Bloke in uncoverted loft with 3 dot matrix printers says hi

[Lee Roberts]

You can get couplers from the same place you got the SK mounts from as well Hank ;)

8mm x 6.35mm is not a problem.

[HankMcSpank]

Just got round to making a short video of my 'heath robinson' (cheapskate's) CNC making parts for itself (a toolholder)...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOAPOP_3wq0"]YouTube - DIY Hobby CNC mill made from Dot Matrix Printers[/ame] (check out the elastic bands holding the dremel to the Z plane ....which is why it's cutting a new proper toolholder in the video!)

It's not exactly rock 'n roll but it tickles me!

Also got to sort out a better way of clamping the material!

I'll get a few photos taken of this machine once this toolholder is finished being cut & mounted (the final part of the five pieces designed in CAD will hopefully be cut tomorrow night), I just need to tidy my workbench a little afterwards!

Total cost about £140...

Stepper motors - free (dot matrix printers)
Stepper motor mounts - free (made from some 4" x 2" that I had lying around!)
Linear rod - free (from the dot matrix printers - about 33cm long)
PSU - not exactly free but I already had a 30V bench PSU capable of 5A.
£85 driver board (couldn't be @rsed to make that myself!)
£8 M8 threaded rod
£5 - drive nuts (I made from a block of delrin I bought off Ebay)
£16 - twelve SK12 mounts (for the linear rod)
£5 roller skate bearings (to thread the M8 threaded rod through)
£10 for 6 x SK16 mounts (for the roller skate bearing turning the M8 rod)
£10 various nut, bolts & screws!

Software - various CAD/CAM/CNC demos (need to shell out for some of this I guess!)