Probably a Stupid Question.

[Electroconducive]

I am very much here to defer to the hands on experience of guys like yourself Jazz. So, thanks for prodding me for more details.

The overall size of the machine is currently 940x1200mm. I am hoping for a machining area of 900x600x200mm. I intend to mainly route Aluminium, Copper, Plastics, the occasional bit of wood and I'd like to be able to tickle steel enough to surface it. I am hoping for an accuracy of as much as I can get.

The super wide Z axis is to incorporate a standard 2.2kw chinese spindle and one of the cheap BT30 low 3000-6000 RPM spindles and a servo. I'd kinda like this machine to be as versatile as possible and would want the low RPM for tapping and possible fly cutting. I'd prefer this over a larger machining area. I expect I can shrink the Z width further to increase machining area and reduce weight.

Cheap BT30: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/BT30...ceBeautifyAB=0


The pictures show my current progress. The frame is 80x80x5mm SHS. The Gantry is a single 120x120x5 section with the rail mounts welded on 60x10mm flat bar, and either milled or epoxy levelled. The side sections are 15mm steel plate that will be bolted on and either mill surfaced in situ for rail carriages or epoxied level and in the same plane. The side plates are bolted to make milling the rail supports possible without crashing the mill. I am intending to fill the 120mm SHS with epoxy granite. I am yet to design the router floor stand.

Mass of the gantry+Z is currently 65KG without any spindles or EG. Spindles, steppers and the EG will easily add another 40KG. Hence the question about servo controlling the X axis.

I have ditched this gantry design. I think instead of trying to make a router do more than it really should, I'm just going to go with a box Z style set up with the standard 2.2kw spindle. I'll go with single point thread mills or tap by hand.

I thought about building another gantry out of extrusion and with a hand router, to be able to machine the box Z. I am probably better just paying to get the box Z machined from the start.




There's where I am with the design.

I am kinda shamelessly ripping off ideas from RouterCNC and Jonathan.


Again, I intend to fill the steel tube parts of the gantry with EG. I already ordered the epoxy and aggregate to mess around with. I am also entertaining the idea of casting a bed out of EG with embedded steel and replaceable strips. It would still work out cheaper than machining a massive aluminium slab, with the added benefit of maybe improving surface finish through vibration dampening.

When I am done with the design and start welding the frame, I'll start a build log.