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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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214525 No.214525 [Reply] [Original]

hey there /diy/, I have decided to build a CNC machine using an arduino and a dremel, but I don't exactly know where to start, but I have this feeling that you guys have done this before. Have any tips for me? I really would like to stay below a 200 dollar budget, excluding the dremel. 3 axis of course.


also, on an unrelated note, come to #diy on rizon. the channel is practically dead because nobody says anything, and as the owner, this makes me sad.

>> No.214533
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214533

tanks should be built first

>> No.214540

http://www.mydiycnc.com/catalog/2

The rotary tool that comes in their full kit is totally crap.

>> No.214548

I have distant dreams of building a drill press from scratch, and CNC'ing the table so it's a mill.

>> No.214559

I would recommend against it. Our hackerspace built a CNC mill from plans acquired online and things didn't turn out well and it constantly/eventually broke down.

By their nature, cheap CNC mills aren't very accurate, so making small stuff with them is hard and pretty much futile. Given that you are aiming to build a cheap mill, realize you probably won't be able to cut metal into intricate shapes
.
Don't forget, CNC mills are messy and noisy(no exceptions).

For the love of all that's DIY, don't make one from wood. DO NOT MAKE ONE FROM WOOD. Absolutely, positively don't make one from wood.

As it turns out, wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity, making it hard to do repeats of parts you made.

I would also highly suggest you visit CNC zone and read up there before you start a project like this so that you know what you're in for.

And remember, you want your machine to be as stiff as possible.

>> No.214582

First there is no need for an arduino device in a mill. They run off any 1ghz+ computer with a parallel port just fine. 200 won't even get you a decent set of ball screws and slides much less steppers, belts, the saddle, the controller, etc. Anything you build on that budget will disappoint you and almost none of it will be reusable in a better mill. If you do it anyways Get a good controller and steppers. Those are the only things you'll be able to use later on.

>> No.214596

>>214540
Whoa, didn't plan on seeing you here.

>> No.214650

I've designed and/or built several (some commercial some hobby). $200 is doable, but it wont result in anything much past a plotter in it's effectiveness to remove material. Of course on such a level, how successful a $200 machine is will depend on what you can source surplus for little money, and what facilities you have available

e.g. I used little over $1 500 000 worth of machine tools to make my last cnc mill (including another CNC mill) .

I'd say use trapezoidal threaded rod as a leadscrew, with UHMW PE leadnut (you can grind flutes into a section of leadscrew to make a trapezoidal tap to make the nuts which results in close to 0 backlash as long as forces are sufficiently low- use lithium grease or similar as lubricant). For the ways use generic china linear guides (hardened cylindrical shaft supported type)

Also make your own stepper driver based on the arduino- pretty simple. Or just use allegro's a4988 or similar, which pololu sell on a pcb ready to accept step/direction input with microstepping resolution selection via jumpering. approx $12.00 last time I ordered.

lots of variables to consider here- you need specific criteria before you can start to design

>> No.214669

> $1 500 000
right...

OP check out shapeoko, its recently come back in stock at inventables, i know you want to build your own so even if you're not interested in buying check out the way they have designed theirs, they used arduino as well

>> No.214681

>>214669
> $1 500 000
>right...

only used 5 machines as well....... Advantages of working in the industry huh?

>> No.214683

I can't post the links, but aliexpress (the ebayish side of alibaba) has all the ball screws, threaded rod, stepper motors and controllers etc you could wish for.
Seriously, some of that stuff is cheap as. Way cheaper than ebay etc and good enough for a home Dremel CNC job.

You don't need to buy premium crap for your first machine, once it's working, you can upgrade.

>> No.214801

>>214669

That's not really that much in value for machine tools. 5-axis CNC with some goodies is getting into that range, or lathe+cnc+waterjet+lasercutter.

Anyone interested in open source plans for CNC and other tools check out: http://mtm.cba.mit.edu/

>> No.214807
File: 542 KB, 640x360, 1329426028782.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
214807

http://www.youtube.com/user/radioshack7
Look at these videos.

>> No.214822

this one shou be okay.

https://www.inventables.com/technologies/cnc-mill-kits-shapeoko

>> No.214834

>dremel

They aren't all that accurate in the first place. I can't seen them being more accurate on a CNC machine. Just a heads up on that. A multiple speed Dremel will be more accurate at lower speeds, but those tend to heat up and burn out with long runs. Having one on a CNC machine will separate you from it so that you are no longer detecting the heat with your hands like you'd normally be doing. This allows heat build up to occur without proper cool down periods. The same thing can happen when you use them with a flexishaft.

>> No.214985

>>214834

you have a good point. I *might* just get a router.
its a bit more money to deal with though... would a harbor freight one do, or would i need a good brand like bosch etc.?

>> No.215005

>>214985
>>would a harbor freight one do,
No. Their power tools are complete shit.
>>or would i need a good brand like bosch etc.?
Yes.

>> No.215287

>>215005
well which would you choose:
50 dollar harbor freight router
-or-
70 dollar dremel brand rotary tool

>> No.215288

...a challenger appears

http://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/tld/2999366350.html

>> No.216000

im probably getting that ^

>> No.216021

>>215287
I'd choose the Dremel in that case. However, if I were getting serious, I'd buy a Foredom, but only if I was really serious and needed to output a lot of stuff day in and day out.