build it myself CNC

[anotherdog]

I have been toying with the idea for a while, but now with winter drawing on, I would like to have a crack at building my own CNC router. Not intending serious dimensional work, I would just like to dip a toe in without spending a huge amount of cash.

Would anyone who has done this before recommend a site/plan/supplier that they have used in the past?

I'm looking for something around the 24x36 inch to build.

Many thanks.

 

[davidcarr87]

hey anotherdog..
coming from a welding background..i have been around all of this stuff (cnc machines) for awhile..
im a member of cnczone . com ...its an awesome site..
there are a lot of people that have built their own cnc plasma cutter and stuff...you could adapt it..
i was wanting to build a 3axis cnc but never got around to it..had the motors boards and everything in a cart..then just decided not to

kinda wish i would have now..hmmmm something to do in spare time

 

[Techman]

This has been discussed several times..

I would just like to dip a toe in without spending a huge amount of cash.

Then forget about it.

No one can be more frugal than me. It costs about 3 times more than I thought and that was with every possible recycling trick I knew.

a 24x36 on the cheap?
waste of time.. You will spend several hundreds on a controller. Then another several hundreds on the table,, then find out it is too weak and too slow to handle the work if you do more than cut thin stuff soft.

If you build it strong to do some real work you will spend several hundreds in parts. Then you will need power supplies, and software and tools.

Then u will needs the tools to cut your materials and the skill to set up a precision machine. Then you will need about 300 bux for nuts and bolts and other hardware.

Then you will spend about 4 months building it and another month learning the software enuf to run your machine like a glorified jigsaw. You will break several 25 bux cnc router bits just to get started.


So if you just wanna play around you can get into it for about 4 grand. and about 4 months of time. The final test will be your wife. The first time you leave a dust trail thru the house from the garage you will know how happy she is to see you.

I ran mine in the garage just one time to test it. And the dust is still there no matter how many times I blow and clean,


After all this,, I think you should do it anyway. But do not go on the cheap. Just do it., Make it at least a 4x4 and have a blast.

 

[davidcarr87]

hey techman..do you have any pictures

 

[signage]

Do a search on here about this, one of the member has done it and he may post if he sees this.

 

[SignManiac]

Look into the ShopBots and also check out their forum. I know of several people that have been running them. They're middle of the road affordable because you do most of the build from their kit I presume.

There are many different price ranges for router tables but what you end up spending will determine what you want to do with yours and the amount of space you have for one.

 

[anotherdog]

I understand the cost of this build. Getting the right design and catching as many of the issues before they happen is why I asked the question.

 

[PGSigns]

The controls cost the same for 24X36 as they do for 50X100. I did one last year and was able to do all the fabrication and assembly myself and spent $7900 to do a 50X100 router. The cost of the motors, drives and control boards are going to be the same. Cost of the steel, linier motion slides and bearings will be a little less. Cost of software and tooling will be the same. I would not do a build your self router if you are not a good welder, machinest, electrician, and all round fabricator. For a machine the size you are looking for this would be a better option http://www.kelinginc.net/CNCmachines6090.html
Jimmy

 

[Techman]

hey techman..do you have any pictures

there's nutin special to see. Just some angle iron, some aluminum, a load of nuts and bolts, a few peices of MDF, and some wire. All held up with some steel framework bed.

Then there is the home built controller hooked up to an old p4 intel cpu. Then I had to build a dust collector. Then I had put it all in a separate place on its own because of the dust it makes.

All that with the table saw, fancy disk/belt sander, drills, chop saws, work benches, to support this cnc project. So, I pray every one can see it is not just a matter of spending a few hundred dollars to get a little toe wet.

One guy came by to research and said. "All I want to do is run it in my office a little to play with it to see if this is what I want to do or not". I almost laughed in his face. Not from contempt for his lack of commitment,, but from his lack of reality.

Running a cnc is like being pregnant. It is not something you just try a little bit just to see if it something you want to play with.

 

[jemmyell]

Bolt together 4' x 4' CNC router table

Fine Line Automation has released their 4 x 4 router kit, it is all bolt together from 8020 aluminum profiles. This will be my next router table. I plan to get a build going early next year. I have been collecting all the electronics, router, dust shoe, etc. I just need the mechanicals. This is a rack and pinion design that will have rapids somewhere between 500 and 1000 IPM.

