Hello

[pcstru]

Nice to find a UK based CNC forum. I put a CNC router kit together a few years back - very basic stuff with drawer slider rails for the Z axis and the X & Y running along steel tubes held on with 3 bearings per rail. The controller is a Xylotex 3 channel job with a home made power supply. Control is from EMC2 running on Ubuntu on a very old Pentium 3. For CAM work I mostly use VCarve pro, occasionally resorting to writing perl scripts to generate GCode or generating GCode from POVRay scenes. Mostly the machine does what I want but it has it's limitations which need to be respected to get a half decent job. It's main job has been to cut parts for various wooden clocks I've designed with a few forays into signs of various types.

I decided this year to treat myself to a new machine - something bigger, faster and capable of machining soft metals, maybe ferrous metals at a push. I struggled with my conscience over whether to build a machine from scratch, buy a kit or just plump for a ready made machine. Eventually I was overcome with sheer laziness, a disregard for my bank balance and put an order in for a new Heiz T-1000. No doubt someone will pop up and tell me what a total fool I've been and that the machines are made of plasticine or the German equivalent. Anyway the specs looked good and people that own them seem relatively happy with them so hopefully it will be OK. If it's not, I needn't worry too much since the wife will kill me so I won't live to regret it for very long.

Anyway, nice to find the forum and ... err ... hello!

[audioandy]

Hi

And welcome to the forum :beer:

When you get your new toy, would be nice to see some photo's and video of it running.

Do you have any photo's of your current machine and parts that you have made on it?


Andy

[pcstru]

The Machine (http://www.moletrap.co.uk/Pic/cnc/IMG_7585.html). These days it's a wee bit tidier but I never did get round to putting the controller in a proper box. I did though put the machine in a box.

Mostly I've used it to build clocks. The so called Aniversary Clock (http://www.moletrap.co.uk/aniclock/aniclock1c.jpg) was designed and cut for my wife on our first wedding anniversary.

Another one based on a Gravity Escapement (http://www.moletrap.co.uk/clock/g-clockmkii-front-sml.jpg) with a compound pendulum.

A Grasshopper Escapement (http://www.moletrap.co.uk/Pic/clock/GHMKII.JPG) prototype which has never ticked a single tock.

One based on Garry's clock (http://www.moletrap.co.uk/Pic/cnc/Clock/Front-Sml.jpg). Sadly his page seems to have disappeared from the web.

Someone on the Vetric forum showed how to cut an Aztec Calendar - which I just had to have a go at (http://www.moletrap.co.uk/Pic/cnc/AztecCalSml.JPG). Took nearly 6 hours to cut.

And the obligatory T-Rex (http://www.moletrap.co.uk/Pic/cnc/Dino1.html) which I think is available in the demo version of VCarve.

Finally a small Eggtimer (http://www.moletrap.co.uk/Pic/eggtimer/Proto3Front-sml.jpg). This was what led to the larger anniversary clock, both are based on a variation of the verge and foliot.

I'll try and do some video's of the new machine when it arrives. One thing I did read here was that two drives on the x-axis are to be avoided like the plague. That's possibly a little worrying! Anyone care to elaborate?

[Lee Roberts]

Hi welcome to the site, im just having a look at your links now. Will be nice to see how your next machine comes out :).

[pcstru]

Hi welcome to the site, im just having a look at your links now. Will be nice to see how your next machine comes out :).

I feel guilty enough - the only build I'll be doing is building some new shelving/supports for the damn thing to sit on.

[pcstru]

Do you have any photo's of your current machine and parts that you have made on it?
Andy

I posted some links in reply yesterday but they seem to have gone AWOL.

[audioandy]

Lee where have the links gone?

[irving2008]

can you see them now? Seems that some background task on the forum software had decided this post was a spam post (poss because of the broken link in it) and had moderated it... anyway, I've fixed the link and approved it for general consumption...

[audioandy]

Yep all there now and some nice interesting projects.

Looks like your little machine is doing a good job :clap:

[irving2008]

... One thing I did read here was that two drives on the x-axis are to be avoided like the plague. That's possibly a little worrying! Anyone care to elaborate?
Its not a problem as long as they stay in sync else the gantry starts to twist - although the impact of that depends on the gantry rigidity. Therefore loosing steps on one side is a definite no no.. Usual solutions to this are one drive, belts to two screws or making sure the motors never stall out by oversizing them (using two motors each sized to do the task individually is one approach).

[pcstru]

Its not a problem as long as they stay in sync else the gantry starts to twist - although the impact of that depends on the gantry rigidity. Therefore loosing steps on one side is a definite no no.. Usual solutions to this are one drive, belts to two screws or making sure the motors never stall out by oversizing them (using two motors each sized to do the task individually is one approach).

It has to be a law of the universe that if something can go out of sync, it will. Over sizing the motors would have the downside of potentially more damage - I'd guess it would be better for the gantry to sieze up sooner rather than later - slightly less potential to put a bend in two expensive ballscrews. Oh well, I suppose at some point I will be pondering how to realign/re-square the gantry - such are the joys of this ... err ... hobby.

Thanks for fixing the links post BTW.