# 2nd Build (first) - CNC Router



## difalkner

Building my 2nd CNC first, I hope. I have been researching for over a year, read a thousand threads and articles, and am hopefully building my 'second machine' for my first. There is still a ton to learn and that process will probably never stop. Of this I am certain, I will be in new territory for a while. For over 40 years I have been building things, doing hydraulics, pneumatics, and electronics builds and troubleshooting along with a lot of woodworking but have never used or built a CNC machine. This is going to be fun!!

The machine is a new model by Nate at Fine Line Automation. It's a 'pro' series he calls Saturn and it is very heavy. Shipping weight was 525 lbs. for this 2'x4' model. Take away the OxBox and pallet and it's probably still 475 lbs. The frame is welded and stress relieved steel, powder coated Pantone 305. It has THK style linear bearings, rack and pinion drive, and the components are anodized black 6061 aluminum. I have a 3 Kw water cooled spindle and NEMA 34 stepper motors ready to mount. I'll be using the Hitachi WJ200-022SF VFD to drive the spindle. The actual cutting area is 28"x52" with 10" Z travel.

The first order of business, now that it's here, was clearing out enough space in our shop for two CNC machines (our shop is the attached two-car garage). It has to set in one place while I build the stand where it will actually reside, so space for two in an already crowded shop. I'll be building a frame with 2×4's and maybe a couple of 2×6's. Then I need about 5 large friends to help me carry the CNC over to the stand.

Picked up from FedEx last Friday and barely fit on a friend's trailer - 









OxBox container removed and setting on the pallet until I get the stand built -









A few close-ups - 



























Next step was a trip to Lowe's for 2×4's and then making some sawdust.

Hope you enjoy the ride with me!
David


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## difalkner

Here's the gantry clearance -










Monday I started on the stand and after about 8 hours got it about half finished (yes, it's upside down) - 


















Finished the stand Tuesday. I know I'm thorough but this took me about 20 hours total to build and I have no idea if that's slow or fast or about average. It's actually fast for me and I managed to do it in two sessions - 8 hours Monday and 12 Tuesday.

All the pieces that will contact the CNC frame were run across the jointer to ensure they're flat and straight and each hole was drilled with 1/8" for threads, 3/16" for the barrel, countersunk for the head, and securely tightened, so about 4 operations for each of the hundred or so fasteners. Each joint is square and tight and then the entire stand was sanded. I may come back later and put some Shellac on it but not today.

David


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## difalkner

Yesterday we managed to get the CNC frame lifted over the table saw extension and on to the stand. The stand worked perfectly, so that's a good feeling. Nothing creaked or moved and it is dead level with the additional nearly 500 lbs. of weight just as it was without the frame weighing it down.

My friend Adam, also a good woodworker, brought his engine hoist over and we managed to maneuver the CNC over the obstacles and set onto the stand and only had to move my air compressor to make room. That's not a bad feat given how tight this was.










CNC frame on the stand -










Today I broke the pallet down and managed to keep all of the wood (they didn't use nails with adhesive). Here's a good shot of the CNC in our shop. There's still some clutter from moving things around to make room for this but I'll get that organized and cleaned up soon. You can see the spindle, steppers, and other components on the bench so hopefully I'll get a chance to start mounting those over the next few days.


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## difalkner

I just realized the photos from PhotoBucket are cropped. Ugh!

Edit: Fixed the images so now they show entirely - whew!


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## MadMark

Looks great - how are your AutoCAD skills?

M


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## difalkner

> Looks great - how are your AutoCAD skills?
> 
> M
> 
> - MadMark


Thanks, Mark! My *CorelDRAW *skills are very good but my Fusion 360 skills are at beginner level. I'll have to get better or this is going to be a pricey boat anchor! LOL!


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## MadMark

Don't forget the .DXF to Gcode converter! But if you do it right you can draw it in AutoCAD and then cut exactly what you needed in one go. The first thing you do is drill a 1/4"-20 grid of holes for hold downs. Excellent Gcode practice.

M


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## difalkner

> Don t forget the .DXF to Gcode converter! But if you do it right you can draw it in AutoCAD and then cut exactly what you needed in one go. The first thing you do is drill a 1/4"-20 grid of holes for hold downs. Excellent Gcode practice.
> 
> M
> 
> - MadMark


This is all new to me though I've been in the Technology Sales world for over 20 years and Engineering world since the late 60's. So is there a preferred convertor? The thing I like about Fusion 360 is that it is CAD/CAM all in one package and it's free.


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## MadMark

CNC units drive by Gcode. Some can directly import AutoCAD .DXF files and create their own gcode - much easier. Either way you gotta draw it to cut it.









M


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## bonesbr549

You have a nice setup going there!

What are you using for control Mach3? Thats a wornderful program and worth the small cost.

I don't know if you use sketchup , but there is a plugg in to generate G-code that does work I tried it and seems to work.

I use vcarve pro that does cost some money but well worth it. I built a cnc rourterparts 4×8 with nema 34 motors.

As long as your gcode generator has a post processor for your control program you should be good to go.

Mach 3 is pretty well represented in most cad/cam packages.

I'm a sketchup user and tried the fusion and its a bit of a learning curve. It has dxf support. I do not like however the inability to print.

