CNC Router V1.0 (For Cutting Multiple Materials)

[digitaldodo]

Looks to be a nice build project. I will be watching your WIP with interest as the size and style are similar to the one I am thinking about trying to design and then build. I fear it will take me some time to get my project off the ground though.

Andy

[biketrialsdave]

Wow, over a year has passed since I last touched this project! (too many other projects getting in the way...)

I have decided to sell my laser cutter and put the money towards funding this new project....

I have been doing quite a bit of thinking and have concluded that if I'm going to do this I may as well do it properly! Browsing the forum I came across a design by JAZZCNC which looks much more substantial. In fact it may look a little overkill for what I need. I may be aiming to use more aluminium profile to keep costs down. Although I really have no idea as to how much those ally plates (gantry in the link below) would cost to have machined?

http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/6274-...ext-step/page2

[JAZZCNC]

In fact it may look a little overkill for what I need. I may be aiming to use more aluminium profile to keep costs down. Although I really have no idea as to how much those ally plates (gantry in the link below) would cost to have machined?

Aluminium profile doesn't always keep the cost down by the time you factor other things like fixings etc which you will need to take advantage of profile.
Granted the design of mine you have been looking at does require quite a bit of machine work and really you need a machine to build this one but the aluminium it's self won't cost much more than Profile by the time you have factored in all the hidden items profile needs and it's much stronger and neater.

To be honest how far you want or need to go depends on the type of work your planning on using the machine to do. If your mostly using it for Router type duty's IE: Wood, plastics etc then you don't need to go this far but if your wanting to cut aluminium with any decent depth of cut and finish quality then this is a minimum. Now this machine was designed from the begining as an all round machine which can do a decent job of all tasks but Make no mistakes this does come at a price and slightly makes it master of None.
If you want the best machine without having to go silly on design and work required then your much better targeting the main use and build to that. This way you get a machine that is the best it can be and give great results at sensible money and time frame to build.

If you are prepared to learn welding or can weld then Buildng from Steel will save you lots of money and is quite forgiving. It makes possible for very strong machine chassis cheaply. This then allows you to spend money where it matters most and that is on correct linear components and quality electronics.
There will be some Aluminium parts required like Z axis but the major chassis parts like frame and Gantry can be made from steel if done correctly.

[biketrialsdave]

Thank you, that confirms what I suspected!

On a slightly different topic, where is a good place to buy a set of end mills? Just after standard metric sizes...if such a thing exists! It will also help me work out my Z axis height.

Cheers,

Dave

[m_c]

Do a search on here, as it's been discussed before.

Endmills I get from ArcEuroTrade when I'm ordering other stuff, but I'm using a milling machine and don't use that many non-insert endmills. What I do are mostly 12mm, with the occasional 6 or 8mm. Router needs are very different.

[Lee Roberts]

Hi dave, put some additional ali profile in between the current lengths, then lock it all together from the back so its more like one solid mass.

.Me

[biketrialsdave]

Good suggestion, had something like that in mind. As the design currently is there is a 120mm gap between the top and bottom profile pieces on the gantry. That would nicely fit another piece of profile and completely enclose the back (although then I wouldn't have easy access). Either that or perhaps some vertical pieces of profile between the two horizontal pieces maybe?

[biketrialsdave]

A axis added - some detail missing.

[biketrialsdave]

Is anyone able to give me a rough order of magnitude for the sort of price I will be paying for having the custom aluminium parts (gantry side etc) machined? I really don't have too much of an idea right now!

Cheers,

Dave

[Wobblycogs]

Just my 2p worth... I'd say you have a lot of designing still to do. My guess is that you will replace some of that extrusion with plate and you'll probably add more (machined) plate into the design. Any guess at a machining cost at this stage would be unrealistic I think. You might also like to consider whether your design will require machining on both sides of any plate as that will increase the cost due to the set up time needed to machine one side, flip the plate and align it accurately for machining on the other side. If you have a look at my design I've specifically made it so that it can all be machined from one side with the exception of some counterbores that I'll do myself. Lets put it this way, I spent a lot more on parts than I did / will on machining costs.