Cnc router build

D

Daredzoni

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Hey guys. I'm so glad that I found out for this community!
Few years back, I have worked with some CNC mill and lathe, so I am familiar with writing G code and stuff.
I had an idea to make cnc for myself, and I choose JGRO design for it with some changes.
First, I have made 3D assembly in Catia, with all necessary parts.
Material is MDF. Lead screw is 16mm diameter with anti backlash nut.
I am using step motors Nema23. I have bought electronics on ebay.



I bought these linear berings, four big 20mm diameter, and eight of them smaller, 16mm diameter.

Adjustment blocks:



Two of axis are ballscrews and one (Z axis) is regular leadscrew. I Think at some time I will replace it also with ballscrew.
This picture is old, and on the table is just one big (x axis) ballscrew. Right beside it is some leadscrew from old car jackscrew. I didn't use it.



And of course MDF:
 
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Looks good to me.....but MDF is a bugger to work with. Dust gets EVERYWHERE, hazardous to breathe in, the glue in the board dulls cutters in an instant, and any oil on it (may drip off a machine or something) will soak through the board and loosen the glue weakening it. And who knows what the vibrations of the router will weaken it over time. But on the good side, MDF is a very stable material and extremely strong and heavy

Weighing the facts about MDF, besides the machining challenges, I think it will work out great. Good luck on the build!
 
Re MDF:

Many types of wood, such as teak (I'm a boat guy...), are pretty hard on non-carbide cutting tools. As for the dust, its much like other wood dust of random origins in that some is much more toxic than others (cedar, teak, yellow pine, cypress, chestnut, walnut...) and a good dust filter mask is needed for the face (Harbor Freight, blue colored silicone rubber body, dual cartridge, comes in M & L, ~$15 w/20% off coupon, excellent!). I like a good 2.5" hose shop vac to help control dust (keeping the hose/wand end in the best position to inhale the dust plume during cutting and other machining operations is a good job for a dedicated helper).

I agree MDF is stable, and especially if the moisture content is kept stable. To that end, I've found that not many coatings are easier to work with than water-based polyurethane (WBPU) "varnish" (~$40/gallon for floors, Parks brand in the white plastic jug, also in quarts but I don't buy those). You can coat, then sand usually in less than an hour. As with most wood coating, the first coat will harden up the "fuzz", and after that is sanded smooth, the second and third coats need minimal sanding if the job is kept clean (blow sanding dust away with compressed air just before coating). This coating will seal any oil out of the MDF, as well.

Hope to explore DIY CNC myself someday.
 
I am not a fan of MDF either but sometimes, you have to work with what is available and what you can afford to spend on that part of a project.

The design is pretty standard (and well tested) but the only thing I would change would be to put some stiffening ribs on the uprights for the gantry at least between the bearing blocks and where the back of the gantry meets. Preferably all the way to the top. Adding a rib will make the entire gantry many times more rigid without making it significantly heavier. The router and carriage moving on the gantry has a lot of momentum and that part of the gantry will flex without some additional support.
 
Guys, I appreciate your help.
Thing is, I kinda already finished this CNC router.
Now when is all finished, I regret that I choose MDF for construction.
My plan is to play with this CNC for a while (hopefully earn some money) and then make a new one.
I spent a lot of money, roughly 1200e ~ 1600 USD.
Thing is, when I buy something on ebay, I must pay import taxes that are ~30%. It's a lot.
I have bought and instaled this parts on my machine:.


  • 2x ballscrews 16x05, 1 leadscrew 16x05
  • 6 steel rods
  • 12 linear bearings
  • 3 Stepper driver 4.2A DQ542MA
  • 2 Power supply 350W 36V for drivers
  • 1 Breakout board DC25
  • 1 ATX power sypply for breakout board
  • 3 Nema 23 Stepper motors with 428 oz/in holding torque and 4.2A
  • 1.5 kW Water cooling Spindle
  • 1.5 kW Spindle Inverter
  • 1 water pump (small one for fish tank)
  • 1 Used computer with TFT monitor
  • few cnc bits

IMG_3505.jpg

IMG_3510.jpg

IMG_3509.jpg

IMG_3507.jpg

IMG_3506.jpg

And my first cut:

IMG_20140621_210638.jpg
 
You have already done the hardest part and bought the most expensive parts. Now you have one that you can use to build the next one. All the parts are reusable for a better one.

My own personal plan is to eventually make a fixed gantry machine with the structure made from concrete.
 
In general, that doesn't look too bad but I don't see anything that jumps out at me that makes that look any better than the free designs. I am not that impressed with the rails. As designed, they have pretty lousy support.

Of the wooden designs, I would stay away from anything without a torsion box bed. They are easy to make even without a full woodworking setup and don't sag.
 
David Kirtley said:
You have already done the hardest part and bought the most expensive parts. Now you have one that you can use to build the next one. All the parts are reusable for a better one.

My own personal plan is to eventually make a fixed gantry machine with the structure made from concrete.
Click to expand...


My thoughts exactly. I will for sure do that in a near future. First, I need to learn woodworking with this machine.

I have problems with tools (bits). I have bought some "carbide" bits, and burned them after ~1h of work.
Can you (or someone else) recommend some seller on ebay or aliexpress with high quality goods. Or some web store...
 
Daredzoni said:
My thoughts exactly. I will for sure do that in a near future. First, I need to learn woodworking with this machine.

I have problems with tools (bits). I have bought some "carbide" bits, and burned them after ~1h of work.
Can you (or someone else) recommend some seller on ebay or aliexpress with high quality goods. Or some web store...
Click to expand...


Those small bits have trouble clearing chips. You might give some of the single flute bits a try. Many vendors sell them on ebay and they are not very expensive. You will probably have a lot better results. Especially with MDF because it has so much glue in it.

For general tooling, I like CTC tools out of Hong Kong. They have a wide variety of things and ship fast. They sell direct and also are on ebay.
 
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