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Mostly Printed Cartesian CNC

Discussion in 'CNC Mills/Routers' started by Joe F, May 27, 2018.

  1. Joe F

    Joe F New
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    Joe F published a new build:

    Read more about this build...
     
  2. Kevon Ritter

    Kevon Ritter Veteran
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    It's pretty, but I highly doubt it's going to have any rigidity. What materials do you plan on cutting?
     
  3. Joe F

    Joe F New
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    Hi Kevon,

    It will mostly be used to cut plastics. If I can get the tolerance reasonable enough though, I plan on having it be able to upgrade itself and it will be made out of MDF parts. The plastic parts that I'm printing are also very beefy to try to make things more stable
     
  4. Joe F

    Joe F New
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    What also gives me a lot of hope is the MPCNC build found on thingiverse. He is milling (very slowly) aluminum with printed parts and conduit which I would think is a lot weaker than the v slot. This being my first build though I would love for any feedback you might have on how I can make this thing better!
     
  5. Kevon Ritter

    Kevon Ritter Veteran
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    There's way more to it than just what it is made out of. I don't really like the MPCNC either, but the router head is at least support by both x and y axis with a cross structure. In this case, you router is only supported by the x axis. Not only that, but the 2040 alone combined with the fact that the cutting edge is relatively far from the axis (which would create a rotation point) may cause it to flex back and forth. The skinny 2040 provides a low amount of "leverage support" when compared to a 2060, 2080, or 4080.

    It's printed, so you can make relatively changes after it is built, but if you can push the end mill with your finger, it won't work (read: will be too much of a hassle to do anything).
     
  6. Joe F

    Joe F New
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    Thanks for the reply the 2040 was my biggest concern and coming from someone who has built a machine before I will look into other options... The way I have designed it moving to 2060 or even 2080 would be a fairly quick solution I may also look into c beam for that axis although that is a bit more of a rework. It can't really be seen in the rendering but the gantry also has adjustable heights (as I want this to be a 3d printer where less rigidity is acceptable) so the plan was to adjust the x axis on the gantry so that the tool head can be kept as close as possible to the axis.

    Joe
     
  7. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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    Assuming you get good bond on your prints the only significant hiccup may be the eccentric weight of the router bending the z-axis carriage. Any specifics on which router/spindle you intend to use?
     
  8. Joe F

    Joe F New
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    I don't have a router as of yet, so if you have any recommendations I'm totally open to them. If I go with something on the small end I was thinking the Dewalt dw660 or something slightly larger the Dewalt 1.25hp router. I only plan on cutting plastics (possibly carbon fiber) so I'm not sure if I need anything that can rip through large amounts of material at once.

    I'm also using PETG filament for now, which has excellent layer adhesion. I might look into PETG reinforced with carbon fiber as well for a little bit of extra stiffness.
     
  9. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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    While the larger Dewalt is out of the question your design should have no problem supporting the dw660. The problem with the dw660 though is it is a 30,000 rpm tool and plastic doesn't cut well at high rpms as the heat generated melts the plastic rather than cutting it. I would suggest taking a look at one of the 400 or 500 watt quiet cut spindles which are available from many of the hobby CNC websites or through Amazon. These can be speed controlled and are also much easier on the ears.

    As for cutting carbon fiber, if you value your lungs this is not something you merely "dabble" in. Machines are specifically set up to handle it with most including a water trough. @alex_b is pretty much the resident expert on the subject. You might have a look at his builds to get a better idea of what's involved.
     
  10. Joe F

    Joe F New
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    Okay I'll look into a 500 watt spindle then! I saw some on amazon for under 200 so I would be okay with this price. As for carbon fiber, I own a proper respirator (I have had to do all my carbon work by hand in the past) and this cnc will be operated either outside or in my shed. I'll definitely take a look at Alex's builds for some inspiration though!
     
  11. JustinTime

    JustinTime Veteran
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    That link gave me a 'Search Error'.
     
  12. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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