Wooden CNC

[Boyan Silyavski]

I know a lot of people disapprove of wooden CNC, but I've set my heart on the Sidewinder, I've recieved the plans and started cutting the parts.

I am definitely one of them. At least what you could do is listen to others advice on ball screws and drives and motors and breakout board. So when you come to your senses you could use the parts for making a better machine.

[Robin Hewitt]

So when you come to your senses you could use the parts for making a better machine.

It is starting to get to you to. I used to be really helpful and typed long explanations about why things like MDF routers were a terrible idea, why you really needed a milling machine to cut aluminium, why 200 steps/rev was a really poor choice, why 64 microsteps was going to make things worse not better and so on. But like beating your head against a brick wall it helps no one and it is nice when you stop

[Andyshomecrafts]

I'm sorry for asking advice about the wooden CNC if it pisses so many people of, I thought forums were meat to help and advise people who are interested in the topic.
The reason I want to build a wooden CNC. Is it's the only thing I am able to work with, I want to build the project on my own. I have the tools to work with wood. 4 years ago I woke up in a hospital bed, to cut a long story short and to save boring anyone, I'd had two massive strokes and been in a coma for 11 weeks, couldn't walk or talk still can't, but I can move my arms.
So it's easy for me to get my son to cut the big parts from wood, because neither of us know two things about working with metal.
So no worries I won't be on here again, so you won't be banging no heads against no walls.

[Clive S]

Andy Please don't take any notice of what has been said. You have made it quite clear you want to build and wooden router and if you need help you will find it on here and I for one will help all I can.

Don't buy any electronics or motors until you are ready and they can be the difference between a good machine and a crap machine. You don't need to spend a lot of money on the BOB I run my mill from a £10 BOB from a PP. if you look for AM822 drives on ebay and motor from http://www.cnc4you.co.uk/Stepper-Motor-Plus you won't go far wrong.

Please don't be put off by the people that want to build a 1 ton machine and think everybody should do the same.
Good luck with the buid ..Clive

[Andyshomecrafts]

Thank you.

[routercnc]

Hi Andy,

Hang in there. My first machine was built just over 5 years ago from plywood and unsupported rails. It used a normal router for cutting. It would cut balsa wood, and liteply, and if you were not in a hurry plywood:



If you pushed it then it would tend to cut ellipses not circles, so it had it's limitations. Basically it was not very stiff. So here it is cutting bits for it's successor (the gantry sides):



And here is machine 2 which used alot more aluminum, plus linear profile rails on the Y and Z, and a water cooled spindle:



But it still had limitations especially when cutting parts off centre (single ballscrew tends to rack the gantry). The gantry sides were still plywood, and the roller bearings on the X axis needed continuous adjustment and cleaning. So here it is cutting parts for it's successor:



And here is that machine:


And here it is munching through some 20mm aluminium plate for the Z axis upgrade:

to make:


And here it is at the moment:


So it depends on what you want to achieve, and not being too disappointed if you build a basic machine. Good news is you can always build a better one, it just takes longer and costs you more. Good luck with the machine and your life circumstances in general . . .

[routercnc]

Hi Andy

Just so you know the sidewinder machine looks like the leadscrews connect directly to the stepper motors. This means all the cutting forces are taken by the stepper motor bearings which is not great and would cause them to wear out. Most machines on here use a separate bearing block which takes care of these forces (see BK or BF bearings as Neil mentions).

[Boyan Silyavski]

It is starting to get to you to. I used to be really helpful and typed long explanations about why things like MDF routers were a terrible idea, why you really needed a milling machine to cut aluminium, why 200 steps/rev was a really poor choice, why 64 microsteps was going to make things worse not better and so on. But like beating your head against a brick wall it helps no one and it is nice when you stop

You are 7 years here. I am 1 and a half. I could not even imagine what you have been through .

But yeah, after you try to persuade 10 people with 0 result, all leads to short -NO . Anyway, people should learn to read build logs. I for once read all build logs on site, before starting to ask questions. I still have many questions but first search then ask.

I'm sorry for asking advice about the wooden CNC if it pisses so many people of, I thought forums were meat to help and advise people who are interested in the topic.


The reason I want to build a wooden CNC. Is it's the only thing I am able to work with, I want to build the project on my own. I have the tools to work with wood. 4 years ago I woke up in a hospital bed, to cut a long story short and to save boring anyone, I'd had two massive strokes and been in a coma for 11 weeks, couldn't walk or talk still can't, but I can move my arms.
So it's easy for me to get my son to cut the big parts from wood, because neither of us know two things about working with metal.
So no worries I won't be on here again, so you won't be banging no heads against no walls.

No body is judging you. Dont take that personally. Me and the others gave you a sound advice instead of trying to dissuade you. Its a really good forum with a lot of helpful people. You could do a plane from paper if you like to. What i and others were suggesting is to buy the components so, that they would work ok in a normal machine and save you some head banging against walls.