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Steel Frame CNC Router

Discussion in 'CNC Mills/Routers' started by dcorb, Sep 7, 2015.

  1. dcorb

    dcorb New
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    Rick 2.0 likes this.
  2. Tweakie

    Tweakie OpenBuilds Team
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    Excellent work @dcorb :thumbsup:

    (When I saw the first pictures I was concerned about a stiffness / rigidity issue with the X axis but I see from later pictures that you have changed that axis to fully supported rails - a much improved design :thumbsup: ).

    Tweakie.
     
  3. stargeezer

    stargeezer Journeyman
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    I really like the bed. Are you going to have a spoil board on top of the Aluminum? I suspect you might need supports for the y axis linear rails too. Looking at your parts/price list, for the few dollars the x axis cost, it would be a shame to not support them too.

    I wish we had your steel prices! I recently paid double what you did for a stick of 2x2.

    Awesome build!
     
  4. Joe Santarsiero

    Joe Santarsiero OB addict
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    Sweet build dcorb!
    You may want to swap those couplings out for the clamp style. I ripped some of those set screw types up recently...:rolleyes:
    I have a supplier link somewhere if you get desperate.

    Joe
     
  5. dcorb

    dcorb New
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    Thank you. I will keep that in mind.
     
  6. dcorb

    dcorb New
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    I will be using a spoil board when necessary. I tried a lab oven for that piece of Aluminum. My buddy got it for $40 at McNeilus Steel, Speedymetals it would cost > $200.

    I wish I had those steel prices myself. My friend that is about 80 miles from me does.
     
  7. stargeezer

    stargeezer Journeyman
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    Ahhh, yes. The old friend of a friend's second cousin, twice removed works for a guy who knows another guy, who can get it from a sister trick. :) However you got it, it's a great find and where is McNeilus Steel????
     
  8. dcorb

    dcorb New
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    Address:702 2nd Ave S, Dodge Center, MN 55927
     
  9. stargeezer

    stargeezer Journeyman
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    I used to sell tools and equipment after I retired from the Army. And it seems I recall a company that makes Concrete trucks that's located there. I was there a couple times to help solve tooling issues. A nice small town.
     
  10. Tom Allen

    Tom Allen New
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    "The first was a MDF design and the second was a Shapeoko. Did not really like either of those designs so I started my own."
    Please tell the reasons you do not like your first and second design.
     
  11. dcorb

    dcorb New
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    I use to work with wood so when I saw the MDF CNC router plan at BuildYourOwnCnc it seemed like a easy cheap way to enter the hobby. I was going with a 2x4 foot design which was really bigger than the room I had available. My build was posted here: http://buildyourcnc.com/davidc.aspx

    As for the Shapeoko, it works, it is small and portable. One of my dislikes is too many parts, things need to been adjusted after use. I can create a build thread as I still have the pictures of it.
     
  12. Joe Santarsiero

    Joe Santarsiero OB addict
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    Building a machine out of mdf has never sat right with me.
    Yet, I can't put my finger on why.
    I'm working on it.

    Joe
     
  13. stargeezer

    stargeezer Journeyman
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    A part of that may be due to the poor performance we all have seen from mdf furniture and other applications where it failed. I think a lot of the poor feelings most have could be addressed by education into the various grades and types of MDF that are availible. Just as the term "Plywood" is used to generically refer to sheet wood layers that have been bonded together, but range from CDX plywood (3/4" 6 plys) which is used in rough carpentry to imported Baltic Birch plywood (3/4" 15+ layers) which is sought by homebuilt airplane builders.

    I use Medex MDF as a base to form my pottery on. It is water resistant and does not swell like other grades of MDF will. MDF from a home center is typically the lowest quality product available to the store's buyers. There is one grade of mdf that is rated for use with exterior signs. I've gotten some pieces of it from a friend who's in the sign business. It's very tough and very stable, totally non reactive to water. I don't know what the binder is that's mixed with the paper byproducts, but it's almost like plastic - it will even take a edge like a knife. It won't last long but I was amazed at how sharp it could be shaped to.

