CNC hobbyist

[fatboyroy]

Good stuff in here. I've been thinking of building my own CNC with 3D printed parts, my only hangup is dedicating space to one as I'd like a fairly large bed. Need to noodle about storage, perhaps I can arrange some sort of lift that would lift it up to the garage ceiling, and when in use could drop down onto my rolling workbench.

Thats a great idea!

 

[2kwik4u]

Thank you I will probably pick top left of the cnc working area as my zero, like printing paper always have to be on top left of the printer.

Try to choose something with an edge you can measure with relative precision. Not just the working area, but the top left corner of the piece, fixture, or similar. A physical point is better than a "virtual point" in space.

Also, don't be afraid to model your clamps and fixtures in your project so you can check for interferences in your toolpathing. Will save you some headache of dragging the tool across the fixture/clamp......ask me how I know

Speaking of crashes......Prepare yourself for them. No matter how careful and how much you plan and how detail oriented you are, you WILL......let me repeat that you WILL crash that machine at some point. Just go ahead and prepare your headspace for that, and roll with the punches when it happens. Don't let it discourage or derail you. We had a guy with 25yrs robotics programming experience crash out $1.2mil machine in the first 20min it was plugged in because he flipped an input from 27 to 72 while he was keying it in. Knocked the new right the eff off that machine for us. Point being, it happens to everyone, prepare yourself for it, and don't get upset when it happens.

 

[fatboyroy]

Try to choose something with an edge you can measure with relative precision. Not just the working area, but the top left corner of the piece, fixture, or similar. A physical point is better than a "virtual point" in space.

Also, don't be afraid to model your clamps and fixtures in your project so you can check for interferences in your toolpathing. Will save you some headache of dragging the tool across the fixture/clamp......ask me how I know

Speaking of crashes......Prepare yourself for them. No matter how careful and how much you plan and how detail oriented you are, you WILL......let me repeat that you WILL crash that machine at some point. Just go ahead and prepare your headspace for that, and roll with the punches when it happens. Don't let it discourage or derail you. We had a guy with 25yrs robotics programming experience crash out $1.2mil machine in the first 20min it was plugged in because he flipped an input from 27 to 72 while he was keying it in. Knocked the new right the eff off that machine for us. Point being, it happens to everyone, prepare yourself for it, and don't get upset when it happens.

Points taken, I hope i can complete at least one piece of project before it crash on me lol

 

[GTBRMC]

If you want to get serious about doing CNC on metal it's not overly difficult to convert an old bridgeport over to CNC control.

This is a great idea (if you will be doing significant amount of metal cutting). Old Bridgeports are rock solid and there are many available. Thousands have been converted to CNC controls, so there will be help available if you get stuck.

 

[Can0n11]

Big thing to keep in mind on DIY setups is the stiffness and mass required when you get into metals. The forces on the spindle and table can be significantly high when machining metal, and the mass is required to keep vibrations and associated NF resonance at bay. If you want to get serious about doing CNC on metal it's not overly difficult to convert an old bridgeport over to CNC control. In the process you will have to machine some parts from metal on the bridgeport itself, which IMO is experience every single CNC operator should have. I helped a friend convert one over many years ago, and the electronics aren't significantly difficult, and you can get some pretty accurate parts from it in the end without breaking the bank.

Storage, shop space, and power requirements push it somewhat out of "hobbyist" level though IMO.

If you're going to stick to wood/plastic and LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT metal work then you can probably 3D print the parts you need to hold the frame togethor.

I've had my eye on a Snapmaker for awhile for this very reason. All CNC machines operate on the same G-Code basis, as well as cartesian coordinate systems. Having something like the Snapmaker with interchangeable heads really opens up the possibilities of what you can make with a single machine. Laser engraving, light CNC wood carving and and machining, and 3D printing really cover a LOT of ground in the maker space. If you could add a drag knife for vinyl cutting you get a lot more space covered. At under $2k to get started, there's a lot of value in something like this

Definitely Light metal work, I use 1mm feed and slow speeds on aluminum. It does a good job on wood, but feeds are 1-2mm. There are alot of youtube videos on converting Grizzly 704/705's into CNC's- I put steppers run by Mach3/4 on a Grizzly 758 for small aluminum parts making. I amazed at how much the 704 are costing these days, as it pricing seems to have doubled in the last 5 years. We have an older Mill that was moved and not bolted to the floor at one point. Had the feed/cut too fast/deep and the end mil caught and had that big heavy mill started rocking and rolling- almost tipped it over. Pro rookie tip- install a Big red emergency stop front and center on all of your equipment .

 

[tim h]

I am wanting to get into CNC but currently do quite a bit of 3D printing.

