Comments sought on new build: A CNC Router for RC Gliders and Planes

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clive S

Don't seem to be able to see any chips though:thumsup: . Just thinking aloud how about a brake operated with a solenoid that operates when you lose power. It could be on a counter weight steel cable over the top (on a pulley) and then brake the cable.

---

I didn't want to make and chips...we have a VIP coming to work tomorrow so wanted to keep the floor clean [emoji1]

I have thought about a counterweight...still might give it a bit more thought but for now I think it's going to be rubber parking stops. Will look into (or just ask Dean) a macro to park the gantry when I'm done using it.

Awsome work!
I'm also thinking about going vertical with my router (thanks to Dean :) )

What do you guys think about parking the gantry up top and securing it with a clamp/bracket? Would suit my space much better ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nr1madman

Awsome work!
I'm also thinking about going vertical with my router (thanks to Dean :) )

What do you guys think about parking the gantry up top and securing it with a clamp/bracket? Would suit my space much better ;)

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by njhussey

I have thought about a counterweight...still might give it a bit more thought but for now I think it's going to be rubber parking stops. Will look into (or just ask Dean) a macro to park the gantry when I'm done using it.

---

This will answer both of you.

My orginal vertical machine I used to park at the bottom which was the best place to park for me but could park anywhere I liked as it didn't fall down due to light gantry. Since then I've aquired different machine with gantry using the same design has neil's which is much heavier and like neil slowly creeps down when power off.
So the solution was counter balance and now can park where ever I like. It also takes lot of the strain off the motors while working meaning I can tune motors a little more aggresive if I like.

Don't ask me to show the counter balance because it's rougher than rough(Which sure Clive will confirm) and like every thing I do just for my self it's thrown together to get it working ASAP. To give an idea consists of bit of old timing belt and tractor weight.:dejection:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JAZZCNC

My orginal vertical machine I used to park at the bottom which was the best place to park for me but could park anywhere I liked as it didn't fall down due to light gantry. Since then I've aquired different machine with gantry using the same design has neil's which is much heavier and like neil slowly creeps down when power off.
So the solution was counter balance and now can park where ever I like. It also takes lot of the strain off the motors while working meaning I can tune motors a little more aggresive if I like.

---

Counter weight it is then....:eagerness:

Used the Router for the first time since going vertical and it's soooooooooo much easier :yahoo: ....no bending over the sides (kneeling for me as I had it on the floor!) to load the work. Just need to make a dust shoe ASAP and cyclone to stop the chips from flying everywhere....it fair flings the plastic chips (and the static little buggers cling to everywhere!!!) around :thumsup:

And the all important vid is!!! :thumsup:

Just watch your head.!! . . . . Got nasty habbit of twating you if not careful.!! . .:hysterical:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clive S

And the all important vid is!!! :thumsup:

---

Your wish is my command.....https://youtu.be/QjE9G26-W4c

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JAZZCNC

Just watch your head.!! . . . . Got nasty habbit of twating you if not careful.!! . .:hysterical:

---

Got a lump forming as we speak on the back of my head already.....[emoji12]

Looking great Neil. At one point it looked lie you'd created a plastic fountain :-). Hope your head gets better soon.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by njhussey

Got a lump forming as we speak on the back of my head already.....[emoji12]

---

How about a sensor on your head connected to the osh22t button:joker: Nice to see it in action though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clive S

How about a sensor on your head connected to the osh22t button:joker: Nice to see it in action though.

---

No because as soon as the oshiiiiiiiiiiiit button is pressed the gantry drops.......:biggrin: However........I do have my foam kneeling pad which I don't use anymore now it's vertical....I could put a couple of cable ties through the handles to loop under my ears to keep it strapped over my head!!!! :wink:

Nice vid Neil - lovely chip stream towards the end there.

BTW - would demi-jon bungs do for rubber stops or not man enough for the job - just a thought as the type for the airlock come pre-drilled iirc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Washout

Nice vid Neil - lovely chip stream towards the end there.

BTW - would demi-jon bungs do for rubber stops or not man enough for the job - just a thought as the type for the airlock come pre-drilled iirc.

---

Cheers Chris, the chips were fair flying out...I was finding them at least 3m away from the machine. Got to put sides on the machine and box it in to contain them all. Lots of little jobs still to do on it but I'm getting there... slowly!

