You also want heavy enough gauge wire for the motors... they draw quite a bit of current and you will get a voltage drop and noise if the power and ground wires are too small.

 

Im about to place my order of all parts needed to build the ox. Are the parts on the parts list all i need at this point or have things been changed that isnt specified in the list. Any help would be great.

 

I think it will miss some 1/4" spacers and maybe some wheels screws as they are not provided in the wheel kit anymore

 

@dddman is correct, you will need 1/4" spacers for the build. I placed my order for some the other day. I found out the hard way. He's also the one I ordered my from

 

Hi MechEng,
This is one of the first things I'd like to improve on my OX. Rather than making the holes larger, I would mill a 2mm deep pocket so the NEMA23 is flush to the plate, without using spacers..
Furthermore, if the two wheels nearest to the motor would be just a few mm more to the outside, you could easily reach the bottom bolts which attach the stepper motor.

 

I think many people are thinking that direction, so am I.
But the longer I am planning for this, the more it looks like CNC-mill, Laser-Cutter and 3D-printer have also big differences next to their similarities.

similar : they all have 3-axis, stepper-motor controlled movement
differences :
1.CNC vs 3D-printer : CNC usually has limited Z-movement, whereas a 3D-printer has ~ equal size in all 3 dimensions. If you would make a CNC with a large Z-axis, it would be difficult to get it strong enough. Difference is that a 3D-print head does not create lateral force whereas a mill does. For the same reason you don't see many successful CNC-mills based on the delta-concept : it doesn't take lateral force very well.

Furthermore, without good dust collection, CNC produces a lot of dust (wood, metal, ..) which could jam a 3D printhead.

2. CNC vs Laser-Cutter : Any serious cutting requires a laser-tube. Those tubes are large (eg 60 cm or more) and fragile, so they don't fit on the 'head' of a CNC. So Laser-Cutters typically have the laser-tube fixed, and use mirrors to get the laser-light to the right place. This would still be feasible : have a lasertube next to your CNC and use mirrors on the gantry to guide the light around. If all corners are exact 90 deg, it could be done.
However, the light also needs to be focused, and this depending on the thickness of the material you are cutting. Laser cutters achieve this through lowering or raising the entire bed (not the laser head), as this is simpler to keep the angles straight.. However, I think that with a few mirrors extra (which are not cheap..) you could work out to focus by using the Z-axis of the CNC.

Furthermore, the laser-'light' is very dangerous : it also burns through your body and if it gets into your eyes you will be blind for life in a blink.. The danger is similar to a microwave oven. For that reason Laser-Cutters are completely enclosed and automatically shut down if you open the door of the machine. You could build something like that around your CNC, but I think it would also slightly complicate things, eg dust-collection would be more difficult..

Finally LaserCutters are very sensitive to dust : lenses and mirrors do not tolerate to be 'dirty' because when they are, the energy of the laser is spent on the dust, causing damage to lenses and mirrors. If you would mill eg MDF, cause lost of dust, you would need to make sure all the optics would remain clean.

If you are thinking about engraving, you could use a much smaller solid-state laser and mount it to your Z-axis. Then you don't need all the optics. But it will only cut through paper or engrave wood...

 

Okay glad you informed me of this. Also i see the list has 40 precision shims for all wheels but the solid v wheel kits come with two precision shims already. Are these 40 shims necessary for more of an even space

 

I don't know, but I hope not. Otherwise I have ANOTHER order to make ASAP!

 

I'm finally in progress, cant wait to get the rest of my rails.

 

Which gage of wire are you using? I wound up purchasing 18/4 stranded and sheilded wire. this is what my plasma cutter at work uses. I just assumed it would be OK.

 

18/4 stranded and sheilded wire

 

Sorry if this is the wrong place, Where can get a complete list of the most current parts list to build an OX CNC table. I see bilit plats on E_bay for like $175 shipped.. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Openbuilds-...6&pid=100005&rk=1&rkt=6&sd=161660197524&rt=nc)

If I buy those, all I will need is the Openbuilds Extruded rail's and wheels, Stepper motors, Driver board, wheels, hardware and lead screws, nuts, and bearings.

What is the average price I should expect to build one of these machines? and again where is a place to the most current parts list.

Thanks for your time, and I hope to be here sharing my build process with the rest of you folks. Thanks, AKf

 

There is an OX calculator to show how much your configuration will cost under the Files tab and the parts you need are listed in the Parts tab.

Chrisclub1

 

Many links in the parts tab are dead. So let me ask another way. Can I build one of these for $1,000?

 

Hi Tinbasher,

Nice gantry! Any idea what size E-chain you have there? Did you buy it off of ebay? I've been trying to figure out what size will work on my unit. Mine is 1000mm wide. I think I can figure out the length okay, but I'm not sure what height and width dimensions would be good. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

John

 

If I were looking for 8020 parts which are compatible with V-Slot, what series would I need? And are there any other considerations for adapting one to the other? I need to make a long table but OpenBuilds doesn't sell any extrusions longer than 1500mm afaik- do they?

John

 

This will be a bit worded but:
Honestly, that depends on where you live and the electronics you plan to use. I live in Canada and had to order many of my parts from the U.S. That gave me a 30% hit off the top; then I had duty and shipping on items. That added an additional $500 to the cost of my build. If you live in the U.S. you'll automatically save a nice amount. Secondly, I live in a small town where I couldn't source normal components like M5 bolts and my wiring. If you can get your items locally, you save all the shipping that I had to pay.

Lastly, the choice of your electronics. The quality and size of motors and power supplies you buy will affect the build price. The final price point is the spindle you choose: you could pay $50 for a cheap rotary tool or $500 for a powerful spindle and VFD.

