Building a CNC Router

[Grant H.]

Along the lines of JohnnyEgo's 'rona projects thread, I finally started on my CNC router...

I have had several requests (over the years of buying, plotting, planning, etc) to document the build process of this, so I figured I would create a thread for it.

Excuse the wreck in the garage... Too much stuff for too many projects and not enough space...

Now that the USPS has finally quit being a bunch of lazy unionized C*ckS*ckers, and I have most of my parts, I have finally gotten started.

Big 8020 extrusion is expensive... This is 40-8016 that is $3.47 per inch. I found 6 pieces of this stuff for cheap, so I am prioritizing cut area within the constraints of those pieces. Specifically I wanted to be able to cut a full 48" wide, and will use locate pins to be able to move sheets through if I need to cut more than the 32ish inches that I have. So, the bed size isn't exactly standard, but that's okay... To save $900+ on my aluminum extrusions, I will go with an odd bed size.

Playing with my new drill press to build linear bearing to gantry support "interface plates"... It's truly amazing the difference between a decent brand name built in TW and a big-box store drill press from China...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50794265141_124103a320_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kovTo6)20201228_220238 (https://flic.kr/p/2kovTo6) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

"Cheap" counter-bore bits from Amazon make sinking the heads of bolts much easier...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50794265086_c5e1e0b155_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kovTn9)20201228_225007 (https://flic.kr/p/2kovTn9) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

After finally getting some of the channel nuts that I needed, I started assembling this on my welding table, figuring I could leave the stand build for a later time, but I quickly nix'ed that idea as I didn't want to take the 1050 or the vise off of my welding table.

Starting base frame assembly. The base frame is 50.5 x 41" based on my current plan... This plan has changed about 27 times in the past 2 years, but it's getting built based off of the plans in my head that I started drafting in Fusion while I was in Taiwan.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50793518008_e72409529c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4hu)20201229_220026 (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4hu) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Obviously not enough space, so it's off to the steel yard, make some quick cuts with the cold cut chop saw, and then weld some stuff up... The Fireball Tool squares are worth their weight in gold for stuff like this. He has some pretty cool stuff on his YouTube channel as well.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50793517948_faba202876_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4gs)20210101_181147 (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4gs) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50793517898_f63aa7b303_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4fA)20210101_183826 (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4fA) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Upside down and missing it's leveling feet and "cam-lock casters" (sits on rubber feet, but can be raised ~1" onto casters to move easily), but it's all tacked. I won't fully weld this out until I've got the machine up and running to make sure there aren't changes necessary to the stand as well...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50793517808_187dc74917_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4e3)20210101_192604 (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4e3) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
(Yes, that is a different garage.)

The plan is to build this with hand made aluminum "interface plates", ball screw mounts, etc, and then use it to machine replacement parts and "rebuild it" with any design changes that arise out of using it. Since it will be getting taken apart again, waiting until then to fully weld the stand isn't a big deal.

Back in my garage, making progress on assembly with the stand...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50794264791_7edd29cb52_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kovTh4)20210101_230803 (https://flic.kr/p/2kovTh4) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Last night I got annoyed with the little bit of dirt and crap hiding in some of the channels, so I disassembled the pieces and took them over to the carwash to clean them out... Well worth the $7.24 it cost to wash them down well.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50793517718_8461d934c1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4cu)20210102_124824 (https://flic.kr/p/2kos4cu) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Base is assembled and torqued down... Square to within ~1/32" or less... Also grabbed some other scraps of different extrusion and cut them into bed supports for frame. Different manufacturer and channel spacing, so now I have to modify my corner brackets to make them fit, so that'll be another day...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50794338096_273982dcd5_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kowg4W)20210102_235513[1] (https://flic.kr/p/2kowg4W) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Now for the current problem... Dagnabit, China...

The channel nuts I bought to hold my linear rails to the frame and gantry are "almost" right... The beveled edges are just a hair too big... I can get them in the channels with a hammer, but that doesn't work to slide a whole raft of them in at once already loosely bolted to the linear rails...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50794469667_4de2e67621_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kowWbp)20210103_000036[1] (https://flic.kr/p/2kowWbp) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

So, now I get to "adjust" all of these nuts for the rail supports... I'm thinking a belt sander/grinder is the appropriate method to quickly modify that many of these, so we'll see what I can get accomplished tomorrow...

Planned progression of this is to get the hardware built, then move on to the control cabinet, and then finally the initialization and setting up of LinuxCNC paired with my Mesa Electronics ethernet motion board.


Progress should be reasonably steady on this, but it is getting worked on outside of WFH, remodeling a bathroom, adding spray foam insulation around the replacement windows the previous owners put in, etc...

[JohnnyEgo]

Man that thing looks stout!
CNC is one of those things I have always wanted to learn, but have never had the concentrated time and energy to execute on.
I will follow this thread with much interest!

[ChickNorris]

I will follow this thread with much interest!

: )

[Grant H.]

Man that thing looks stout!
CNC is one of those things I have always wanted to learn, but have never had the concentrated time and energy to execute on.
I will follow this thread with much interest!

Yeah, this thing is gonna be a lot more capable than a lot of CNC "Routers"...

I'm worried that my steppers are going to struggle with the mass, but there are always bigger Steppers, or more likely, higher torque ClearPath Servo's...

[Great-Kazoo]

Can you clamp a few of those "nuts" together. To avoid having to do them individually, or easier in the long run for a quick pass on each one ?

