New CNC Mill on the horizon

[MikeyC38]

Hi FVFDRUMS, i have been watching this build log because i,m going to build a m/c similar to yours, similar cutting area with similar size tooling(20mm linear guides and 16mm ball screws) .the lengths will be different sizes. i plan to m/c hardwood ( the occasional guitar body) can you let me know where you bought the slides, ball screws and bearing blocks to suit? also is there a download of the specs available so i can incorporate this info in to my dwg.
By the way, how is your build going?

Hi PauRO

I got my parts from Chai at linearbearings2008 on eBay. Many on this forum have used him with good results. I got the following (see link) but swapped the supported round 1100mm SBR16 slides for SBR20. Chai was excellent in changing the order and I received everything intact within 10 days. 3 SBR16 sets +3 ballscrews RM1605+3BK/BF12 +3 couplers | eBay . I'm building my CNC to make guitar bodies

Regards
Mike

[fvfdrums]

Well its been quite a while (9months) since I was last on this thread talking about the machine I was about to start and as per usual a whole load of "Life" has got in the way preventing this from moving forward in the way I had hoped.

Anyway to cut a long story short its got to the time of the year when for me work goes a bit quiet and means I can legitimately take some "time off " a real rare thing, so I have now planned in for work to start on the machine in the 1st or 2nd week of November.

I now have a great garage space I have converted with heating and all my machine tools so it will be much easier to produce a better quality machine in the space.

Only problem is somehow in the last 9 months the folder containing all my drawings has vanished and apparently its nothing to do with the other half :| so I need to start drawing up from scratch again which will give me an oppertunity to have a look at the design with fresh eyes. Honestly I am not sure I will change too much from before as it was based on a machine Jazz had shown me some photos of and I really liked the compact aspect of it and the moveable bed design.

So I guess its a case of watch this space over the next month and hopefully I will be back up and running with a shopping list a workable design to go with it. Thanks to everyone so far for their inputs and guiding me in the right direction.

[fvfdrums]

Quick question that I was trying to get answered earlier in the year but never got a definative so I thought I would get "paint" involved.

I was wondering if the BK12 bearing units have a rubber seal in them before the 2 bearings in the houseing and if so does the machined end of the ballscrew stop at this seal or the black part at the back of the unit or doe it fit right up to the bearings inside the unit. Picture attached is it A or B or even C and I am way off!

On a separate note I am awaiting the arrival of some profile rail and bearing carraiges, managed to find a good deal in the end and they are now in the country according to Royal Mail and out for delivery so there is a chance they may turn up today which would be great.

[fvfdrums]

copy and paste mistake yes I mean 1:1!!

I was looking into that possibility and I think I must have guess the dims pretty close as I had exactly the same design issues but I think I can get it in!

[fvfdrums]

after a bit of redrawing last night I had a thought that the fk/ff bearings (which I have just stumbled across) may be a better option for the x axis that the bk/bf ones. I am trying to determine the exact length of the ballscrew I need and cannot tell if the bearings in these units are flush to the back of the mounting plates or they are set in? does anyone have or know a link to some accurate tech specs for these bearings? Because the design of the axis uses a plate either end of the frame to sandwich the x axis ballscrew between two bearing units and I need to know the length of ballscrew I need to order otherwise there will be play or it will be over sized!

Alternatively if I were to machine up my own bearing blocks for the x axis, the floating end is straight forward, what does the fixed end comprise of? angluar contact bearings? sizes?

[fvfdrums]

D.c

Thanks

Yes have accounted for around £450.00 worth of "finishing" as it's titled in our budget all those bits really add up I guess I am quite fortunate to have a fair amount of bits "in stock" also cutters and collets included from running a large cnc lathe previous to this but your right it's surprising how it all adds up!

[fvfdrums]

Ok right I have hit the new year running so have a full months work of build time allocated between work over Feb and Mar. Now I have the dreaded tax return out the way I have the rest of this week to work on finalising the design etc whilst I am doing this I would like to try and figure out the best place to source things other than what I already know so if people in the know would not mind chiming in to let me know where they have bought the following from eg reputable suppliers:

Nema 34 & 23 steppers ?? chinese supplier?

Leadshine Drivers ?? chinese supplier wont be ordering these until the machine is mechanically together but would be good to know

2.2kw Chinese spindle ??

Steel Box section 80x40 ideally any good suppliers?

Alumimnium plate I will be getting from aluminium warehouse as this seems the best place for cut to size pieces

Ball screws and lead screws and bearing holders from Chai

Timing Pulleys from Bearing station or bearing boys

Any help with this list would be greatly appreciated, apologies if there is a thread with all this on I have just not come across it as yet

Cheers

Francis

[kingcreaky]

Il help with the bits I can,
I used Aluminium Supplier | Aluminium Stock | Aluminium Warehouse for ali. I did a bit of a hunt and these lot where about as cheap as anywhere else and very convenient.
I also used and have been very pleased with chai.
One thing I will say though, is the BK bearing block for the RM16x ballscrews I bought seem to be very good. However the BF bearing housing seems rather poor. Fortunately, for my two long X ballscrews, I opted to have the screws machined at both ends, and use BK at either end. If I did it again I would also do the same for the Y ballscrew and Z Ballscrew.

timing pulleys, i used htd 15mm from Bearing Station - Adhesives, Bearings, Belts, Chains, O Rings, Oil Seals, Pulleys & Sprockets

[D.C.]

For the steel if you want online try fhbrundle:

Rectangular Hollow Steel Sections - F H Brundle

For the aluminium either aluminium warehouse that kingcreaky already pointed out or ascmetals.
Metal Stockists: ASC Metals Lincoln Ltd. - Metal stockholders for East Midlands/North of England

It is worth phoning around a few local metal suppliers to see what is available from actual people rather than online it might work out cheaper especially if you can collect it.

For the motors I was planning on ordering from cnc4you, the price seems as good as ordering from china surprisingly... Unless anyone has found anywhere better of course.

Nema23 3.1Nm

The spindle/vfd off ebay, I think a few people have used solar.jean

[kingcreaky]

Whoever you use, Id recommend getting all of your electronics from one supplier.

Although I got my steppers from cnc4you also, Zapp Automation Ltd is a site sponsor, and from what I read a member on here and a very good at providing advice and support to the products you buy from him. No slight on cnc4you but if I did it again id use zapp for the motors / electronics as I suspect this area will trip me up most when I come to assemble it. as ive used an array of suppliers I suspect this may cause me a headache when asking support questions.