inspiration thread

[kingcreaky]

As non of us post much in the way of what we have actually made with the machines we make, (Probably because we all believe we are going to be millionaires with our ideas, and we are too scared of somebody pinching them) I figured it may be a good idea to create a thread where we can all share links, pictures etc all related to stuff made on cnc. This will help inspire and motivate all of us, whatever stage we are in our journey further into this common ground we all share?

(sounds a bit american)

anyway, il start with this ive just seen on kickstarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/978262034/ugears-self-moving-mechanical-models?ref=category

lots of inspiration there (especially for those of us who have smaller hobby based rigs, scratching around for something small to make)

[routercnc]

Not quite as fancy as the trains etc in the link but this is what I started making about 4 years ago (!). It's my own design and should look like a Spitfire when complete.

Formers being cut out:
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Tailplane:
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Fuselage:
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Fin:
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Cutting out some bits on the old cnc machine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa5EDTmAFf8&feature=youtu.be

I've since gone through 2 cnc machine upgrades since these photos were taken and various workshop improvements. The CNC side has dragged me in - so much so that when I showed some pictures of my current CNC machine to a friend recently and he said what do you make with it? I had to pause and think a bit, before remembering it was originally designed to make balsa and liteply bits for RC planes.

[JAZZCNC]

It's my own design and should look like a Spitfire when complete.

Hopefully not looking like this One.. . :joker:

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[kingcreaky]

routercnc - thats exactly what im talking about. excellant inspiring pictures!! brillian! Its these very pictures, that will inspire all of us of the potential possibilities of these money pits.

ive just sunk another £160 notes on my project. everybody keeps asking me what am I going to make with it... (I still dont know!!)

all, please keep the pictures coming. its about time this forum had some "fruit" content!, to counterbalance all the labour!.

[suesi34e]

routercnc - thats exactly what im talking about. excellant inspiring pictures!! brillian! Its these very pictures, that will inspire all of us of the potential possibilities of these money pits.

ive just sunk another £160 notes on my project. everybody keeps asking me what am I going to make with it... (I still dont know!!)

all, please keep the pictures coming. its about time this forum had some "fruit" content!, to counterbalance all the labour!.

Hi Matt

Your suggestion is a good idea in my book. Perhaps there will one day be like a drawing, tool or idea of the week!

All the best

Suesi

[njhussey]

Here's something I'm starting to build.....

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And when I've cut all 14 sheets of 3mm lite ply (600mm x x400mm) and assembled it should look something like this...

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Also making Ridge Runt RC glider short kits and Fournier RF4 short kits which I'm selling on eBay at the moment....

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shortly to expand the range to include my take on an Ugly Stick RC plane and an old timer 3/4 Ch plane.....lots more planned!!

[routercnc]

Looking great Neil.

Bet you finish your Marabu before I finish mine . . . .!

[njhussey]

Cheers Barry, I might do but I'm building 4 planes simultaneously so I wouldn't bet on it!!

Pic below is my interpretation on an Ugly Stick (I'm calling it "AnotherStick") that I'm building. I'm making the sides in 2 pieces (a splined joint) and with tabs so that the formers just slot in therefore doing away with building over a plan. I'm just playing with the wing ribs at the moment as I keep re-designing them...

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[kingcreaky]

This is precisely what we need to see more of gents!. Thanks for posting, Hopefully this thread will motivate those who are either thinking about a build, or have builds part started.

Keep the pictures coming, there are so many names on here who appear to not make anything at all with their machines :whistle:. Maybe like me, they prefer making machines, to actually using them :crushed:

Im sure ive posted before, but if I havent here are some pics I have on this laptop

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v2xAnhghiCs/VcSjAS-A0zI/AAAAAAAAAls/nCmz4an5UGo/s1600/20140921_181533.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FwC5nRrd_fE/VcSi8cXRTlI/AAAAAAAAAlA/jC4Ym39CI04/s1600/20140702_201803.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cB5eMg1L1q0/VcSi3Ok66rI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/LoHM14Cdcck/s1600/20140607_175133.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m8eT4AJ03YE/VcSi3sSnJuI/AAAAAAAAAkc/HPkFZQCpKic/s1600/20140605_195729.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AFs90xwjF_Y/VcSi0yuds3I/AAAAAAAAAj8/TJbtlKRWyb8/s1600/20140413_200332.jpg

miss my big router. Once this mill is working, Im going to make another upright 8x4 for myself.