[bradbn4]

The Fireball Tool squares

Some tools there I would love to check out...something for my drill press I think. I need to do some measuring first.

But first, back to you tube and watch a few more of his vids.

That website for Fireball tools needs a stern warning: Warning: Looking at website will result in a bad case of GotToHaveIt followed by excessive use of credit cards.

And thanks for this post.

[theGinsue]

God bless JohnnyEgo and his pic tutorials on his many projects - it's motivated a few others (like you Grant) to do the same. While there are projects such as this that I will never attempt, I love watching the progress on how something like this was engineered and assembled.

Amazing project you have and like others, I'm anxious to see this progress and turn into a fully functional tool. I'm especially curious what your first project will be that you'll use this CNC to build.

[00tec]

Speaking of fireball tools, that vice he built is on my to-do list. Dude makes nice stuff.

I've always wanted a cnc plasma table, but gotta build a shop to put it in first.

[JoeRoss]

I will follow this thread with much interest!
Another follower here.

My brother has a factory one. Problematic from the get-go.

[JohnnyEgo]

I learn a ton of stuff from Irving, who is more of a Renaissance man than me.

On an unrelated note, Grant once cut me out a piece of plate steel that my 800 pound jointer rests on, on top of some Great Lakes Casters. It made me the king of the jointer forum for a while, because other folks tried to bolt the casters directly to the frame, and ended up bending the frames of their $5-7k jointers. Meanwhile, mine is super stable and moves around with ease. So I have been the direct beneficiary of Grant's talent with a cutting torch, and his generosity.

[BladesNBarrels]

Man that thing looks stout!
CNC is one of those things I have always wanted to learn, but have never had the concentrated time and energy to execute on.
I will follow this thread with much interest!

Come join the Colorado CNC User Group.
Monthly meeting currently via WebEx, usually starts 9:00 am on 3rd Wednesday. Every 3rd month, meeting is on Saturday.
A lot of knowledge and experience in the group. Vectric software and Legacy CNC were the primary purpose of the original group, but it has evolved to all CNC users.
I bought a Shark HD4 from Rockler as a total novice and the group has helped with safety, knowledge, and projects.
Just search Colorado CNC User Group on Facebook or contact me for information on members, projects, etc.

[Coffee]

[bczandm]

I sell industrial woodworking equipment and I just delivered and installed(Installed by our service techs) this Holz-Her CNC 5' x 12' table to one of my customers. 15 HP router, 10 vertical and 4 horizontal drills and a 12 position tool changer. It's designed to process a 4x8' sheet for cabinet parts...cut to size, bore for hinges, line boring and construction boring the entire sheet in six minutes or less. Edgeband the parts and then assemble. It's good to see the level of interest there is here in CNC machines!

84465

[Grant H.]

Can you clamp a few of those "nuts" together. To avoid having to do them individually, or easier in the long run for a quick pass on each one ?

Going to see what I can come up with here in a bit. Part of me hopes I can come up with a quick way to do multiples, but if not, it shouldn't take too long to trim them on each side individually.


God bless JohnnyEgo and his pic tutorials on his many projects - it's motivated a few others (like you Grant) to do the same. While there are projects such as this that I will never attempt, I love watching the progress on how something like this was engineered and assembled.

Amazing project you have and like others, I'm anxious to see this progress and turn into a fully functional tool. I'm especially curious what your first project will be that you'll use this CNC to build.

Between JohnnyEgo and seeing build threads on CO4x4.org back in the day, I have realized how much enjoyment I get out of seeing what others are putting their time into, so I figure why not give back...

First actual pieces on it will be parts to replace/improve the build of this machine. After that, uh... sure.... This all started because I wanted to build a machine. My oldest brother built a 3d printer, probably 12+ years ago (long before they were common hobby machines you could buy), we built our CNC Plasma table, and my other brother has built 1 Laser Cutter, and has the parts to build another larger one, so that sort of left the Router as an option to build.

Since starting to acquire stuff for this, video's like the one below have piqued my interest, as I actually really don't like the 70's vintage cabinets in our kitchen.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzrIEtuAvNo


Speaking of fireball tools, that vice he built is on my to-do list. Dude makes nice stuff.

I've always wanted a cnc plasma table, but gotta build a shop to put it in first.

Yes he does, and it's fun to see some of the absurd stuff he builds too.

CNC Plasma is great fun. My brothers and I built ours, and given the limited "shop" space that we have currently, it's mobile, but it works great for the fab work that we have in the SCADA comms business...





I learn a ton of stuff from Irving, who is more of a Renaissance man than me.

On an unrelated note, Grant once cut me out a piece of plate steel that my 800 pound jointer rests on, on top of some Great Lakes Casters. It made me the king of the jointer forum for a while, because other folks tried to bolt the casters directly to the frame, and ended up bending the frames of their $5-7k jointers. Meanwhile, mine is super stable and moves around with ease. So I have been the direct beneficiary of Grant's talent with a cutting torch, and his generosity.

That plate was run on the CNC plasma... I actually meant to ask if that had worked out for you the other day. Glad to hear that it did what it was supposed to.

[Grant H.]

I sell industrial woodworking equipment and I just delivered and installed(Installed by our service techs) this Holz-Her CNC 5' x 12' table to one of my customers. 15 HP router, 10 vertical and 4 horizontal drills and a 12 position tool changer. It's designed to process a 4x8' sheet for cabinet parts...cut to size, bore for hinges, line boring and construction boring the entire sheet in six minutes or less. Edgeband the parts and then assemble. It's good to see the level of interest there is here in CNC machines!

