the club Willard :applaud:.
Should have offered a free bartop cab to the best guess, might have gotten a few more replys. I was using Mach 3's Roadrunner tap. file for testing around mid October when all of a sudden my x-axis started making grinding noises and missing steps. Long story short, after a whole bunch of trouble shooting, I narrowed it down to a bad driver.
Here I am a month later with new driver in hand and we are back in business (actually, two drivers and two steppers as back ups).
I am at the point now where I need unlocked retail copies of both Mach3 and Vetric Cut2D so I can get a couple bartops cut out. I think for my first round of cabs, I am going to use the bartop I built for my godson as a design starting point (see bartop build link in my sig). Only change I will make for sure is a taller marquee (this will be easy as Corbins cab was built with a 16:10 monitor and I think I will design this one for 16:9 as they are more readily available).
Probably have to wait for xmas monies to buy the full software, so in the mean time, I will continue tuning the motors and see about surfacing my spoilboard.
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Thanks! I wanted to post my project last night but I didn't want to wake anyone up taking pictures. About to post it now.
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:bump
Any update ???
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:bump
Any update ???
No real updates to report, I intend to use Christmas money to buy unlocked versions of Mach 3 and either Vetric Cut2D or Artcam Express. George from XZero has been following my build and he e-mailed me suggesting Artcam over Cut2D. Anyone out there using either?
Biggest problem for me right now is the cold. Until I get some heat in there, cutting anything is on hold.
Been spending my time lately putting my old MAME cab back together and playing with CNC software.
I have been following your build Yvan and things look to be coming along nicely, thanks for the bump :cheers:
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Is your CNC up and running? Have you tried cutting steel plates yet? I might need your help to repair my old MDX-3. :P
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Is your CNC up and running? Have you tried cutting steel plates yet? I might need your help to repair my old MDX-3. :P
Today was the first warm day this year...just give me about two more weeks and I am going to move the PC and monitor back out to the garage. I still need OEM Mach 3 and Artcam or Vetric, so I still have some work to do before cutting. This project isn't dead either, it was just too cold to do anything.
However, Thanks for the bumpity bump Yvan :cheers:
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Is your CNC up and running yet? ;D
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Sorry Yvan, not sure how I missed your bump :dunno
Anyway, purchased my Mach 3 license last night so thats done, and I finally decided on Artcam Express. I purchased it also last night, but it gets sent to my home by mail with DVD and donggle, should be here next week. I am hoping to have something to show you guys by May 24 weekend.
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DIY, KADE powered, Mach 3 pendant...not too shabby for $70. Graphics are just printed on sticky paper right now, once I am satisfied, I will print on adhesive vinyl and laminate.
I feel honored having our stuff in this sweet machine.
:cheers:
Awesomness!
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DIY, KADE powered, Mach 3 pendant...not too shabby for $70. Graphics are just printed on sticky paper right now, once I am satisfied, I will print on adhesive vinyl and laminate.
I feel honored having our stuff in this sweet machine.
:cheers:
Awesomness!
I liked how you approached the community when developing the KADE (my personal opinion anyway), and I knew while watching it come together, that, at some point, I wanted to support it. It suited the pedant project perfect (both due to its size and it performing flawlessly), and I even had the creator of the ViperXZ, George, e-mail me and ask what the KADE was and how well it was working.
Thanks for stopping in...the "honouring", is mutual :cheers:
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I need help :hissy:
Installed Artcam Express 2013 and when I try to open a file I get an error. The error is "MFP (2016) Internal Error Working Box WLM Status Monitor: Name not found".
A little google fu reveals it is more than likely a graphics card that is either not powerful enough or needs updating (looks like OpenGL 2.0 support is essential).
Needless to say, I know my graphics blow (onboard Radeon 3000/AMD 760G). My question is, when I navigate to the AMD drivers download section and I work my way through the drop down boxes it displays a driver updated 10/15/2013 with a rev#8.97.100.11, but it explains that they have shifted to an "HD" driver support model. But, when I go to my Device Manager and click on 760G and then click "Check to see if there is an updated driver", after the search, it says I am up to date. So...I am confused, my current driver is rev#8.710.0.0 and it was created in 10/02/2010. There must have been updated drivers released for the 760G since 2010, so am I safe installing the 8.97?
The better option is to just bite the bullet and install a nice graphics card (I think my processor/hard drive and memory all score 7.3 or higher with my graphics pooping out at 4.4), I was just hoping to save $75 and install an updated driver.
Throw me some ideas guys if you have any :dunno
Edit: After some additional nosing around, it looks like the integrated GPU is an "HD" 3000, so I am thinking the latest available driver download from AMD should be safe. Still wouldn't mind someone chiming in before I download them.
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I need help :hissy:
[...]
Throw me some ideas guys if you have any :dunno
Edit: After some additional nosing around, it looks like the integrated GPU is an "HD" 3000, so I am thinking the latest available driver download from AMD should be safe. Still wouldn't mind someone chiming in before I download them.
If I search for the error you got, I get a link to http://forum.artcam.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=22988&p=86565 (http://forum.artcam.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=22988&p=86565) which also says it's related to your GPU driver. However, since I haven't really used Windows in almost a decade, I can't offer further help.
You should ask ArtCam themselves for help, is there a list of supported GPUs? If there is such a list, you'll be able to see if your GPU is supported and if it's not, you'll know which is the cheapest GPU you can use.
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Posted the same question on Tomshardware forum and I was told as long as I am entering the correct info in the drop down boxes while looking for latest drivers on AMD's site, that I should always follow manufactures driver recommendation, never the OS. Considering the current installed driver is creeping up on 5 years old, there has to be some kind of benefit to installing the latest recommend driver from AMD, even if it doesn't solve this exact problem.
I am going to update it later tonight, I will report back.
Thanks Yvan for taking the time to find a solution :cheers:
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Complete and utter success :applaud:
Driver installed without incident and my WEI score went from 4.4 to 4.5 (minor, but shows there were some performance gains to be had).
Artcam now opens models without any errors....so, lets get this thing together and start cutting >:D
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Complete and utter success :applaud:
Driver installed without incident and my WEI score went from 4.4 to 4.5 (minor, but shows there were some performance gains to be had).
Artcam now opens models without any errors....so, lets get this thing together and start cutting >:D
I repaired my MDX-3 again and I'm now cutting the NEMA 23 stepper motor plates for CNC64/CNC86. Let's race. ;)
P.S.: the race was/is still about who has a working machine first. My old Roland MDX-3 doesn't count!
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So... when are we going to see a video of your machine cutting up arcade-related parts? ;)
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So... when are we going to see a video of your machine cutting up arcade-related parts? ;)
Easter egg right at the end of the video for you buddy...thanks for all the motivation :cheers:
http://vimeo.com/user21565267/cnc-first-cut (http://vimeo.com/user21565267/cnc-first-cut)
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http://vimeo.com/user21565267/cnc-first-cut (http://vimeo.com/user21565267/cnc-first-cut)
:cheers:
P.S.: you won the race.
edit: I guess it takes another CNC owner to get a smile on his face just by watching a resurfacing job. ;-)
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On to the arcade related portion of this build...
For those of you who might not have checked out the link below of the bartop I built for my godson, here are a few pics:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=136713.0;attach=309390;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=136713.0;attach=309392;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=136713.0;attach=309394;image)
As I explained in the bartop thread, I tried to keep all the panels smaller than 11" x 17" so that I could print and apply my own artwork. So what I am doing now is attempting to recreate it on the CNC. I of course don't have it any more, but I did scan the pieces into my computer so I could make templates for the artwork, so I traced and saved my original Inkscape .svg templates into a .dfx file and imported them into Artcam. Then I created toolpaths and sent them to Mach, and here is a pic of the completed cut on the Mach 3 screen and a pencil outline drawn onto machine bed (it is not centred as I held the pencil against the dust shoe as it ran the program, but it does make the cut inside the cutting area).
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=136713.0;attach=309386;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=136713.0;attach=309388;image)
I have lots of wood for testing, but I don't have a good cutting bit, so that is next...
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Neat design, very unique!
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Neat design, very unique!
Thanks Slippy...you still building a 40K themed arcade cab? The QC rep that sits across from me at work is an avid Warhammer and War machine player, so I am getting the itch to make my own Warhammer themed bartop. Do you mind if I use the black and white art I sent you?
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It's on the docket, but not getting built any time soon. Older kid just moved out and I'm in the process of slowly turning his bedroom into my new cave. :cheers: So a pedestal is my next build actually.
Not my art man, knock yourself out!
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it is not centred as I held the pencil against the dust shoe as it ran the program, but it does make the cut inside the cutting area.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=136713.0;attach=309388;image)
I have lots of wood for testing, but I don't have a good cutting bit, so that is next...