Matt

[njhussey]

Nice stuff there Matt, wish I had a bigger Router, maybe Router No3 in the future will be an 8x4...

More bits I was cutting this morning, more to do at lunch plus some kits that have sold on eBay....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfz8NWbXsUc

[kingcreaky]

now that is quality.

Like how your tool speed is so much slower than your machine speed. so the rapids are really exaggerated.

Also, love the join in the material on that plane

matt

[njhussey]

now that is quality.

Like how your tool speed is so much slower than your machine speed. so the rapids are really exaggerated.

Also, love the join in the material on that plane

matt

Cheers Matt :thumsup:

I've not got the rapids set too high 7500 mm/min I think, had it at 15000 on testing and it really whizzed :cower: I can't have the tool feed much higher as the quality suffers, it's even worse in balsa!!

I was inspired to do the join by remembering Chris Foss Middle Phases have the very same thing, mine was done to cut down on Royal Snail postage costs to keep it within the small parcel size :whistle:

[routercnc]

Hi Neil,

Good to see some liteply being cut - very satisfying to plug bits together using the tabs etc. and have it build almost in your hands. I know what you mean about mixing the inside profile and outside profile in CAM toolpaths. So easy to do and very annoying!

It's been a while since I cut that material (more aluminium recently, plus some MDF and thick plywood) but my cutting speeds were much faster than that and quality was OK. Worth experimenting a bit more? I don't have much time in the workshop so time is precious.

What cutter is that? I use a 2 'blade' TCT 3mm super cheap e-bay bit and it works fine.

Thanks

[njhussey]

It's a carbide single flute 2mm cutter, can't use a 3mm as the slots are 3mm (would leave too much trimming of the slots to make them square) and some holes are 2mm. I've tried 2 flute cutters but they lift the balsa and ply too much. Also if I go much faster the splined joints don't fit as well. I'm still learning so no doubt feeds will increase once I get used to it!

[GEOFFREY]

About two years ago shortly after the purchase and repair of an old SCM 120 router my friend (who has a fibreglass works) showed me a schematic drawing of a Boeing 787 dreamliner and asked if I could make a 1:6.5 scale "plug" (pattern) for it. Of course I can I replied, convinced that he would never get the order for it - well I was wrong!!!
Anyway, to cut a long story short I decided how the model would be built, drew it up using alphacad, machined the components and with the help of my friend and his workers built up the model in sections. Fibreglass moulds were taken from the pattern and three complete models were built, delivered and erected on the roundabout at Heathrow, terminal 4. I have shown some of the pictures to a couple of members of this site, but now that KC has started this thread I thought that I would share the project with forum members.
As there are about 30 photos (I probably have 100or more!!!) I would like to post I shall taken it easy on you all and just post a few at a time.166941669516696166971669816699

[kingcreaky]

Geoffrey..... Wow!! just wow!. What a fantastic achievement! What were the fiberglass planes used for in the end? you mention heathrow? Are they still on display?

Hate to say it neil, but this really pisses on your party. :adoration: :rofl

Geoffrey, you cant go from nothing, to building these... Therefore I am assuming this is just one of the projects in your photo collection, so while you have it open .....

thanks for sharing.

[njhussey]

That's fantastic!! Agree with you Matt mine pales into insignificance in comparison!!!! I think I remember seeing a plane on a roundabout when flying from Heathrow a couple of years ago?

Now if they made larger model jet engines......

[GEOFFREY]

Matt, Neil, thanks for the +ve comments, but my efforts are no better than any others - I think everyones efforts are fantastic. I must admit that when this opportunity arose I was very keen, and am so pleased with the end results. The models are still on display at Heathrow, indeed 6 months after they were errected they were taken down and returned to the paint shop, redecorated in the new ETIHAD livery and re-errected on site. All three models are grouped in a flying position (on pylons) on the roundabout at terminal 4. After leaving the engineering/construction field in 1992 I decided to try to start up a modeling business, but my wife was not too interested, however when I said dollhouses she snapped up the bait!!! CNC machines were unknown to me until I visited a DH builder who had an old Wadkin cnc router. I was captivated. I had to have one!!! I purchased an old PCB drill-router, wasted many hours trying to get it working (I failed) and eventually bit the bullit, bought an AMC4 dedicated controllerand with the help of a friend converted that old machine that I love. A very strong fixed gantry 540mmx450mm 3 axis machine. I have built hundreds of dollhouses, miniatures and models (mainly dollhouse related) since then and even used alphacam to draw up the design for my new house and all the plans required for building regs and planning etc. I would like to add that I am self taught in all things CNC, but I am lucky enough to have a clever friend who has helped - thanks Graham.
Anyway sorry about the long story (hope it may inspire someone) and time to post the next batch of pics. G.desktop167001670216703167041670516706

[JAZZCNC]

Very very Cool. :applause: :applause: :applause:

Geoffrey do the Cabin windows have lights in them.?

Good job they weren't up here last night because they would have lifted off, Pylons an All, with the winds we have.!!

[GEOFFREY]

Hi Jazz, all will be revealed in the next batch of pictures!!! G.

[Neale]

I would like to lower the tone a bit here... These intricate/large etc models and so on are great, but I tend to find myself a bit discouraged sometimes by seeing beautiful bits of work from others. So, to counter this, and to show something much, much simpler but which goes down well as stocking-filler type gifts at Christmas, here are this year's coffee-table coasters. A set of these separates into individual pieces, but form a conversation-starting jigsaw when assembled. I was originally inspired to make these by the blog I found which described one man's efforts to tile his hall and sitting room with larger versions of the same design. Came out well, too. Mine are in sapele, and show what can be cut with a 3-year-old MDF router that's only just about hanging together still.

Here's mine:
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[Clive S]

I have seen that vid of he guy in is hall it looked good, have you drawn the dxf.:applouse:

[GEOFFREY]

Yes, I remember that post, I think gavtheouch was going to do his caravan floor like that. Neale, I think that work is great, and the idea of scaling it to make table mats, coasters etc. was very clever. Your work looks lovely and does indeed show just what can be achieved even with an mdf build. I have often said that I love all CNC machines and I am still amazed at what work can be produced - I just love the fact that it is possible to have an idea, design, draw, cut build and see the idea come to life. Most of the work that I do involves very small pieces, and I had no intention of ever showing the dreamliner build on here until KC started his post. The last thing that I would want to do is "rain on anyones parade". I would also like to add that I think the aztec calendars that have been made and displayed on this site are far superior to any of my own work. G.

[JAZZCNC]

The last thing that I would want to do is "rain on anyones parade". I would also like to add that I think the aztec calendars that have been made and displayed on this site are far superior to any of my own work. G.

Geoffrey you keep doing the pouring mate and we'll do the drinking nothing you can say or post could upset anyone only inspire.!

Aztec calender does look very complex but in reality it's so simple it's laughable. . . Does blow peoples mind thou first time they cut it.!! . . . It also finds the weakness of machine quick enough. Infact This is the reason I first scaled it down from the original size of 24" to 6" and cut it in aluminium because it makes the perfect test after setting up machines. It's also great to show buyer what that actual machine can do.!

[Neale]

I have seen that vid of he guy in is hall it looked good, have you drawn the dxf.:applouse:

Yes, I found I had to. There are quite a few variations on the same theme, all based on the original "Reptiles" by Escher, but when you look closely none of them quite work (or, at least, none of the designs I found). So I did my own drawing, based around a hexagonal tessellation. But that's probably as much mathematical theory as anyone wants on this forum, so let's just say it took a while to get it right. Then import into Vectric vCarve to do the CAM stuff.

I agree wholeheartedly with Geoffrey's comments - there is nothing quite so satisfying as taking an idea from first idle thoughts to finished item, and for those of us whose hand skills aren't as well-developed as they might be, CNC routers (and 3D printers, come to that) are a great way to achieve this. I built my current router because I had promised a presentation plaque to my local twinning association, and then had to build the router to be able to make it. So, my inspiring comment for the day - just b****y do it!

