Well here goes... Aluminium frame router design

[CharlieRam]

I see three problems with buying a mill.

1. I couldn't say I made it myself ( big one)
2 It's bloody huge! I would never get it in my back garden and even if I did, I wouldn't have anywhere to put it.
3 Divorce is expensive :-)

Cheers, Charlie

[JAZZCNC]

I see three problems with buying a mill.

1. I couldn't say I made it myself ( big one)
2 It's bloody huge! I would never get it in my back garden and even if I did, I wouldn't have anywhere to put it.
3 Divorce is expensive :-)

Well easy replys's to these Commnets.!!

#1 It would be an achievement in it's self for someone new to CNC to Retrofit something like this and they could be proud if they did it.!
#2 This should tell you everything you need to know about what's required to cut steel.!! . . . . It's nearly 3000KG and mostly cast iron.
#3 Turned out to be the Best thing that ever happened and worth every penny(And there where many 1000's. . Lol).

[CharlieRam]

Well....
Ive changed my mind again! not sure whether to start another thread now.
I have decided that I am going to buy a mini milling machine for machining steels and simple plates ect which will help me build my router which will therefor be used mainly for woods and plastics with maybe the occasional bit of aluminium if I decide to convert the mill, I am thinking something like the ama25lv, its about the right size to get behind my shed!
This means I am back to idea 6 albeit with a conventional Z but I have measured the area where I am building my 'workshop' and once I have fitted soundproof / insulation I will be left with a working area of about 1.6m wide by 4m long. If i install my router flat then that will leave only 60cm at best to get past the machine, Is this too tight? it could be quite dangerous with the gantry swinging back and forth!
My other option would be to install it against the wall length ways or height ways and bolt to the floor, height ways would work best for me but that depends on the recomended gradient and the lump of concrete its bolted to!
Can you take a look at my Y carriage arrangement and let me know if it will be OK, I moved the lower carriages together by 50mm and the upper ones 50mm further apart so it utilises the space on top of the beam and gives me some of the movement back which was lost by using the conventional Z.
Things to do:
1. Build my shed/workshop
2. Buy a milling machine
3. Build my router!
4. convert the milling machine?

Cheers, Charlie

[CharlieRam]

Well here it is, Idea 9 , mainly for woods/plastics but also hoping to do a bit of aluminium or cast iron work when I modify my mill (which I havn't actually got yet! )
All bits in blue are steel, the gantry is built using 80x40 4mm box section aluminium with a 20mm plate across the front, the X axis rails will be 80 x 40 steel with 5mm of resin for leveling but I am not sure whether to go 3mm or 4mm steel thickness (is 3mm enough, I will go 4mm if its weldable??) the frame is 50x50 3mm steel and I plan on putting 4"x1" aluminium box section running the length of the bed with a 10mm alu plate on top of that drilled and tapped.
To manufacture the gantry I plan to machine the front plate, leaving a little for finishing. The aluminium box section will then be bolted together, solid aluminium blocks will be machined to fit in the ends. I am then hoping to lightly skim the X rail seating faces square to the front face and also lightly skim the front face before attaching the 20mm plate. I will then skim the profile rail support faces on the alu plate. What do you reckon?
The frame and X rails are all one component and even though I haven't welded before I am hoping to get the top face for the rails within 5mm so that the epoxy leveling will do its job! I realize that I am going to have to shim the ballscrew mounts so that they run parallel with the rails but is there anything else I should watch out for?
I have included the sketchup file for anyone wanting to tear it apart for scrutiny and as always appreciate any feedback as to why it will/won't work.
Cheers, Charlie

[Boyan Silyavski]

I wouldn't put that profile at the back, that limits larger pieces. Instead cut 2 more small side pieces and reinforce the last one of the stair steps at the back of the table, welding a pack of 2 together. Same for the front. may be even one more at the middle. Or reinforce back and front with additional plates.

How long and how wide is the table? may be if you remove what i say you will need adding it bellow, even at front also. Depends on your priorities. Tough i see at the other hand you use a lot of diagonals, so that last may be not necessary.