Re: newbie with compatibilty questions
Posted by
Andrew Werby
on 2003-05-10 11:29:08 UTC
Message: 12
Date: Sat, 10 May 2003 00:56:01 -0000
From: "eddiebreakerbox" <eddie@...>
Subject: newbie with compabilty questions and one or two stupid questions?
Hi everyone
got couple questions (sorry for the studpidity level)
I wanna build a cnc milling machine (24x12x8or 12) for mostly making
r/c boat hulls from foam and cutting balsa ( and later on I want to
take it with me to the the transportation design school if I ever can
get into one or have money to pay for it:) for making prototypes out
of foam balsa and aluminum I dont know if I should buy a sherlin
milling machine with cnc setup ( too small work space but probbaly be
more accurate then the i can build plus it will give some experience
altough i did use a milling machine at college for my design
projects)
[Sherline is about to start selling a fully CNC-equipped mill with a
computer included, that has EMC preloaded and ready to run. If you want a
small mill without the hassles of retrofitting, this might be something to
consider.]
here comes the questions!
My setup is going to be rhino3d (have been using it for a while) and
I got a good deal on desk proto too, which seems easy enough for me
to understand. The part that i wonder is, will i be able to use
deskproto with all the cheaper ( i am a student and a broke one
too ) 3 axis boards out there (xylotex.com) (pmdx.com) (or else)
can someone steer me to right direction with these boards?
[Sure, provided you use a control program that accepts standard G-code.
That's not a function of the driver board, though. Some stand-alone control
programs people here have been using are CNC Pro, Mach1, and DeskWinNC.]
and whats
the gecko drives? do i need the gecko drives for these boards to work
with Stepper motors or do i need to get the gecko drive? are there
any other options/boards out there?
[If you can use the Xylotex board, you won't need the Geckos; they are an
alternative you would need to use if the Xylotex didn't have enough power
for your machine.]
I have been reseaching about home cnc for a while on the net and
prices for parts vary greatly from page to page.
If i build my own machine with aluminum extrusion parts ( 8020.net)
would the nema 23 motors handle the weight?
[Which Nema 23 motors? How much weight? What are you using for screws and
nuts? Nema 23 stepper motors come in a range of holding torques, expressed
in oz/in. As was pointed out, that drops off as the motors begin to move.]
the dimensions i am thinking about are 24x12x8 but it really depends
on the screw and the linear rails that are affordable second
hand/ebay.
[The bigger you make it, the less likely you'll be able to find 23-frame
motors to run it. Ballscrews will cause less drag than other types of
screws, and different rail types have more or less resistance too. It's a
delicate balancing act...]
the hard part seems to be mounting the rails screws and the motor to
the aluminums extrusions since I have no tools except a drill (dremel
is on its way).. but hey, I live in an apartment ( which makes me
think maybe i should get quieter sherline mill)
[A drill is a good tool to start with, but I think you'll find yourself
wanting more tools before this project is done. Another place to work would
be good too.]
Is there some other reading on the web I can do ( altough think I
read most of eveything thats out there) sorry fir the amount of
questions BTW,
thanks
eddie
[Somebody just told me about a new book on the subject: CNC Robotics (Build
your own Workshop 'Bot)by Geoff Williams. Has anybody here read it yet?
Here's the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0071418288/qid=1052590544/sr=8
-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-2788341-9085727?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 ]
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com
Date: Sat, 10 May 2003 00:56:01 -0000
From: "eddiebreakerbox" <eddie@...>
Subject: newbie with compabilty questions and one or two stupid questions?
Hi everyone
got couple questions (sorry for the studpidity level)
I wanna build a cnc milling machine (24x12x8or 12) for mostly making
r/c boat hulls from foam and cutting balsa ( and later on I want to
take it with me to the the transportation design school if I ever can
get into one or have money to pay for it:) for making prototypes out
of foam balsa and aluminum I dont know if I should buy a sherlin
milling machine with cnc setup ( too small work space but probbaly be
more accurate then the i can build plus it will give some experience
altough i did use a milling machine at college for my design
projects)
[Sherline is about to start selling a fully CNC-equipped mill with a
computer included, that has EMC preloaded and ready to run. If you want a
small mill without the hassles of retrofitting, this might be something to
consider.]
here comes the questions!
My setup is going to be rhino3d (have been using it for a while) and
I got a good deal on desk proto too, which seems easy enough for me
to understand. The part that i wonder is, will i be able to use
deskproto with all the cheaper ( i am a student and a broke one
too ) 3 axis boards out there (xylotex.com) (pmdx.com) (or else)
can someone steer me to right direction with these boards?
[Sure, provided you use a control program that accepts standard G-code.
That's not a function of the driver board, though. Some stand-alone control
programs people here have been using are CNC Pro, Mach1, and DeskWinNC.]
and whats
the gecko drives? do i need the gecko drives for these boards to work
with Stepper motors or do i need to get the gecko drive? are there
any other options/boards out there?
[If you can use the Xylotex board, you won't need the Geckos; they are an
alternative you would need to use if the Xylotex didn't have enough power
for your machine.]
I have been reseaching about home cnc for a while on the net and
prices for parts vary greatly from page to page.
If i build my own machine with aluminum extrusion parts ( 8020.net)
would the nema 23 motors handle the weight?
[Which Nema 23 motors? How much weight? What are you using for screws and
nuts? Nema 23 stepper motors come in a range of holding torques, expressed
in oz/in. As was pointed out, that drops off as the motors begin to move.]
the dimensions i am thinking about are 24x12x8 but it really depends
on the screw and the linear rails that are affordable second
hand/ebay.
[The bigger you make it, the less likely you'll be able to find 23-frame
motors to run it. Ballscrews will cause less drag than other types of
screws, and different rail types have more or less resistance too. It's a
delicate balancing act...]
the hard part seems to be mounting the rails screws and the motor to
the aluminums extrusions since I have no tools except a drill (dremel
is on its way).. but hey, I live in an apartment ( which makes me
think maybe i should get quieter sherline mill)
[A drill is a good tool to start with, but I think you'll find yourself
wanting more tools before this project is done. Another place to work would
be good too.]
Is there some other reading on the web I can do ( altough think I
read most of eveything thats out there) sorry fir the amount of
questions BTW,
thanks
eddie
[Somebody just told me about a new book on the subject: CNC Robotics (Build
your own Workshop 'Bot)by Geoff Williams. Has anybody here read it yet?
Here's the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0071418288/qid=1052590544/sr=8
-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-2788341-9085727?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 ]
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com