Download a "Beginners guide to cnc" PDF file

I'm a recent college grad with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and love to build things. For my job I get to design and integrate parts of large, expensive satellite assemblies, however I don't get much hands on work with what I design due to the scale. I decided to put my engineering background to the test, and build my own CNC machine with the ability to be upgraded and use the least amount of tools possible.

Cnc hobby machines pdf Instructable includes what I've designed and how to follow these steps to create your own machine. I originally wrote this Instructable as I was designing and building my first rev of the machine. After two 3D printers and several design iterations later, I've finally created a machine I believe to be solid enough for others to create.

You can reference the attached image for a documentation of my other revisions and the issues to see why I've designed the machine the way I have. I've recreated the assembly process using rendered images from Inventor. This makes it easy to see what goes where and should make it easy to follow along at home. If for some reason the images in the steps are hard to read, you can reference the attached PDF of the instructions.

For some steps, I do provide additional tips and tricks in this Instructable that aren't included in the PDF. I hope you find this Instructable helpful in cnc hobby machines pdf own CNC build and feel free to leave any comments or questions down below!

If you like what you see please vote for me in some of the contests I've entered! I wanted to build this CNC machine as a proof of concept while at the same time create something I could upgrade in the future. I used Inventor to create my design until I found something that would optimize my build area while also fixing issues with my previous iterations.

The area of travel for the cnc hobby machines pdf tool is 8" in the X, 14" in the Y and 2" in the Z, but this could be increased if cnc hobby machines pdf aluminum cnc hobby machines pdf were used. The work piece itself is cnc hobby machines pdf on the wasteboard below the machine.

In my first version the work piece actually moved and the gantry was stationary, however I found multiple issues with this cnc hobby machines pdf. The gantry moves along the Y-axis via belt drive with motors on either cnc hobby machines pdf of the frame. The X-axis moves perpendicular to the Y-axis along the gantry, also via belt drive.

Attached to the X-axis is the Z-axis, which moves up and down via screw drive. Again, the goal of the machine cnc hobby machines pdf to allow it to be upgraded later on. This means the extrusions can be scaled up or down to fit your needs and cnc hobby machines pdf. I've also designed the Z-axis to have a basic attachment scheme, meaning multiple tools can be attached so long as an adapter is designed with matching mounting holes.

For my purpose, I've cnc hobby machines pdf an attachment for my Dremel and 2. You could also design an adapter for a pen or even a 3D printer head to name a few options.

I hope you find this Instructable useful if you decide to build your own CNC. There are a lot of resources out there for doing so, and I hope I've created something that helps centralize a small portion of this information. Since I live in an apartment and didn't have many tools when starting this project, I chose components based on their availability off cnc hobby machines pdf shelf or through online vendors.

The project could probably be cheaper by cutting the extrusions cnc hobby machines pdf, using different suppliers, or different material completely, cnc hobby machines pdf I found this to be the easiest option.

The aluminum extrusions all come from This cnc hobby machines pdf a chop saw for cutting metal isn't necessary since everything is already ordered to length.

The T-slot extrusions are also fairly standard which means the hardware for them is easy to find and not proprietary to one single vendor.

The frame is assembled together using small brackets and bolts, making it easy to adjust the geometry and make it larger if I wanted to in the cnc hobby machines pdf. The X and Y axes move using carriages which reduce friction and make it easy for attaching the extrusions, motors, and other electronics. For the carriage plates, I chose to use laser cut acrylic that I ordered through Ponokomainly because my 3D printer doesn't fit what I had designed and I wanted the plates to be fairly strong.

The carriages also use V-slot wheels with bearings, which start to get costly as you add them up. However, I've found the wheels to work cnc hobby machines pdf well, and they increase the overall machine effectiveness. The motors on each carriage then use a belt drive system to move along the frame. For the Z-axis, I found it easiest to just design a carriage that would slide using the T-slots in the extrusions.

The cnc hobby machines pdf is also driven using a screw and nut directly attached to the motor. Based on researching other CNC designs and machines that are sold online, I decided to go with an Arduino Uno as cnc hobby machines pdf brains. I found a kit on Ebay that includes an knockoff Arduino Uno, a stepper motor shield, 4 motor drivers, some limit switches and 3 stepper motors.

These parts could be purchased separately to save cost, but this was convenient since I knew they were compatible with each other and there was an extensive guide online. I also purchased a fourth stepper motor, one with dual shafts so I could easily raise and lower the Z-axis. The kit included heat sinks for each stepper driver, however I found they still got pretty warm. I added on a cheap computer fan, powered by the Arduino, and this works pretty well to keep the temperature down.

The laser I bought also is powered by a wall outlet, so there's no easy way to turn it on or off without unplugging it.

To fix this, Cnc hobby machines pdf added on a cheap relay controlled by the Arduino to turn on an off power going to an old extension cord.