84465

I'm not sure I want to know what something like that costs. Although I really am curious. I almost bought a industrial CNC router at an auction a few years ago, but the size of the thing was ridiculous and it would have required a tremendous amount of work to get running again. Plus 3 phase power, which I can deal with, but it's an annoyance I didn't want to start.


Off to the garage to see what I can get done on the router.

[DFBrews]

Imagine we have a few fans of circa 2015-2019 this old Tony in this thread.

[00tec]

Imagine we have a few fans of circa 2015-2019 this old Tony in this thread.

I have no idea what you're talking about [Ignore]

[bczandm]

I'm not sure I want to know what something like that costs. Although I really am curious. I almost bought a industrial CNC router at an auction a few years ago, but the size of the thing was ridiculous and it would have required a tremendous amount of work to get running again. Plus 3 phase power, which I can deal with, but it's an annoyance I didn't want to start.

This one is made in Germany and is pretty outstanding at what it does. Installed in Denver with Freight, rigging, software, vacuum hold downs and a weeks training is approaching $120,000. I am available to come measure your garage to see if it fits :)

[Grant H.]

Sort of a short evening on it thus far, but such is life. I may very well end up being out there again later tonight...

I tried using my hand belt sander to trim the nuts, but that was going to be a fight, so I made a quick run to HazardFraught and this janky POS followed me home...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50798229532_c1ea39e56f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koScRE)20210103_184732 (https://flic.kr/p/2koScRE) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

It does work, and it removes metal pretty well, but it walks all over my welding table if I don't have my hands on it, or it clamped.

Using this and a pair of Knipex "channel locks" makes giving each nut a hair cut pretty easy. It seems that ~6-7 seconds on each bevel is enough material removed for these to fit nicely into the extrusion slots.

The belt sits far enough off of the "platen" that the grind certainly isn't flat, but I don't really care for what this is.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50798229232_ff0326ab79_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koScLu)20210103_191352 (https://flic.kr/p/2koScLu) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

It's rather tedious, considering that the two sets of rails that will support the gantry need 64 of these nuts and the gantry will need 50 of these, but whatever. It's making progress possible.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50797360183_e4b67d15ef_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koMKqT)20210103_184946 (https://flic.kr/p/2koMKqT) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

16 nuts per rail. The overhangs are there as I will be adding 1" aluminum plates to cap the extrusions and they will have integral stepper mounts (to be made once the machine is running).
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50798229402_c2d56f195e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koScPq)20210103_185358 (https://flic.kr/p/2koScPq) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

The white space heater doesn't heat anymore, it made it in the recycle bin after I took the pictures...

Rails on the frame, with the bearing blocks and interface plate. I'll get to aligning the rails before I put the gantry risers on, but for now it's nice to see some parts fitting together. The rails are going to get cut down, which will provide the pieces for the Z-Axis as well.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50797360013_7667498d8f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koMKnX)20210103_190400 (https://flic.kr/p/2koMKnX) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

[Grant H.]

Imagine we have a few fans of circa 2015-2019 this old Tony in this thread.

Yeah, ToT is also a great resource for the DIY/Project oriented folks.


This one is made in Germany and is pretty outstanding at what it does. Installed in Denver with Freight, rigging, software, vacuum hold downs and a weeks training is approaching $120,000. I am available to come measure your garage to see if it fits :)

It doesn't fit. I promise...

[Great-Kazoo]

Sort of a short evening on it thus far, but such is life. I may very well end up being out there again later tonight...

I tried using my hand belt sander to trim the nuts, but that was going to be a fight, so I made a quick run to HazardFraught and this janky POS followed me home...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50798229532_c1ea39e56f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koScRE)20210103_184732 (https://flic.kr/p/2koScRE) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

It does work, and it removes metal pretty well, but it walks all over my welding table if I don't have my hands on it, or it clamped.

Using this and a pair of Knipex "channel locks" makes giving each nut a hair cut pretty easy. It seems that ~6-7 seconds on each bevel is enough material removed for these to fit nicely into the extrusion slots.

The belt sits far enough off of the "platen" that the grind certainly isn't flat, but I don't really care for what this is.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50798229232_ff0326ab79_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koScLu)20210103_191352 (https://flic.kr/p/2koScLu) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

It's rather tedious, considering that the two sets of rails that will support the gantry need 64 of these nuts and the gantry will need 50 of these, but whatever. It's making progress possible.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50797360183_e4b67d15ef_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koMKqT)20210103_184946 (https://flic.kr/p/2koMKqT) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

16 nuts per rail. The overhangs are there as I will be adding 1" aluminum plates to cap the extrusions and they will have integral stepper mounts (to be made once the machine is running).
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50798229402_c2d56f195e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koScPq)20210103_185358 (https://flic.kr/p/2koScPq) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

The white space heater doesn't heat anymore, it made it in the recycle bin after I took the pictures...

Rails on the frame, with the bearing blocks and interface plate. I'll get to aligning the rails before I put the gantry risers on, but for now it's nice to see some parts fitting together. The rails are going to get cut down, which will provide the pieces for the Z-Axis as well.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50797360013_7667498d8f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2koMKnX)20210103_190400 (https://flic.kr/p/2koMKnX) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

And here i was, thinking i had a major accomplishment today. Locating the keys to my reloading building.