All my costs brought me in at $1800CDN. That is including the exchange rate, shipping and duty. A U.S. resident could make my exact build for $1100 to $1300. The difference being if you can source things locally and save on shipping.

 

I have about $1,200 invested in mine. I made mine a bit larger than the "standard" Ox, which added incrementally to the cost. I did use an earlier version of the spreadsheet, but mostly manually selected things from the parts store because I started the build before I found the spreadsheet. I used it to keep track of the things that I ordered.

One option is to buy the complete kit from Spark Concepts, that make the xPro CNC controller. That goes for $1,000, and looks to include most everything.

 

When I was planning to build my OX I contacted Spark Concepts for some info about the Zeus they offer. But I got impatient and order parts to build my OX. When they wrote back, they told me that they were now shipping out a limited number ofZeus 2 models and had two left if I wanted to order one. They came with an actual power controlled spindle and many other upgrades for $1400. That is still really good! The Zeus even has cable trays on it.

 

That was my idea for the plates. There is a very big drill press at college. Wonder id a dremel would be enough to cut the outside of the plates. Iven if it doesn't look too good i but works i can always machine a new one. Not sure if i can find garolite in the UK. Any UK members that could help me out with sorting out parts?

 

Been redesigning my current setup to use c-beam and ox plates just as you have done here. Been wanting to change from belt drive to lead screw drive on each axis. My design ideas are a bit different, but essentially the same as this. I suck at creating designs, but I'm fair at modifying designs to fit my needs. My question is this, would you happen to have or be willing to share a dxf of the ox plates? I'm still learning, so this would be a great help. Thank you.

 

Hi all, I'm completely new to this (even though I've been thinking about it for years) and have a few questions.
1. I know that on the OX BOM it says to use the nema 17 and 23 but one thing that I saw was that there are different ones with different torques. What am I aiming at or is this irrelevant?
2. Drivers. I know there is probably a million threads about the subject but the more I read the more confused I get. I think the CNC xPro would be the easiest route for a beginner but I was wondering if it is "strong"enough. My plan is to mill acrylic, hardwood (3/4"thick) and aluminium (1/4"thick). Does the driver makes a difference or it is more of a spindle question. which leads to the next question...
3. Which spindle should I look for and what should I look for on them. I have a dremel tool that I was thinking of using for "lighter" cuts like acrylic (1/4") and maybe mdf (1/4"too). I would use it as well to prototype PCBs. Them upgrade to an grown up one later.
4. Can I use an arduino nano to control the xPro? Or should I go a different way and just get the stepper motors separately? I own mac and I don't have a "printer port" and usb would be ideal for me. I don't mind building circuit boards if that will be necessary.

I'm sorry about the noob question but those are the ones that are confusing me the most. Everything else seem to be on track.
P.S.: I live in Scotland so would be great to get some supplier from this side of the pond.

Cheers to all you guys. It is always a pleasure to see all this knowledge been shared.

 

The CNC xPro is an all in one solution. You don't need anything to drive the board. A USB cable goers from you computer to it. It interprets the g-code and drives the stepper motors for you. It is "strong enough" for your acrylic and wood jobs you listed. This is because it is a combination of the machine parts that dictate the work you can do. Your driver and motors determine how fast you can move around the work area and the force they can apply on the spindle. Your spindle decides how fast you can cut through material and how deep each cut can be. Lastly, the ridgidity of the machine dictates how much push can be placed on your endmill without the machine flexing.

The standard OX build would do your listed jobs. A Dremel would merely require you to do things slower than a stronger router or spindle option. Secondly, it will not offer the same accuracy as a quality tool. Even the Shapeoko 2 with a Dremel knock off unit could do some aluminum work.

As for the motors; I bought all Nema 23's. It only requires a different motor mount for the Z-axis. The ones I bought are rated for 2.8A and the CNC xPro is rated 2.5A. That difference is only minor.

From what I've read, there is a couple v-slot retailers in Europe that you can buy from. Some are more preferred than others. But other members can say for sure.

 

Thanks for the reply.
That's is kind of what I thought. I went back to the xPRO and saw the little usb plug, the little devil. Maybe it is time to go to bed.
I was asking about the drivers as somewhere along those 80 pages someone was talking about 4.5 A drivers. Maybe an later upgrade?
I know the dremel is not ideal but it is what I have in hand atm. Was considering upgrading later but (budget allowing me - student here!) could start of with a decent one. was considering something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CNC-400W-...868?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c507757f4
what I don't get is the revolutions per minute. This one says it is 12.000 rpm. My dremel is 37.000 rpm. obviously, this spindle is 400W and the dremel is 125W. So I'm a bit confused on what to look for.
Well, I won't have money to buy it until next month so that gives me some time to do a bit of research.
About parts, I might have to wait for the European member to wake.

 

Well, thank you anyway. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. If (when) I manage to get my design completed, I'll upload it here in case anyone else needs it (or maybe likes it). Btw, my plan is to use the wheels on the outside of the c-beam rail as in the original OX design, I feel it lends more strength. I realize that I may lose some cut height, but I may modify the plates a bit to gain that back. I still like the multiple sheets of MDF to adjust height idea also. A variation on a variation. Thanks again for your time.

 

Hey guys, noob question,

Seeking some advice on an adequate stepper for the z-axis. I will be using a Dewalt 611. http://www.dewalt.com/tools/woodworking-routers-dwp611pk.aspx

I am afraid to buy a stepper and then it not have enough umph to work. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

I'm using 223 oz. NEMA 23, and it is plenty of torque. I would feel comfortable using a full size router with this. Currently have a Makita RT701C, which I love. Goes all the way down to 10,000 RPM.