Have the CNC Bug - Dordrecht NL

[Paul-RT]

Hello,
I'm Paul-RT from the Netherlands. (that's why my poor english.....)
I'm infected with the CNC virus last july.....
Pretty bad

Paul is my real name, and RT stands for the first letters of my double famely name (since i am married May 2003).

In Day-time i'm a electricein for 18 years, but trying to get a job as glas-fiber worker. (internet)
In evening and weekend, i do have my own company, repairs of computers and laptops.

Surfing on youtube i was hit by a virus of CNC machines. I WANT TO BUILD ONE MYSELF ! Cool !

So, i did save some money for next year. Trying to get a lot of information fisrt before i'll start building.
That will save me from rush shopping, buying things i can't use.
Wait one year, figure out and save money during this time.
I'll save about € 3000,- for the machine.

I do visit another dutch cnc-forum http://cnczone.nl/ for 3 weeks.
Also i'm chat- and section- moderator on a huge free computer help forum www.helpmij.nl

I'm planing to build a 5 axis machine (start to use 3) and a huge portal.
I want to build at least 1,50 m x 0,75 m. and about 0,50 hight.


Ok, that's all for now.
Thanx for trying to get me more infected for life

[MetalHead]

Welcome - we all have the bug for sure !!!

[smreish]

Paul,
Welcome. The MM is a fantastic DIY/PRO level CNC machine that handles 3 and 4 axis cutting well. The 5th axis that you desire may require significant modifications to reach your goal. Don't let it be an obstacle, but only a known factor.

As you study the MM plans, you will see the pro's and con's of the MM....almost all PROs!

Good luck and welcome.

Sean

[Paul-RT]

Thanx both of you.

4th of september in Netherlands there is a special day with robotica and cnc machines.
Free to visit.
I'll go there and decide if this is what i want to do.

To be honest, i know 5 axis machines does exist.
I also know, 4 axis is wonderful to operate.
What the 5th ax is for, ...... lol

[smreish]

..The 5th axis is for really expensive software and equally expensive B/C axis head. Which, for the cost to do it yourself, can get in the 15K(on top of the machine cost) range pretty quick

[Paul-RT]

Wow, i hope i can do the 3k with 4 axis

Tomorrow i will try to get a stepper motor running.
I do have a huge breadboard, and did build 2 separate power supply in it.
5, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 12 volts dc.

i'll try a cd4017 shift register and a puls generator, and some transistor, to make 1 engine running.

I did email the "Slo-Syn" company to ask for specs and wiring info of a stepper.
A M061-FD-344B
Till now, i can't find specs. But got 3 same steppers of this type.
They do have a extra wheel at the back, with a light-barier (?? english name??).
It will report the motor's position when it runs.
Probably i'll use that to send a signal to a lcd-display.


Ok, this is getting off-topic.
Within a short periode i'll open a topic, what kinda michine i'll build, materials, elektronics, motor's etc.

Thanx for warm welcome.

[ecki]

Are you planning to build MM or just "any" type of CNC???

[rischoof]

welkom paul
succes mett bouwen

[Paul-RT]

Originally Posted by ecki

Are you planning to build MM or just "any" type of CNC???

What's the difference?
I'm just planning to build my own designed CNC.


Hey, Rik, dank je.
Grappig een multilanguage forum.
Hoofdtaal is engels toch?

[domino11]

Welcome Paul!

[Richards]

Paul,

The M61-FD-344B motor has the following specifications:

6 leads
23-frame size, single stack
35 oz*in holding torque
1.60 volts
2.9A current
0.50 resistance
0.95 mH inductance

The "B" means that it has an encoder attached.

Most of us consider 300 oz*in to be the very minimum torque required for CNC use, and even then a 300 oz*in motor would be used with a belt-drive gearbox.

I have a similar motor, the M061-LS-545 that I removed from a Kodak printer. It was used to move a light-blocking curtain to mask the photo paper.

When matched to the load, those little motors had impressive performance, but I've only used them with very light loads.

If you wired the motor half-coil, you could probably use a 24VDC to 30VDC power supply.

Personally, I would use those motors on a test bench to learn about stepper motors. After learning all that you could, you would have enough information to buy the much larger 34-frame size motors that we use on CNC routers.

[Paul-RT]

Originally Posted by Richards

Personally, I would use those motors on a test bench to learn about stepper motors. After learning all that you could, you would have enough information to buy the much larger 34-frame size motors that we use on CNC routers.

And that's what i did.
Thanx for the information.

Yesterday evening i just wired the motor onto a breadboard.
I did use e pulse generator (NE555) and a shift register (CD4017) and 4x BD139 transistor.
Got the engine running.
But within the minute, i could smell the transistors. lol.

Ok, i just got started.....


And yes, it has an encoder.

What you mean by "half-coil" ?

[Richards]

Paul,

A six wire or eight wire stepper motor has four coils, 2 "A" coils and 2 "B" coils. In a six wire motor, the 2 "A" coils and the 2 "B" coils are arranged like two transformers that have a center-tap. By using the center-tap wire and one of the end wires, you have a half-coil connection. The nice thing about half-coil is that you get 70% of the torque but it only generates 1/4th the inductance, so a half-coil connected motor is very responsive. On my test bench, I connect all of my motors half-coil. It produces the most power at the lowest heat. For those times that I need 100% of the torque, I use an eight-lead motor and wire the "A" coils in parallel and the "B" coils in parallel. That gives me 100% of the torque, but it also gives me a motor that runs at 80C, which is as hot as I allow a motor to go.

You could use that NE555 as a pulse generator feeding a Geckodrive G201x or G203v stepper driver. Those drivers would handle the heat properly. With the right resistors and capacitors, the NE555 could ramp up the motor to speed and run it at full speed - for testing purposes. You would need to generate a computer controlled pulse stream to fully control the motor, but the NE555 is where I started with motor control - almost thirty years ago.

[MetalHead]

Paul,

Why we ask about what kind of machine you are building is we focus this forum on building of the MechMate. While we are flexible to how you accompish that the finished product needs to be the MechMate.

We for sure are looking forward to your build !!

[Paul-RT]

Oops, i didn't even tell here, whyle i did on a dutch forum.

I want to use my machine to create pictures / faces in 3D in wood, plexiglass, plastics, alu, messing etc.
Or create my own kitchen-cupboard-doors. (??)
Also probably gitar-parts.
So, just make a lot of fun with the machine.

I want the grinder could reach 1,50 meter x 0,75 meter.
(59,1 inch x 29,5 inch)
Pretty big.
The hight must be about 0,40 meter.
(15,7 inch)
But maybe more high, when i'll add a 4th axis.


Next sathurday, i'm going to vist www.damencnc.com at the office.
Would be a 40 minute drive.

[rischoof]

Paul,
The mechmate I am building can reach 125x65 and a height from 30
The construction I chose is as follows
x stroke 65 cm
y stroke is 125
and height is 30

With this construction I don't have to change my y cart when I want extend my x axis to 250 ( a plate mdf is 122x244)
I designed the x table that way, so I can extend it easily.

[Paul-RT]

Hello Rik.

What kind of mechanic did you use? A spindel or something else?
Picture?

[ecki]

maybe you should read a while in forum first. its all about one!!! type of machine. Mechmate!