Then threads like this come along. I feel so marginalized

[JohnnyEgo]

You sound like you need an emotional support animal, Jim. I'll send you Vincent.

[Not_A_Llama]

I have a Shapeoko 3 XXL and a Tormach 440 if you need anything made for the beast. Looks like a great start.

Are you thinking ballscrews or belts? Considered epoxy-granite?

Just by way of resource, Midwest Steel has the best pricing on aluminum I’ve seen. Even with shipping. Used them to make a threaded table for my Shapeoko.

[Grant H.]

And here i was, thinking i had a major accomplishment today. Locating the keys to my reloading building.


Then threads like this come along. I feel so marginalized

You said "reloading BUILDING"... [Beer]

Damn I want/need one of those. Hell, I am so looking forward to when I get to buy/build a place that can have separate shop, firearms, and desk areas.


I have a Shapeoko 3 XXL and a Tormach 440 if you need anything made for the beast. Looks like a great start.

Are you thinking ballscrews or belts? Considered epoxy-granite?

Just by way of resource, Midwest Steel has the best pricing on aluminum I’ve seen. Even with shipping. Used them to make a threaded table for my Shapeoko.

Thank you! I greatly appreciate the offer!

This is going to get 5mm pitch ball screws. I don't trust cog belts enough for the tasks that I am hoping this will be capable of. Rack and Pinion would work as well, but china ball screws are plentiful, and should be good enough to get me to .001" accuracy. Some folks have had success getting to .001", and others have had to replace the ball nuts to get there. It's a learning process either way...

I am actually exploring filling the frame for vibration dampening, which is where epoxy granite really shines, but I haven't gotten there yet. Sand, pea gravel, and even heavy cutting oil are pretty common. Since this thing is already planned to come apart again, I figure I will run some tests and see if I need additional vibration dampening or not.

I appreciate the heads up on aluminum pricing. I will take a look at what they have to offer. I generally just run out to ALRECO in Brighton. All of my .75" blocks for my interface plates are just plate remnants from ALRECO, that are sold pretty inexpensively by the pound.

[Irving]

I learn a ton of stuff from Irving, who is more of a Renaissance man than me.


Awfully nice of you to say, thank you.

[Not_A_Llama]

Thank you! I greatly appreciate the offer!

This is going to get 5mm pitch ball screws. I don't trust cog belts enough for the tasks that I am hoping this will be capable of. Rack and Pinion would work as well, but china ball screws are plentiful, and should be good enough to get me to .001" accuracy. Some folks have had success getting to .001", and others have had to replace the ball nuts to get there. It's a learning process either way...

I am actually exploring filling the frame for vibration dampening, which is where epoxy granite really shines, but I haven't gotten there yet. Sand, pea gravel, and even heavy cutting oil are pretty common. Since this thing is already planned to come apart again, I figure I will run some tests and see if I need additional vibration dampening or not.

I appreciate the heads up on aluminum pricing. I will take a look at what they have to offer. I generally just run out to ALRECO in Brighton. All of my .75" blocks for my interface plates are just plate remnants from ALRECO, that are sold pretty inexpensively by the pound.
Maybe some ideas if you haven't seen them.. A lot of dudes will do a sand drain/fill plug setup for the cavities, to make it easier to assemble/disassemble. Some folks also 3D print plugs for the ends of the extrusions. I did some modeling, and I think lead shot in asphalt may be absolute king shit for vibration suppression. If you're not doing aluminum and expecting a high grade surface finish, I'd guess you might not need it for anything other than noise reduction. Naturally, keep that stuff off the gantry to improve your rapids.

ALRECO and K&K is nice for the small remnants, but Xometry has generally better and less beat up remnants boxes for cheap. There's also some dudes on ebay selling Fortnal and 7075 cutoffs. If you're bigger than ~foot by a foot, Midwest will beat ALRECO. Even with shipping. And you'll get new stock. It reflects badly on the local guys.

What are you doing for controller? Servo-wise, Clearpath like you mentioned is really nice. And for spindles, people really love those 2.2kw water cooled spindles on ebay

[DFBrews]

Is xometry local? I am looking for a new place to get drops from

[Not_A_Llama]

They aren’t local - but the remnants box they sell is a decent assortment for a good price. Shipped Priority Mail, which is normally decent.

https://www.xometry.com/supplies/aluminum-6061-t6-remnants

[Irving]

They aren’t local - but the remnants box they sell is a decent assortment for a good price. Shipped Priority Mail, which is normally decent.

https://www.xometry.com/supplies/aluminum-6061-t6-remnants

Very interested as well. Thanks for the lead.

[Great-Kazoo]

They aren’t local - but the remnants box they sell is a decent assortment for a good price. Shipped Priority Mail, which is normally decent.

https://www.xometry.com/supplies/aluminum-6061-t6-remnants

Likewise, thanks. The metal shops (2 of them) in a 50 mi area, are very proud of their prices. For the boxes xometry offers, I'd get a lot of trigger time with my tig welder.

[Grant H.]

Maybe some ideas if you haven't seen them.. A lot of dudes will do a sand drain/fill plug setup for the cavities, to make it easier to assemble/disassemble. Some folks also 3D print plugs for the ends of the extrusions. I did some modeling, and I think lead shot in asphalt may be absolute king shit for vibration suppression. If you're not doing aluminum and expecting a high grade surface finish, I'd guess you might not need it for anything other than noise reduction. Naturally, keep that stuff off the gantry to improve your rapids.

