. .
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
  1. #1
    Hi all,

    Just a quick introduction of myself here.... Like many, I have been wanting to build my own CNC machine for some time now and finally put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard...) and started to design my machine. My day job is as an Electronics Design Engineer so this may come in handy if I can be bothered to design my own electronics (stepper drivers etc)! Although knowing my attention span that will probably never happen.

    I have the beginnings of a design in Solidworks at the moment. I am hoping to cut Aluminium with the machine so coming up with a strong and rigid design is important. So far it looks as if I will be using a mixture of Aluminium plate and Extrusion for the frame along with Hiwin 20mm Linear rails, RM1605 Ballscrews and probably a Bosch 1617 Router (imported from the USA). Hopefully I will post my own build log soon.

    Cheers,

    Dave

  2. #2
    D.C.'s Avatar
    Lives in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 05-01-2016 Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 326. Received thanks 30 times, giving thanks to others 24 times.
    I'm in Walsall so your just down the road from me. :)

    Have you considered and dismissed the chinese 2.2kw water cooled spindles already?

  3. #3
    Forget a router if your wanting to cut mostly Aluminium. It's too fast with minimum 8000rpm and the bearings are just not upto the job and will wear quickly.

    Then there's collet range and again they are often limited to just popular router shank sizes often imperial so 1/4",1/2",3/8" or if lucky may get 8mm. You'll need or want metric collets to go with popular small shank sizes of 3 and 6mm and anywere in between that simply won't be available.
    Then there's run out.? Routers are not the best for it has cutting wood doesn't need really high tolerances.

    2.2KW WC spindle with 1-13mm collet set will be a much better choice and well upto cutting Ali and wood.

  4. #4
    Wellcome to the look forward to seeing your design. routers very noisy too. G

  5. #5
    Thanks for the input guys! I have considered the Chinese spindles but dismissed them on terms of the quality (although there is a large assumption here). Has anyone had any experience with them? I hear the VFDs aren't the best quality?

    More info on the Bosch 1617 here if anyones interested:

    1617EVSPK 2.25 HP Combination Plunge & Fixed-Base Router Pack | Bosch

    Dave

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by biketrialsdave View Post
    Thanks for the input guys! I have considered the Chinese spindles but dismissed them on terms of the quality (although there is a large assumption here). Has anyone had any experience with them? I hear the VFDs aren't the best quality?
    Have no fear my friend I have had many thru my hands and they are well on top of the job. In the early days the VFD's where a bit shite but they are lots better know with faults fixed or ironed out.
    Been using one for years and they will eat that Bosch router for breakfast and on some of the long jobs I've done that router would have melted into a moulten mass of plastic. The duty cycle on WC spindle is pretty much continuous and I have done jobs lasting days not hours, 36hrs has been known. 10-12 in mostly Aluminium very common and routers just can't do that.

  7. #7
    Looks like you may have swayed me! Is the water cooling much of a problem? I assume a simple re-circulating pump like something out of a fish tank submerged in a bucket of water would do the job?

    Dave

  8. #8
    Yep my system works just like that it's a 25-30ltr barrel with a Lid top. You'll get from any local Chinese restaurant has it's what things like chutney come in.
    Then just use distilled water, I used distilled water, with approx 70/30 antifreeze mix. Just make sure the pump has decent head height, around 2mtr will do. Doesn't need to be high flow rate has they hardly get hot and don't need massive flow or pressure.

  9. #9
    Finally got some time to myself and had chance to get back into Solidworks. Here's a very early sneak peak!...you get the gist! I will start a build log when I get some time.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Preview1.PNG 
Views:	250 
Size:	215.5 KB 
ID:	7815

  10. #10
    So then some thing like the one I Prepared earlier.!!Click image for larger version. 

Name:	2011-09-17 23.13.27.jpg 
Views:	266 
Size:	423.0 KB 
ID:	7816

    To be honest thou if you use this type design then it's mainly a wood machine and won't do aluminium to the best standards.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. NEW MEMBER: Looking for job as CNC Miller West-Midlands Help!!!
    By hoezap in forum New Member Introductions
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 15-07-2011, 08:06 PM
  2. NEW MEMBER: Hi from West Midlands
    By wiatroda in forum New Member Introductions
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 09-02-2011, 10:42 AM
  3. NEW MEMBER: Hi all from west midlands
    By phillip in forum New Member Introductions
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 28-01-2011, 10:18 AM
  4. NEW MEMBER: Hello from West Midlands
    By range3rrr in forum New Member Introductions
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 25-09-2010, 01:58 PM
  5. NEW MEMBER: Greetings from West Midlands
    By Steve Grafix in forum New Member Introductions
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 23-08-2007, 01:33 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •