inspiration thread

[GEOFFREY]

Matt, Neil, thanks for the +ve comments, but my efforts are no better than any others - I think everyones efforts are fantastic. I must admit that when this opportunity arose I was very keen, and am so pleased with the end results. The models are still on display at Heathrow, indeed 6 months after they were errected they were taken down and returned to the paint shop, redecorated in the new ETIHAD livery and re-errected on site. All three models are grouped in a flying position (on pylons) on the roundabout at terminal 4. After leaving the engineering/construction field in 1992 I decided to try to start up a modeling business, but my wife was not too interested, however when I said dollhouses she snapped up the bait!!! CNC machines were unknown to me until I visited a DH builder who had an old Wadkin cnc router. I was captivated. I had to have one!!! I purchased an old PCB drill-router, wasted many hours trying to get it working (I failed) and eventually bit the bullit, bought an AMC4 dedicated controllerand with the help of a friend converted that old machine that I love. A very strong fixed gantry 540mmx450mm 3 axis machine. I have built hundreds of dollhouses, miniatures and models (mainly dollhouse related) since then and even used alphacam to draw up the design for my new house and all the plans required for building regs and planning etc. I would like to add that I am self taught in all things CNC, but I am lucky enough to have a clever friend who has helped - thanks Graham.
Anyway sorry about the long story (hope it may inspire someone) and time to post the next batch of pics. G.[IMG]desktop[/IMG]

[JAZZCNC]

Very very Cool.

Geoffrey do the Cabin windows have lights in them.?

Good job they weren't up here last night because they would have lifted off, Pylons an All, with the winds we have.!!

[GEOFFREY]

Hi Jazz, all will be revealed in the next batch of pictures!!! G.

[Neale]

I would like to lower the tone a bit here... These intricate/large etc models and so on are great, but I tend to find myself a bit discouraged sometimes by seeing beautiful bits of work from others. So, to counter this, and to show something much, much simpler but which goes down well as stocking-filler type gifts at Christmas, here are this year's coffee-table coasters. A set of these separates into individual pieces, but form a conversation-starting jigsaw when assembled. I was originally inspired to make these by the blog I found which described one man's efforts to tile his hall and sitting room with larger versions of the same design. Came out well, too. Mine are in sapele, and show what can be cut with a 3-year-old MDF router that's only just about hanging together still.

Here's mine:

[routercnc]

Couple of little projects I made a few weeks back - thought I'd share them here.

First up is a DTI holder to make it easier to clock the vice.

Started with a scrap bit of aluminium and marked it out, drilled some holes, and did a trial fit:
Attachment 16991

Seems OK so trimmed it to size:
Attachment 16992

And there we are. Makes clocking the vice a bit easier - I used various clamps and bolts before and it took a while to set up. Now it is ready in moments:
Attachment 16993

________________________________________

Second little project is a touch probe. This is a piece if PCB board superglued to a block of aluminium. The PCB provides electrical isolation from the machine bed (otherwise the probe would be active all the time). I glued it to the block to give it some weight to hold it in place, and the PCB was not super flat.
I've already glued the board to the block, and sized the block around the perimeter prior to this photo.

Here is the block depth being skimmed to as close to 10mm as possible. Actual dimension is not critical as long as it is flat but 10mm is easy to remember!
Attachment 16994

Then I soldered on a cable, and used a sleeve to finish it off. The other cable had a crocodile clip added to clip to the spindle mount to make the circuit when probing.

Here is it in use to set the Z height from the surface. I use mach3 screenset 2010 and tell the software that the block is 10mm thick. Then in the probing function hit one button and it does the probing and sets it all automatically.

Attachment 16995

I've also used in to set the X and Y zero on the edges of parts but it can be tricky to hold it in position whilst probing. Sometimes it will sit nicely on the vice jaw.
I'm sure many of you have your own versions - let's see them !

> Hi Lee, if you manage to catch this post would you be able to put it on the end of this 'inspiration' one? Only occurred to me after I'd posted that it would be better there. No worries if not:
http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/9273-...small+projects

[Jonathan]

I'll take this a bit more seriously now ... will try to make a post every week or so with something different I have made, as there are plenty of things. Lets go in date order and exclude things I've posted elsewhere on the forum, so starting in 2009/10, here is the wind turbine I made as my A-level DT project:





This is the project that caused me to make my first CNC router - so I could make the blades for this wind turbine. Six years later and I've still not made the blades, but I found plenty of other things to do with the machine!

[Washout]

Hi All,

I had better add a contribution to this thread and here's my latest project using the CNC machine. The first video is me droning on about the CAD and CAM side of creating a Fender Jaguar neck and the second is machining said neck once modeled:

[kingcreaky]

oohh i do like a nice youtube video... watched them all on your channel, subscribed and eager for more. keep up the good work.

[grain_r]

Hey Guys Just wanted to say thanks for the inspiration it certainly does make a difference and everything I have seen looks fantastic. The main problem I have is too many hobbies and would love to make all of these things but I guess I should finish my machine first. Hey Matt well done on starting this thread it is a great Idea I still have the sample piece that you made when I was with you on my desk as an inspiration too.
Thanks

Rob

[Lee Roberts]

Wal, I know of Gough previously, if you have a look in his videos he's got a time lapse of his renovating the MC he uses.

.Me