188 replies to this topic

[John Cutburth]

So I have been working on my new CNC Machine and I wanted to know if there was any progress on this project. The GitHub project is 5 months old.

[Darrin]

So I have been working on my new CNC Machine and I wanted to know if there was any progress on this project. The GitHub project is 5 months old.

Hey John,

I've completed my machine and have been using it on almost a weekly basis to create parts for various wood working projects. I love my machine! I'm out of town right now but when I get home, I'll post pictures of the completed version as well as some of the projects I've worked on with it. I'll also upload the latest version of the software which I think is running like a champ on the Netduino.


How is the progress with your machine coming?

[John Cutburth]

How is the progress with your machine coming?

I have a Image Build log on Flickr.

I am building my driver board now and getting my wiring fished up. I am wanting to build it as nice as I can the first time because once I get it done I will not want to mess with it anymore I will be messing with my projects. I have also been reading on mounting a laser on it to get cleaner cuts.

[John Cutburth]

Here is an image of the un-boxing of the kit I got.

[John Cutburth]

I'm out of town right now but when I get home

Darrin, when will you be getting home.

[inxtremo]

Hi, great projects in this thread. Wish my own cnc in the future. One simple and fast question, Has anyone implemented acceleration and deceleration for the stepper motors. Tried it myself but it not really works great. Thanks a lot, Daniel

[John Cutburth]

Daniel,
I am still working on getting my drivers working so this would be a question for Darrin.

[Darrin]

I have a Image Build log on Flickr.

I am building my driver board now and getting my wiring fished up. I am wanting to build it as nice as I can the first time because once I get it done I will not want to mess with it anymore I will be messing with my projects. I have also been reading on mounting a laser on it to get cleaner cuts.

Hi John,

Your machine is looking great. Can't wait to see pictures and videos of the finished product! You're more than welcome to use my software and make changes to it as you see fit. The software has performed like a champ for me. I'll post some photos of some of my latest CNC creations below.

[Darrin]

Hi,

great projects in this thread. Wish my own cnc in the future.

One simple and fast question, Has anyone implemented acceleration and deceleration for the stepper motors. Tried it myself but it not really works great.

Thanks a lot,
Daniel

Hey Daniel,

Thanks for the comments. You can have a CNC, it's not that far out of reach. Just spend the time to read and study and acquire parts and you will eventually get there. A few years ago, I was thinking the same as you, and now every Saturday I'm in the garage running my machine and loving it!

To answer your question: No I haven't yet implemented acceleration or deceleration curves in my code. It's on my wish list, but to be honest it has not caused me to have any difficulty in producing parts the way I want. I know overall it would be better, but for my hobby-level machining operations, the code works great without it.

That being said, my code is up on git-hub and I would be thrilled to see others add enhancements such as this to it. If nobody does it, I may eventually get to it myself

Cheers

[Darrin]

It has been a while since I updated this thread. As I mentioned earlier, my machine is to a point I would consider finished and functional. I use it every weekend and I'm having a great time learning new ways to improve it and have made many fun wood projects with it. I intend to eventually build a version 2 of the machine and improve on many of the mistakes I made with my first build, but until then I plan to get as much use out of it as I can. Since my previous posts, I have built a stand for the machine (to get it off of the saw horses) and also a wood enclosure for the Netduino and stepper motor drivers. I still have the electronics in prototyping breadboards but I figured that it wasn't broken so I wouldn't fix it. Perhaps one day I will have the CNC etch a propper PCB, who knows. Here are a number of photos of the machine and some of the things I've made with it. Also, here are a few links to some of the videos of it in action, and the wood clock I am currently building with it. Enjoy! Using my CNC as an oscillating spindle sander: Prototype escapement for a clock I am building with the CNC machine:

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•  2012-05-12 12.36.22.jpg   103.73KB   103 downloads
•  2012-05-12 13.14.44.jpg   65.02KB   131 downloads
•  2012-05-12 15.17.48.jpg   104.35KB   129 downloads
•  2012-05-12 15.18.04.jpg   108.27KB   120 downloads
•  2012-06-09 18.09.51.jpg   90.82KB   113 downloads
•  2012-06-09 18.36.12.jpg   93.31KB   116 downloads
•  2012-06-11 20.11.26.jpg   97.49KB   120 downloads
•  2012-06-10 18.22.22.jpg   110.19KB   114 downloads
•  2012-05-05 14.39.04.jpg   116.17KB   115 downloads
•  2012-05-05 15.38.16.jpg   95.66KB   109 downloads
•  2012-03-18 19.14.21.jpg   98.33KB   107 downloads
•  2012-03-18 20.10.29.jpg   97.35KB   103 downloads
•  2012-03-18 20.16.40.jpg   109.27KB   71 downloads

[Chris Walker]

Darrin, This takes an already-awesome project and makes it even more useful. Very, very cool. Thanks for sharing this! Chris

[hanzibal]

Darrin, simply astonishing work - you're a genius!

[nakchak]

Hi,

great projects in this thread. Wish my own cnc in the future.

One simple and fast question, Has anyone implemented acceleration and deceleration for the stepper motors. Tried it myself but it not really works great.

Thanks a lot,
Daniel

Im looking to build a 3 axis controller for the GO, the drivers i plan to use (L6470's) do feature hardware accel and deccel. profiles amongst other goodies...

Nak.

[Darrin]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Nakchak: I'll have to check out that driver. Amazing that it handles acceleration. Not sure that I understand how it could do that with coordinated axes, or does it handle all 3+ axes on 1 board? I'd be interested in that for my next machine.

[John Cutburth]

Darrin, I am doing a write up for the SkapeOko Wiki on using a Netduino in place of the standard Arduino do you have an problem with me referencing you and this project there.

[Darrin]

Darrin,
I am doing a write up for the SkapeOko Wiki on using a Netduino in place of the standard Arduino do you have an problem with me referencing you and this project there.

Hi John,

No not at all. Do you have a link I can see, sounds interesting?

[John Cutburth]

No not at all. Do you have a link I can see, sounds interesting?

I am waiting to create the new section until I finish my CNC and have it working.

[nakchak]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

Nakchak: I'll have to check out that driver. Amazing that it handles acceleration. Not sure that I understand how it could do that with coordinated axes, or does it handle all 3+ axes on 1 board?

I'd be interested in that for my next machine.

The board I will be developing will be a 3 axis controller, i.e. 3 drivers with an API to control each one, spark fun currently sell a board based around the L6470. Though what i intend to do for the GO will be a bit different (and some what cheaper for 3 axis as i have some samples of the device in question, so don't want to spend $35 a board)

If you look at the data sheet for the device you can see how its accel and decel profiles work, also does a lot of the legwork for you in so much that it has goto commands which you feed the number of steps you want it to step to etc.

Nak.

[John Cutburth]

The board I will be developing will be a 3 axis controller, i.e. 3 drivers with an API to control each one, spark fun currently sell a board based around the L6470. Though what i intend to do for the GO will be a bit different (and some what cheaper for 3 axis as i have some samples of the device in question, so don't want to spend $35 a board)

So what do you think the price point will be around for your 3 axis controller?

[nakchak]

As i am only starting the design phase of the project at the moment, i am hoping to have a BOM < $50 USD, although the PCB production will effect the outcome of the final price somewhat, i hope to produce the boards either with my bubble etching system or with my mill, however i may still opt for professional fabrication, especially as the use of thermal vias is recommended for the driver i plan to use. Please bear in mind that $50 is only a best guess at this point of the project, but i certainly hope i can keep the total cost below the magic no questions asked amount of $100 , have to appease other half Nak.