How Would You Upgrade An Old Ox CNC Build Into A Serious Machine?

[NeoMorph]

IMHO the real problem is the linear rails / the lack of/ . Best would be to upgrade to Chinese square rails Hiwin type. 20 size best but even smaller size is ok. Like 15 or 12 and use 3 carriages instead of 2, as they are very cheap. Especially the gantry and the Z, its a must if you want to have any resemblance of a proper machine.

If you can not find an easy way to do that, better fabricate what brackets you need for a new machine and sell that one. If money is a problem, don't dilute your attention on pointless parts. You need basic structure with ball screws, square rails and a controller


I have seen recently such a machine like yours / and have had worse/ and honestly 0.8kw spindle is enough for it. Anyways the spindle is a good buy, could be moved on a new machine

Was looking at some HGR20-1000’s in the BST automation store for my side rails... but for the life of me I can’t figure out the differences between the different carriage options.

I’m also wondering if adding a better cross piece between the gantry uprights is going to reduce twisting and for mounting the linear rails. I’m definitely going to ditch the C-Beam linear actuator because although it stiffened up the Z axis compared to the original one, it’s currently pushing the spindle too far from the gantry for my liking and is wasting X axis travel (my gantry is the Y axis... yeah, I know... I’m weird lol).

[Boyan Silyavski]

Was looking at some HGR20-1000’s in the BST automation store for my side rails... but for the life of me I can’t figure out the differences between the different carriage options.

I’m also wondering if adding a better cross piece between the gantry uprights is going to reduce twisting and for mounting the linear rails. I’m definitely going to ditch the C-Beam linear actuator because although it stiffened up the Z axis compared to the original one, it’s currently pushing the spindle too far from the gantry for my liking and is wasting X axis travel (my gantry is the Y axis... yeah, I know... I’m weird lol).

I said it in other thread : I buy from these guys https://es.aliexpress.com/store/822038 12 and 15 size. Have not bought from them 20 size , but their rails are very good quality and price. Custom size also, contact them. make sure to buy the long carriages.

BST is good for original HIWIN but last time i checked / 2 years ago/ the Chinese rails they were selling were not very good. While the ones from the link above are top notch

Dont rush discarding the C beam. Take a look at my design for a DTG printer base using that C beam and said linear rails+some 3d printed elements:



This is 12 size Hiwin square, which would happily move 0.8kw spindle. I would say even 2kw spindle if 3 blocks.

But this is not my point. Maybe 15 size and use the C beam like a L shaped gantry. I have never tried it but that's the fun of it, you can figure it out for yourself.

[Kitwn]

I said it in other thread : I buy from these guys https://es.aliexpress.com/store/822038 12 and 15 size. Have not bought from them 20 size , but their rails are very good quality and price. Custom size also, contact them. make sure to buy the long carriages.

Boyan,
I notice that both BST and your recommended supplier Hong Yi sell both the 'miniature' MGN15 size rails and the larger HGR15 (same size as Hi-Win). The overall height from the base of the rail to the top of the carriage is only 16mm for the miniature compared to 28 for the standard size. Strangely enough the larger size works out slightly cheaper from Hong Yi for the 400mm set I'm looking at for my planned Z-axis upgrade. 15mm seems to be the largest size available in the miniature range and the smallest in the standard sizes so this is the only size where the confusion might occur.

I'd advise anyone looking at 15mm rails to check exactly what you're buying. No doubt the miniature size has practical advantages for some projects but it is not as robust as the standard size for heavy load applications. Those initials make all the difference!

[Boyan Silyavski]

Boyan,
I notice that both BST and your recommended supplier Hong Yi sell both the 'miniature' MGN15 size rails and the larger HGR15 (same size as Hi-Win). The overall height from the base of the rail to the top of the carriage is only 16mm for the miniature compared to 28 for the standard size. Strangely enough the larger size works out slightly cheaper from Hong Yi for the 400mm set I'm looking at for my planned Z-axis upgrade. 15mm seems to be the largest size available in the miniature range and the smallest in the standard sizes so this is the only size where the confusion might occur.

I'd advise anyone looking at 15mm rails to check exactly what you're buying. No doubt the miniature size has practical advantages for some projects but it is not as robust as the standard size for heavy load applications. Those initials make all the difference!

Thats why i laugh when someone says here on forum, he will buy the stuff and figure it out later. I make 3d model of what i make, then piece by piece simulate the assembly and still so normally a mistake or 2 happens.

I say : Figure it out earlier, buy rails and screws. Receive them. Check what is received. Then compare to drawing and continue the build.

[JAZZCNC]

Thats why i laugh when someone says here on forum, he will buy the stuff and figure it out later.

This is the most common mistake I find people make, that and buying stepper driver kits.!. . . . If only they would search the forum first.!

[Kitwn]

If I'd been an avid reader of MYCNCUK before I ever set out to build my first plywood and allthread router a few years ago, the machine I have now would not look anything like the machine I have now!

[Neale]

If I'd been an avid reader of MYCNCUK before I ever set out to build my first plywood and allthread router a few years ago, the machine I have now would not look anything like the machine I have now!

I saw and believed lots of internet content that told me how great my first MDF router would be. Then I built it. Then I found this forum. Curiously, my mk2 machine looks a whole lot different as well! Learnt a lot on the way, though.

[NeoMorph]

This is the most common mistake I find people make, that and buying stepper driver kits.!. . . . If only they would search the forum first.!

“Hmm instead of rails perhaps I could save some money using drawer slides.”

Seriously... I saw that once and even I, of the limited CNC knowledge, laughed my socks off at that

[JAZZCNC]

“Hmm instead of rails perhaps I could save some money using drawer slides.”

Seriously... I saw that once and even I, of the limited CNC knowledge, laughed my socks off at that

Got one better than that look at this.? . . . Din rail for rail.!! . . . . . A lesson in how to waste $900 . . .This should be made a Sticky on how NOT to do it.!

[NeoMorph]

Thats why i laugh when someone says here on forum, he will buy the stuff and figure it out later. I make 3d model of what i make, then piece by piece simulate the assembly and still so normally a mistake or 2 happens.

I say : Figure it out earlier, buy rails and screws. Receive them. Check what is received. Then compare to drawing and continue the build.

I always plan out my builds before anything... the only exception is why I bought this spindle first as the machine will be built around it and it’s better to have an idea of sizes and wiring/plumbing requirements as I’ve never had a water cooled spindle before.

Also there is the learning factor. Learning what I need to do with the VFD (another thing I haven’t had before) surprised me when I read the manual and it clearly says to NOT use a contactor or it could damage the VFD. I’d watched people on YouTube use contactors in their build and would have made a big mistake if I hadn’t looked at the manual.

I know what I don’t know... and I’m missing a lot of info regarding the electrics at present. I will have to trawl through the site and look up as much info as I can... I already know I will be using the serial comms on the VFD for Mach3 to control and display spindle speed... but I’ve only found a 10 year old driver for the HuanYang... is that right?