They'd be good, not sure they're long enough. Will measure the length I need when I'm back off hols in a couple of weeks [emoji1]

Solved bumping my head on the gantry.....

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...64f7db391c.jpg

A few ramblings about my router filmed today after sorting out the spindle cooling before I could cut some rc plane kits....sorry for the rambling and shakey phone camera work....
https://youtu.be/SPHnN4j7LV8

Just like to say after using the router vertically for a few weeks that it's the best thing I've done to the machine, it's so much easier working on it....no bending over the rails to load work, no twisting to get at the collet to change the bits. If the bits are smaller than the collet then you don't have to hold them in whilst tightening...the bits fall out of the work so you're not re-cutting them.....only seeing positives at the moment :yahoo:

List of things to do next is...:

1. Home & Limit switches!!!!!!!
2. Dust/chip extraction (was cutting 12mm MDF letters and it goes everywhere!!!) is a must!!!
3. Enclosure round the machine to stop dust/chips.
4. Cooling Fans/filters in the control panel
5. Cooling radiators for the coolant
6. Finish off the control panel wiring.

Neil I don't know how you can work without homing switches :shame: the rest of it is fair game Ah you missed off 7. counter weight!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clive S

Neil I don't know how you can work without homing switches :shame:

---

Clive.....very carefully :hopelessness:

Quote:

---

the rest of it is fair game Ah you missed off 7. counter weight!

---

I stopped at number 6 as I was finding more and more to do.....6 is enough for now :thumsup:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by njhussey

2. Dust/chip extraction (was cutting 12mm MDF letters and it goes everywhere!!!) is a must!!!

---

Hi Neil, sounding really good, BUT, please please please do not cut MDF or exotic woods without a good amount of extraction and/or a damn good breathing mask ( I am only assuming you don't wear a mask of course )

My reason for butting in here is that my father died a few years back following a long painful lung condition brought on by his love of making things out of MDF and exotic woodturning in the shed. He did have the dust extract that had bags on it but he still came out sometimes looking like a snowman!

Wood dust is nasty stuff.

It made me change my views on carefree metalwork as well, I spent a lot on serious extract for the plasma table, i've stopped powder-coating now, I have stopped turning cast iron on the lathe due to the dust and so on, it focuses the mind a bit.....

Dave

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Davek0974

Hi Neil, sounding really good, BUT, please please please do not cut MDF or exotic woods without a good amount of extraction and/or a damn good breathing mask ( I am only assuming you don't wear a mask of course )

My reason for butting in here is that my father died a few years back following a long painful lung condition brought on by his love of making things out of MDF and exotic woodturning in the shed. He did have the dust extract that had bags on it but he still came out sometimes looking like a snowman!

Wood dust is nasty stuff.

It made me change my views on carefree metalwork as well, I spent a lot on serious extract for the plasma table, i've stopped powder-coating now, I have stopped turning cast iron on the lathe due to the dust and so on, it focuses the mind a bit.....

Dave

---

Hi Dave, I wear one of those twin filter painting breathing masks as I know MDF dust is very nasty stuff (I'm sure balsa dust is equally nasty)....look a knob but saves the lungs! I'm building an enclosure round the machine and there will be an extraction system (6" tube and for the enclosure which will also be for the lathe, welder and milling machines which will vent outside. The dust shoe will be connected to a vacuum cleaner (Nifilsk 30T vacuum) via a DIY cyclone dustbin.....

Excellent, I use one of those masks when doing a lot of grinding or finishing etc, keeps the black snot under control :)

Got fed up with the end cross supports....cut through one and dims between beams didnt change....will use external bolted braces....just gained some extra length on my machine 😁

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...266cf7bdd4.jpg

Had a good purchase from eBay last week, a Camvac for under 1/3 its retail price. Its like new and works well.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...e6ddee7c5a.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...0fe8d12467.jpg

Made a rough dust shoe out of 12mm ply and a bit of draught excluder. Just got to test it works ok before working out how to fix it on so there's access to change the bits and do the probing...

Any ideas anyone on how best to do this? I'm leaning towards neodinium magnets holding one side on...

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...b3898c41d7.jpg

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Put the home switches on X, Y and Z, wired back to the CSMIO IPM and set up in Mach3...all working as should but still need to put "targets" for them on the machine....

