3D printers/CNC mills

[evilvet]

Yet another update, Z axis making progress

http://makeagif.com/i/R_yZfB

Once the suppliers open on the 3rd I can actually get some materials and start building instead of animating.[/url]

[Gun Freak]

Few questions:
1. What are you using to transfer the threaded rod motion to the carriage thing
2. What are the guides on the sides made of
3. What are the mounts on the motor that slide on the guides made of
I assume this is mostly custom... But I'm just wondering.

[evilvet]

Hi

1.
The threaded rod is actually a ball screw, a high precision rotational to linear motion device. You can start on a project like this with all-thread from the hardware store, make your own carriage attachment usually by gluing a nut to a plate. Once you tire of the lack of precision you can move to ACME thread, a better type of rod for this job but still just fancy threaded rod when it comes down to it.

Finally you wait till your life partner has just spent a large sum on clothes or dinner with the girls and jump on Ebay and buy a ball screw. Mine come from here http://stores.ebay.com.au/CNC-AND-CUPCA ... =657086089 and cost me between $200 and $300 each. The ball nut is a permanent part of the assembly and must not be removed or it will fall to bits. It comes pre-drilled for a number of mounting flanges.

2.
The guides are case hardened steel, sometimes supported over their length by an aluminium channel to reduce deflection. The ones in the animation are free standing, supported only at the ends by 20mm diameter mounting blocks. The bearings that run on them are recirculating ball bearing units, they range in size form 16mm to 40mm depending on the application.

3.
The big cutting motor spindle it 80mm in diameter. The main mounting bracket is cast aluminium, slotted to give a slight compression clamp. The base plate and travel plate are just 10mm aluminium drilled to suit.

90% of what you see is stock off the shelf eBay kit. The only custom things are plates and such that I make to suit specific design decisions.

Once I finish this project I will use the left over motors and electronics to return to my sentry gun project.

Cheers

[Gun Freak]

Wow, so lots of expensive parts going into this build. I was under the impression that it was largely DIY. Still it's very cool. Thanks for the answers Cheers!

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

In other news...

[sharpshooter11000]

Haha dewy's got competition now what licence did you buy? I'm lucky I'm a student, I can get it for free

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

... but this is for a commercial venture so standard license it is, costs an arm and a leg but from what I've seen so far, I can see the benefit

[al-xg]

Haha, tutorial No1, Well done !


Oh and hidden tangent edges, I must approve

[dewey-1]

Haha dewy's got competition now

I am to old for competition!
It is just time to let the youngster (jsr) pick up the routine of 3D drawings that I previously did.
Now just to get him to learn Electronics, which is my real background.

@JSR;
Great news!
Lathe, mill and pro 3D software all within a year.
Good luck on the future !endeavor!

That looks like training not a real jsr design.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Oh and hidden tangent edges, I must approve

It was part of the tutorial

I am to old for competition!

oh shhh, I have a lot to learn before reaching your level of ability!

Now just to get him to learn Electronics, which is my real background.

hehe let's not overreach ourselves

Lathe, mill and pro 3D software all within a year.
Good luck on the future endeavor

Yup, finally getting close to living the dream cheers Duane, let's hope all goes as well as we thing it will, watch this space.

That looks like training not a real jsr design.

Yeah it's the first tutorial, only just installed it so don't expect original renderings just yet.

Edit: Had a bit of a play, here's my attempt at 9mm round

[POLAND_SPUD]

In other news...

are you pondering what I am pondering??

ohh and tutorials are cool but are way too easy and short... I was lucky that necrosis taught me some more advanced stuff and tricks... I wonder if there is a good site with more tutorials ?

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

are you pondering what I am pondering??

I can never be sure these days... what are you pondering?

Unless it's a pinky/brain reference

[USGF]

JSR,

I get busy for a few weeks and you and Evilvet start competing factories!! I'm very impressed and happy. Hope to see some really cool stuff happening this year.

USGF

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Yep hope you enjoyed the seasonal break at least

I get busy for a few weeks and you and Evilvet start competing factories!!

In future, collaborating factories, who knows

I'm very impressed and happy. Hope to see some really cool stuff happening this year.

I have high hopes, with some hard work and a measure of luck they should be justified.

[evilvet]

Afternoon all,

Sitting on a riverbank watching the kids fish, booked a tablet out before I left work and might as well burn some company bandwidth and catch up on you lot.

@JSR, ballsy effort with taking on Solidworks, I will stick to CamBam and Sketchup for now.

@USGF, I think you are pretty safe from competition for a fair while, like about a millennium.

I need a three motor mount plates milled from 1/4" aluminium plate, any takers in the group ? Sketch attached.

Edit: The milling job is paid of course, sorry that wasn't stated up front.