... did you trace directly on the spoilboard? :P
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... did you trace directly on the spoilboard? :P
Of course, I was trying to spoil it, looks like I succeeded :laugh2:
Just used pencil, so it actually erases off, so I am not too woried about it. I was thinking about knocking down a few ridges with some 400 grit on a sanding block and then rolling on a couple of coats of clear poly, we will see.
I think before I buy some cutting bits, I need to take care of a few items...
1. The table frame is metal and the table top is bullet proof, but due to the weight of the table sitting 3' in the air on long thin metal legs the tabletop and machine actually move quite a bit while cutting. I need to either add some angular braces tying each corner together and/or box the sides in with a few move sheets of melamine.
2.Dust collector worked quite well when I surfaced the table top, but when I stuck my head under the machine last night, I noticed dust had slipped through the sides of the dust bag (where it slips over and gets clamped) and started to make a little pile beside the computer. I will add another clamp and maybe a strip of tuck tape to keep it sealed.
3.Need to develop a hold down system for the material I am cutting. My simple short term (cheap) plan is to drill and screw in some 1/4" x 20 nutserts every 4" to 6" on the outside perimiter of spoil boad (not drilled from the top, but inserted 90 degrees, horizontally, into spoilboard sides). Then cut two, 30" x 1 1/4" and two, 24" x 1 1/4" furring strips or "vice jaws" that the bolts go through. This way, I can take 1 sheet of the 30" x 72" white melamine shelving I like to use, cut it into 3 equal pieces, center the cut piece exactly ontop of machine bed and then tighten up the strips so they capture the material on all four sides like a vice and since they are clamped from the side, they will keep clear of the dust shoe. Should work a treat...
Stay tuned >:D
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Just used pencil, so it actually erases off, so I am not too woried about it. I was thinking about knocking down a few ridges with some 400 grit on a sanding block and then rolling on a couple of coats of clear poly, we will see.
The spoilboard is meant to be cut into, don't bother with sanding or anything. Install the spoilboard, cut about 1~2mm of the surface to level it, done. Unless you're talking about something else?
2.Dust collector worked quite well when I surfaced the table top, but when I stuck my head under the machine last night, I noticed dust had slipped through the sides of the dust bag (where it slips over and gets clamped) and started to make a little pile beside the computer. I will add another clamp and maybe a strip of tuck tape to keep it sealed.
Be careful with dust, especially MDF/HDF dust. That stuff is very toxic, bad for your lungs, etc. Myself, I use my house vacuum because it has three levels of EPA filters in it.
3.Need to develop a hold down system for the material I am cutting. My simple short term (cheap) plan is to drill and screw in some 1/4" x 20 nutserts every 4" to 6" on the outside perimiter of spoil boad (not drilled from the top, but inserted 90 degrees, horizontally, into spoilboard sides). Then cut two, 30" x 1 1/4" and two, 24" x 1 1/4" furring strips or "vice jaws" that the bolts go through. This way, I can take 1 sheet of the 30" x 72" white melamine shelving I like to use, cut it into 3 equal pieces, center the cut piece exactly ontop of machine bed and then tighten up the strips so they capture the material on all four sides like a vice and since they are clamped from the side, they will keep clear of the dust shoe. Should work a treat...
Stay tuned >:D
I'm not sure about using the side of MDF to hold anything, not to mention that you're going to replace the spoilboard sooner or later, something external to it or much simpler should be used. IMHO, of course.
Me, I just cut T-nut slots directly into it. ;)
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The spoilboard is meant to be cut into, don't bother with sanding or anything. Install the spoilboard, cut about 1~2mm of the surface to level it, done. Unless you're talking about something else?
No, I'm not talking about something else. I already resurfaced the spoil board, so it is currently level and true. In an effort to not keep resurfacing it and then ultimately replacing it, I will lay a sacrificial piece of MDF on top of spoil board and then lay my cutting material on top of it. Since I am (at least in the short term anyway) only going to cut one design on this thing, I will only need three different sacrificial layers to sit on spoil board and when I cut all the way through the finished material, it will leave a 1/64" groove on the template. This way I cam match template to which ever program I am running.
But, in answering your question, you have given me a good idea. Instead of doing the nutsert thing, I will determine where on the templates my cutting bit will not travel (waste area) and then I will just drill through template and into spoil board in 4 different spots, and glue some dowels into the template. This way, if I am cutting program 1, for example, all I need to do is drop template #1 on top of spoil board and it will lock it self in place with the dowels and then I can screw my finished cutting material into it. Glad your following along buddy :cheers:.