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...65aaca0dc0.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...7ece26e245.jpg

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Ok so I've dome the homing switches and all work. Quick vid showing this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwjeed_DPk8&feature=youtu.be

Seems to work ok.....however I've had to reverse the Z axis to get it to home and now its all to cock....if I try to do a tool zero with my touch plate then it goes up instead of down....just looking at the settings in Mach3 to see what I need to reverse/do but if one of you experts could point me in the right direction id be eternally grateful [emoji106]

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Home Neg in Homing Limits screen.....

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by njhussey

Home Neg in Homing Limits screen.....

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

---

Neil I take it that when the z moves down it is going -ve the homing switch at the top so it will home upwards +ve

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clive S

Neil I take it that when the z moves down it is going -ve the homing switch at the top so it will home upwards +ve

---

You're correct Clive, knew there had to be a setting but wasn't sure till I read the manual.

Set my park position too for changing bits and also for parking the gantry at the end of the day....slowly getting there with it.

Limits next, then enclosure, counter weight, proper dust shoe, LED lights...the list goes on!!

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Neil are you sorted.?

Either Home neg are use the Reverse option but will depend on how axis is setup. one of them combo will sort you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JAZZCNC

Neil are you sorted.?

Either Home neg are use the Reverse option but will depend on how axis is setup. one of them combo will sort you.

---

Sorted cheers Dean, I reversed the axis but then on doing the simple tool height routine in Ger's screen set it sent the Z into the hard stop...a bit of reading the manual and "Home Neg" sorted it.

Set the touch pad for the 2010 screenset autoheight and toolchange function...seems to work well. Might change the location but will see after some use. I now change tools at the park position at the bottom, saves bumping my head!

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...ee8767309c.jpg

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Ok so machine is getting there....thanks to Dean set ports and pins on Output#1 to port 10, pin 4 for output 12 on the CSMIO IP-M and all is good...

Below is a quick vid of the auto height routine and then air cutting...

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

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Air and mist system now on and working. Will get a solenoid and get it controlled through Mach3 along with the water pump, LEDs and cyclone....😁

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...a7e94387f2.jpg

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Job at work I'm doing necessitates lots of holding down (double sided tape doesn't work...I've tried!) so I got the router to make lots of countersunk holes on 50mm centres for 6mm threaded wood inserts...

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...7314853706.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...6671c78a4d.jpg

Should be able to hold down most things I want with this spacing...

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Noticed the Y axis was getting some play in it as the finish was suffering and also things that fit together that I've made obviously weren't quite round as they were binding at 90°. Grabbed the Z axis and wobbled from side to side and there was a definite movement....so pulled the back plate off the gantry and hoiked out the ballscrew. Pulled apart the BK bearing and shimmed the bearing outer races by 1mm by making a shim on the lathe.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...e6d432cf61.jpg

Now its all solid again but I've noticed one X axis ballscrew is clunking so going to pull them all apart (and Z) and shim them all.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Started the enclosure (got fed up with plastic chips being flung everywhere) and put the screen and keyboard arm up....much better now! Also made a quick tray to catch whatever drops down instead if letting it go on the floor.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...2f50d4f737.jpg

Had a first bash at engraving today with a 60°bit, chap at work wanted his house nameplate redoing as he hated the gothic hand carved one his wife got years ago...seems to have come out ok.

Before...
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...6b92775af5.jpg

After...
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...cdcab47483.jpg


Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Nice, should keep things cleaner :)

It certainly does, that and the CamVac/dust shoe.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...af5dcbbf8d.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...2b87060f16.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...5bd5bd7ef1.jpg

When cutting the above sales samples out of Acetal the chips fair went everywhere....well now they dont 😁

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Ok, question guys. What speeds and feeds do you guys use for ply? I'm cutting 12mm structural ply (3 ply) full depth with a 6mm two flute carbide cutter (also used 2 flute straight router bits) and its squealing away and no matter how I tweak the speed and feed it squeals and then invariably the cutter snaps. My machine is capable of 10 m/min and I've the 2.2kw w/c spindle. I'm trying to cut the words Merry Christmas by the way....

Just wondering as last week was cutting fine with the same feeds and feeds.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk