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and by 'the rotor way' i of course mean 'cheap and halfassed.' A while ago - maybe a year or so - I started getting interested in machining metals. My dad was a machinist, his dad was a machinst, and before that I dont think there were machines so great-granddad was a stonemason. Anyway, I sort of felt a genetic obligation at some point to make things from metal. At first it started out with the idea of making little aluminum replacements for lego parts like this guy and then I found this page and then the obsession really went into high gear from there. I really had no idea where to start, but this page really lays it out nicely. More than anything else, that dude set me on the path to setting up my stuff. Most of it's geared towards milling molds for plastic parts, but the intro part is solid gold. So after like 8 months of hemming and hawing I took the plunge on my birthday and ordered a taig micro mill set up for CNC, a gecko g540 to control the motors (along with 3 280oz motors to control) and a power supply to drive the whole thing. I dug up an old thinkpad and dock that had a parallel port, put linuxcnc on it and BAM, that was about it. all told, this came to around ~1500 and after a couple hiccups and after a household emergency put a stop to all fun for about a month or two, it was all assembled and functional. Here's a picture of it before it was all wired up:  So far i've done mostly manual milling using an old game controller and this, which is sort of hilarious but works ok when you're just eyeballin stuff. I've made a few basic actual CNC'd parts and have done a lot of engraving using simple v-bits and some some free software. For instance, here's 'yospos' engraved into some scrap wood. You can do the same with aluminum, you just have to go slower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QKl0TAULT8 WARNING: VIDEO IS LITERALLY FIVE AND A HALF MINUTES OF A NOISY MACHINE AND lovely CAMERAWORK Anyhow, there's that. I'll try to update the thread now and again with stuff i've discovered or made or whatever, but i'm super lazy so i probably wont. I mostly made this thread because I think people have the idea that CNC is hard or new-car kind of expensive. It really ain't.
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Jul 4, 2013 07:32
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That's a pretty neat machine, do you have a rotary indexer for it? You could machine some neat rounded parts, like bats and whatnot using it.
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Jul 6, 2013 11:04
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UberVexer posted:That's a pretty neat machine, do you have a rotary indexer for it? no, the 4th axis was like ... $600 or something, and a simple rotary indexer wasnt that much less. quote:You could machine some neat rounded parts, like bats and whatnot using it. you mean bats like baseball bats? that's a lathe thing.
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Jul 8, 2013 03:34
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What kind of CAD/CAM software are you using? There's no such thing as a freeware Mastercam is there?
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Jul 9, 2013 04:02
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Spring St posted:What kind of CAD/CAM software are you using? There's no such thing as a freeware Mastercam is there? this is really the weak point and I wish I had a better answer. I'm super lovely with CAD so I haven't made anything in CAD myself yet. As for CAM, I halfassedly tried to pirate rhinocam but gave up after a minute or two and used Cambam: http://www.cambam.info/ it does some pretty adequate things like drill holes here here and here, mill a pocket there, stuff like that. That's really where the learning curve is for me - drawing that stuff is hard, and figuring out what proper speeds are so simple parts don't take an hour while it moves around at an inch a minute because I punted and played it super safe or whatever.
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Jul 9, 2013 04:38
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rotor posted:this is really the weak point and I wish I had a better answer. I'm super lovely with CAD so I haven't made anything in CAD myself yet. As for CAM, I halfassedly tried to pirate rhinocam but gave up after a minute or two and used Cambam: http://www.cambam.info/ it does some pretty adequate things like drill holes here here and here, mill a pocket there, stuff like that. That's really where the learning curve is for me - drawing that stuff is hard, and figuring out what proper speeds are so simple parts don't take an hour while it moves around at an inch a minute because I punted and played it super safe or whatever. There's an app called G-Wizard that helps with calculating speeds. I don't believe it is free but it is probably worth the investment. Here's a link to a part of a video where the guy walks through using it for a particular setup. edit: http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCGWizard.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Xa0PMHM1U&t=90s kafkasgoldfish fucked around with this message at 06:10 on Jul 9, 2013 |
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Jul 9, 2013 06:02
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RhinoCAM is the best CAM software I've yet tried. It's expensive, but not hideously so. It is pretty weird that there's no good free 3-axis CAM software available, though...maybe with all the 3D printing someone will get around to writing something?
