CNC machine build

[tablesawtom]

Has anyone built Woodsmith's CNC router yet?I am considering building one, some what similar. The build is not an issue but there are a few things that are of interest.

1. The outside diameter of the lead screw is the same as the inside diameter of the lead screw. Bar steel can tend to run a little undersized and I would would like a light press fit on the screw and bearings. To big is not a        problem, but a slip fit is.

2.  5 thread lead screws I am familiar with but not the anti backlash nuts. Any information would be helpful. They look cheaper and easier to deal with than Ball lead screws, especially if the diameter is on size.

3.  I asked a friend about the stepper motors and they seem to be stout enough. But they are only as good as the soft wear controlling them. Is there a better or easier soft wear out there to use. I am asking because I am       not real competent when it come to cad or cam systems. In those systems can a person MDI a program? If I do it I will also have to purchase a computer just to operate it. Is a normal lap top acceptable?

4.  I have the rods and pillow block bearing to use on the X Y and Z axis. The build is straight forward, I am just looking for some problem one might have run into when building.

5.  Also any experience with a laser would be helpful.

I am including some pictures of another 3 axis machine I built for my shop and maybe I will revise it, if this project works out. Although when it gets into fits I probably will go ball lead screw and I am not sure stepper motors are accurate enough.

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Any information however small based on experience would be helpful. And I know what I am requesting is very specific in nature and possibly not much room for responding.

Tom

[EricU]

I don't understand the first question at all.

As far as software goes, do you know what software they use?  A lot of the low-end machines use GRBL or other open source controllers on the machine side and then the companies provide their own PC side software to cover up that fact.  That probably is good, because GRBL or any of the other open source controllers have most of the bugs fixed by now. I'm not sure what the PC-side proprietary software really gets you over a general g code sender, of which there are many for the open source machine controllers.

I assume it allows MDI. If it doesn't, they should give up.  And I would check.

As long as the steppers are big enough for the work you are doing, they are fine.  If you get aggressive with feed rates, you might need bigger steppers.  Nowadays, there isn't much reason to go with servo motors, and it's a big jump in expense.

[tablesawtom]

I don't understand the first question at all.

As far as software goes, do you know what software they use?  A lot of the low-end machines use GRBL or other open source controllers on the machine side and then the companies provide their own PC side software to cover up that fact.  That probably is good, because GRBL or any of the other open source controllers have most of the bugs fixed by now. I'm not sure what the PC-side proprietary software really gets you over a general g code sender, of which there are many for the open source machine controllers.

I assume it allows MDI. If it doesn't, they should give up.  And I would check.

As long as the steppers are big enough for the work you are doing, they are fine.  If you get aggressive with feed rates, you might need bigger steppers.  Nowadays, there isn't much reason to go with servo motors, and it's a big jump in expense.

Nowadays, there isn't much reason to go with servo motors, and it's a big jump in expense.   I like that response. My only experience with steeper motors is 30 years ago and from your response there has been a big improvement is accuracy. And being to aggressive with feet rates causes a lot of other problems like chip removal, end mill flutter and breakage.

The bill of material calls out  Mach3 Software • (1) ArtCam or Vectric CAD/CAM Software. Which I am considering buying but would like an a response from someone with experience using it.

Building the machine and mounting steeper motors is easy but the electronics and cad/cam systems won't be easy. I have a couple of friends that are more than capable getting the system wired up. I learn by hearing and seeing, not by printed instructions.  

My first question deals with fits. Usually a .0005 press is put on a bearing  and in this case I would like the press fit on the ID of the bearing and the shaft. So basically if the 5 lead threaded rod is on size I am okay but if it is under sized I have problems. It is a $50 investment to find that out 

Anyway thank you for your response about the stepper motors , I have decided to go with them. I work 15 hours a week in the tool room  at Machine, Tool and Engineering  in Charles City IA. But everything out on the production floor cost well over $100,000 to start with and I can assure you they have servo motors. Which is why the question. Also I can't afford the cam system they use.

