DIY all steel CNC router/mill (VIDEO!)

[outofstepper]

Greets all. Recently started on a big-ish project and I thought I'd share. Lots of (amateur) welding
involved as I'm going with an all-steel construction -- fixed gantry (moving bed) CNC machine.

Only part 1 so far, but here ya go. Let me know what you think.

-Tony

 

[DanielW]

We've seen it.

Its been posted by our resident caretaker,Ronan.

Do consider a moving gantry afore you decide as you may want a 4th axis sometime in the future.

 

[outofstepper]

In which case my apologies for the double-post and my thanks to Ronan!

I'm a bit too far along to switch to a moving gantry but I think I can add a 4th axis nonetheless (someday!) ,
just means my table will have to lug some extra weight around, but I'm in no rush.

Tony

 

[DanielW]

Not a problem.

I'm no expert on the cnc front and am a novice to the cnc world but I have been doing a lot of reading on what type of axis is best for medium sized cnc.
I have read and heard that a static gantry is limiting the cnc's benefits but what suprised me more is that a moving bed poses more problems than a static bed,this is subject to arguments to those who have designed moving bed cnc and those who have shyed away from a moving bed.

I do feel that after looking at lot of vids and peoples own design the majority tend to go with the static bed and so that will be my type of bed plus I can have that 4th axis as and when I decide to put it in which will pose no problem after I've made up the cnc.

I've been interested in this for something like 6 or 7 years now? and my initial thoughts was to go for the moving bed but after some reading I opted for the conventional cnc bed of being static.

 

[awemawson]

Very nice build though - he under states his talents

 

[outofstepper]

The moving gantry certainly gives one a lot of bang for their buck in terms of available working size, can't beat that.
Fixed gantry like mine is easy 2x the footprint on the floor for half the available working space.. in other words twice
the size machine for the same space as a moving gantry.

I plan to eventually cut steel with this (fingers crossed), and to have a rigid enough gantry to do that I had to go with
fixed. Otherwise I would've needed some really big motors to move a big/stiff gantry.

Before I get to 4th axis I'll likely do a plasma add-on .. the down side to this (with moving bed) is I can't have
a water bed underneath the cut to collect all the dust/debris/slag -- that water'd be all over my garage floor on the first cut!

 

[ronan]

In which case my apologies for the double-post and my thanks to Ronan!

I'm a bit too far along to switch to a moving gantry but I think I can add a 4th axis nonetheless (someday!) ,
just means my table will have to lug some extra weight around, but I'm in no rush.

Tony

I subscribe to your channel on youtube Tony, i find it excellent. I was thinking (dreaming) of using something like your design, but for a cnc plasma cutter. When will part 2 be out ?

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

Well if the quality of the machine is only half the quality of the video it will be a great machine.

I just loved "I take it your son" the kid in the video

 

[outofstepper]

Thanks all.. Ronan.. maybe a couple of weeks? fingers crossed. I'm worried how long alignment will actually take.
Right now I'm looking for something suitable to fill the weldment with to keep ringing down. Don't know if
vibes/resonance will actually be a problem, but now's the time to fill it. Am leaning towards sand blast media
(silica sand).. it's cheap, flows easy, and is nice and dry out of the bag. Maybe top it off with a gallon of motor
oil perhaps? If anyone has suggestions I'm all ears. Thanks again.

 

[DanielW]

Thanks all.. Ronan.. maybe a couple of weeks? fingers crossed. I'm worried how long alignment will actually take.
Right now I'm looking for something suitable to fill the weldment with to keep ringing down. Don't know if
vibes/resonance will actually be a problem, but now's the time to fill it. Am leaning towards sand blast media
(silica sand).. it's cheap, flows easy, and is nice and dry out of the bag. Maybe top it off with a gallon of motor
oil perhaps? If anyone has suggestions I'm all ears. Thanks again.

Wood blocks pounded into the box sections.

 

[DanielW]

When will part 2 be out ?

his lad has walked out due to him paying him below the minimum wage.

 

[DanielW]

Have you got a spindle for this yet? the standard spindles will look out of place on that.

 

[ronan]

Thanks all.. Ronan.. maybe a couple of weeks? fingers crossed. I'm worried how long alignment will actually take.
Right now I'm looking for something suitable to fill the weldment with to keep ringing down. Don't know if
vibes/resonance will actually be a problem, but now's the time to fill it. Am leaning towards sand blast media
(silica sand).. it's cheap, flows easy, and is nice and dry out of the bag. Maybe top it off with a gallon of motor
oil perhaps? If anyone has suggestions I'm all ears. Thanks again.

Lead shot ? I have heard of lead shot being used to deaden vibes, but i cannot remember where.

 

[DanielW]

Thats a helluva lot of leadshot,Ronan,he'd have to go duck shooting for months

Car Tyres,shreaded down into particles....how ya do that is anyones guess.

 

[ronan]

It can be bought in 5 litre tubs from gunshops that sell reloading stuff.

 

[graffian]

Don't people fill big voids with resincrete or epoxy granite?
No idea why I thought that;-)

 

[outofstepper]

to get me started I've picked up one of those import air-cooled spindles on ebay.. 1500W I think.
It'll be way too fast for steel but should work with aluminum.

I'm keeping an eye out for a small milling machine head in the meantime.

 

[DanielW]

I feel that due to the construction and the size you can afford to have a purpose built spindle using a specific motor and constructed attachment head that could be driven via a timing belt or v belt.
Got a feeling a mill head will be a little on the hefty size?

 

[Screwdriver]

Well I hate to be picky but that's not a "DIY" job, nor are NASA are launching their "home made" rockets...

Looks pretty damned professional to me

...and if that's "amateur" welding, I dread to think how I should refer to my own attempts.

Good stuff. More pics please.

 

[outofstepper]

lmao.. 'home made rockets'
thanks Screwdriver.. though I'll admit some choice editing, and sped up video, go a long way to help'n a guy out.

Daniel.. home-built is always an option, but there's a lot of work in one of those things. I'd love to find the head off
something like a small Seig maybe.. or those small import mills. For now I just need something that gets my rpms
down into the steel-cutting range even if it doesn't have a lot of power. The nice thing about CNC is I don't have to
turn the handles, so if takes 10x more passes for the same cut, I won't sweat it. (famous last words?)