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Jul 9, 2013 06:11
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pycam is alright i guess sorta but it expects a dxf or stl or whatever. the nice thing about cambam is it can do stupid things like bolt hole layout and slotting and simple poo poo like that on its own. last I checked rhinocam was $1k+, which counts as hideously expensive to me. if you know somewhere to get it cheaper, make with the links.
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Jul 9, 2013 06:27
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Sagebrush posted:It is pretty weird that there's no good free 3-axis CAM software available, though...maybe with all the 3D printing someone will get around to writing something? its like the only thing i've been even a little bit interested in trying to write in my spare time for like 5 years.
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Jul 9, 2013 06:28
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cant say enough good things about linuxcnc tho, poo poo owns.
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Jul 9, 2013 06:29
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Freemill isn't too bad. http://mecsoft.com/freemill/
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Jul 9, 2013 16:38
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I have a student version of solidworks and HSMworks is free CAM plugin for it. In regards to G-Wizard, I dislike that it is subscription based, so here is an online alternative for free: http://zero-divide.net/?page=fswizard Other than that I have a version of EZ Cam that fits in a floppy that I got from a coworker. It's really old, like late 90s old, but it works alright, but only up to windows XP. Haven't found something that matches the simplicity of the OMAX Make CAD software. EZ Cam comes close, as does Mastercam v9, but both of those are stupidly expensive. I'm going to have to check out freeMill, that looks interesting. Cool setup! I have a Sherline 2000 with IMService servo setup. I got it none running on craigslist for $900. I've got it running but the lead screws need replacing as the PPO did circuit boards with it. Luckily it's not very expensive.
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Jul 12, 2013 05:28
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mafoose posted:
sweet. post some pix bro.
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Jul 12, 2013 06:20
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I just got myself a shopbot 4'x8' cnc router. It's not homemade, and I'm using it for work and play. Do I still get to participate here? It's by far the most awesome and obvious thing ever. I can't believe I have been using table saws and hand tools for so long. For a little content: Has anyone found a source for ready-to-go CAD or gcode files? I'd like to cut myself out a new cabinet for the sink in my bathroom.
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Jul 13, 2013 16:11
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I'm halfway through building a probotix cnc router. It's all assembled and the motors move, but I haven't got the spindle mounted and my wiring is dangling everywhere. I've only got a 12"x18" cutting area.  I threw a quick program together for you. 8x6 piece of wood, only cutting .01 deep. XY zero is lower right corner, Z zero is top of stock. Small(1/4" or less) engraver or ball nose endmill will work. This is with a shopbot post I found. Their code looks really loving weird. http://ppl.ug/Nmhox8Noz6w/ Here it is in generic g-code. http://ppl.ug/8rBDqUxTh08/
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Jul 14, 2013 05:44
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Yeah, ShopBot code is bizarre. It has one feature that I like a lot: you can specify a circle with a center point and radius rather than the circular interpolation arcs that you need to use in G-code. For everything else, though, it's just weird. Luckily, all ShopBot machines should read g-code provided you don't use any weird manufacturer-specific stuff.