    Would I used this super MDF to build a CNC? I'll just say that I would not be afraid to. Would I build a "proof of concept" from regular plain MDF? Yes, but I'd not operate it like that any longer than I was forced too.
     
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  14. Mark Carew

    Mark Carew OpenBuilds Team
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    Well done @dcorb :thumbsup: Super ridged looking machine!
     
  15. Joe Santarsiero

    Joe Santarsiero OB addict
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    Good post
     
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  16. Jeremy2015

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    I'm just getting into the beginning stages of a cnc router what type of program are you using to run your stepper motors thank.
     
  17. Jonny Norris

    Jonny Norris Well-Known
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    I use medite mdf here in uk as its id say at least a third more dense than its competition but even the moisture resistant sheets swell in high humidity. Awful stuff all of it.

    An mdf router.. If your making a throw away single use machine then it might work for a day if your lucky.

    Big problem with it is how much it expands as you cut it, say you drill a hole of 4mm. Which after you remove the drill measures 3.7mm so your m4 bolt doesn't fit because what you have is a 4mm hole with 0.3mm of swelled fluffy stuff in it. So you open the hole up to 4.3mm so the bolt fits only its now mated on this fluffy stuff that's hugely unstable. Add some vibration and now you have a wobbly bolt.

    Mdf is only good for one thing imo, and that's sacrificial/spoil boards.
     
    #17 Jonny Norris, Oct 10, 2015
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2015
  18. Joe Santarsiero

    Joe Santarsiero OB addict
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    There are some decent mdf designs out there. Brian Oltrogge of Grunblau designs has a nice one that he has been using for a while now.
    http://www.grunblau.com/CNCBMO.htm
    There are some vids of it on his YT channel.

    He designed and builds the platform cnc.
    He still uses both machines.
     
  19. Jonny Norris

    Jonny Norris Well-Known
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    No video of it running. Wonder how often it requires a rebuild.
     
  20. Joe Santarsiero

    Joe Santarsiero OB addict
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    I don't know what the maintenance schedule is. One could ask him. He seems accessible.
     
  21. Jonny Norris

    Jonny Norris Well-Known
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    Yeah
    Seems very slow for a large machine, I expect the due to its max cutting load.

    But fair play it works, wonder how he got around the swelling issue.
     
  22. nate campbell

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    Simple, he doesn't live in the UK....
     
    #22 nate campbell, Oct 10, 2015
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2015
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  23. Jonny Norris

    Jonny Norris Well-Known
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    Simple, he doesn't live in the UK....[/QUOTE]

    You know that's likely it. Lol.

    Leave an 18mm sheet in a garage or shed over winter here, guarantee its not 18mm come spring.

    Just measured what was an 18mm sheet I've used as a desk top in my unit. 18.46mm bearing in mind this was new just 3 months ago. Had nothing spilt on it just the crappy climate.
     
  24. Joe Santarsiero

    Joe Santarsiero OB addict
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    Here in NY it's the spring and fall that'll do it. The winter air is too dry and arid.
    None of this matters of you have an mdf machine in climate control.
     
  25. Jonny Norris

    Jonny Norris Well-Known
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    Yeah, I hear ny get quite a big freeze. Is it true people get killed by falling icicles?
     
  26. stargeezer

    stargeezer Journeyman
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    Sealing MDF with paint or sealer will allow it live in a humid climate.
     
  27. Joe Santarsiero

    Joe Santarsiero OB addict
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    Yeah. It happens. Not that much, but it happens.
     
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  28. dcorb

    dcorb New
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    Mach 3
     
  29. lord_drachenblut

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    I'm really hoping to see updates on this design. I'm really interested in building a cnc router based on this design. As much as I like the products that Openbuilds sells in the shop i'm afraid they are outside of my disability induced budget and this one looks like it might be more affordable for me.
     
  30. dcorb

    dcorb New
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    I have not done much with the router since winter set in. Now the weather is warming up I will soon be returning to the shop. One of the things I want to add to the router is an air brush paint head. Something for my daughter to experiment with.
     

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