My CNC router build

[fritter63]

Just a few pictures as I finish my CNC router build - CNCRouterparts.com, Pro 4x2 kit.

Has just a 4x2 footprint, which meets my needs for guitar jigs and neck carving/inlays. But the cool thing about this kit (based on 8020 extrusions) is I can expand it along the X axis by just replacing rails. Hoping to get my electronics setup in the next week.

Have been on a STEEP learning curve with CAD using Fusion 360, but has awesome builtin CAM simulation so should minimize mistakes on the table.

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[morgan]

Looks great,  what sort of spoil board are you gonna do and what do you plan to do for hold downs?  I had recently bought the pro kit too but I was overly ambitious in ordering a 5x10 and thinking I could put it in a 2 car garage.... I subsequently bought a 2800 sq ft shop as I realized the garage just want gonna work. 

 

[fritter63]

Haven't finalized but leaning towards an MDF based vacuum table. Trying to decide if I should do that or just make smaller vacuum jigs that clamp down.

 

[Tayler_mann]

Haven't finalized but leaning towards an MDF based vacuum table. Trying to decide if I should do that or just make smaller vacuum jigs that clamp down.

Vacuum table is by the best way to go. Combine it with a table vise as well and your piece will not move at all. That whole setup looks quite expensive. I am curious as the cost of CNC machines have came down substantially wouldn't have been cheaper to just buy a 4' x 8'? The company that makes my CNC machines have an entry level machine for just under $15,000 with computer and dust collector.

 

[Kev]

I love this space. I foresee a future robotic "self awareness" in this space where some clever software allows something like a CNC unit to learn and self calibrate best accurate methods of execution.

The traditional side of me doesn't like the idea if woodworking through a computer display [sad]

 

[fritter63]

@kev

Can you imagine woodworking on a Star Trek holodeck? Infinite tools and jigs, perfect wood , and an "undo " command!!!!

 

[Kev]

[member=13058]Kev[/member]

Can you imagine woodworking on a Star Trek holodeck? Infinite tools and jigs, perfect wood , and an "undo " command!!!!

[member=10223]fritter63[/member]

Probably on the other side of world peace and no child going hungry .. but YES, I can.

Ironically we have enough technology to achieve this now, it's only a matter of clever integration.

I get a little emotional in the "what we can do v's what we do" space. Greed to profit over leaving a legacy for the future is the very thing that will doom homo sapiens as a species.

 

[fritter63]

If we could just stop fighting/killing and co-operate.

Damn, turning liberal in my old age ?

 

[fritter63]

Haven't finalized but leaning towards an MDF based vacuum table. Trying to decide if I should do that or just make smaller vacuum jigs that clamp down.

Vacuum table is by the best way to go. Combine it with a table vise as well and your piece will not move at all. That whole setup looks quite expensive. I am curious as the cost of CNC machines have came down substantially wouldn't have been cheaper to just buy a 4' x 8'? The company that makes my CNC machines have an entry level machine for just under $15,000 with computer and dust collector.

This one is about $4,000 so much cheaper and I just don't need that much capacity.

 

[Tayler_mann]

Haven't finalized but leaning towards an MDF based vacuum table. Trying to decide if I should do that or just make smaller vacuum jigs that clamp down.

Vacuum table is by the best way to go. Combine it with a table vise as well and your piece will not move at all. That whole setup looks quite expensive. I am curious as the cost of CNC machines have came down substantially wouldn't have been cheaper to just buy a 4' x 8'? The company that makes my CNC machines have an entry level machine for just under $15,000 with computer and dust collector.

This one is about $4,000 so much cheaper and I just don't need that much capacity.

That's not to bad of a price than. Does that include the table vacuum or is that just the CNC. Also, did the electronics come with pre and post script software? That's not to bad of a price at all for a machine that size. I know for what you use it for it probably doesn't matter but what are its tolerances.

 

[fritter63]

That's not to bad of a price than. Does that include the table vacuum or is that just the CNC. Also, did the electronics come with pre and post script software? That's not to bad of a price at all for a machine that size. I know for what you use it for it probably doesn't matter but what are its tolerances.

That's for the CNC with electronics, sans PC.

Will also be adding an Ethernet Smooth Stepper.

I'm using Fusion360 which has it's own G-code post processor built in (and full CAM simulator!), and it's free to hobbyists like me.

Full machine specs and prices are here: http://www.cncrouterparts.com

 

[Sparktrician]

Looks interesting, Mark.  What's your first project going to be? 

 

[fritter63]

Probably a vacuum table from MDF! But first real part will a new guitar bridge I designed .

 

[Tayler_mann]

That's not to bad of a price than. Does that include the table vacuum or is that just the CNC. Also, did the electronics come with pre and post script software? That's not to bad of a price at all for a machine that size. I know for what you use it for it probably doesn't matter but what are its tolerances.

That's for the CNC with electronics, sans PC.

Will also be adding an Ethernet Smooth Stepper.

I'm using Fusion360 which has it's own G-code post processor built in (and full CAM simulator!), and it's free to hobbyists like me.

Full machine specs and prices are here: http://www.cncrouterparts.com

What program are you using to write your code, for example, Vcarve Pro by Vectric's.

Another thing to add is if you do go with a vacuum table and you possibly want to expand to a 4' x 8' table make sure you get a pump to run a 4' x 8' table or you will be buying a new pump later. It is quite handy to have a larger table for making things such as Your own MFT tops and larger jigs. Just for a piece of mind for my 4' x 8' table I have a 7hp blower that's 3 phase and I still feel like at times I want more suckage. So even though my blower puts the name to suck a golf ball through a garden hose it still feels weak for smaller parts (anything less than a 6"x6").

 

[nclemmons]

I've been very impressed with Fusion 360.  Lots of capability and free for hobbyists!

 

[fritter63]

Short video of my machine after I got it running:

 

[fritter63]

Finally got to make my first cuts today. Here it is cutting a "test plenum" for the vacuum hold down table that will be on it (and cut by the machine itself!).

 

[fritter63]

Here it is cutting a prototype of my new guitar bridge.