I have the feeling I have already shown this pic as it was on my confuser ready to go, I bought a cheap Chinese import cnc machine to play with.
I was going through some sort of depression and thought my world was going to end.
I hate my job and thought about packing it in and moving to a smaller house and getting rid of my lovely sheds, so I thought I would get something to occupy me and still do something creative that I could hopefully earn a few bob from and be small enough to do on a desktop.
Here it is set up in my shed before the current improvements.
It is all in a working state and has been tested with the software emc2 working very well.
I had done some research on which machine to buy and looked at prices, my word some are bloody expensive but as this is just an experiment to learn about the things I thought to go cheap and be prepared to do the work I had read that I would have to do I.E. when it falls to bits know how to put it back together again.
I searched eBay for a UK dealer and found one in Portsmouth (or so I thought until the payment went to the shanghai tool co.). Sure enough no more than 3 days had gone by when my parcel arrived.
I was very pleasantly surprised when I opened it, it was extremely well packed and of excellent build quality surely I won't have all the problems I have read about.
Hold on what's that rattling in the controller box? Check that out before plugging in, sure enough a good job I did, the outlet connections were all loose, there was no earth connected and the motherboard screws were loose too but worse there was a spare nut resting across the transformer terminals which would have shorted out on switching the mains supply to it.
That done and the rest assembled I then had to configure the thing, this was a long drawn out process taking me some 2 weeks in all taking one day at a time working on both directions of each motor and fitting stop switches with new screened wiring.
This link is the cnc machine I purchased, different seller as the one I used has been banned so I count myself lucky in getting my goods
2013 Latest 3 Axis CNC Engraving Drilling Milling Machine 3020T-DJ 230W 11000RPM | eBay
Having done all that and found my leadscrew thread dimensions stepping of the motors and direction I can now think about using it.
I had been configuring as I went and learning the software while setting up and was ready to engrave with some great success.
Holding down was my next obstacle flat objects can simply be taped to the bed but lighters and watches etc need a vice to hold them in position.
With only 50mm elevation on my Z axis this was a problem too all the vices I have are too large, I made my own from hardwood which works well and holds a small watchmakers vice inside it. All was goodly until I found the need to go round a curved object I now need a fourth axis, back to China and eBay for this.
CNC F Style A-Axis, 4th-Axis, Router Rotational Rotary Axis 3-Jaw 80mm+Tailstock | eBay
Now I also need another controller and PSU to run my new axis so here we have the total spends so far and it works fine, please don't add it all up, if you do don't tell me the total I am sure I could have bought a local made good quality machine for what I have paid out and I still haven't finished yet.
More pics to follow when I can get back in my shed.
4 Axis Tb6560 Cnc Stepper Motor Driver Board 0.5A-3.5A(Peak) With Aluminum Box | eBay
LED Lights Devices Switching Power Supply 24V10A AC-DC PSU 240W 110/220/230V | eBay
4 core shielded / screened cable ideal for cnc router mill stepper motor etc | eBay
09009 Microswitch 1 Circuit 4A 250V Snap Action Roller Lever Micro Switch SPDT | eBay
I was going through some sort of depression and thought my world was going to end.
I hate my job and thought about packing it in and moving to a smaller house and getting rid of my lovely sheds, so I thought I would get something to occupy me and still do something creative that I could hopefully earn a few bob from and be small enough to do on a desktop.
Here it is set up in my shed before the current improvements.
It is all in a working state and has been tested with the software emc2 working very well.
I had done some research on which machine to buy and looked at prices, my word some are bloody expensive but as this is just an experiment to learn about the things I thought to go cheap and be prepared to do the work I had read that I would have to do I.E. when it falls to bits know how to put it back together again.
I searched eBay for a UK dealer and found one in Portsmouth (or so I thought until the payment went to the shanghai tool co.). Sure enough no more than 3 days had gone by when my parcel arrived.
I was very pleasantly surprised when I opened it, it was extremely well packed and of excellent build quality surely I won't have all the problems I have read about.
Hold on what's that rattling in the controller box? Check that out before plugging in, sure enough a good job I did, the outlet connections were all loose, there was no earth connected and the motherboard screws were loose too but worse there was a spare nut resting across the transformer terminals which would have shorted out on switching the mains supply to it.
That done and the rest assembled I then had to configure the thing, this was a long drawn out process taking me some 2 weeks in all taking one day at a time working on both directions of each motor and fitting stop switches with new screened wiring.
This link is the cnc machine I purchased, different seller as the one I used has been banned so I count myself lucky in getting my goods
2013 Latest 3 Axis CNC Engraving Drilling Milling Machine 3020T-DJ 230W 11000RPM | eBay
Having done all that and found my leadscrew thread dimensions stepping of the motors and direction I can now think about using it.
I had been configuring as I went and learning the software while setting up and was ready to engrave with some great success.
Holding down was my next obstacle flat objects can simply be taped to the bed but lighters and watches etc need a vice to hold them in position.
With only 50mm elevation on my Z axis this was a problem too all the vices I have are too large, I made my own from hardwood which works well and holds a small watchmakers vice inside it. All was goodly until I found the need to go round a curved object I now need a fourth axis, back to China and eBay for this.
CNC F Style A-Axis, 4th-Axis, Router Rotational Rotary Axis 3-Jaw 80mm+Tailstock | eBay
Now I also need another controller and PSU to run my new axis so here we have the total spends so far and it works fine, please don't add it all up, if you do don't tell me the total I am sure I could have bought a local made good quality machine for what I have paid out and I still haven't finished yet.
More pics to follow when I can get back in my shed.
4 Axis Tb6560 Cnc Stepper Motor Driver Board 0.5A-3.5A(Peak) With Aluminum Box | eBay
LED Lights Devices Switching Power Supply 24V10A AC-DC PSU 240W 110/220/230V | eBay
4 core shielded / screened cable ideal for cnc router mill stepper motor etc | eBay
09009 Microswitch 1 Circuit 4A 250V Snap Action Roller Lever Micro Switch SPDT | eBay