tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801528127275733742.post4141450227570045581..comments2021-03-30T23:48:12.793-04:00Comments on ToasterBotics: CNC - Part 2Thatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12876281279188969777noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801528127275733742.post-20556913679477459292012-07-13T21:30:08.047-04:002012-07-13T21:30:08.047-04:00Nice! That helps! I'm just about ready to buil...Nice! That helps! I'm just about ready to build my Y and X axes, so I've been thinking a lot about the Z axis assembly this week :) <br /><br />Did you take the Mantis' lead and epoxy the Z axis stepper motor into place? I'm thinking of mounting mine on top, pointing down, but we'll see. Also, in the second picture of this post, I see what looks like a flat metal strip bent into a curve coming from the top of your Z axis, almost where the leadscrew might be traveling - what is that?Jason Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01064801477613460528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801528127275733742.post-2423744724841268662012-07-09T20:31:05.323-04:002012-07-09T20:31:05.323-04:00So I cooked up a Sketchup version of the X-axis ca...So I cooked up a Sketchup version of the X-axis carriage, the part that holds the Dremel and Z-axis stepper motor. You can download it here - http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25633961/X%20Axis%20Carriage.skp<br /><br />If it needs any clarification, just respond!Thatcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12876281279188969777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801528127275733742.post-73572144813643222572012-06-20T09:01:41.247-04:002012-06-20T09:01:41.247-04:00The precision rods have worked excellently for me!...The precision rods have worked excellently for me! Definitely a higher upfront cost, but it seems worth it. I'm glad your trying again!<br /><br />I think that it's not a matter of how precise the saw is, but the holes. As long as the bottom and back edges form a ninety degree angle, they can be lined up to each other. For example, I cut out both side pieces and used some scrap boards to line up the bottom and back edges (they were longest) and then drilled it. When I was putting it together, I had the bottom edges mounted on one board and the back edges on another, so they were lined up just like I had drilled them. Sorry if that's a bit unclear :).<br /><br />I liked the Mantis for the same reason - it looked like if I wanted to make it bigger later, it wouldn't be too difficult.<br /><br />I don't have a design file for the way the Dremel is mounted, but I could easily make one, or just send you some pictures. I'll try to put it in Sketchup and either post it or send it to you. I agree with the jitter issue. The things I posted here were really my first ones. I was using a conical bit to cut them and duct tape to hold them in place. I got a 1/64 end mill for circuit boards and things came out much better. Have a look at the newest post - http://toasterbotics.blogspot.com/2012/06/milled-pcb-gallery.html. I haven't tried ReplicatorG. I thought it was for 3D printers, but I guess they are kind of the same thing as this. EMC2 has worked great for me, but it is a whole Linux distro, so you can't do all your normal computer stuff.<br /><br />Best of luck!Thatcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12876281279188969777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801528127275733742.post-56352817778223401502012-06-14T12:57:22.410-04:002012-06-14T12:57:22.410-04:00Thanks! I think you're right: precision rods s...Thanks! I think you're right: precision rods seemed like the solution to me at the time as well, but I was so burned out from trying to build it with what I could afford at the time that I lost heart.<br /><br />However, I can now afford to get the 'good stuff', so I think I will order those precision components and give it a go. <br /><br />I'm really surprised you only used a power saw to make the cuts! How did you get the cuts to be so exact? It seemed to me that even a small difference of ~0.002" could cause jamming - how do you achieve those tolerances with basic tools?<br /><br />Thanks for the encouragement, I'll give it another go :) I was planning on making my machine a bit larger than the original Mantis (but based on same structure) and using it to make rubber stamps, stencils and etchings for printmaking.<br /><br />I really like your spindle assembly! Could you share any more info about the design files or BOMs you came up with? A Dremel seems like the smartest option for general projects, but I did notice a small amount of 'jitter' in the pieces you produced. Do you feel like it can be overcome with more tweaking? I wonder if at least some of the jitter is due to software settings + source file resolution as well. When I get my hardware up and running, I was planning on trying to hook into ReplicatorG, as it seems like a pretty popular and well-supported program these days :)Jason Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01064801477613460528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801528127275733742.post-63322915116157893352012-06-14T06:23:02.754-04:002012-06-14T06:23:02.754-04:00Hi!
I have pretty limited fabrication skills, at l...Hi!<br />I have pretty limited fabrication skills, at least in the skills needed to make this machine. There is a file on the makeyourbot wiki that was intended to be sent to a ShopBot, but it turns out you can load it into Sketchup and measure the dimensions of all the parts. I got these measurements and cut them out with a power saw. For the matched holes, I had a friend do the drill pressing, though it looked very straightforward. I agree, though, the website is pretty vague on how to fabricate the machine...<br /><br />I looked at the link in your Vimeo and found on thing that I might have changed. It sounds like you got some rod at a local hardware store? I decided to get these 'precision rods' from McMaster-Carr. I think they are machined from a much harder steel, so they are perfectly straight. Using those and some WD40 along with the same bushings you used, I had great results.<br /><br />You should keep going with it! It took me about three months on and off to get it all working, and it still needs some adjustments. I really love having it though. It makes circuit boards and I'm learning a ton about Linux systems and 3D modeling and so much other stuff!Thatcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12876281279188969777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801528127275733742.post-17294248270842443582012-06-13T19:38:02.419-04:002012-06-13T19:38:02.419-04:00I'm the guy who from HAD whose been trying to ...I'm the guy who from HAD whose been trying to build one of these for a few months now. Seems like this came together pretty easily for you - do you have a background in shop skills / fabrication? How long did it take? What kinds of tools did you use (and were they cheap, or professional quality)?<br /><br />I wanted to see if I could build a single axis to play with, but after a couple months of trying to build one, I could never make it move smoothly. Maybe my shop skills aren't good enough, not sure. The Mantis project seemed to lack a lot of important information for me, such as HOW to properly fabricate the required parts.<br /><br />I blogged my experience and collected posts / data here: http://cs.unk.edu/~webb/wiki/index.php/CNC_machine<br /><br />Here's a video of one of these 'test' axes, notice how 'sticky' it is. I've tried self-aligning bearings, as well as sanding the rods a bit, but nothing helped. Eventually I decided to stop :( https://vimeo.com/39030125<br /><br />Any advice? :)Jason Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01064801477613460528noreply@blogger.com