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Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 1225
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 05:59 pm: | 
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An exchange of mails today (slightly edited):
Received:
Can you advise how I might start out with a simple DIY CNC table?
What budget do I need?
Your forum is so detailled where is a good starting point?
Has anyone applied this to a wood lathe holding a router with only an x and Z axis?
My exposure to CNC is limited but am about to attend a control logics course, we have a few linear motion controlled converted grinders we use Rockwell electronics but the industrial stuff is V expensive I trust you have some home DIY tricks?
Replied:
Unfortunately I avoid getting into protracted 1 on 1 e-mail discussions because I think your questions (as a very good example) are asked by many, and the reply/discussion flowing from it could benefit many. Would you mind if I placed your questions on the open forum, with slight modifications to protect your identity?
Received:
No problem, thanks |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 1226
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 06:45 pm: |
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Can you advise how I might start out with a simple DIY CNC table?:
It depends on your motives, skills and weaknesses. The MechMate project is primarily geared to someone wanting to earn income with a CNC router cutting shapes out of boards for clients - this implies someone who has space to build big. The size of a parking pay. Point of saying all this is that Mechmate is not for a hobbyist teenager in his bedroom - there are smaller CNC systems/plans/kits available. The technologies involved in building big or small are no different on the control or software side.
The actual table (the mechanical part) is low-tech stuff (at least to me). The mysteries and lessons are in the control system, up to the point where you get motors to turn on your command. Start by forming an understanding of all the building blocks, what each one does, and how it connects to the others.
If you are itching to build something as you learn, start here. Next thing to build is just a gantry. Leave the big table for very last.
What budget do I need?:
Somewhere near $4000 for building this big board cutting production machine. Maybe only half that for smaller machines that cut with lightweight tools and that you could fit on a desktop. But, you also need a lot of time and access to tools.
Your forum is so detailled where is a good starting point?:
You might have noticed that some forum thread titles now start with a * - these are the one's I consider to be essential reading. I have tried to keep the more informative threads at the top.
Has anyone applied this to a wood lathe holding a router with only an x and Z axis?:
Yes, this is often called an "indexer". The main thread for it is here. Use the Search function to search for indexer. I consider the indexer side to be a diversion from the main MechMate project - something for later....
My exposure to CNC is limited but am about to attend a control logics course, we have a few linear motion controlled converted grinders we use Rockwell electronics but the industrial stuff is V expensive I trust you have some home DIY tricks?:
My home DIY tricks are in the mechanicals, the easy part. The computer/software/control box side is actually fairly standard across thousands of CNC machines. The stuff we recommend that you use at this website is very mainstream, and it actually tends to the conservative, low-risk side. Probably more than enough excitement for a complete beginner, but we try to stick to the proven. There are a couple of other forums on these subjects which spend a lot of time on the exotic and I know they are totally confusing to a newbie - I was there myself about 3 years ago... |
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