This allows me to plug in my tool and have the Arduino control when it's active. As mentioned, I used Ponoko to custom cut my carriages. Other custom parts include the machine legs, Z-axis alignment pieces, fan and cord holders, Z-carriage and all tool adapters.

Since these pieces are smaller and more complex, I decided to use my 3D printer Monoprice Maker Select Mini v2 to make them. This allowed me to iterate through their design until I found something that would fit my machine. You can find all parts attached to this Instructable so you can print them yourself or have an online vendor print them for cnc hobby machines pdf. One of the main goals for this project was to create the CNC machine by using the least amount of tools possible.

This does increase the cost in some places, however the majority of the tools needed are pretty basic or readily available. Here's what I used:. Note: You may want to add 2 0.

I chose to use a dual shaft stepper motor for the Z Axis. This makes it easier to raise and lower the tool manually when needed. You can also add 1 0. I recommend testing all electronics first before placing them.

This makes it easier to troubleshoot everything, however this can still be done if the parts have been placed. The first part I received was actually the CNC kit, which was nice since it gave me the chance to play around with the motors and make sure I could actually get my CNC to move. You also need the power supply, otherwise there's nothing to actually make the motors move.

Make sure to hook up the power supply correctly, otherwise you may short out the components and could destroy your electronics.

For an extra precaution, I plugged cnc hobby machines pdf power supply into a surge protector. To hook up the supply, I took an old computer power adapter and stripped down the cord so the live, negative and ground wires are showing. Make sure whatever cable you use has a ground connection.

You can use a multi-meter to determine which wire is which, or you can consult online sources since most cables are the same. Once I determined which wire is which I labeled them so I didn't get them mixed up later on.

I then hooked them up and plugged the power supply into the outlet and measured the output voltage using a multi-meter to ensure I was getting the 24V I needed.

My power supply had a potentiometer on it so I tuned the supply to get the value I wanted. I placed the motor shield on top of the Arduino Uno and the motor drivers on top of that.

It's best to test one motor and motor driver at a time to ensure GRBL is running correctly. Once you've determined GRBL works, you can hook up the rest of the motors and play with them.

There are various programs cnc hobby machines pdf to actually send GCode to the Arduino and most of them are pretty light and self explanatory. I like Grbl-Panel the best linked belowbut cnc hobby machines pdf are several other programs available that you can find with a quick search. At this point you can also use the jumpers included with the CNC kit for configuring the 4th axis and microstepping. Configuring the 4th axis will tell the shield which axis the motor plugged into the "A" port on the board controls.

Microstepping is discussed further in the next step. If you don't then you run the risk of damaging the motor drivers, the shield or even the Arduino. Trust me, I learned this the hard way and it's not fun trying to figure out what's causing the problem. I was never really happy with this, however, so I've changed the routes so the Arduino is placed next to the power supply on the wasteboard Option B. This means I needed additional wires for each motor and limit switch since the original cables weren't long enough.

I also added in a couple drag chains to clean everything up. The result is much more clean than before, and mimics routes similar to many other CNC machines out there. Once everything's been put together your almost done to run your first test program. However, the CNC won't fully have the right settings, meaning your program won't be accurately executed. Cnc hobby machines pdf CNC must now be calibrated so it actually goes where the Gcode tells it to.

For instance, the CNC doesn't know how far one revolution of the motor actually makes the machine move. Cnc hobby machines pdf may need to iterate through the step values until you have a value that produces the most accurate results.

The main cnc hobby machines pdf you need is:. You can also use microstepping which makes the movement smoother at a loss of torque. For this reason, it's best to minimize the overall machine friction in order to have the smoothest movement possible.

To incorporate this, you need to connect the appropriate jumpers on the CNC shield and adjust the step value. The new formula you'll need is:. If your motors are plugged in but they don't move when you send the commands, make sure the correct current or voltage is being sent to the stepper cnc hobby machines pdf.

Cnc Handbook pdf. I started this website with the goal of helping a hobbyist get started using a Cnc machine. This is a process I took for granted having spent my working life using them, until I got started writing that is I quickly realised that It is really difficult to explain on a website. Feb 04,  · CNC machine tools are currently predominating in the machine-building industry. Generally, these machine tools are equipped with control systems supplied by the world's leading manufacturers, such. The contact plate on the drawing is to be produced on a CNC vertical milling machine from a blank of AlMg1 dimensioned x x 25 mm. Prepare, test and correct the manufacturing process with the MasterCAM CNC Milling Simulator. Define the workpart zero, work out the process layout, set-up form and NC www.- Size: 1MB.

Milescraft Router Sign Maker Kit Video Cast Iron Router Table Top For Sale 10 How To Make A Frame Shelf Design Ryobi 370w Belt And Disc Sander Review Price