My short term goal for this machine won't support using T slots as all three programs I plan to run use every inch of cutting surface.
Be careful with dust, especially MDF/HDF dust. That stuff is very toxic, bad for your lungs, etc. Myself, I use my house vacuum because it has three levels of EPA filters in it.
Agreed...
I first need to curb the dust leaks, and then I have an idea that might tie into me adding some sides to the table and then boxing in the dust bag portion of dust collector with good quality furnace filters. Either way, my wife bought me a good quality respirator that I need to get into the habit of using.
I appreciate the concerns and suggestions...
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Just for laugh, I think I'll send you a part of CNC64 so that you can cut it on your machine, to compare times with my old Roland MDX-3. I'm betting your machine is at least 10 000 times faster. ;)
Have you cut any parts yet? If I send you a part made in Sketchup, can you do anything with that?
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Send me any file you got (sketch-up/ the G-Code/ a picture of the piece with dimensions). Never used Sketchup, but send it my way anyway.
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I included the measurements for the plates, however the "nut pocket" for plate #3 is a bit hard to describe since it's something I calculated manually with the routing bit diameter I have here. If you have a program that can convert Sketchup objects to outlines, that should do all the work automatically.
The material I'm using is 3/8" MDF, but you could try in 3/8" HDF or 3/8" plywood too. ;)
The router bit I'm using isn't listed on their website, but it's available at Canadian Tire. It's the Renegade Pro, 1/8" double flute straight bit, RR005. If I remember correctly, it's around 10$.
Note that the sticker on the plastic package says double flute but the bit is actually single flute. ::)
Since you're new to Sketchup, I've included a few "animation scenes" in the Sketchup model, clicking on those will change the view of the parts to better see some measurements.
If you do cut the parts, please make a video. ;D
If one were to only use the simplest "J22" part (the one on the left), sixteen of those plates are required for each CNC64 build. Otherwise, eight "J22B" and eight "J22N".
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I guess Typefighter01's too busy playing with his new toy. ;)
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I guess Typefighter01's too busy playing with his new toy. ;)
I wish :angry:
Work is just a nightmare right now (it will be a bad dream until March 2015, but that's a different story), and we have granite counter tops coming next week and I have to finish up some cabinet and dishwasher items before they can install them.
I downloaded the file and downloaded Sketchup, but I couldn't seem to export it to a file that Artcam would open, I did export it to Inkscape as a PNG, but that's not a really accurate way of doing it.
Considering how simple J22 is, I will probably just create it inside Artcam from scratch using the dimensions from the Sketchup file, should only take me 15min or so. Might be a week before I can "play" again.
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Considering how simple J22 is, I will probably just create it inside Artcam from scratch using the dimensions from the Sketchup file, should only take me 15min or so. Might be a week before I can "play" again.
Can you try with J22B, pretty please? /Puss-in-Boots-innocent-gaze
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Quick update...
Machine is up and running and I am helping Yavan do some G-Code testing. Just picked up 2 end mills, a 1/8" bit for Yvan's testing and a 1/4" for me to start cutting my bartops. I will make videos of both Yvans test cuts and my bartop cutting once complete.
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Ends mills don't work so well, get yourself some up cut spiral or a compression router bits.
Www.xtremepinball.com
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I described them incorrectly, they are Up-cut Spiral bits. I will buy a 1/4" compression bit once I am ready to start cutting melamine or laminate. Sorry for the confusion...
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Machine is up and running and I am helping Yavan Yvan do some G-Code testing. Just picked up 2 end mills, a 1/8" bit for Yvan's testing and a 1/4" for me to start cutting my bartops. I will make videos of both Yvan's test cuts and my bartop cutting once complete.
Do you have calipers? Can you tell me the thickness of the material you plan to use with the 1/8 bit?
Do you have any part of yours that you want to cut? If it's simple enough (holes, pockets, rectangle with or without rounded corners), I could make you a file for that. FYI, the radius of the rounded corners aren't calculated correctly so it might end up plus or minus the radius of the milling bit, so only ask for rounded corners if it's for aesthetic purposes. ;-)
As for the 1/8" bit, what's the cutting length, i.e. how deep can it cut?