I use Autodesk's Fusion 360 which is available free for personal use. Fusion 360 for Personal Use | Fusion 360 | Autodesk

Another low cost but high end option is EAA's free SolidWorks for members New EAA Member Benefit: Free SolidWorks

@tim h is a pro and likely has better recommendations.

I have used several different softwares. Mastercam, Unigraphics, Esprit, PowerMill. All of which are expensive for a hobbyist.
I have a friend that started his own little niche company in CNC laser engraving. He uses Fusion 360. I can't speak on Fusion. I haven't had my hands on it yet. But have heard its "good enough" for a hobbyist...

 

[seanmclean]

Big thing to keep in mind on DIY setups is the stiffness and mass required when you get into metals. The forces on the spindle and table can be significantly high when machining metal, and the mass is required to keep vibrations and associated NF resonance at bay. If you want to get serious about doing CNC on metal it's not overly difficult to convert an old bridgeport over to CNC control. In the process you will have to machine some parts from metal on the bridgeport itself, which IMO is experience every single CNC operator should have. I helped a friend convert one over many years ago, and the electronics aren't significantly difficult, and you can get some pretty accurate parts from it in the end without breaking the bank.

Storage, shop space, and power requirements push it somewhat out of "hobbyist" level though IMO.

If you're going to stick to wood/plastic and LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT metal work then you can probably 3D print the parts you need to hold the frame togethor.

I've had my eye on a Snapmaker for awhile for this very reason. All CNC machines operate on the same G-Code basis, as well as cartesian coordinate systems. Having something like the Snapmaker with interchangeable heads really opens up the possibilities of what you can make with a single machine. Laser engraving, light CNC wood carving and and machining, and 3D printing really cover a LOT of ground in the maker space. If you could add a drag knife for vinyl cutting you get a lot more space covered. At under $2k to get started, there's a lot of value in something like this

Good info - thanks! I'm probably not going to do any metal work, or if I did would just be aluminum. Most of the 3D printed models use aluminum conduit and seem rigid enough for woodworking, found some other varieties that use linear rails or boxed steel which might be a bit more rigid.

 

[Can0n11]

Good info - thanks! I'm probably not going to do any metal work, or if I did would just be aluminum. Most of the 3D printed models use aluminum conduit and seem rigid enough for woodworking, found some other varieties that use linear rails or boxed steel which might be a bit more rigid.

This person built a pretty stout CNC for building custom computer gaming system water cooled enclosures. He used Teknic servo motors in lieu of stepper motors. Was a little overkill for what I needed for my use.

 

[fatboyroy]

Finished assembly last night, tested and everything works. I still have to test Z probe but that’s when I’m ready to start milling test. I will fix spaghetti wiring too

 

[2kwik4u]

Looks great @fatboyroy

Some interesting design decisions on that machine. Mobile Z-Axis in particular. I get it gives a smaller overall footprint compared to work area, but stiffness suffers a good bit from that.

Highly suggest you start with wood or plastic. Crashes hurt less when the workpiece is softer material

Also, I highly suggest you write a REALLY basic program to start and test that all you axes are aligned between the virtual and physical systems. Something like move in a square and a circle in mid air, with the spindle turning on and off. Start by writing this in GCode in notepad by hand as a text file, then use your 3D modelling system to create the same code. This will give you a really good understanding of what the code does and how it relates to the machine.

Also, as you troubleshoot, remember change on thing at a time and watch the outcome. The better you isolate your tests the faster you can isolate the problem/misunderstanding.

Finally........setup some level of Emergency Stop. Even if that is just a power strip with an off button in easy reach. If the thing starts going haywire, or starting tearing itself up, don't panic, just kill the power. Take a breath, and recover from there...... seriously an EStop on a CNC is as important as a kill switch on a boat. It keeps a bad situation from getting worse.

 

[fatboyroy]

Looks great @fatboyroy

Some interesting design decisions on that machine. Mobile Z-Axis in particular. I get it gives a smaller overall footprint compared to work area, but stiffness suffers a good bit from that.

Highly suggest you start with wood or plastic. Crashes hurt less when the workpiece is softer material

Also, I highly suggest you write a REALLY basic program to start and test that all you axes are aligned between the virtual and physical systems. Something like move in a square and a circle in mid air, with the spindle turning on and off. Start by writing this in GCode in notepad by hand as a text file, then use your 3D modelling system to create the same code. This will give you a really good understanding of what the code does and how it relates to the machine.

Also, as you troubleshoot, remember change on thing at a time and watch the outcome. The better you isolate your tests the faster you can isolate the problem/misunderstanding.

Finally........setup some level of Emergency Stop. Even if that is just a power strip with an off button in easy reach. If the thing starts going haywire, or starting tearing itself up, don't panic, just kill the power. Take a breath, and recover from there...... seriously an EStop on a CNC is as important as a kill switch on a boat. It keeps a bad situation from getting worse.