At least to start, given the "pre-used" condition of my extrusions, I am not going to fill the frame. Unless I use pea gravel, it will just pour out with any vibration. I'm more than confident in the ability to machine aluminum based on other similar, however lighter/less rigid, machines I have seen, even without filling the frame. Will it be as good as your Tormach, or a VMC? No. But I don't expect that.

There is a part of me that wants to play with filling the frame with epoxy granite, but I'm unsure how well that will work. If I don't explore that, I will likely go the sand route, with 3D printed plugs for each piece, like you mentioned. Weight is of little concern to me on this, as it will always live on the stand, and it's PLENTY strong...

Who knows, lots of possibilities... Lots to figure out...


ALRECO and K&K is nice for the small remnants, but Xometry has generally better and less beat up remnants boxes for cheap. There's also some dudes on ebay selling Fortnal and 7075 cutoffs. If you're bigger than ~foot by a foot, Midwest will beat ALRECO. Even with shipping. And you'll get new stock. It reflects badly on the local guys.

When it's time to start making parts, I'll take a look at their remnants boxes. I honestly have very little interest in Fortal or 7075. 6061 can be machined just fine if you get it dialed in for the machine, and it has the benefit of still being weldable. Fortal (really just a private labeled 7xxx series aluminum) and really all of the 7xxx series shouldn't be welded. 7xxx "can be" welded, but if inspected it will fail for many reasons, the primary one being stress cracking within the 2 pieces, and the weld bead.


What are you doing for controller? Servo-wise, Clearpath like you mentioned is really nice. And for spindles, people really love those 2.2kw water cooled spindles on ebay

Control is going to be LinuxCNC with a Mesa Electronics 7i96 Ethernet board, fed into PrimoPal 390oz/in Nema23 steppers that I got from Torchmate, of all places. They had a sale on them that made them a good deal, and they come with 4-pin XLR connectors alrady installed. I am building a properly sized/rated unregulated PSU to drive the steppers and their drivers. If they are under powered when this is all built, and maybe just because I can/want to, I will likely upgrade to ClearPath servo's. Necessary vs bigger steppers? No, but more power, no lost steps, simpler control cabinet, and on the list goes.

Yep, I have one of the China 2.2kw Water cooled spindles that is going on this to start. However, I am really starting to ponder Automatic Tool Change capability, which if I am spending that kind of money, it's likely going to be bigger/more power.

[Grant H.]

It seems to never fail...

Monday evening, My wife caught me headed to the garage and told me we had plans for dinner with some friends... Apparently they called her out of the blue and wanted to get together, so the only progress I got done was Dykem and scratches...

Major Gantry Support Plates laid out:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805020018_7989bd7b53_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1r1)20210104_192511 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1r1) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Starting small and working up. It makes it a lot easier to get the holes where you want them.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805766986_9d21b419bc_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpwQtL)20210105_190700 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpwQtL) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

5.5mm Holes drilled for the bearing block bolts.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805766906_f49a17b4f3_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpwQso)20210105_192142 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpwQso) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Counter bored to accept the socket head m5 "bolts"... These are set deeper than necessary to provide plenty of thread engagement in the bearing blocks.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805019778_bf6cff1927_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1mS)20210105_192924 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1mS) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

8.5mm holes drilled for the plate to Gantry Riser bolts.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805019698_486f047e99_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1ku)20210105_193904 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1ku) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Counterbored. Some are actually kind of rough, some are just dirty still. The big counterbore bit is an interesting study in chip load and cutter performance. The holes where I pushed "hard" on the drill press were the cleanest and smoothest, and the cutter seemed happier. The ones where I didn't push as hard made more noise, chattered, and left a worse finish. More thoughts on this in a minute...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805766616_5fb8d1d9d7_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpwQno)20210105_194803 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpwQno) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Apparently I missed a picture of the countersinking bits... You can see the shank of the larger one that I have been using for the m8 hole and counterbore and the m5 counterbore. Cheapy set of 4 for $9 dollars on amazon, and they work great.

Finished plates "front".
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805019528_ecc864a1d9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1hy)20210105_204015 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1hy) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Back.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805019458_3890d9247b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1gm)20210105_204028 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpt1gm) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

All four plates on the one side of the router for now. Just verifying bearing alignment, fitment, and motion.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805766311_eb9332b690_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpwQh8)20210105_205416 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpwQh8) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Next up is grinding more t-slot nuts and getting the rails on the other side of the router. The I can move on to cutting my gantry risers. I am going to use the same 80x160 extrusion for the risers and gantry. Then I have to make the interface plates that allow the gantry to bolt to the risers. Hopefully Australia will pipe the EF down tomorrow and I can have a little more time in the garage.

More thoughts on chip load, router performance, etc...:
I stumbled across this video the other day (okay, like 8 months ago...), and the chip load vs finish vs speed surprised me. This video is filmed on a CNCRouterParts/AvidCNC machine that is VERY similar in construction to what I am building, with the biggest notable exception being that they use Rack/Pinion instead of ball screws on X/Y. In reference to the chip load thoughts on the counterbore bit, it seemed a lot happier when I was forcing it to take a bigger bite than if it was taking small bits. Obviously rigidity and mass weigh in as well, but the spindle on a bench top router is doing a pretty damn fine job in steel in this video, once he starts getting a little further into his testing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTFn84UwFCM&t

Also of interest... After the discussion of epoxy granite earlier in this thread, I was browsing through YT early this morning before I went to bed, specifically CNC router video's, and found this video. Based on the earlier discussion, when this machine comes back apart and gets rebuilt, I think I might follow suit and stuff the frame, at least, with epoxy granite. I want to figure out how much my gantry and Z axis weigh before I really contemplate filling that as well, however I'm not sure about the necessity given the results of the above video cutting steel on a similar machine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCKU0K-E0-c&t (Since the board doesn't like more than one video per post)...