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;D
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;D
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(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=131934.0;attach=313251;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=131934.0;attach=313247;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=131934.0;attach=313255;image)
48x35mm with 6.4mm pockets, that's exactly what it should be! :D
Thank you very much for testing! Did you have any trouble setting it up? How long did it take?
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Thank you very much for testing! Did you have any trouble setting it up? How long did it take?
No trouble setting it up at all.
I know you frowned on my suggestion of double sided tape, so what I ended up using was an adhesive tile mat that is meant for setting tiles on backsplashes. It worked perfect, but it would be too expensive to use all the time. Worked great for this test and will work in a pinch for other small jobs.
It took the full 24min as tested before.
The tabs look short in pics, but the first mm of cut was just air (just to be safe, I set the bit a mm above work piece as this was technically my first time cutting an actual part). Pretty sure they would hold the part securely, especially since they are positioned on all four sides.
I would like to generate code for my bartop using your program? How long until it is ready for end user testing?
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It took the full 24min as tested before.
I still think that's way too long, considering you have a solid CNC machine made of metal and a powerful router connected to it.
Maybe I forgot to change the cutting depth before creating the file? A small plate like this shouldn't take more than around five minutes for your machine.
I could create a "cutting depth testing" file, which would cut the same part many times with variance in the cutting depth, and you could compare the result and cutting finish between all parts.
The tabs look short in pics, but the first mm of cut was just air (just to be safe, I set the bit a mm above work piece as this was technically my first time cutting an actual part). Pretty sure they would hold the part securely, especially since they are positioned on all four sides.
I plan on re-coding the tabs so that they're full-height (1mm) with no ramping effect, so they'll be much stronger in the next update.
I would like to generate code for my bartop using your program? How long until it is ready for end user testing?
I haven't even begun to start designing any user interface apart from cutting and viewing options, the actual CAD part is still done via PHP code, calling pre-made CAD functions. It could end up as an easy-to-use CAD coding program though, I'm still not sure. A bit like BBCode vs HTML+CSS.
The easiest way for now would be for you to send me your part(s) in Sketchup, done in 1:1 scale.
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So, I have a very specific set of cuts I want this little machine to make, and it entails me using the entire cutting surface. Using traditional T-slot table top won't cut it as the material I am cutting will cover the entire surface leaving me nothing to bolt to table top as a hold down system. Since money is tight, I thought about just using cheap wood clamps, but no matter which clamps I looked at (though cheap and affordable), they didn't really fit the bill. As I was cruising around the Busy Bee website last week, looking into some extra dust control items like a cyclone, I took a look in their clamp section and stumbled on these guys http://www.busybeetools.com/products/STRAIGHT-EDGE-CLAMP-36IN.-PRO-GRIP.html (http://www.busybeetools.com/products/STRAIGHT-EDGE-CLAMP-36IN.-PRO-GRIP.html) .
I thought to myself, this type of clamp, mounted upside down, flush with table top, would work perfect. Guess what...it does :applaud: .
So I picked up the 36" clamp (there are 24", 36" and 50" clamps available) and set out on routing a channel for it to lay in ("it", as in one, I need two, but I am broke :dunno). As you can see in pics, it is going to work perfect. I just need to clean up the channel a little bit more as the clamp is sitting about 2mm proud of table top and if anything I want it sitting a few mm's lower. I then just need to break it apart, screw it to top and reassemble it. The beauty of the clamp is even though it does not increase the cutting area of the table, 24" x 30", it does allow me to hold material greater than this. So I can now hold down material that is 28" x 36", and if I wanted to, I could step up to the 50" clamp, increasing the length by another 14".
I am going to pick up the other clamp and some screws on my way home next Friday, so I will finish both clamps and post more pics then.
EDIT:Thought I would just add, another reason for this type of hold down for me is the way my dust shoe works. I need something that will lay flat, below the material I am cutting, and this will work well.
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I don't want to be Buzz Killington, but I'm not sure this type of clamp will strongly hold the material down against the spoilboard. :dunno
Maybe other CNC users with more experience would like to comment?
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The clamp ends have holes to screw on deeper jaws. If I find the cutting material is lifting, i will fabricate small "L" brackets that actually capture the top of material making it impossible for it to lift. Its a good observation Mr.Killington and I might just modify clamp ends before I even try using them as is.
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The clamp ends have holes to screw on deeper jaws. If I find the cutting material is lifting, i will fabricate small "L" brackets that actually capture the top of material making it impossible for it to lift. Its a good observation Mr.Killington and I might just modify clamp ends before I even try using them as is.
