Pig farmer building a wooden CNC. Crikey

[Bluebird]

Everyone has a bad day now and then, so when you do just stop by here and see it there is an update and watch this woodbutcher try to build a CNC router for some funny laughs. :haha:
Not going to pretend I'm a carpenter but going to give it a go just the same. Have a few basic tools; nothing fancy.

Hopefully I will get a 2'x4' cutting area, would like to build it enclosed for dust containment.

Started out scoring some 9 ply 3/4 inch birch plywood from our local home center and cut into pieces to build the bed.

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Building the box.

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Using 2×6’s laminated 3 thick for the main supports, staggered the joints and glued and screwed them together.

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Putting the base frame together with wheels for now just for convenience.

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Slid the base into place and fastened it.

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This is going to take a while…. wow :eagerness:

[Bluebird]

After squaring the frame up I locked the table box into place with an additional 8 inch band of 3/4 inch plywood on top of the birch plywood, gluing and screwing it way more than necessary. You will find that everything on this build will be overkill but movement is not an option.

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Choose to 45 the plywood for the rails and epoxy the aluminum channel instead of just laying it horizontal with one edge up and one down. felt there was more surface area.

Once the epoxy set the excess aluminum was planed off with a thickness planer.

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Created a channel in the bottom of the box for dust collection. will drill a 4 inch hole in the bottom and mount and flanged gate valve.

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Rough framing on the table almost done, just the top to complete with dust collection holes all the way around.

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Top of the table getting the holes cut. sure would be nice to have a cnc router to do this.

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Finished the duct holes, glued and screwed down plus added 1×2’s the the main supports to flush em up with the oak plywood banding and leaving a channel to run wires for stepper motors limit switches and lights in the top.

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I decided just for cosmetics to paint the dust collection holes before the Formica went down, had the paint wouldn't of made a special trip to town for it. lol

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Stay tuned, more to come. Cheers!

[Bluebird]

Testing the rails and roller bearing for clearance and mounting option.
Thought about splitting the rails like have seen on many machines so the top and bottom can be adjusted separately but the goal is to have them perfectly parallel with each other so I took steps to do that and they are. :fat:

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Came up with a box idea to fit between the main posts, gives me the option to move the rails up and down, in and out and tilt, once everything is set.... 4 – 4 inch heavy torx washer head screws on both ends of the box should hold everything in place quite nicely and can easily be readjusted if necessary.

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Added a couple oak pieces just above and below the roller bearings. just didn’t like the way it looked with the open bearing, lol form and function.

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Extremely happy right now, built the two bearing support boards for the gantry and clamped a board across the top to see how it would roll and I think I need to give myself a pat on the back. lol that thing rolls so smooth its unbelievable with no slop that I can tell whatsoever. Can you tell I'm smiling.

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Here is a close up of the bottom gantry support with the bearings, Drilled holes in the bottom and tapped for a standard 3/8th inch thread. the hole goes all the way in the bearing bolt hole which is slotted up and down an extra 5/16 inch.
A 5/16×1-1/2 inch spring was loaded into the hole before the bolt threaded in, this is not to hold constant pressure on the bearing but to give all the bearing equal pressure before tightening, plus if the track ever wears a quick loosen and retighten of the nuts and all slop will be removed.

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And just a couple of quick shots of both ends. Can’t wait to start constructing the gantry for real.

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[Bluebird]

Mama thinks I should be spending more time building her kitchen and less time on the CNC. Hmmmm BOOOO. lol Just kidding she is worth it.

My next entry might take a little longer unless I burn more midnight oil. :0

Hey thanks for stopping by and having a look! Suggestion, comments and questions are welcome

Cheers – Jeff

P. S. I'm really having fun with this!!

Edit:

A Pic to help answer a question. :)

As the aluminum track wear’s, the roller bearings will need to be adjusted.
As I tried to explain in pic 20 but didn’t do a very good job :( the bottom bearing bolt hole is slotted for up and down movement, a bolt and spring are inserted from the bottom to add a fair amount of pressure to seat the bottom bearing to the track, then the bearing nut is tightened.

When the track starts to wear a quick loosen of the bearing nut and the spring will push the bearing tight up against the track again and then just re-tighten the bearing bolt again.

Hope that makes sense. lol

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Getting some of the ruff components spruced up a little while waiting for some fat washer and longer bolts.

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Trying to keep the tolerances to minimum, only about a 1/16” between the gantry carrier and the guild rail.

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Gantry build Just some pics of getting er done.:thumsup:

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To busy laughing to comment? Me to! :hopelessness:

[Bluebird]

Did I mention we live in a barn, :whistle: Well the hay loft above where we squat was empty so we filled it up with a few modest goodies and on a rear occasion play up there. Did use it to mill a few things for the CNC build.

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Anywho back to build!:smile:

[Bluebird]

Just more pics gettin er done.

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Next we spend some time on the control and command center. :encouragement:

[AndyGuid]

It looks like you've put many hours of thorough but enjoyable work into this build Jeff.

What control and command system are you planning on using?

[Bluebird]

It looks like you've put many hours of thorough but enjoyable work into this build Jeff.

What control and command system are you planning on using?

command is undetermined at this point, there are so many more now to choose from then when I first started this project. The control will just be standard power supplies and controllers but will be built in a separate station as you will see in the next post. kind words; thank you! Cheers.

[Bluebird]

The control and command center will both be built into one cabinet, the command hardware will be just a tower pc with double monitors; software is yet to be determined. The control board and monitors will rise up and down threw a series of threaded rods and motor.

I was looking at circuit board and though how cool would it be to mount the control elements in the same way; so this is what I came up with. :surprise:

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Cabinet is next. :-)

[Lee Roberts]

Looking good, keep up the good work!

Pic 15 looks slick and I echo the words of Andy !