Check out the build thread going on at CNCZone:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/diy-cnc_router_table_machines/112073-fla-300_4_x_4_r_p_router.html

-James Leonard

 

[anotherdog]

Okay I'll say it again, I'm not building a signage CNC router. I was looking to build from plans a 2x3 cnc router. I'm confident I can do this level of fabrication and electronics.

I don't see that I have any lack of reality. Plenty of others have done this before. I was just asking for some wisdom (other than dig a hole and give up).

If I can do this, and it becomes a product I can sell I may look at the serious investment in time and money a professional CNC router will involve.

I'm looking at the CNC forum, very useful, but almost too much information.

 

[Techman]

I was just asking for some wisdom

here it is..

Build a strong 4x4 and get it over with.
The cost will be just about the same.
The cost is not in the materialsmfor the table but in the software, and driver electronics and motors.
I already tried the dip the toe technique. Its worthless.

 

[PGSigns]

A strong stiff table is the secret to good results. From what I have seen with mine the bolt together tables with poor guide rails are not going to give you the results folks say they will. I am with Techman the big cost is what is bolted to the frame and what runs it. 4X4 is as small as you should go. If you like what you can do with it and can market it you are not going to have to build a new machine to be able to do a project. And it you decide it is not for you your return on investment will be better having a 4X4 table to sell instead of 2X3 due to the increased market for a 4X4 table. Jemmyell a router may be able to go to those speeds on rapids but they are not usable. You need to smoothly control the acceleration and deceleration of the gantry to keep the machine smooth and on a 4X4 router you will never have the room to get up to any where close to that speed and have rates that are smooth. If I was to build a smaller machine I would do it with precision ball screws and build for accuracy.
Jimmy

 

[jemmyell]

Hi,

I have three small router tables with laminate trimmers and precision collets from PreciseBits. They have ballscrews (rolled) and gecko G540 retrofits. I can get 200 IPM rapids out of one amp vexta motors coupled direct drive. These table are used for cutting mother of pearl, recon
stone and other small stuff, mostly musical instrument related.

The 4 x 4 rack and pinion table will be for complex carvings, signage, guitar necks, guitar bodies, special dovetailed boxes and other large stuff that does not need precision tighter than about .005.

Here is a FineLine 2x4 R&P kit build thread. Nothing wimpy
about this table:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/diy-c...ineline_automation_2x4_rack_pinion_build.html

Here is the original FineLine 2x3 kit (acme leadscrews). It is also available
with the rack and pinion option:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/open_..._aluminum_steel_completely_bolt_together.html

Quite a few people are VERY pleased with the 8020 approach
to building a small CNC. Note that these kits have steel rails
for the rack and pinion.

I have been waiting for the 4 x 4 kit for almost a year. Now that it
is here I have other stuff in the fire, so I probably can't get to it
until next March.

-James Leonard

 

[DStanworth]

I bought a Shapeoko 33" x33" bed. $2k check it out.

https://carbide3d.com/shapeoko/

 

[DStanworth]

Here is the Shapeoko router and a cool little routed sintra sign I made.

 

[mark-s]

I built a 4X4 CNC couple of years ago, cost about 5K.
Picture of the machine and the 3d sign I made with it. 36 X 20
mark-s

 

[fixtureman]

Check out the Centroid Acorn controller. That is what I am going to go with as it is an bases on their industrial controller and easy to set up.

 

[TimToad]

A strong stiff table is the secret to good results. From what I have seen with mine the bolt together tables with poor guide rails are not going to give you the results folks say they will. I am with Techman the big cost is what is bolted to the frame and what runs it. 4X4 is as small as you should go. If you like what you can do with it and can market it you are not going to have to build a new machine to be able to do a project. And it you decide it is not for you your return on investment will be better having a 4X4 table to sell instead of 2X3 due to the increased market for a 4X4 table. Jemmyell a router may be able to go to those speeds on rapids but they are not usable. You need to smoothly control the acceleration and deceleration of the gantry to keep the machine smooth and on a 4X4 router you will never have the room to get up to any where close to that speed and have rates that are smooth. If I was to build a smaller machine I would do it with precision ball screws and build for accuracy.
Jimmy

If anybody wants a seriously solid table that is already set up for a vacuum setup to hold material down, several of us here have now defunct Gerber ION Solara flatbed printers that are essentially scrap at this point. Mine has a 65"x104" table, side rails that likely could be adapted to hold your router gantry, X and Y axis electronics, etc....