Please help with this build Albert

[JAZZCNC]

Hi downloading fusion 360 today will post soon how I get on. Would a build in 10mm X 100mm steel be strong enough if I get stuck on cost of aluminium there are plenty of cheap stick welders about.
Albert

if you are going to go steel route then look for 4 or 5mm wall box section 50mm will work but 60 or 80mm better. Make the base from box section with rails sat on the top face of steel and make the gantry from profile, I suggest using the "L" shape layout of profile as it gives good strength(Just search the forum you'll see it used often). To raise the gantry use vertical pieces of profile that bolt into the lower piece of gantry profile.

This will be a simple weld up and easy to build.

[bigal999]

Hi just tried to download fusion 360 but have major problems my Mac will not update past 10.11 and fusion 360 needs 10.13 or newer so looks like a new pc that is going to hit my budget till end of the year
So depressed don't know which way to go carry on with build or stop build till next year and learn 360 or carry on with build.
Albert

[JAZZCNC]

Hi just tried to download fusion 360 but have major problems my Mac will not update past 10.11 and fusion 360 needs 10.13 or newer so looks like a new pc that is going to hit my budget till end of the year
So depressed don't know which way to go carry on with build or stop build till next year and learn 360 or carry on with build.
Albert

Don't let this depress you because it will be a good thing.?
Firstly you'll need a PC anyway to run the machine because I don't think there are many controllers that run on Mac.

Second not only will it give you time to learn F360 but more importantly it will give you time to research the design and ask any questions you have in this thread.
Rushing to build before your ready never works out good, just like buying parts without knowing what's needed, and if I'm honest your not ready to build because your knowledge hasn't built up yet and we can only help so much.
Do the research by looking at other designs and threads, ask the questions and your design will evolve in front of you. Then you'll be ready to build and start Buying or building up what's needed with confidence.

[Kitwn]

Albert,
I agree with Dean completely. There's so much to learn and in several different areas of subject matter all at once that deciding to postpone building anything until you've gained more knowledge is a sensible way forward, not in any way a failure. Once you do start building you'll be more confident that the choices you make are the right ones.

Having to move from Mac to PC is annoying but it sounds like you have little choice on that one. Learning F360 will keep you out of mischief for a while anyway.

The build logs on this site are a wealth of knowledge on different approaches to how you can build a machine, the aluminium v steel choice for the base frame being a big decision you will need to make. The aluminium you already have may still be used in the gantry. Don't be too daunted by the very smart appearance of some of the results on the forum. If the pieces are straight and flat and the holes are in the right places then the rest of it is largely cosmetic!

I was a bit daunted at trying to weld but for me in the wilds of Western Australia the cost of aluminium is prohibitive and the choice was made by my wallet. However the purchase of a cheap welder means I now have a very useful tool that can be used for many other projects as well and I'm glad I took that route. It's actually a lot easier than you think to make a joint that works, as long as you aren't expecting to build anything seriously structural like a road bridge or a grain silo.

Kit

[Doddy]

Just to repeat a little of what is said above - Forget driving the machine from the Mac - I'm a long term Mac user and detest vehemently windows, but I've admitted defeat and use Windows just to drive UCCNC for my mills. I tried LinuxCNC for the Lathe but wouldn't recommend that learning-cliff-face to anyone. But nada for Mac. That said, you don't need a particularly powerful desktop to run either Mach3 or UCCNC - I have a couple of old C2D (£40) desktops, though preferred an i5 (cost £60, eBay) for more responsiveness. An i5 will run F360 perfectly well (though GFX card helps a lot).


F360 requires 10.13 or higher?, damn, that's a useful warning - I'm stuck on 10.13 on my 4,1 (flashed 5,1) Mac Pro - so the writing is on the wall for me for that one.

[bigal999]

Hi I have been doing so research and found some people use what they call epoxy granite to fill there box section and profiles. From what I can gather it is a mix of epoxy and fine sand. They say it helps limit vibration is this true.
Also seen references to epoxy leveling is this to get the cutting table level.
On the pc front should have a computer by the end of the month
Albert

[Kitwn]

Epoxy leveling is used to get the rails on a flat surface and in the same plane. Ussualy only done on welded steel frames which will suffer some distortion due to the heat of welding. Leveling the cuting table is done by skimming the surface with the machine itself. Several build logs have descriptions of the method, some more sucesful than others. I'm sure you'll get plenty of deatiled instructions from those members with experience if and when the time comes.

[routerdriver]

In the UK epoxy isn't a cheap material and larger section steel would probably beat it on cost.Unlike Doddy,I used LinuxCNC for my home made router and found it fairly painless,but then I have had a version of Linux on at least one computer since 2006.Any control system is going to need you to assign functions to connections on breakout boards or similar.If you wanted to be a bit more adventurous with the CAD/CAM side of things there is a Mac version of Freecad and it comes with a variety of post processors which can be used with the Path workbench to generate the Gcode for the machine.It isn't the most intuitive system and the documentation doesn't move forward as fast as the capabilities.This youtube video shows a little of what can be achieved and at zero financial cost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWFC17MIfOE

[bigal999]

Hi just wondering as I will cut hardwood on this machine if I drop the spec to only cut hardwood can I make the machine cheaper. What thickness aluminium plate would I require. Also thinking of z axis design would flat linear rails be better than supported rails as this would bring the spindle motor closer to the y axis. Supported rails require 50mm to fit in
Albert

[Kitwn]

I agree with routerdriver about LinuxCNC. If you're building a basic machine then it's easy to install and set up using the included wizards. No delving into the depths of Linux complexity at all.

If you have not bought any rails already then I think most people here would advise using the Hi-Win style linear guide rails in 15mm or 20mm sizes rather than supported round rails because of their greater rigidity but they are more expensive. This link shows the sort of thing.
https://bstmotion.aliexpress.com/sto...d_324926.1_2_4