AL's CNC Wood Milling Machine

[dewalt57]

Hi folks.... my name is AL, and I'm a CNC wood milling machine enthusiast. I've been asked by a few members here to show my CNC wood milling machine and share some insight into the world of CNC'ing and what you need to know to possibly build your own.  There are many web sites devoted to CNC machines, in fact there are many sites showing how to build a CNC wood cutting machine, I've been there.... done that, and now over 14 years later I'm designing and building my own machines from scratch. I do not know everything about them, just enough to make it work for me. I firmly believe in DIY, and knowing how to build your own machine will help you keep it running and improve it over time. Just like building model ships, the more you build them the better at it you become, the more you learn!! Now if your really interested I have a PDF file made by Richard Wildey who can explain whats its all about a lot better then I can!!

 

Getting Started in CNC.pdf

 

That being said..... I'll next be posting pictures of my machine, if you have any questions, jump in and ask!

 

AL

 

 

[dewalt57]

This is my machine. All homemade from parts.

 

 

 

 

AL

[dewalt57]

A Doll house I made using the Cnc machine to cut parts out with!

 

AL

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWty0nIWePM&feature=player_embedded

[NMBROOK]

WOW Al!! That looks at fantastic piece of kit.My imagine is already running away with me thinking of all the jobs I could do with something like that     Do you use it just for sheet material,or have you had a go at more complex 3D shapes?

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[dewalt57]

Machine stats:

 

Cutting Area: 48" x 48"

 

Router used: Hitachi M12VC Variable Speed 2.25 HP, 8,000 RPM to 24,000 RPM

 

Cutting Speed:  80 Inches Per Min. (IPM) Max.

 

Stepper Motor Size: Nema 23, 425 oz., 8 wire

 

Drive Screws:  ACME 1/2" diameter 8 thread 2 start which means 4 TPI (Threads Per Inch).

 

Electronics: HobbyCNC Pro 4 axis Driver board.....   http://www.hobbycnc.com/products/hobbycnc-pro-chopper-driver-board-kits/

and  Gecko G251 4th axis driver card, CNC4PC C1 & C10, AnTek 30VDC 20A power supply.

 

All Alum construction, NO MDF or WOOD used other then table top.

 

 

AL

 

 

[dewalt57]

Nigel...... Yes, done all kinds of things with it from 2D cutting to 3D cutting plus rotary 4th axis cutting!

 

 

 

AL

[42rocker]

THANKS for starting this. I think that my last post under your Triton Cross section thread might have had something to do with it.

THANKS..

Going to reviewing this a lot when I get home from work. I've been at the edge of this for a while and if I get some money up again then I think that I might know where I'm going to be spending a few dollars of it.

Thanks Again.

 

Later Tim

[42rocker]

Al from UA

If you used very light cuts, slow passes could you use your setup for Aluminum? Or steel?? Brass??

Thanks

 

Later Tim

[42rocker]

Ok, more questions.

You used """Stepper Motor Size: Nema 23, 425 oz., 8 wire""" on all four of your axis or ??

Can you please post pics of your 4th axis and another of your cannon making. Thanks

 

Thanks Tim

[dewalt57]

Yes.... Its the same size stepper 425 oz. on all 3 axis, the 4th axis is a ready made gear box (18:1 gearing) with its own stepper motor 125 oz. and seems very capable for what it does. But a 425 oz. could be used with no problems on the 4th axis provided it was set up with its own reduction system.

 

Yes, it will cut alum with light passes .020" deep and slow speeds 10 IPM and the router set on lowest speed! I've made quite a few alum parts with it. I'm sure it would cut brass with no problem.

 

For just the parts for a machine like this figure a starting cost of approx. $2000.00, The software (Aspire, Mach3, 3D CAD) alone cost me more then my machine.....LOL But thats spent over a period of time, not all at once. But do you really need a big machine or will a smaller one do?   

 

 

The 4th axis set up.

 

 

The 3-jaw chuck is off my HF 7x10 mini lathe, with a homemade backplate of alum. The gear box with stepper motor was from MPJA surplus, its no longer available from them. 

 

 

AL

[42rocker]

Al

You listed the X-Y as 48x48 what is you vertical Z axis travel?

 

Also is the 4th axis sitting at the edge of the X-Y table or ?? In your by hand 5th axis of course. I guess that I'm almost asking for a stepped back overall view of everything.

 

Thanks

 

Later Tim

[NMBROOK]

Thank you for the video Al,that is seriously impressive!You possess some serious talent building a machine like this from scratch!I really would know where to start on the software side of things myself

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[dewalt57]

I have about 6" of Z axis clearance at the table top thickness I'm running now.  I can push lower thru the table top by a 1.5" inches, so total travel is 7.5". Thats a set thing due to the bearing slides I'm using and how I have the trucks set up on the backplate that holds the router. 

 

The 4th axis is inside the 48" x 48"  , probably eats up about 10.5" x 48" inches of real estate for it to have clearance. The keyboard is in that same area due to no space in the room, kind of tight in there!!... LOL The room is approx. 11' x 11'. 

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

[dewalt57]

Nigel ......I've worked in machine shops, and a metal fabrication plant working with alum & stainless steel for many years and kind of picked up a talent for this hobby.... LOL Plus I'm a hobby machinist, with electronics knowledge, jack of all trades, master of none of them..... LOL  Also having a HF mini-mill & HF mini-lathe sure helps to make parts for the Cnc wood mill. The software took me awhile to feel comfortable with and I still don't know everything that it can do, you only learn what you need to do the job..... LOL  And like most computer software, easily forgotten if not used often!!  

 

AL  

[dewalt57]

One thing I must stress to anyone thinking of building a Cnc wood milling machine is they need to know how to use at the minimum a 2D CAD program!!! Like any tool, to get any use out of it at all, you're going to need drawings to turn into gcode for the Cnc machine to cut. The gcode software needs DXF files which a 2D CAD program generates, and as with most things, your on your own when it comes to DXF files so without any 2D CAD knowledge to make your own drawings your dead in the water!!  I've built 3 cnc machines and did it all with a cheap 2D CAD program, you don't need 3D CAD, Solid Works or any of those expensive programs to do it. Every part on my cnc machines started out as a drawing in 2D CAD before the metal ever got cut, like the old draftsman said ...... if you can draw it , you can build it!!!  

 

 

AL   

[42rocker]

And look at that nice new table saw. It got there. I remember you stating in a post that one was on the way. Well Enjoy it. Wish I had one.

Thanks for that info and pictures of everything.

 

Later Tim

[michael mott]

An interesting bit of Kit, for sure.

 

Michael

[dewalt57]

Tim..... YES!!! Jims fantastic little table saw got here!!! Its one serious table saw and very well made, I love it!!!

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/6464-model-machines-4-table-saw/

 

Michael......Thanks!! Its only limited by the imagination!!

 

 

AL 

Edited April 19, 2014 by dewalt57