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Jul 14, 2013 06:42
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 fellow CNC dudesI build a 4' x 8' CNC table from scratch and I've been using it for about a year now. I found the best combo of software to be: Mach3 (http://www.machsupport.com/software/mach3/) - GCode Interpreter Vectric VCarve Pro (http://www.vectric.com/products/vcarve-pro.htm) - Desktop design software I'll design my pieces in VCarve, export them to GCode and take the GCode out to the garage via thumb drive and load it up in Mach3 to do the actual cutting. Another thing I like about VCarve, I can send a JPEG proof to customers showing what it will look like before I cut the project. Plus the software is so easy to use, I have made a lot of one-off designs right in VCarve with the measure tool and they've come out great. You can specify circles by radius or diameter, X and Y distances for squares and rectangles. They have tools that can cut away lines, so you just overlay circles, squares and lines and clip away the excess to get your desired shape. It can do 3-D carving if you are into that, as well a drill patterns, nesting, etc. It's a simplified CAM program but very powerful. Mach3 shows the GCode flying by as it executes it, but I haven't the slightest on how to read it myself. CNC Mancave (I took a Ron Swanson pic found online, converted to vector, imported into VCarve and cut that out of 1/4" MDF and painted) 
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Jul 17, 2013 20:54
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V-Carving is super cool. I was really surprised by how crisp the corners got. Here's how to use FEngrave with a random SVG file. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhc_1kfS3ck
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Jul 19, 2013 06:16
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I have been running a very light duty foam cutting machine for a few years now. Occasionally I cut tougher stuff like G10 but it is not really meant for that. Turn down your volume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6edHmzVR_mg I work mostly in google sketchup and the designer of the CNC machine I own developed a free CAM plugin to work with it. http://sketchucam.jimdo.com/ it generates standard gcode that should work with just about any contoller. http://www.planet-cnc.com/ Controller I am using. Works really well easy to calibrate and setup.
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Jul 20, 2013 17:27
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helno posted:I have been running a very light duty foam cutting machine for a few years now. Occasionally I cut tougher stuff like G10 but it is not really meant for that. Is that using like ... rollers as one of the axises? I've never seen something like that before.
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Jul 20, 2013 18:33
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That is exactly what it does. It looks to me like they liked the idea behind a pen plotter and ran with it. Does a pretty good job on large sheets of materials which was the design goal. It has limitations such as x axis skew when the foam board is uneven side to side.
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Jul 21, 2013 01:53
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I would loving ADORE an 8'x4' CNC machine, I make speakers as a hobby and it would be a dream to just tap some numbers into a laptop and sit back as the machine did 99% of the work for me. Actually first up I'd adore the space to actually have one sit, living in a Victorian era English house means there's not much room and workshop/garages tended to be tiny. A 4x8 sheet is most of my garage floorspace. ...so until I can afford a) room and b) a machine I will look through this thread and dream. 
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Jul 24, 2013 13:55
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A good mate of mine decided that rotary cutting was old tech, so he built himself a Carbon Dioxide Laser powered CNC machine. Will happily cut holes through perspex and MDF, but anything steel is starting to get to requiring a laser thats 1) drat expensive, 2) drat dangerous and 3) makes government agencies look at you funny.
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Jul 24, 2013 14:44
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rotor, It's time for you to start cutting foam, build a foundry, and start doing lost-foam casting! Or, you could get yourself some machinable wax...
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Jul 24, 2013 15:33
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Ferremit posted:A good mate of mine decided that rotary cutting was old tech, so he built himself a Carbon Dioxide Laser powered CNC machine. Cutting steel with a laser is the same as cutting steel with a torch or plasma cutter -- the actual cutting is done with oxygen, not heat. The (laser/torch/electric arc) heats the metal until it's glowing, and then an oxygen or air blast through the center flashes the hot steel into iron oxide (chemical reactions take place faster at high temperatures). The iron oxide melts at a lower temperature than the steel so it instantly liquefies and gets blown out the bottom of the cut. So basically if you have a 100W+ laser you can probably cut thin sheet steel with it, if you have a good oxygen assist system.
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Jul 24, 2013 20:11
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AbsentMindedWelder posted:rotor, lol i think so far on my TODO list is: 1) clean up all this loving wiring and get some kind of halfassed enclosure so the chips dont end up 12 feet away 2) mill up some workholding clamps like so: http://www.cad2gcode.com/cncprojects/id14.html because my current solution sucks 3) make some wood planes 4) make a decent enclosure for the power supply and controller
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Jul 25, 2013 07:37
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this dude pisses me off so bad. look at this loving immaculate workshop:  look at all these loving vises:  that's like 10% of his vises and they're not even the nice ones look at this loving bandsaw just lopping off a bigass hunk of 5" steel round, you know, no big deal, whatever:  just look at this poo poo http://www.micro-machine-shop.com/Micro-Machine-Shop_Photo_Gallery.htm i need to be retired like loving asap
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Jul 26, 2013 06:10
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Speaking of assholes with super nice shops, I really enjoyed reading this guys: http://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/gcnc/ stuff.