Thanks 2kwik it has emergency stop button. I will buy balsa wood from hobby store to test it later. Also my work computer is rejecting installing software not approve by company (New policy I guess). When I moved to florida I threw and gave away my old PCs so I don’t have to lug them around in the move. Now I have to buy a laptop for the software I will go pick one up from bestbuy or Walmart later today so I can test it. Also work area so small I can probably do like beer coaster or something that size not any more bigger

 

[Can0n11]

These emergency stop switches are fairly cheap off Amazon, and I use NUC's to process code. They mount on the back of your monitor. The swing arm on the monitors are great-keep your workspace available and you can move it around the workspace. Fusiion 360's toolpath produces the holes first(for my work) and then the part. I'll work on a Youtube of a short clip. All of the black and white plastic parts are 3D printed. If you do wood, you will want a vacuum setup. I added a small clear tube which blasts air on the endmill to keep chips out of the way. Also, I would recommend a spoilboard to keep from auguring into you bed. In fusion360 you can add small slots that wont cut all the way through to hold your work in place-otherwise your piece will move as it nears completion. This is definitely a DIY'r build not even close to professional mill-work that the others here have made a profession out of(disclaimer)!

 

[2kwik4u]

@Can0n11 that looks like a great setup and some awesome tips!

Did you make the table it's sitting on?
Is that a vacuum attachment for the router head?

 

[fatboyroy]

Ok it’s officially working lol need to pick up the learning curve on this. The red button is the kill switch on my machine. Here some test I did

 

[fatboyroy]

These emergency stop switches are fairly cheap off Amazon, and I use NUC's to process code. They mount on the back of your monitor. The swing arm on the monitors are great-keep your workspace available and you can move it around the workspace. Fusiion 360's toolpath produces the holes first(for my work) and then the part. I'll work on a Youtube of a short clip. All of the black and white plastic parts are 3D printed. If you do wood, you will want a vacuum setup. I added a small clear tube which blasts air on the endmill to keep chips out View attachment 166302View attachment 166303of the way. Also, I would recommend a spoilboard to keep from auguring into you bed. In fusion360 you can add small slots that wont cut all the way through to hold your work in place-otherwise your piece will move as it nears completion. This is definitely a DIY'r build not even close to professional mill-work that the others here have made a profession out of(disclaimer)!

YouTube would be nice thanks for the tips

 

[Sbrown]

I've been using a CNC router for a couple of years now, mostly for wood projects. It all looks like good advice here, I would add a coue small suggestions for you. Use pieces of insulating foam from the big box store to test out your final design, and as an alternative to mechanical clamps, the masking tape and CA glue trick also works very well for holding work pieces with no worries about interference.

I use Vectric 3d software, which not only does the CAD and CAM work, but it also lets you preview your toolpath on a digital rendering of your workpiece. Not only can you see all the actual paths the cutter will use, you can also see the final product, wood grain and all. You can also set it up to use as many different cutters as you need on a single toolpath. Hogging cutters, detail cutters, etc. The software is expensive, but definitely worth it, in my opinion.

 

[fatboyroy]

Thanks for the tips I will

I've been using a CNC router for a couple of years now, mostly for wood projects. It all looks like good advice here, I would add a coue small suggestions for you. Use pieces of insulating foam from the big box store to test out your final design, and as an alternative to mechanical clamps, the masking tape and CA glue trick also works very well for holding work pieces with no worries about interference.

I use Vectric 3d software, which not only does the CAD and CAM work, but it also lets you preview your toolpath on a digital rendering of your workpiece. Not only can you see all the actual paths the cutter will use, you can also see the final product, wood grain and all. You can also set it up to use as many different cutters as you need on a single toolpath. Hogging cutters, detail cutters, etc. The software is expensive, but definitely worth it, in my opinion.

thanks for the tips I will eventually invest in a good software I been watching reviews on YouTube and will consider vectric 3D

 

[fatboyroy]

I will have to finish this tomorrow but Im creating this for my dog kennel

 

[Can0n11]

@Can0n11 that looks like a great setup and some awesome tips!

Did you make the table it's sitting on?
Is that a vacuum attachment for the router head?

A friend who ran MCTI's mill shop custom made it for our build from his home workshop. It is an extremely rigid bench. The black vertical tube is vacuum, and the clear plastic tube is compressed shop air - just enough to keep the chips off the end mill. The vac does a good job of keeping the work area clean, its attached to a dust cyclone as well. Using foam above is a great idea. I used it quite a bit initially when learning the operation. We use boxes of the foam in the pic below for summer camps, the density works well.

 

[fatboyroy]

Update on progress, 1 hour left I misjudged the home location so it’s a little off and plywood is chipping but it’s ok for a test