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DIY Desktop CNC Machine for $400

8K views 37 replies 13 participants last post by  gow589 
#1 ·
DIY Desktop CNC Machine
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/421256045/diy-desktop-cnc-machine

"A modular, inexpensive, versatile desktop-scale CNC machine to put computer-automated machining and fabrication in the hands of creators. Whether they be hobbyists or evil scientists, small-scale manufacturers or budding inventors, the power to go from on-screen design to precision-machined product in a few mouse clicks is very exciting."

"This project will result in a finished, new, well-designed CNC machine that will then be made available in kit form at several different project entry points. From well-documented and comprehensive plans and construction manual, through electronics, motor drive and chassis kit combinations, to fully-assembled systems, there should be a solution to fit any skill-level and/or budget."

This appears to be a very cool tool and would be ideal for prototyping smaller parts (Axis Travel: X = 11"; Y = 8 1/2"; Z = 3 5/8"). A metal base is an option.

DISCLAIMER: I, nor anyone I know, have no personal interest in the project but thought that there would be people here that would be interested in it.
 
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#27 ·
deadbodyman said:
And look where they are now....those drones are REAL weapons...Another example how a toy hobby can grow into something very serious...
Depending on what you are wanting to do, there are some serious DIY CNC plasma and lasers out there and huge forums for them.

On a side note, I just set up a simple circuit to control a Kiln for heat treating metal, powder coating, heating my coco, what have you. It uses a type K thermal couple and controls rate of rise, max temp and hold time. I am waiting for the 240v solid state relay to modify the kiln itself.

 
#28 ·
Gow,I'm guessing it's a 240v electric kiln...and the plug at the top of the pic is going to a lap top to set the paramiters ??? the thermo coupler is at the bottom of the pic,other than that I'm totally lost,but it is fastinating how you can do all this and it really looks like a lot of fun.If you dont mind me asking what do you do for a living?
 
#29 ·
deadbodyman said:
Gow,I'm guessing it's a 240v electric kiln...and the plug at the top of the pic is going to a lap top to set the paramiters ??? the thermo coupler is at the bottom of the pic,other than that I'm totally lost,but it is fastinating how you can do all this and it really looks like a lot of fun.If you dont mind me asking what do you do for a living?
Laid off corporate pilot; starting new business in totally different direction. Tired of the suitcase! Rest in PM I sent you.

If you were here I could break down what it all does. Much simpler then it looks. The cable programs the micro controller but once programmed is stand alone. It is actually a controller very similar to a basic stamp. Actually pretty simple to program and quite frankly addictive. Once you do one thing you want to do another.

The kiln actuation was originally going to be with the servo so when the relay gets here, I just have to change the command from a servo position to a switch.

The wired from the switches go to a small board with pull up or down resisters which are required for the micro controller to sense the switch.

The circuit on the right is an AD595 which is a thermocouple amplifier. The circuit treats the line on the micro controller as a pot and returns a value.

The rest is some basic programing.

Sorry if I hijacked this thread a bit but suffice to say this stuff can be quite addictive. As for the CNC this thread was about, I could really see it being used with a marker to draw out your parts on metal (or what have you). Even if it would not cut the metal, it would be nice to draw parts in say Corel draw and draw directly on the part.

I have a small vinyl cutter and several times I have cut vinyl and used it as mask with spray paint for precision hand made parts.
 
#30 ·
If you look at the post with the engine and the graphic data logger, that was a bit more involved. There were 2 tough challenges for a "google" programmer with no training in this stuff.

First was getting gauges to work. Those gauges are created by pure programing. It took me a while to figure out how to get them to refresh in real time without delay; but once I did the program became fun.

The second challenge was getting the values which meant reading a HID (human interface device) which is a circuit basically like a joystick.

Most parameters are a matter of turning them into 0-5v then pulling their corresponding values from a database.

RPM and timing advance were a bit different. They use a special timing chip to feed back into a micro controller then back to the program. I was close to getting this to work when I went back to finish the paint job. It was working on other things but I did not isolate the spark good enough and it was locking things up.

Soon to resume on this.
 
#31 ·
Geeze, I can barly answer my E mail.... :smash: I did find out laptops aren't very areodynamic ,that helped with the learning prosess...something you probably already knew ,being a pilot and all...I agree how addicting electronics can be .my dad was in R&D and was involved in making the first IC's he taught me a lot. most of which I've forgoten.Ohms law has stuck with me and the resistor color code,thats about it.
 
#32 ·
The stuff like basic stamps require a little electric understanding but not much. You don't need to know how to design a circuit but you would need to know thinks like if you put two resisters in series and pull off the center you get half the voltage; stuff like that. I think that is what makes it fun.

The rest is one thing at a time just like any job. No one thing is hard but when you put it together it looks overwhelming.
 
#35 ·
Would the R/C airplane tachs work for what you need? They select 2,3, or 4 propellers to set rpm. You may have to calc a slight difference if you have say 6 arms on a pulley. You would set it by 3 and 1/2 your indicated value. Local hobby stores have them.

Only caveat is you may (or may not) need sunlight to read it properly. If you point it at an incandescent light it will reflect the hz!

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXPT31&P=ML
 
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