I was talking about myOX and, out of no where, we wondered just how small an OX could be. Sure, it is fun to have a 4' x 2' or even bigger OX in the garage, like myOX, but just how often will it need to be that big ? So I am thinking about a babyOX made of 20x20 V-slot only, maybe 20x40 for Y and X support rails ... NEMA 17 or maybe NEMA 14 all around along with the usual hardware and electronics and small/good 'dremel' type device to stay light weight as well. This should bring the size down to about 1' x 1' overall ? The limiting factor really is the spindle (smallest with enough torque) and the tool (easily available w/out going to custom made). The rest is to have enough structural strength to be consistant and precise. Portability would be key reason for 'smallest' possible OX. A babyOX with a work area of no more than 6-12" in both X and Y would probably be great for a lot of people needing to do small parts for hobbies like RC, jewelry and the likes. Using the OXcalculator for the larger scale OX designs shows the bulk of the cost is not the V-slot itself but rather the steppers, electronics, power supply and hardware to hold it all together not forgetting the spindle and tools to actually put the OX to use. A babyOX and even more a tinyOX woud need a lot less structural components, so cost should drop quite a bit (?) How small is your OX ? What are you using it for ?
Well.....I would think you would be stepping away from "OX", but you could reconfigure the gantry plates to not be so long (in the X/Y directions) to allow more utilization of the smaller space. I would think nema 17's would be the smallest I would want to go. If the Baby Bull didn't work out, I would have quite a bit of the stuff for a 3D printer or something. A small combo machine Cut/3D print would be cool. I am hoping to be able to use "Babe" to mentor some kids to get interested in this stuff.
Indeed, not much of the 'OX' would be left at that scale ... just using the 'family name' for now. Although not thinking of having it also do 3D printing, the Micro 3D printer (a relatively recent KickStarter) is so affordable (waiting for mine in the new year), I am on the same page as you to do mentoring of kids. Maybe it can even help, indirectly at least, with building their self-confidence : "yes, you can do this" - with all the proper safety considerations. I sure could of used the opportunity when I was a kid. Doing a clay mushroom was not exactly inspiring, but about the extent of what was available !
I am building a 1' x 1' now. I haven't started my build log yet. But, I cut my v-slot today The gantry is fixed, the surface will move in the Y direction. All lead screw construction. While this reduces overall work piece size, the purpose of this will be for small parts and PCBs. The whole thing will be housed in a box to keep the noise and dust down.