[GEOFFREY]

Well its time now to post the remaining pictures of the dreamliner models at Heathrow. After the patterns were finished moulds were taken and mouldings produced, a steel frame (by others) was fabricated and the steelwork was bonded into the fuselage, wings and tailplane. The fuselage and tailplane sections of the model were bonded together, the wings and engines were trial assembled, but removed for transport. I made shadow masks for the cabin window lights to shine through, fixed to internal light boxes containing LED lighting strips. Cockpit, wingtip and tail lights were also fitted. The aircraft were painted in ETIHAD colours and livery vynals were added. I supplied a dxf of the window shadow masks to allow the vynal chaps to supply a mask for the windows prior to painting. As I said earlier,167101671116712167131671416715
six months after the planes were errected they were dismantled and returned to the paintshop for the new livery. I have used the dusk photograph of the three planes as screen wallpaper on all three of my computers!!! G.

[kingcreaky]

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Well, as Geoffrey (or as he shall now be affectionately known as "the dark horse")

has laid the benchmark, (the three f*cking planes outside of heathrow). My expectations from the rest of you frequenters (who still havent posted) has been set.

Bring on the photos boys.

Thanks for sharing Geoffrey.

[njhussey]

Hi Neil,

Good to see some liteply being cut - very satisfying to plug bits together using the tabs etc. and have it build almost in your hands. I know what you mean about mixing the inside profile and outside profile in CAM toolpaths. So easy to do and very annoying!

It's been a while since I cut that material (more aluminium recently, plus some MDF and thick plywood) but my cutting speeds were much faster than that and quality was OK. Worth experimenting a bit more? I don't have much time in the workshop so time is precious.

What cutter is that? I use a 2 'blade' TCT 3mm super cheap e-bay bit and it works fine.

Thanks
Barry.....sped it up a bit....this better?!


https://youtu.be/qaAxDI73lVs

[Clive S]

Neil looking much better federate now. keep up the good work.:applouse:

[njhussey]

Neil looking much better federate now. keep up the good work.:applouse:

Cheers Clive :beer:

[routercnc]

Sorry been offline
Looking better now great work

[Jonathan]

Does this count?

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Not so much inspiration as needing to get on with it!

[GEOFFREY]

Of course it counts Jonathan, it looks great, but lets see it in action now. G.

[routercnc]

Couple of little projects I made a few weeks back - thought I'd share them here.

First up is a DTI holder to make it easier to clock the vice.

Started with a scrap bit of aluminium and marked it out, drilled some holes, and did a trial fit:
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Seems OK so trimmed it to size:
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And there we are. Makes clocking the vice a bit easier - I used various clamps and bolts before and it took a while to set up. Now it is ready in moments:
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________________________________________

Second little project is a touch probe. This is a piece if PCB board superglued to a block of aluminium. The PCB provides electrical isolation from the machine bed (otherwise the probe would be active all the time). I glued it to the block to give it some weight to hold it in place, and the PCB was not super flat.
I've already glued the board to the block, and sized the block around the perimeter prior to this photo.

Here is the block depth being skimmed to as close to 10mm as possible. Actual dimension is not critical as long as it is flat but 10mm is easy to remember!
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Then I soldered on a cable, and used a sleeve to finish it off. The other cable had a crocodile clip added to clip to the spindle mount to make the circuit when probing.

Here is it in use to set the Z height from the surface. I use mach3 screenset 2010 and tell the software that the block is 10mm thick. Then in the probing function hit one button and it does the probing and sets it all automatically.

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I've also used in to set the X and Y zero on the edges of parts but it can be tricky to hold it in position whilst probing. Sometimes it will sit nicely on the vice jaw.
I'm sure many of you have your own versions - let's see them !

> Hi Lee, if you manage to catch this post would you be able to put it on the end of this 'inspiration' one? Only occurred to me after I'd posted that it would be better there. No worries if not:
http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/9273-inspiration-thread?highlight=small+projects

[Jonathan]

I'll take this a bit more seriously now ... will try to make a post every week or so with something different I have made, as there are plenty of things. Lets go in date order and exclude things I've posted elsewhere on the forum, so starting in 2009/10, here is the wind turbine I made as my A-level DT project:

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8eNm4cQzqI

This is the project that caused me to make my first CNC router - so I could make the blades for this wind turbine. Six years later and I've still not made the blades, but I found plenty of other things to do with the machine!