Not quite as much progress as I hoped for, but still moving in the right direction, and I suppose dinner with friends isn't a horrible excuse.

[Grant H.]

Gantry interface plate layout is done now too... Apparently the Alreco saw had a rough day when these plate remnants were made... The outside top corners have "R" scratched into them (by me) to denote the reference corner. Those corners are square and a great match on each plate. So those two perpendicular edges are where all of the measurements come from. The inside bottom corners have a nice "swoop" to them. The plates were obviously cut by the same saw at the same time, as they are nearly perfect matches on all edges.

The idea is that the gantry extrusion will sit flush to that "R" corner, and have bolts attaching it to the risers underneath and behind it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50805995666_8188cc4c09_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kpy1sw)20210105_225607 (https://flic.kr/p/2kpy1sw) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr



Hurray for more drilling, counterboring, and countersinking...

[Grant H.]

Progress should be reasonably steady on this,

Why... Why do I write/say stuff like this? [shithitsfan]

Work blew up when Corp IT informed us that their ef-up had caused exposure on the gear that we maintain... Lots of hours. Planning to use the crappy weather as an excuse to hide in the garage and make some serious progress. Best laid plans and all that... Ended up working on O/G customer stuff with my brother (still sort of involved with my brothers company... I'm apparently still useful...)

I managed to get a few things accomplished, but not much picture worthy.
1. The gantry/riser interface plates are all drilled, counter bored, and counter sunk.
2. Ground down more t-slot nuts
3. Cut the gantry extrusion to the right length
4. Cut the gantry risers to the right height

And...

5... Ended up making some changes to the plan...

Despite the tails of the linear rails hanging off of the frame, I am not going to cut them down to use in the Z-axis. I'm going to leave them long so that I can expand the base in the future. It takes up a little more room that way, but it's not a huge deal. So, I ordered up some more rails to build the Z-axis. This will delay things a little bit, but not too bad.

Oh well, you win some days, and you lose some weekends...

More actual updates soon enough.

[Tim K]

I remember when we first discovered chip loading. The theory is easy to understand once it's explained, but we found the recommendations to be counter intuitive. The size of chip required to carry away the heat is always a surprise. I would say that most hobby woodworkers run their routers at feed rates that are half or less of what's required to be at the correct chip load. Even 15 years into it, I'm constantly surprised at just how fast our CNC runs when we have the chip load calculated correctly (which is 100% of the time since it's programmed into the software). The only time we deviate from recommended chip loading is when we're unable to hold the workpiece solidly enough to withstand the lateral cutting forces. Invariably when we do that we get burning on the cuts.

[Grant H.]

I remember when we first discovered chip loading. The theory is easy to understand once it's explained, but we found the recommendations to be counter intuitive. The size of chip required to carry away the heat is always a surprise. I would say that most hobby woodworkers run their routers at feed rates that are half or less of what's required to be at the correct chip load. Even 15 years into it, I'm constantly surprised at just how fast our CNC runs when we have the chip load calculated correctly (which is 100% of the time since it's programmed into the software). The only time we deviate from recommended chip loading is when we're unable to hold the workpiece solidly enough to withstand the lateral cutting forces. Invariably when we do that we get burning on the cuts.

It is interesting watching CNC wood video's and seeing how many seem to burn the edges when they are doing profile cuts.



More progress!

Gantry to Riser Plate bolted onto the end of the Gantry:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830475051_4be29d35b1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtjT)20210106_221355 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtjT) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Quick test fit of one of the risers:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830474991_097e70d16e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtiR)20210107_155552 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtiR) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Gantry with the rails and plates installed:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830560627_9904668d12_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHULk)20210112_205054 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHULk) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Since the gantry is going to be supported by t-slot nuts and bolts, I decided to go a little over board...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830474841_a67dcbe8b5_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtgg)20210112_205753 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtgg) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

And.... It's starting to look like a CNC router. The gantry is actually surprisingly heavy (more than I was expecting).
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830560547_9613d1bafe_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHUJX)20210112_213051 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHUJX) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr


I can grab one riser and slide the entire gantry back and forth without any noticeable binding, or drag, so I am not concerned about the ability to move it with smaller steppers to start with.

Some may notice that the upper riser-rail block has changed. I was originally shooting to have bolts on both sides of the block, but given the ball screw mounts I have, there isn't enough clearance with the bolts in the middle.

There are some squareness issues that I have to chase down, so that should be fun...

Given that I ordered some other rails for the Z-axis build, while I am waiting on those, I am going to continue working on getting the ball screws on the x/y axes, motors mounted, and then I'll start on the power supply, stepper drivers, wiring, and motion. I assume the rails will be here before I make it through that whole list, but at least I have enough to keep me busy until they show up.

Ball screws for the X axis (gantry support - we can argue about axis designation if you really want, but that's how mine is designated) are going to be a little goofy to start with. The ball screws that I have from my original parts buying are only 800mm long, and I likely need 1000mm or 1050mm for the dimensions that I have decided to build this for now. So, they are a touch short for the moment, but I am going to make them work and ensure that the design is functional, and then use it to rebuild some parts for the final version.

