Home Brew CNC Mill

[stevehuckss396]

After a few major setbacks with the Peewee project, I put it aside and decided to work on a CNC milling machine.

I started with a cheap compound milling table (first pic). I tore the screws out of it and fitted some 5/8 ball screws and a pair of 300 Oz steppers. The cheap ball nuts were emptied out and some quality .125 balls were loaded into the nut for a .0005 backlash.

X = 12 inch travel
Y = 7-1/2 inch travel

The frame was fabricated from some 3" angle iron. The column is a 3/4 inch thick plate 12 inches square with a 4 inch i beam welded to the center.

The Z axis is an aluminum box (trammable) with 2 linear rails and 4 trucks. There is a plate that rides on the trucks that has a grid of 1/4-20 holes in it so anything can be mounted to it.

Z = 6-1/4 inch travel

Right now the Z axis has a plate mounted to it with a R8 spindle and a 1/2 horse DC motor that is variable speed. In the future I plan on a 30,000 RPM spindle for fine work.

The cube was the first thing I made when finished with the mill. It is a 2" square.

The total cost of the mill less the computer and software was about $1200 and everything totaled i'm at $1485. I think that may be cheaper than a conversion but a bit more work.

The lathe is next!!

 

[vlmarshall]

Nice! What stepper controller are you using? No preload on the ballnuts? Is that a speeder knob on your vise?

 

[mu38&Bg#]

Nice looking setup. What is the spindle?

 

[stevehuckss396]

Nice! What stepper controller are you using? No preload on the ballnuts? Is that a speeder knob on your vise?

It is just a 4 axis hobby board, How do you preload a nut, What the heck is a speeder knob. Hahaahhaa!!

 

[stevehuckss396]

Nice looking setup. What is the spindle?

It is a sawed off R8 Bridgeport spindle and bearings with a pulley pressed on it.

 

[ttrikalin]

steve that's awesome!

btw -- what is this little engine you hold in your hand??? a V4? did you post about it in the past?

tom

 

[stevehuckss396]

btw -- what is this little engine you hold in your hand??? a V4? did you post about it in the past?

tom

It is a V8 powered by Co2 or compressed air. It has a 1/4 bore and stroke.

There is some info about it here.
http://www.floridaame.org/GalleryPages/g1M0312.htm

If this does'nt answer your questions, just ask!

 

[cfellows]

Nice work, Steve! Very nice project.

Chuck

 

[BobWarfield]

I don't know if necessity was the mother of that invention, but it sure came together well and cheaply!

To have pulled it off, you must be very good with your hands, as my father used to say.

Excellent project. You should post it over on CNCZone just to let that crowd know what's possible if you dive in and git 'er done!

Cheers,


BW

 

[stevehuckss396]

Thanks!

I built it after someone over at the Zone replied to someone asking if a CNC machine could me built for under $2000. His reply was something like, "not a chance for under $4000"

I'm not sure what he expected but the machine moves around very well, cuts parts to within a few thou, and is pretty rigid. I'll admit it's no bridgeport but i have made parts that i would'nt dream of making without one like these Co2 engine blocks.

I think i had about 6-8 hours into the first block. These were about 1-1/2 hours each.

Glad i did it! It's fun!

Steve

I don't know if necessity was the mother of that invention, but it sure came together well and cheaply!

To have pulled it off, you must be very good with your hands, as my father used to say.

Excellent project. You should post it over on CNCZone just to let that crowd know what's possible if you dive in and git 'er done!

Cheers,


BW

 

[deere_x475guy]

Holy crap Steve, I was thinking about emailing to see how things were coming along in the cnc world. I see first hand you must have a pretty good grasp on it. I am still trying to figure out Sprutcam....problem is it's a long time between trying to use it right now.

 

[mu38&Bg#]

I didn't really add up what my ebay parts mill cost but it probably ran about $1500. Plus $750 for Visuallmill basic. The Aerotech slides are extremely accurate.

It needs a more substantial base and column. It runs just fine with 1/8" and smaller tools like it is now. I use 1/4 endmills sometimes, but have to keep cuts light. I'm planning on making a new spindle this winter for ER16 collets.

Those blocks are excellent!

Greg

 

[deere_x475guy]

Steve what did you use for cam software and are you using MACH3 to control the machine?

 

[GailInNM]

Steve, you are going to have a lot of fun with that.
It, and the resulting work, look very nice.
Gail in NM

 

[stevehuckss396]

Steve what did you use for cam software and are you using MACH3 to control the machine?

Mach 3 is the controller.

I use a combination of Lazycam ($75) and an old version of autocad 2002 that i gave $50 for last year. I use lazycam to do some stuff and sometimes it is easier to just draw the toolpath in cad and take that to lazycam. Cad also works great for engraving text when multi lines will be cut.

I have also used the mill to make patterns for casting aluminum using foam and wood. I just use a tapered endmill for making draft angles.

I did some engraving in wood. Nothing fancy, just the club "MDMC" with some other text smaller. Turned out good but more spindle speed would be nice.

I'm getting there!

This is an almost finished pattern for a timing cover. I am going to build a bench for pattern making. I have petrobond and a working furnace so after i get organized, i can attempt to pour this and 3 other patterns for another member here, and a few for myself.

 

[DICKEYBIRD]

Hey Steve, great job you've done. ;D

I have a little experience with CNC (built a router for cutting model aircraft parts about 10 yrs ago) and was wondering if you're happy with Rigotti's Kit. I assume that's the one you used? If so, was it the "Pro" version?

I've been wanting to get one of those kits and hack a simple lathe together to cut various aluminum widgets. I have an old Sioux valve grinder that has a sturdy (heavy) cast iron base, a good motor & spindle plus 2 axes of movement. It's my latest daydream.

 

[stevehuckss396]

was wondering if you're happy with Rigotti's Kit. I assume that's the one you used? If so, was it the "Pro" version?

Not a kit. I used a 4 axis hobby board. The steppers were used from Ebay and the power supply was new.

 

[DICKEYBIRD]

Oh, OK...got a link to which hobby board you used?

 

[stevehuckss396]

Oh, OK...got a link to which hobby board you used?

No link. It was an ebay purchase. It is a StepMaster 4 axis.

 

[mu38&Bg#]

Do you have any intention of adding a 4th axis? I have a rotary table but it's more of an instrument type. I have to mount a chuck to it and get an encoder for the motor on it and come up with an angle plate to mount it to the table. I have a project where it would come in handy. Even if the software doesn't do 4 axis tool paths it would be useful for positioning parts with manual code.