I don't want to sound like Captain Obvious here, but make sure the "L" brackets and screw heads have enough clearance under the dust shoe before cutting anything.
Also, is there something I can test with my CAD? Got a Sketchup file to cut?
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The clamp ends have holes to screw on deeper jaws. If I find the cutting material is lifting, i will fabricate small "L" brackets that actually capture the top of material making it impossible for it to lift. Its a good observation Mr.Killington and I might just modify clamp ends before I even try using them as is.
I don't want to sound like Captain Obvious here, but make sure the "L" brackets and screw heads have enough clearance under the dust shoe before cutting anything.
Also, is there something I can test with my CAD? Got a Sketchup file to cut?
Sorry Yvan, no Sketchup files just yet. I have next week off, and I would like to cut out a test cab by the end of that week, so if I get a minute, I will try to send you something this week.
Does it have to be Sketchup? I am proficient using Inkscape, and I can save it in a few different formats. Let me know if there is a different file type I could send you. EIther way, I will play with Sketchup when I get a minute as it would be handy to know.
Also Captain, just for a proof of concept, I quickly mocked up my thoughts on improving the clamps with a spare "L" bracket I had lying around. Please ignore the quality control, I just threw it together to give an idea of how it would work. I would more than likely use the extruded aluminum "L" channel you can pick up at Homedepot as the inside of channel is perfectly square and I could cut them to be 4" or 5" long to really hold on to material.
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Sorry Yvan, no Sketchup files just yet. I have next week off, and I would like to cut out a test cab by the end of that week, so if I get a minute, I will try to send you something this week.
Does it have to be Sketchup? I am proficient using Inkscape, and I can save it in a few different formats. Let me know if there is a different file type I could send you. EIther way, I will play with Sketchup when I get a minute as it would be handy to know.
If it's not something that I need to trace manually (i.e. if the part is all rectangles and circles, holes and pockets or simple with 90/270 degrees angles) then all I need is a drawing with measurements. Also make sure to tell me the exact thickness of the material you want to cut in millimeters (you have digital calipers, right?), and if you will have a spoilboard underneath your sheet or not.
edit: thread about importing Inkscape into SketchUp (http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=28100).
Also Captain, just for a proof of concept, I quickly mocked up my thoughts on improving the clamps with a spare "L" bracket I had lying around. Please ignore the quality control, I just threw it together to give an idea of how it would work. I would more than likely use the extruded aluminum "L" channel you can pick up at Homedepot as the inside of channel is perfectly square and I could cut them to be 4" or 5" long to really hold on to material.
If it's a fixed bracket, it means there will be no means of "pressing down" on the material, and no ability to adjust to different thicknesses which can vary even from one side of a sheet to another.
I think it would be better to just press down on the sheet before pushing the side clamps. But I would attach some kind of dented/spiked plates to the clamps to hold the sheet in place, flat plastic will let it slide.
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Also Captain, just for a proof of concept, I quickly mocked up my thoughts on improving the clamps with a spare "L" bracket I had lying around. Please ignore the quality control, I just threw it together to give an idea of how it would work. I would more than likely use the extruded aluminum "L" channel you can pick up at Homedepot as the inside of channel is perfectly square and I could cut them to be 4" or 5" long to really hold on to material.
If it's a fixed bracket, it means there will be no means of "pressing down" on the material, and no ability to adjust to different thicknesses which can vary even from one side of a sheet to another.
I think it would be better to just press down on the sheet before pushing the side clamps. But I would attach some kind of dented/spiked plates to the clamps to hold the sheet in place, flat plastic will let it slide.
Finished up the clamps today and tested with Yvan's J22 test code (see pics below). I bought a dial indicator to measure any deflection in the material while cutting and I didn't even need to test as there is no movement what so ever, it is securely locked in place. There was a few thou's worth of play in the clamps before I installed them, but tightening them down to the spoil board pulled the sides in a little taking out all the play with it. I think this clamp solution will work just fine for cutting sheet stock.
@Yvan-I used my 1/4" upcut spiral bit instead of the 1/8" just to try and move material, in case you were wondering why J22 looked out of whack...
Sorry Yvan, no Sketchup files just yet. I have next week off, and I would like to cut out a test cab by the end of that week, so if I get a minute, I will try to send you something this week.