[Great-Kazoo]

It is interesting watching CNC wood video's and seeing how many seem to burn the edges when they are doing profile cuts.



More progress!

Gantry to Riser Plate bolted onto the end of the Gantry:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830475051_4be29d35b1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtjT)20210106_221355 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtjT) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Quick test fit of one of the risers:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830474991_097e70d16e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtiR)20210107_155552 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtiR) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Gantry with the rails and plates installed:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830560627_9904668d12_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHULk)20210112_205054 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHULk) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Since the gantry is going to be supported by t-slot nuts and bolts, I decided to go a little over board...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830474841_a67dcbe8b5_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtgg)20210112_205753 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHtgg) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

And.... It's starting to look like a CNC router. The gantry is actually surprisingly heavy (more than I was expecting).
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50830560547_9613d1bafe_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2krHUJX)20210112_213051 (https://flic.kr/p/2krHUJX) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr


I can grab one riser and slide the entire gantry back and forth without any noticeable binding, or drag, so I am not concerned about the ability to move it with smaller steppers to start with.

Some may notice that the upper riser-rail block has changed. I was originally shooting to have bolts on both sides of the block, but given the ball screw mounts I have, there isn't enough clearance with the bolts in the middle.

There are some squareness issues that I have to chase down, so that should be fun...

Given that I ordered some other rails for the Z-axis build, while I am waiting on those, I am going to continue working on getting the ball screws on the x/y axes, motors mounted, and then I'll start on the power supply, stepper drivers, wiring, and motion. I assume the rails will be here before I make it through that whole list, but at least I have enough to keep me busy until they show up.

Ball screws for the X axis (gantry support - we can argue about axis designation if you really want, but that's how mine is designated) are going to be a little goofy to start with. The ball screws that I have from my original parts buying are only 800mm long, and I likely need 1000mm or 1050mm for the dimensions that I have decided to build this for now. So, they are a touch short for the moment, but I am going to make them work and ensure that the design is functional, and then use it to rebuild some parts for the final version.

Igf (key word) IF there's issues with the stepper motors ability to move the gantry, smoothly. Have you thought of a Plan B now, if that does occur?

[Grant H.]

Igf (key word) IF there's issues with the stepper motors ability to move the gantry, smoothly. Have you thought of a Plan B now, if that does occur?

I have. It's noticeably more expensive, but it solves a number of issues in one shot.

Clear Path Servo's. I can get nearly double the torque values compared to my steppers in the same body size (Nema 23), and I eliminate the possibility of missed steps, as they have built in encoders to validate the motion. Beyond that they also simplify my control cabinet, as I don't have to have stepper drivers to run the servos. I can feed the step/direction signals directly from my control board to the servos, along with ~75VDC and it's all done.

If that's not enough, something is likely wrong, but I can always step up to Nema 34 frames. Going to better gearing in the ball screw is also noticeably expensive, but it doesn't solve any of the other potential issues, so it isn't really a great solution either.

[Grant H.]

Next up was the table support pieces.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50865561501_7e754f3f68_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kuPiiF)20210122_213930 (https://flic.kr/p/2kuPiiF) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50865561436_53155b5e01_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kuPihy)20210122_221850 (https://flic.kr/p/2kuPihy) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

While I am still waiting on a few things to show up, I have decided to start on the cabinet, power supply, and other such accoutrements.

Gutting the cabinet. I have the advantage of having access to used O/G cabinets for a bargain, when they are being decommissioned from the field.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50864847158_f280f4f5e1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kuKCXq)20210122_223940 (https://flic.kr/p/2kuKCXq) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Unregulated 45/25/18VDC power supply. This is just one of the 45VDC legs wired up to test it.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50865660162_4f8e7bec74_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kuPNCJ)20210122_233641 (https://flic.kr/p/2kuPNCJ) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Main cabinet/system power contactor and momentary push button's. Between the N/O contacts and the option to wire this for latching power, it prevents the system from powering back on without manual intervention in case of power loss.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50864847323_e8ab57d8a0_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kuKD1g)20210122_181911 (https://flic.kr/p/2kuKD1g) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Supposedly some of the parts that I need for moving on with hardware on the machine will be here tomorrow. However, that's USPS tracking, which means it'll probably be 3-20+ days from now. If the box actually shows up it'll mean that I can start adding the ball screws and steppers. My Z-axis rails showed up today, so I can also start working on building my Z-axis as well...

[Grant H.]

So... yeah... almost 3 years later...

I lost all motivation for the photo documentary part of this when my personal life exploded shortly after my last post, I did continue on and make it functional, although calling if finished would be entirely false.

I am ramping up to "rebuild" the router now, and figured there would be some interest in where it ended up, the process to upgrade/rebuild, and likely some of the projects that I want to use it for.

