Just a concept I put together this evening. Where would one get software for five axis cnc mills? Can Marlin handle something like this? The 5th motor, all the way at the top, does not make sense for a spindle, but does for a claw/pincher Thanks! Trip Here's Version 2 based upon discussions below. This removes linear force on all motors. View attachment 25320
Kevon, I absolutely agree. The hope is that with five axis of attack the piece being machined can be addressed from the appropriate angle regardless of where the mill is cutting and regardless of the direction of the cut. I'm a newbie to all of this. Am I missing a key point or is there something I don't understand (which is certainly possible). Thanks so much! Trip
Rather than just free-handing this you might want to do a bit of research first. The problem with the router-on-a-stick type concept is that it has no rigidity out at the cutting end and the bit tends to bounce off materials rather than cutting into them. Okay for soft materials like foam but not so good for anything else. A few more workable designs can be found here: PocketNC, 5AXISMAKER: First ever affordable 5axis multi-fabricator and Open Source 5 axis CNC Router & Plasma Machine Plans 5'x10'. Another fairly decent one: Scale it down a bit and you're looking at an OpenBuilds mini-mill with a rotating platform and a well articulated spindle...
Thank you Rick! Thanks for adding the Video! Definitely gotta build me one of those If you combine that with 3D rendering software that uses standard pictures to build 3D models and you can replication anything.
Was a bit occupied earlier. What I meant was that you should not put crazy side loads on the motor's shaft. It will destroy the bearings which is the only thing keeping a motor straight. The point I was trying to get across was that joints should always be physically built, then give locomotion. That way, you have a frame taking all of the force, and not the bearing in the stepper. Rick killed it with the explanation. I was actually looking into making a design similar to the Pocket NC. You can find turntables relatively easy. I was looking at some from VXB.
Thank you Kevon! This truly helps me to understand what you had meant by lateral forces. Not so much so on the spindle (which should typically have an attack angle of roughly 90 degrees) but rather the stepper bearings. Never thought of that but it makes total sense. Of course, my silly little design would simply be a proof of concept from which to learn. Also to Rick's point, yes, lots of research needs to be done, and this is just the beginning. I tend to learn kinetically as much as through research... discussion, concept, proof of concept, lots of mistakes, and do it all again.