Does it have to be Sketchup? I am proficient using Inkscape, and I can save it in a few different formats. Let me know if there is a different file type I could send you. EIther way, I will play with Sketchup when I get a minute as it would be handy to know.
If it's not something that I need to trace manually (i.e. if the part is all rectangles and circles, holes and pockets or simple with 90/270 degrees angles) then all I need is a drawing with measurements. Also make sure to tell me the exact thickness of the material you want to cut in millimeters (you have digital calipers, right?), and if you will have a spoilboard underneath your sheet or not.
edit: thread about importing Inkscape into SketchUp (http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=28100).
Just noticed your link to importing Inkscape into SketchUp, so I tried it and I don't see an option to import in SketchUp 8, but I am pretty sure I will find it under SketchUp 2014, only problem is, I need to upgrade from Snow Leopard 10.6.7 to 10.6.8 and it is a 1.01GB update and I am precariously close to busting through my download limit this month. I am pretty sure I can recreate it in SketchUp 8, I will work on it tonight and tomorrow and see how I end up.
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Finished up the clamps today and tested with Yvan's J22 test code ... there is no movement what so ever, it is securely locked in place. ... This clamp solution will work just fine for cutting sheet stock.
Glad to hear it!
@Yvan-I used my 1/4" upcut spiral bit instead of the 1/8" just to try and move material, in case you were wondering why J22 looked out of whack...
Excellent idea.
Just noticed your link to importing Inkscape into SketchUp, so I tried it and I don't see an option to import in SketchUp 8, but I am pretty sure I will find it under SketchUp 2014, only problem is, I need to upgrade from Snow Leopard 10.6.7 to 10.6.8 and it is a 1.01GB update and I am precariously close to busting through my download limit this month. I am pretty sure I can recreate it in SketchUp 8, I will work on it tonight and tomorrow and see how I end up.
No, the option is to export from Inkscape into another format that Sketchup will be able to import. I'm still using Sketchup 8 too. And if your Mac is old-ish, stay on Snow Leopard, or at least do go further than Mountain Lion. Mavericks on my Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz with 8GB is sluggish at times, a lot of people say you really need a SSD for it.
Just send me your Inkscape file, I'll see what I can do. Are you still on vacation?
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No, the option is to export from Inkscape into another format that Sketchup will be able to import.
I got that part ;D I just don't see the option to import anything in SketchUp 8. I exported as a .dfx and it is sitting on my desktop.
if your Mac is old-ish, stay on Snow Leopard, or at least do go further than Mountain Lion. Mavericks on my Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz with 8GB is sluggish at times,
My Mac mini is 5 or 6 years old and I think it has 2gb of RAM, so installing Mavericks will lock it up tight.
Just send me your Inkscape file, I'll see what I can do.
I need to add some holes for dowels, let me play with it tonight and tomorrow and I will send you something.
Are you still on vacation?
Yes sir, first day and only plan is to play with my toys all week :applaud:
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I got that part ;D I just don't see the option to import anything in SketchUp 8. I exported as a .dfx and it is sitting on my desktop.
To be honest, I just read about that method, I never actually tried it myself. Let's see... In Sketchup 8, File > Import... nope, no DXF file option. Maybe it does require a newer version or maybe it requires Sketchup Pro?
Let me check what options are there in Sketchup Make version 14.1... Yep, there it is: "AutoCAD Files (*.dwg, *.dxf)"
So, send me your DXF file once it's ready, and I'll be able to save it for Sketchup 8 (it's available in the "Save As" options) and send it back to you.
My Mac mini is 5 or 6 years old and I think it has 2gb of RAM, so installing Mavericks will lock it up tight.
Oh boy, stay on Snow Leopard then. What kind of Mac is it again? Are you also waiting for the mythical Mac mini upgrade that's coming up next tuesday (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1681773)?
I need to add some holes for dowels, let me play with it tonight and tomorrow and I will send you something.
Alright, I'll be waiting.
Yes sir, first day (of vacation) and only plan is to play with my toys all week :applaud:
Glad to hear it. You wouldn't happen to have a sign shop nearby that gives away scraps and leftovers of expanded PVC sheets by any chance?
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You wouldn't happen to have a sign shop nearby that gives away scraps and leftovers of expanded PVC sheets by any chance?
Not sure, why do you ask? I have no problems paying for a piece if you would like me to do some more testing.
