Steel Framed CNC router

[JAZZCNC]

Hi Joe and Kenneth,

Joe please dont think I was calling your work and 100% agree with Kenneth you have made a marvalous job and I'm sure it's been very enjoyable and great learning exercise.

I understand the single sided gantry does what you need but my mentioning this was to show that in the main it's not a good idea or design and the potential for problems and error is large. . . . Like you have probably found, has does just about everyone soon after building a CNC machine your ambitions to do more and cut other materials rise quite quickly and this design would very soon become a very limiting aspect.!! . . . You certainly couldn't cut aluminium or hard woods with it and be accurate.!

I don't have any issues with belt drive and it's very accurate but it would have been far better to have a single motor using a ratio driving a shaft connected to belts driving the gantry from both sides. It's a win - win higher torque better resolution.!!
Regards them being cheap then I've built a few machines using them and to be honest found by the time you have bought bearings, shaft etc (To do ratio setup), whether that be housing type or machiing your own housings and cheap bearings it just doesn't workout much cheaper than ballscrews from china and the work involved is much less with ballscrews and although belt is good it just doesn't match ballscrews.!

Regards brushless Spindles then my experiences are mainly of the chinese spindles and find these are very good and fully recommended them.! . . .Other than these then I can't comment really has I don't have any experience of any other brushless spindle.

[Joe]

JAZZ Thank you for your advice...

My plan in to try and raise some funds with my current machine (I have some jobs cutting foam patens for castings) and then move onto a more robust reliable machine that will happily cut aluminum.

In your experience do you think that a budget of £1000 is realistic for roughly a 800mm x 500mm x 200mm machine?? I understand this is a hard question as it all depends on the quality off the parts you buy, but for arguments sake say somewhere in the middle.

With regards to the spindle I have seen the water cooled type and I am considering buying one, do you think that something like this would be ok for cutting aluminum? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WATER-COOL...item20c0103824

Joe

[JAZZCNC]

In your experience do you think that a budget of £1000 is realistic for roughly a 800mm x 500mm x 200mm machine?? I understand this is a hard question as it all depends on the quality off the parts you buy, but for arguments sake say somewhere in the middle.

Ermmm without seeing design or intended components it's hard to say but £1500 would be a more realistic figure but with some carefull buying/scrounging/stealing. for a steel frame based machine using supported round rail and chinese ballscrews then it's just about do-able but you'll have absolutely no room for error in the design.!!

With regards to the spindle I have seen the water cooled type and I am considering buying one, do you think that something like this would be ok for cutting aluminum? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WATER-COOL...item20c0103824

Yes thats exactly the same type of spindle I use and recommend. For the money they simply can't be beat.
They eat aluminium for breakfast and will happly cut it for days none stop with just a simple cooling setup(sub Pump in 25ltr drum), I've had mine cut non stop for 34hrs and still only be mildly above warm and no where near hot.
They are very quite compared to a router and power wise they blind even the highest powered routers which can't really hold a candle to them. They are flexible regards tool size with collets from 1mm to 13mm with far superior runout to routers. If you look on the forum you'll see pics of the aztec calender I cut and here is a vid showing the detail and thats just using a 90deg spot drill.!! . . . Far finer detail is possible with proper engraving bits.!!. . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjDvimSdH8M&feature=plcp

They do have a one draw back and that is the minimum 5000rpm speed, go below this and the torque drops away very quick and not really usable so they don't lend them selfs to drilling using large drill bits.!! . . . I get round this by simply pocketing large holes.!

[Marcao]

Hey everyone, my name is Marco, I live in Sao Paulo Santo Andre, I like a lot about cnc time ago and built a lot like the one that posted this here.
Do not know much to write and read in English, Google translator is doing this to me.


cnc do Marcao - detalhes.avi - YouTube

[GEOFFREY]

Hi Joe, congratulations on coming 3rd. I am sure the commendation was very well deserved. I think that what you have achieved as a sixth former is brilliant. I bet you next effort will be really super. Good luck with your future career plans. G.