Build and Intro

**Washout** · 06-02-2014

That is some really nice work - I have been toying with replacing my kitchen with some CNC work (will need a bigger machine), but those furniture pieces are very inspiring.

**cncJim** · 06-02-2014

Originally Posted by swisscheese

Also another
Start with min hole size at 1 mm and max around 4.
Melamine faced chip board and laminated mdf work good.

I have never timed but I would estimate that one of those doors ( from the tree cabinet) took around 1 to 1 and a half hours. Those doors were 15 thousand holes each. Probably could go faster but as you say you don't want the z axis losing steps as it works very hard and would be a bugger to reset.

Melamine faced chip board is a good idea. I can't remember where I saw it now but after cutting this guy covered the board with black dye. The dye stained all of the cut sections but wiped clean from the melamine leaving a very high contrast design.

15,000 holes for each door! Wow! So that's a minimum of 30,000 z movements? 60,000 for both doors.... Amazing.

I wonder what kind of strain that puts on the z screw?

Jim

**EddyCurrent** · 07-02-2014

I was thinking about using contrasting hardwood veneers, thicker than normal veneer.

**swisscheese** · 07-02-2014

Originally Posted by cncJim

Melamine faced chip board is a good idea. I can't remember where I saw it now but after cutting this guy covered the board with black dye. The dye stained all of the cut sections but wiped clean from the melamine leaving a very high contrast design.

15,000 holes for each door! Wow! So that's a minimum of 30,000 z movements? 60,000 for both doors.... Amazing.

I wonder what kind of strain that puts on the z screw?

Jim

I think this may be the video you're thinking of...

Aventador Halftone cut by DIY cnc router - YouTube

I have tried this but couldn't get all the black stain off the melamine. I tried ink, watered down ink, acrylic paint and water based paint, all left a grey/light black on the white. The program mentioned above also has an option to do images in the wave pattern.

With respect to the images yes there's a lot of stopping and starting, from memory it was around 45,000 lines of code. I wouldn't be too concerned about the ball screw, that should be alright. My main worry would be with the connection between pulleys and ballscrew with respect to how well they are mounted onto shaft. If you have read my thread you would know I had a few problems with the pulleys coming loose on shaft and chewing the shaft up. I was always checking that the set screws are tight. Now its been a while with no loosening I can be pretty certain it should stay that way.

**EddyCurrent** · 07-02-2014

That's a great video. With regard to getting stain off melamine, maybe before you start you could paint it with a thin coat of PVA, cut it, stain it, then the PVA + stain should wash off with water leaving the melamine clean.

**cncJim** · 07-02-2014

Originally Posted by swisscheese

I think this may be the video you're thinking of...

Yes, thats the one.

Originally Posted by swisscheese

I have tried this but couldn't get all the black stain off the melamine. I tried ink, watered down ink, acrylic paint and water based paint, all left a grey/light black on the white.

That's a shame, seemed like it could be a good method. I wonder if maybe there are different types/grades of melamine?

Originally Posted by swisscheese

With respect to the images yes there's a lot of stopping and starting, from memory it was around 45,000 lines of code. I wouldn't be too concerned about the ball screw, that should be alright. My main worry would be with the connection between pulleys and ballscrew with respect to how well they are mounted onto shaft. If you have read my thread you would know I had a few problems with the pulleys coming loose on shaft and chewing the shaft up. I was always checking that the set screws are tight. Now its been a while with no loosening I can be pretty certain it should stay that way.

I haven't read your full thread, I will have a look. I too have had issues with with couplings coming loose.....when mine came loose the spindle dropped and almost set fire to my garage! (To be fair it was my fault for not keeping an eye on the machine while running)

Originally Posted by EddyCurrent

That's a great video. With regard to getting stain off melamine, maybe before you start you could paint it with a thin coat of PVA, cut it, stain it, then the PVA + stain should wash off with water leaving the melamine clean.

Interesting idea eddy. The other example shown on Jason dories site is to cover the board in self adhesive vinyl, cut, spray paint, remove the vinyl. Seemed to work quite well.

**EddyCurrent** · 07-02-2014

Originally Posted by cncJim

The other example shown on Jason dories site is to cover the board in self adhesive vinyl, cut, spray paint, remove the vinyl. Seemed to work quite well.

That must be the Blue Peter method, sounds good though.
Instead of PVA maybe wallpaper paste would work ? obviously let it dry first.

**cncJim** · 07-02-2014

Lol! At first I was going to write "sticky backed plastic" but thought it sounded a bit naff!

**swisscheese** · 07-02-2014

Now that I looked at that video again it looks as though he didn't get all the ink off the melamine either. Hard to tell though. Some of those ideas sound good, I will give a shot when I do it next.

Just uploaded this vid, Quality isn't very good but you get the idea. Set it at highest quality (240p)

Halftone image CNC DIY router - YouTube

**cncJim** · 07-02-2014

Originally Posted by swisscheese

Now that I looked at that video again it looks as though he didn't get all the ink off the melamine either. Hard to tell though. Some of those ideas sound good, I will give a shot when I do it next.

Just uploaded this vid, Quality isn't very good but you get the idea. Set it at highest quality (240p)

Halftone image CNC DIY router - YouTube

thanks for sharing the vid - your machine look like its running really well, good job