Hey guys... looking at some DIY stuff and getting a lot of good ideas on what to make and how, but will basically be looking at designs and using it towards something custom. There's a series of DIY CNC stuff from Highline Guitars on YouTube... decent info, though lacking some details here and there. On his machine, he has 4 steppers, 2 control the gantry moving forward/back on a pair of rails using a heavy lead screw. I'm planning to use a mix of 2040 aluminum extrusions and MDF... the main frame will be using 2x900mm 2040, and 4x600mm 2040. The gantry will move along the 2x900mm sides. I've been researching and reading on what's needed but still very early stages of planning. Never used a CNC before and wanting to build one for mainly guitar work, so, following this guys plans makes sense since he's made a few dozen guitars with his so far. I was looking at possible kits, NEMA23 for example has a 4-axis kit on Amazon, not sure if cheaper as a kit or not. Question is, what specs do I need for a CNC that will carve guitar bodies and very fine details like pearl inlays? From my understanding NEMA23 is more just the size, but could be a dozen different NEMA23's out there with different specs. Which specs would be the most important? Would that kit be good? or should I look for better? AMAZON.CA LINK - CNC 4-Axis Kit (yup... .ca, up in Canada)
Hi THR, It's an ok kit, maybe a bit pricey, and the controller is an unknown as for quality, The drivers are $20 each if gotten from ebay On the pic it shows a 350Watt PSU and the description shows 250W. You will be locked into Mach3 for control software which is good if you want that, but it's not a must have in my option (there are many control options). As for the motors those are ok, could get more torque like the high torque motors listed on the Openbuilds parts store. Watch out for "high torque" motors with lower current, those will be slow especially on screw drives. As for the specs it depends on so many things, like your performance expectations/goals the weight your machine and your router or spindle.... There are probably hundreds of motor options just at Nema23 alone.. not to mention servos! Cheers Gary
I'm still in research mode... trying to figure out software and such. Book I have is decent but pre-dates RaspberryPi/Arduino and I would like to go that route. Built a few mini-arcade systems with the RaspberryPi and I like those little boards. Though I have no linux/unix skills. I'm as new to this as absolutely possible... and I am expecting a lot of headache and swearing when comes time to deal with the electronic/software end of things. My goal would be basically what this guy built, more or less. I know I'll be using 900mm and 600mm 2040 Extrusions for the main frame, and 900mm rails on either side for the gantry to glide along. Probably a Makita or DeWalt router. I'd rather not be "locked" into anything if possible, simply because at this time I don't know which is which and if I can't get one to work I'd like the option to switch to something else. CNC Build has a few videos, but main assembly video is here and here.
Ok, watching his second video on control, it's funny he's using a GRBL arbuino to talk to a parallel control board.. could have just use a $16 Arduino Uno and screw shield. you want an authentic arduino, the parts tend to be better. and any screw terminal shield to make hookup easier to the drivers. OR Use the BlackBox which really makes hookup clean and easy and Openbuilds has great support and help here. Cheers Gary
Consider the BlackBox Motion Control System - designed to be as beginner friendly as possible. See docs.openbuilds.com/blackbox for more info See https://openbuilds.com/projectresources/how-to-calculate-v-slot®-deflection.175/ - there's a good reason the predesigned machines are little more stout - 2040 will deflect too much. If you are very new to this hobby, consider leaning on the experience of those who have been around a while, the Bundle machines have been designed very weill, better to go that route if you are inexperienced, rather than making expensive mistakes, lots of frustrations and ending up with a machine that cannot do the job? The LEAD1010 is the most modular machine around. No "custom" parts its all part of the modular V-Slot system, generic plates all round, easy (super easy) to modify to any exact requirements Super rigid too As Gary suggests: Go with our motors, then you know for a fact that they well paired, proven and 100% compatible with the rest of our parts
So, it would be the BlackBox or ArduinoUNO/Shield.... plus each stepper motor has the motor driver board. Power supply, router, stepper motors and that's about it for the guts? Then all plugs into a laptop/pc of some sort I guess via USB? Blackbox looks good... lack of a headache and addition of support also sounds good. Kit wise... I was on another forum and had some back/forth and I think for the size/budget DIY is the way to go. LEAD1010 is $1700CAD without the motors and blackbox, router etc... and then I'd still have to add the height extension because some Les Pauls with the contoured tops are about 2.125". $2750ish plus taxes, shipping, probably duty. I do like the idea of just following instructions and done, but, budget's a budget, and that's not changing sadly. Plus... the whole DIY and making plans and such is part of the fun/learning.
Well its not that major of a height different that you need the full kit. Just lengthen the two side pieces of 2080 a little (cheaper!) - as the lead is all off the shelf parts you can quite easily make your own little modifications like that [personal opinion in totally joking tone!] - never money to do it proper once, always money to do it twice (; But seriously - if you are using it for work, do you really want a lesser machine that you have to take teeny tiny baby cuts that runs jobs for days on end? Do you want to work ON the machine, or WITH the machine (;
Well, having no past CNC experience at all, it makes sense on one hand to get something that will work and make things easier on me, but other hand it's a good sized investment for a first CNC that I might not be able to figure it out and end up having to sell. Luckily.... not work related at all. All hobby. If works well, I'll definitely use it for a side business making guitar bodies and signs... but otherwise, just personal use because why buy 1 guitar when you can build many!
Quick question about the Black Box... "4X High Powered 4.0A (peak) Stepper Drivers" Does that mean, if I use the Black Box I don't need the 4 stepper driver boards? I just plug the steppers right into the Black Box? Or does it still go from stepper->board->box?
Nice, so no real upside to buying 4 drivers... just take up more space and more mess wiring then. Even price wise, cheaper to buy the Black Box. So really.... 4 steppers, 1 blackbox, 1 powersupply and a router.... electronics done, rest is all frame work and rails and such.
We really did try to make it easy, powerful, all-in-one, a little bit good looking, and affordable all at the same time! See docs.openbuilds.com/blackbox for all the info!
Well, grabbed Fusion360 this weekend... as someone in another thread mentioned in passing, learn the software now because if you can't figure that out, the CNC is gonna be useless. Grabbed the free version for hobbyists. Lots of vids online so seemed like a good one to grab (?). Got a rough sketch of what I'll need to make it with. Maybe my first Fusion360 project will be to mock-up the plans.