Looking forward - Upgrades:
Increase usable cutting area to at least 4'x4'
Replace steppers with ClearPath Servos
Replace no-name chinese 110v 2.2kw spindle with Jianken 220v 2.5KW spindle with Automatic Tool Change capability

Likely part of the rebuild:
Epoxy granite bed
Epoxy granite gantry supports
Epoxy granite replacements for Y extrusions

Some of the history

Control Cabinet Build:
First cut of the power supply after putting it together on my desk. Used a scrap of plywood to mount it for testing.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462555623_056dc19f90_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psizbp)20220214_222506 (https://flic.kr/p/2psizbp) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Rats nest of wiring for testing motion.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462555638_f4e32d35bd_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psizbE)20220214_222459 (https://flic.kr/p/2psizbE) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

With motion proven, it got built onto the back plane of the cabinet.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462546008_8592e6b7f8_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psiwjC)20220308_134832 (https://flic.kr/p/2psiwjC) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Closer shot of the Mesa Electronics board to the Stepper drives. I put the effort in to make the cables nice and clean, and then had to undo it later when I swapped a few things around. Lesson learned. Wait to make things pretty until it's a fully baked product... [fail]
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53461490812_7571b195b5_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psd7DA)20220312_130134 (https://flic.kr/p/2psd7DA) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Despite the progress on assembling it, that's about as far as it got. I never did get it put into the cabinet, as the machine got put to work almost immediately.

Z-Axis Build:
Z to X axis interface plate
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462771459_b55335ea84_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psjFkH)20220207_201937 (https://flic.kr/p/2psjFkH) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

One of the best things about having built this router, and it was one of my original plans, is that I can use it to machine accurate parts to use during the rebuild. I did a decent job getting things laid out and manufactured by hand, but there are some holes that had to be oversized to add enough slop to get it to work.

So much dykem, time with calipers, scribbled dimensions, and drilling...

Mounting the spindle on the Z-axis plate.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462596633_96bc9e5fd7_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psiMnt)20220209_192552 (https://flic.kr/p/2psiMnt) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

I switched the Z-axis around from "traditional" builds and mounted the bearing blocks to the interface plate and the rails to the longer piece. The advantage to this is that I have a much smaller intrusion into the working envelope when the Z-axis is retracted. The "downside" is this makes the machine noticeably taller, but I'm okay with it.

Z-axis plate mounted on the gantry with the X axis ball screw tied in.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462875995_c46dcd459a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pskdq4)20220210_200025 (https://flic.kr/p/2pskdq4) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Z-axis mounted on Gantry:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53461560677_b6941cca69_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psdtqa)20220211_095322 (https://flic.kr/p/2psdtqa) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Y-axis Motion:
Tandem Y-axis motors and ball screws, mirrored on the left side.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462794189_3507743d36_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psjN6B)20220211_212716 (https://flic.kr/p/2psjN6B) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Motor mount and ball screw fixed block.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462794184_c7c9169164_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psjN6w)20220211_212729 (https://flic.kr/p/2psjN6w) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Long term, the offset between the Y extrusions and the X extrusions is intended to have an end cap with integrated Nema23 mount. The plan is to use 3/4" aluminum and have a nice, clean, integrated plate/motor mount. Now that I am going to swap those extrusions and use the full 1500mm of the rails, this may get changed around.

Proximity limit switches, also used for homing on each axis. I wanted to avoid the physical contact micro switch solution that lots of entry units and first time build use. These are cheap ebay special ones, but thus far, they have been extremely consistent and reliable. Just a simple 3d printed mount. While these will trigger off of aluminum, the reliability and consistency is much better with steel, hence the bolt threaded into the side of the Z-X interface plate for homing the X axis.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462658458_f112ec5047_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psj6Kq)20220625_230759 (https://flic.kr/p/2psj6Kq) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Not a ton of other photos before I dove into running the machine.

First test cuts on the 2x4 and then cutting 14ga steel in prep for cutting holes into automation cabinets for the O/G industry.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462805064_7016b0fc88_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psjRk7)20220217_182831 (https://flic.kr/p/2psjRk7) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Cutting parts to adapt an older dust collector to an Oneida cyclone.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53461581522_6fa8e3e6da_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psdzBy)20220227_115023 (https://flic.kr/p/2psdzBy) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

Machining aluminum parts for a custom Pan/Tilt mount for $100k IR cameras being used for AI based gas leak detection. Before getting serious about this, I added mist coolant with control from the linuxcnc side.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53461594227_6df80b3208_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psdDoB)20220528_192854 (https://flic.kr/p/2psdDoB) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462931175_63b2b01de0_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pskuPr)20220528_192917 (https://flic.kr/p/2pskuPr) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

There are STILL aluminum shavings in most of the garage. I don't run dust collection when I am using coolant.

New ATC 2.5KW spindle next to 2.2kw spindle. The old one weighs ~12lbs and the new one is ~34lbs.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53462919825_4d2e44d3ac_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pskrrK)20220226_131942 (https://flic.kr/p/2pskrrK) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr

[rfenster]

Thank you--had been following with great interest back in Covid times...very impressive!

[kidicarus13]

I am at peace with realizing I am not the smartest guy in the room ...or on the forum.

[Grant H.]

Thank you--had been following with great interest back in Covid times...very impressive!

Thank you! I know a couple folks have reached out over the years and asked about me and the project, and that is part of what prompted me to post the update, and the plans for the future. As weird as it sounds, one of the "regrets" that I can identify out of the last 3 years is not actually finishing the machine, and continuing the documentation on here of the build.


I am at peace with realizing I am not the smartest guy in the room ...or on the forum.

Me too.

We are spoiled with the level of folks that are part of this specific community. It's part of why I have maintained my activity/involvement, at least to some degree or another, for as long as I have.

[theGinsue]

I am at peace with realizing I am not the smartest guy in the room ...or on the forum.

A lot of the time I'll view something online and say to myself "I could do that". Not here. I often see something within the threads of this site and marvel at the superhuman skills some of you display. I am seldom not in awe of the skills you folks possess.