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Jul 26, 2013 06:28
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Tres Burritos posted:Speaking of assholes with super nice shops, I really enjoyed reading this guys: i linked that page in the OP. More than anywhere else its the page that set me down the road with this stuff. I didn't see any photos of the dudes shop tho - where they at?
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Jul 26, 2013 06:54
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rotor posted:this dude pisses me off so bad. as far as i can tell this fuckhead has like SIX rotary tables dude's all "sure, rotary tables are nice, but what's really nice is mounting a rotary table onto another rotary table" 
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Jul 26, 2013 07:39
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hey rotor I worked a cnc router for 6 and a half years so if you need hot tips don't be afraid to ask. I "worked" woods plastics and metals and can say that officially steel is harder than aluminium, copper is poo poo to cut and resin/epoxy things smell bad and cut very slowly
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Jul 27, 2013 00:05
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the part I miss the most is being able to make virtually anything during my lunch break. I want to make a sub box for my car and I could have cut the entire thing with pilot holes and be completely ready to assemble in one hour but now I'm gonna have to do with a saw and the edges will be horrible and it'll just plain suck and never mention being able to buy materials through work
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Jul 27, 2013 00:10
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yeah, i'm finding materials to be the hardest thing. I've got some stuff off amazon but OOF like $40 or something for 2x2x12 aluminum bar. I've turned into some sort of weird hobo constantly going over trash piles looking for any metal over 1/8" thick and destroying old printers for the sweet, sweet steel rods and gears contained within. I dont know if anyone else here has a taig lathe or mill but here's a cool guy with both: http://toolingaround.ca/
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Jul 29, 2013 06:10
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I've always thought that this might be an acceptable way to get yerself some aluminum in bar form.
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Jul 29, 2013 06:35
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maybe. i'm in a dense urban environment tho. I have a garage, and i do have a tiny, postage-stamp sized yard, but I think my neighbors would finally revolt if I started an aluminum forge in my back yard.
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Jul 29, 2013 06:54
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Look in the yellow pages or an electronic equivalent for metal recycling places. They will frequently save large/useful chunks of scrap and offer them for sale at just over what they would get sending it off to a foundry. There's a place I go that offers aluminum at ~$1/lb and I've seen 3'x3' precision ground .5" plate, 3-6" diameter round stock, and all sorts of interesting things in their save pile. Most of the stuff is 2-3' long at the largest, but it is absolutely worth the few minutes of calling around if you hit a place that has a decent stash.
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Jul 29, 2013 19:49
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Hate to see this thread go stale, here goes: Well the day I was dreading finally arrived. I built this big rear end CNC machine and never considering the muscle needed to move it. I lived in this large metal barn (pictured) for about a year and assembled the machine. Finally closed on a house in the burbs. Here is the 6x10 machine on a full-sized car hauler trailer from U-Haul. After much grunting and swearing my buddy and I man handled it into the new house's garage.  Surprisingly nothing was lost barreling down the highway and I had to do minor adjustments to get it back into alignment. The whipping wind blew all the sawdust out of the nooks and crannies. Fun!
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Sep 9, 2013 20:06
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Hey guys, I'm building a small-ish CNC to do PCB milling since I absolutely loathe working with PCB chemicals. Is there a good guide to picking a diameter for a certain length of linear rail so it minimizes flexing along the rail's length? I'm planning on having a stationary gantry supporting the head and having my work surface moving on one axis, but that obviously presents some problems if the rails will exceed X length, being supported only on either end. I haven't really worked out any dimensions yet, I'm just at the planning stage. DIY CNCs are literally everywhere on the web, but the problem is that there's almost TOO much information leading to overload paralysis.
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Sep 9, 2013 22:57
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speaking of pcb, here's a taig modified to be a pick & place machine. the motors sounds all weird but iunno https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__dEMKzkLYc
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Sep 10, 2013 04:43
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Sounds like some weird resonance in one of the axes but nothing terrible. The vacuum pump is much more annoying Neat idea in theory, but too slow to be really useful IMHO. I can place parts by hand a little* faster than that. * a lot
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Sep 10, 2013 13:37
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