Quote Originally Posted by thomashomer1986 View Post
i have already got 3 stepper motors (3.1Nm) from cnc4you, as i needed these to make the mounts. but now i'm unsure as to which components would suit my build best.

i like the idea of sticking with cnc4you, as they supply all of the wiring diagrams on there website (which i need lol). so i was thinking of using the CW5054 microstepping driver with the HG08 breakout board. any concerns with these?
also which PSU would be most suitable for my machine, would the 400W 36V be sufficient?
Ok well the Motors are Ok but if your looking to upgrade in the future then I wouldn't buy those drives or that PSU.
I would spend a little more money and buy 80V drives has this would ensure you have upgrade ability. I would also buy Digital drives has they are so much better than cheap Analogue drives and with your machine which is mainly Metal and using unsupported rails it could resonate quite a bit so they will handle this much better.

Regards the PSU then those motors are capable of handling 65-70v no problem and Voltage is key to best performance with steppers and 36V would be like running a Porche in 2nd gear only.!!
The 80V drives go nice with these motors run at 65V and give plenty of safety on the drives without stressing them but still give excellent speed and torque from the motors. Because you are using Leadscrew and Not ballscrews then you'll need that bit more grunt to over come the lower efficiency of the Lead screws.

Don't worry about the wiring has most drives wire the same and We/I will happily help you here. Best advise I can give is don't Skimp on the Electrics has it's the heart of the machine. This is esp true on the BOB has often most troubles come from this little Ba#''##rd. . Lol



Quote Originally Posted by thomashomer1986 View Post
oh and i havent got the spindle yet, i was thinking about just buying the little makita router i've seen on here a couple of times, however i do quite like the idea of making my own brushless motor as shown on these forums.
Again Don't waste Money on a DC spindle ETC just save up and buy WC Chinese spindle they can't be beaten for the money.
I understand Money is probably the Key but you'll end up spending more in the long run. Routers are Ok but noisy and the bearings don't last long in the cheap routers when used at CNC speeds & feeds, the better routers cost more than WC spindle and still can't match them.
DC spindles have there place if you need very high speeds or Low speeds but again they won't take a beating for long in harder materials.

Regards the Drives then Leadshine have just brought out a neat little 60V 3 Axis All-in-one board with Digital drives built in BOB and Spindle speed control. It's very neat and simple to wire just add juice and away you go. . This with an off the shelf 48V PSU will give decent performance for small machine and have all the benefits of the digital drives, again with plenty of safety overhead so not stressing the drives.
MX3660 - 3-Axis DSP Based Digital Stepper Drive Max 60 VDC / 6.0A

Yes it can be done separately for a little less but it's a great bit of kit for the new user and easy to get up and running. By the time you have bought the separate drives, BOB and Spindle Control along with shipping then wasted time shopping around for best prices you won't be saving a massive amount and with this your up and running in less than an hour.! and it will all fit inside a small BOX.

It's Like Gecko G540 but on steriods.. .Lol