Big thanks to you BTW Yvan. Yvan has been helping me in the background with constructing my bartop in SketchUp and it is coming along nicely (probably a pain in the arse for Yvan, but he isnt complaining...yet :applaud: ).
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You wouldn't happen to have a sign shop nearby that gives away scraps and leftovers of expanded PVC sheets by any chance?
Not sure, why do you ask? I have no problems paying for a piece if you would like me to do some more testing.
Big thanks to you BTW Yvan. Yvan has been helping me in the background with constructing my bartop in SketchUp and it is coming along nicely (probably a pain in the arse for Yvan, but he isnt complaining...yet :applaud: ).
Expanded PVC is... costly, to say the least. The quote I got from my local sign shop is around 200$CAD for a 1/4" thick, 4x8' sheet. :P
However, they do have leftovers that they probably throw away in the trash/recycling bin so they could be more than happy to see someone make something from those parts.
As for your bartop in Sketchup, the pain comes mostly from the imprecision of the original files. ;)
Which materials do you have on hand, right now? And what are the thicknesses? You do have digital calipers, right?
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I have lots of 3/4" and 5/8" laminated/melamine particle board and MDF. I am going to home depot tonight, let me know what you would like to see me cut and I will pick it up.
Home depot sells PVC trim, how big is the test piece you want cut? If it is less than say 6" or 8", a lenght of this material might work. Just let me know, I have no issues buying material.
Yes, I have digital calipers...
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I have lots of 3/4" and 5/8" laminated/melamine particle board and MDF. I am going to home depot tonight, let me know what you would like to see me cut and I will pick it up.
Home depot sells PVC trim, how big is the test piece you want cut? If it is less than say 6" or 8", a lenght of this material might work. Just let me know, I have no issues buying material.
Yes, I have digital calipers...
Can you see if your Home Depot has 1/4" or 3/8" birch plywood? As for the PVC trim, is that a completely flat material?
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Picked up a 2' x 4' x 1/4" birch handy panel, send me your file if you wanted something cut.
The PVC trim has texture on one side, but it is flat and smooth on the other 3. It comes in sizes 2" all the way to 12" in 8' and 12' lengths. Looks like it would machine nicely. I can pick this up later in week if needed.
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Picked up a 2' x 4' x 1/4" birch handy panel, send me your file if you wanted something cut.
The PVC trim has texture on one side, but it is flat and smooth on the other 3. It comes in sizes 2" all the way to 12" in 8' and 12' lengths. Looks like it would machine nicely. I can pick this up later in week if needed.
Wow, thank you very much, I'll try and send parts to cut with the birch panel tomorrow. As for the PVC, we'll leave that option aside for now because of the texture.
edit: can you confirm the overall thickness (test multiple spots on the panel) of the birch panel? I found something on homedepot.ca that says 5.2mm but I want to be sure it's not 5.15mm or 5.25mm.
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Its been a while since my last update, but there has been lots of activity with the CNC. I won't go into great detail right now, but Yvan and I have been exchanging code and Sketch-up designs for CNC cutting time, it is turning out to be a nice arrangement.
Anyway, I want to use dowels to assemble the bartop cab as I don't like to see the fasteners or battens. The problem with dowels is, how to line up the holes with opposing panels. Yvan had a great idea on creating a drilling, or dowelling jig to accurately locate holes on all our cross pieces. Yvan will design all cross piece holes to start same distance from edge of material and same distance hole to hole. This way, all I need to do is remove center pieces from CNC, lay drilling guide over sides, drill my holes and they will always match the side panel hole spacing.
Yvan designed them in Sketch-up and coded them in his G-code program. Here is some pics of them on CNC bed and then fully assembled. They work fantastic :applaud:
Thanks for all the help Yvan :cheers:
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Nice to finally see an official update on your CNC thread even if I already know everything. ;D
For anyone wondering why there's two guides, the small one is for very narrow panels and the holes are positioned at 0.5" and 3.0" from the edge. On the longer guide the first hole is positioned at 1" from the edge and then the subsequent holes are at every 2.5".
The longer guide has 8 holes, allowing to put dowels up to 18.5" from one edge. If you rotate the guide and use it at the other end of a board and if you allow 2.5" between the two middle dowels, it means you can add dowels on the side of a panel up to 39.5" long, which is longer than what Typefighter01's CNC can cut.
The holes in the guides use these things (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32317&cat=1,180,42311) to insure perfectly perpendicular holes in all directions.
If anyone has any question, feel free to ask Typefighter01. :D