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

[njhussey]

Been machining some Nylon 6 for some sales samples for the USA and am getting fed up with the blinking chips going everywhere so thinking of making a dust shoe. I've got some 2" brush draught excluder so thinking of using that. Would a small airline in the shoe help clear the chips from round the cutter, would it interfere with the vacuum?

[njhussey]

Ok, so I'm bored of cutting ply....so as I need to make a wire bending device to make undercarriages (I'll be doing carbon ones later...) I decided to try tickling steel on my machine.



Ok so it was 13000 rpm, 400mm/min feed rate, 100mm/min plunge, 0.4 stepover (0.75mm) 2mm 4 flute carbide coated cutter taking 0.25mm deep cuts.

Used a HSS 4 flute 2mm cutter first but that snapped...

Think I'll be playing with this some more

[njhussey]

I've just bought the Estlcam software (through work) as I tried it last night and was impressed. It's much quicker than CamBam for doing RC bits (all I've tried at the moment...), I managed to do the CAM for 4 plates (600mm x 400mm) of nested parts in Estlcam last night in the time it normally takes me to do one in CamBam as it selects the geometry for you, if it's drawn correctly, instead of you having to join the lines into groups before you can select them and apply the CAM to them. CamBam also has the annoying habit of putting one random inside profile in an outside profile or viceversa.....I've just cut another plate for my Marabu plane and found one piece which has cut incorrectly like that. I normally spot them but on a couple of occasions I've missed them (rushing.....I know no excuse!) which means creating a new drawing for just that one piece....which is annoying

I'm sure that I'll be using both bits of software but at the moment my preference for what I do is Estlcam, just thought I'd say!

[njhussey]

Well, after all the recent custom jobs, my switch of hats from CNC operator/Machinist to Sales/Marketing & Web Design I'm back to the CNC building hat

I've already got the steel for the frame (it's sat rusting out in the yard) so decided to get the firm to purchase a new MIG welder, as my old second hand 90A stick welder was OK but I cant stick weld (not enough time spent practising really, not the welders fault as I'm sure it's just fine...) and today it arrived It is an R_Tech 180 Amp Portable Inverter MIG Welder so can be used for MMA and apparently even scratch TIG welding as well if I so feel inclined It has good reviews and I know Wobblycogs has one of their welders so looking forward to using it, even splashed out on a new auto darkening mask as mine has the head strap held together by gaffer tape



Just in case anyone had forgotten what the frame is going to look like.....



So watch this space, frame design will be finished (got to figure how to mount the router to it) the workshop area tidied and cleared and then the frame cut up and welded. Going to add an air extraction system in the workshop for when I'm machining so that will be connected to the router enclosure to extract dust (balsa and ply dust) and at some stage a DIY dust/chip clyclone extraction system (and dust shoe for the spindle) to stop the plastic chips being flung round the enclosure.....lots planned, so little time to do it!!

[Lee Roberts]

Sweet Neil!

Knowing "how you roll" it sounds and looks exciting, i look forward to seeing how it goes down ;-).

Check out dubbleboost on YouTube as he's into his R-Tec stuff and so has a couple of reviews on the go.

The Mrs got me an auto darkening helmet for Christmas (asked what i wanted, I said "food, a decent meal for dinner will do me babe"), not tried it out yet but they seem to be quite ok for the price, has yours got a grind function too? I didn't think she new I was abit of a grinder...must have been watching from the house while I had the tunes on....

I'll show you mine, if you show me yours? Its got one of them spunky detail/graphics jobs on the outside, looks to nice to chuck about on the floor

.Me

[njhussey]

Sweet Neil!

Knowing "how you roll" it sounds and looks exciting, i look forward to seeing how it goes down ;-).

Knowing how I roll.....it'll be another 5 years till it's finished!

Check out dubbleboost on YouTube as he's into his R-Tec stuff and so has a couple of reviews on the go.

I've seen them, they're linked to on the R-Tech web site...they helped sway me (and the reviews) into buying it.

The Mrs got me an auto darkening helmet for Christmas (asked what i wanted, I said "food, a decent meal for dinner will do me babe"), not tried it out yet but they seem to be quite ok for the price, has yours got a grind function too? I didn't think she new I was abit of a grinder...must have been watching from the house while I had the tunes on....

I'll show you mine, if you show me yours? Its got one of them spunky detail/graphics jobs on the outside, looks to nice to chuck about on the floor

.Me

I got a plain R-Tech Speedmaster XL, nothing fancy...not opened the box yet but it's just a plain colour I think. Yes it's got a grind function....just checked :)

[njhussey]

Had 20 mins before work this morning, drew up a motor mount and this morning cut it out using Trochoidal milling on my router...I wanted to use the "onion skin" method instead of holding tabs but my MDF bed is obviously not level!! The piece finished with the 2 finishing operations around the bosses and outside profile still to do! Still it gives me the opportunity to tweak the design a bit and re-cut it in lunchtime :D

There are 4 off 25mm long aluminium tubes (10mm OD, 6mm ID) to press in to the bosses for spacers which I'll then mill to the same height (should be OK as I did them on the lathe)

Anyway not bad for a first effort I think! Video will be up a bit later....internet connection is soooo slow today!

[njhussey]

Video of machining the piece here.....no editing or anything fancy...just pressed pause a few times

[Clive S]

Its always nice to see a part that has been designed and machined coming off.

[njhussey]

Its always nice to see a part that has been designed and machined coming off.

Cheers Clive, not as shiny, smooth and polished as some but nevertheless satisfying