Every thing has to fit in together and it is a lot of expense. 

Tom

[fixtureman]

I would look at the centroid acorn controller

[tablesawtom]

I would look at the centroid acorn controller

The electrical portion is not my area of expertise but I will have a conversation about the Acorn controller. Thank you for responding with the information.

Tom

[EightFingers]

I’ve been using Vectric for about six years and I’m satisfied with it. Very stable and has all the features I need.

[tablesawtom]

I’ve been using Vectric for about six years and I’m satisfied with it. Very stable and has all the features I need.

Thanks for responding, Vectric is one that is in the bill of material from Woodsmith so I have a plan to take a very good look at it.

Tom

[JDuke]

Thanks for responding, Vectric is one that is in the bill of material from Woodsmith so I have a plan to take a very good look at it.

Tom

You can build low cost, Arduino uno, and GRBL with free Universal g code sender, and other free 2d or 3D drawing programs to generate g-code, such as carbide create, or fusion360.

The above has enough ability to get you on the horse, and get you making some nice CNC stuff.

You can also get on a slippery slope, and spend lots of money building a machine that would be at home in a commercial shop. 

Acorn is a good program, but the controller is $300 and then you will probably want to spend $140 to get the non-free version of the program cnc12. I am putting together a machine with this now, and like it better than Mach3 as of right now.

Mach3 (I have 2 machines running it even though it’s no longer being supported, it is still being sold) it’s a good program it runs g-code well, but will either require an older computer with parallel port, or a $200 board to run ethernet...

That’s just the surface, as there are several forums worth of information that one could drown in trying to build their own. 

As to whether steppers are either strong, or precise enough, they will be stronger and more precise than anything you can build in a home shop... there are people running machines with 0.001 accuracy and repeatability with steppers. 

Personally, in just the past year, I have bought 1 shapeoko, 1 piranha CNC, 3 x-carve basket cases, and sold all of them working to others looking to get into CNC. 
 I am currently running a 4x4 table built on the scavenged table of a plasmacam, a converted grizzly G0463 mill, and am about to finish another more robust 4x4 table with linear slides, rack and pinion drive, and monster nema34 motors (that’s the one on acorn)

All this after getting my first CNC router less than a year ago.

[tablesawtom]

You can build low cost, Arduino uno, and GRBL with free Universal g code sender, and other free 2d or 3D drawing programs to generate g-code, such as carbide create, or fusion360.

The above has enough ability to get you on the horse, and get you making some nice CNC stuff.

You can also get on a slippery slope, and spend lots of money building a machine that would be at home in a commercial shop. 

Acorn is a good program, but the controller is $300 and then you will probably want to spend $140 to get the non-free version of the program cnc12. I am putting together a machine with this now, and like it better than Mach3 as of right now.

Mach3 (I have 2 machines running it even though it’s no longer being supported, it is still being sold) it’s a good program it runs g-code well, but will either require an older computer with parallel port, or a $200 board to run ethernet...

That’s just the surface, as there are several forums worth of information that one could drown in trying to build their own. 

As to whether steppers are either strong, or precise enough, they will be stronger and more precise than anything you can build in a home shop... there are people running machines with 0.001 accuracy and repeatability with steppers. 

Personally, in just the past year, I have bought 1 shapeoko, 1 piranha CNC, 3 x-carve basket cases, and sold all of them working to others looking to get into CNC. 
 I am currently running a 4x4 table built on the scavenged table of a plasmacam, a converted grizzly G0463 mill, and am about to finish another more robust 4x4 table with linear slides, rack and pinion drive, and monster nema34 motors (that’s the one on acorn)

All this after getting my first CNC router less than a year ago.

Thanks again for the information. I will look into the information with a friend of mine. My wife just had her second knee operation in 3 weeks so I am in kind of in a frazzle right know But I will consider all of the responses. 

Thank you all for your responses. I certainly have a lot to consider.

Tom

[Jmenge]

I am also thinking of building the woodsmith CNC machine and my question is it worth the effort to build vs buy, when cost is the key factor?