[Washout]

Hi All,

I had better add a contribution to this thread and here's my latest project using the CNC machine. The first video is me droning on about the CAD and CAM side of creating a Fender Jaguar neck and the second is machining said neck once modeled:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWtvqrswzpI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMSuABd8AzU

[kingcreaky]

oohh i do like a nice youtube video... watched them all on your channel, subscribed and eager for more. keep up the good work.

[grain_r]

Hey Guys Just wanted to say thanks for the inspiration it certainly does make a difference and everything I have seen looks fantastic. The main problem I have is too many hobbies and would love to make all of these things but I guess I should finish my machine first. Hey Matt well done on starting this thread it is a great Idea I still have the sample piece that you made when I was with you on my desk as an inspiration too.
Thanks

Rob

[Rye]

Can't say I've been making anything "easy" like planes and guitars but, apart from a few signs/ plaques and a real badly designed butter dish, I've been making a few of these:

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz8vqSrduzc

Started with HDPE bases, but moved to black and silver Dibond. Much better and very "hard" to make ;)

[Jonathan]

One of the first things I made with my CNC router, with some help from my mill, a water cooling block for an i7 processor:

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The funny colour is from the anodising.

[Wal]

A recent project - mother of pearl 'Punisher' fret marker inlays for a local guitar maker. They take bloody ages..! (But look alright...)

The smallest end-mill I used was a 0.2mm on the higher markers - thankfully I only broke the one. Very slow feeds - 1.75mm/sec and a 0.75 DOC.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TjtvOn8yWU

Once installed, the pockets in the pearl will be black-epoxy filled and then sanded back flush to the ebony fingerboard. Looking forward to seeing this coming together - glad I'm not sanding that ebony board, though... For reference - the pockets in the ebony were cut with .08mm clearance - the markers seem to fit very nicely, although I didn't get to push 'em in all the way...

Wal.

[Washout]

Very nice Wal - I'm about one spare evening away from trying to cut the rosewood finger boards on my Jaguar project and will be using a 0.5mm end mill for the fret slots (fret spacing seems to be made for CNC work IMHO provided I don't snap the tool). Your work makes me think I should do something more ornate than dot inlays....

[Wal]

Very nice Wal - I'm about one spare evening away from trying to cut the rosewood finger boards on my Jaguar project and will be using a 0.5mm end mill for the fret slots (fret spacing seems to be made for CNC work IMHO provided I don't snap the tool). Your work makes me think I should do something more ornate than dot inlays....
Hi Washout,

Yeah I've followed that neck project a bit. Nice seeing it in progress. Yes, you should definitely try something different with the markers! Easy to say though, as I'm not sure what I'd do for my own build... Will your 0.5 cutter have enough depth for cutting the slots or are you profiling the radius before you cut 'em. I ask as I noticed that the slots were cut quite deep on this board (by luthier) and I needed a long necked 0.5 cutter to do those perimeter grooves around the pockets...

Wal.

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[Robin Hewitt]

You did 0.2mm OMG that is insane. I did play with sinking a 0.5mm rib cutter in to aluminium. I couldn't get any kind of finish at the bottom but I was thinking I had done well. Right up to the moment when I saw you had done 0.2mm. Ballpoint for scale :beer:

[Wal]

You did 0.2mm OMG that is insane. I did play with sinking a 0.5mm rib cutter in to aluminium. I couldn't get any kind of finish at the bottom but I was thinking I had done well. Right up to the moment when I saw you had done 0.2mm. Ballpoint for scale [emoji481]
Hi Robin - yeah, but the 0.2 was in mother of pearl... The smallest I've tried in aluminum is 0.4 - pics below. Slow going but the quality seems to hold up alright.

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Oops, probably heading a bit off topic...

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[Wal]

Back on topic - I came across this guy the other day. Wonderful viewing! Excellent craftsmanship, great gear and a first class result.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQUxFFON5Lo

[Lee Roberts]

Wal, I know of Gough previously, if you have a look in his videos he's got a time lapse of his renovating the MC he uses.

.Me

[Wal]

Wal, I know of Gough previously, if you have a look in his videos he's got a time lapse of his renovating the MC he uses.

.Me
Hi Lee, yeah - the old Fadal? Nice video that too. His workshop's tidy enough to rival McLaren's...

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