I do most of my drawing in sketchup and directly import the vectors into vcarve pro for cam piece.

I will make another reccomendation that was made to me and it is worth it. I am a newbie to cnc and the biggest challenge I've found is what is the proper feed and speed for my spindle and its a HUGE piece of the puzzle.

Get gcode-wizzard. you put in your tool material and other parameters and it will calculate your feed and speed. Takes the guess work out of it. I think its on sale right now.

Good luck and continue to post your results. Cheers.


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## difalkner

> You have a nice setup going there!
> 
> What are you using for control Mach3? Thats a wornderful program and worth the small cost.
> 
> I don t know if you use sketchup , but there is a plugg in to generate G-code that does work I tried it and seems to work.
> 
> I use vcarve pro that does cost some money but well worth it. I built a cnc rourterparts 4×8 with nema 34 motors.
> 
> As long as your gcode generator has a post processor for your control program you should be good to go.
> 
> Mach 3 is pretty well represented in most cad/cam packages.
> 
> I m a sketchup user and tried the fusion and its a bit of a learning curve. It has dxf support. I do not like however the inability to print.
> 
> I do most of my drawing in sketchup and directly import the vectors into vcarve pro for cam piece.
> 
> I will make another reccomendation that was made to me and it is worth it. I am a newbie to cnc and the biggest challenge I ve found is what is the proper feed and speed for my spindle and its a HUGE piece of the puzzle.
> 
> Get gcode-wizzard. you put in your tool material and other parameters and it will calculate your feed and speed. Takes the guess work out of it. I think its on sale right now.
> 
> Good luck and continue to post your results. Cheers.
> 
> - bonesbr549


Thanks, Bones!

I truly hope it's going to be as my title suggests - our 2nd build first, and we get to use it a long time. Right now I'm planning on using Mach 4 with ESS (already have the ESS). A couple of years ago I gained a fair proficiency level with SketchUp but haven't used it in a while. I'll probably refresh that skillset. I can do a lot in CorelDRAW and can export svg to bring into Fusion 360 to do my extrusions and other CAD things. But I can draw in 360, as well. I've thought about the G-code Wizard and may get that just to keep from wasting time and breaking so many bits - but that's probably inevitable. And I'll probably ask a LOT of questions hoping to get help from knowledgeable folks like you.

David


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## difalkner

Added some locator blocks to keep the frame on the stand. I figure gravity will do its part to hold the machine down onto the stand but inertia and momentum may persuade the unit to slide on the stand. Hopefully this will suffice. There are 4 of these blocks in opposing directions, two on each end.


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## MadMark

Strap an air line & nozzle to the gantry for chip clearence. Over head will put least tension on the cutter head.

M


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## bonesbr549

> You have a nice setup going there!
> 
> What are you using for control Mach3? Thats a wornderful program and worth the small cost.
> 
> I don t know if you use sketchup , but there is a plugg in to generate G-code that does work I tried it and seems to work.
> 
> I use vcarve pro that does cost some money but well worth it. I built a cnc rourterparts 4×8 with nema 34 motors.
> 
> As long as your gcode generator has a post processor for your control program you should be good to go.
> 
> Mach 3 is pretty well represented in most cad/cam packages.
> 
> I m a sketchup user and tried the fusion and its a bit of a learning curve. It has dxf support. I do not like however the inability to print.
> 
> I do most of my drawing in sketchup and directly import the vectors into vcarve pro for cam piece.
> 
> I will make another reccomendation that was made to me and it is worth it. I am a newbie to cnc and the biggest challenge I ve found is what is the proper feed and speed for my spindle and its a HUGE piece of the puzzle.
> 
> Get gcode-wizzard. you put in your tool material and other parameters and it will calculate your feed and speed. Takes the guess work out of it. I think its on sale right now.
> 
> Good luck and continue to post your results. Cheers.
> 
> - bonesbr549
> 
> Thanks, Bones!
> 
> I truly hope it s going to be as my title suggests - our 2nd build first, and we get to use it a long time. Right now I m planning on using Mach 4 with ESS (already have the ESS). A couple of years ago I gained a fair proficiency level with SketchUp but haven t used it in a while. I ll probably refresh that skillset. I can do a lot in CorelDRAW and can export svg to bring into Fusion 360 to do my extrusions and other CAD things. But I can draw in 360, as well. I ve thought about the G-code Wizard and may get that just to keep from wasting time and breaking so many bits - but that s probably inevitable. And I ll probably ask a LOT of questions hoping to get help from knowledgeable folks like you.
> 
> David
> 
> - difalkner


First things first! Please (if you don't have an account) go to cnczone.com and register. Great wealth of information. Second, if you are going to use ESS and i do as well, go read up. Mach 4 has had some stability issues big time with ESS. They reccommend Mach3 with ESS I'll get the build and tell you. I built in March, and it was still an issue. Check with your build folks as well depending on your stepper motors.

Every thing you want to know about mach is there.

What you using for your motor/spindle?


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## difalkner

> First things first! Please (if you don t have an account) go to cnczone.com and register. Great wealth of information. Second, if you are going to use ESS and i do as well, go read up. Mach 4 has had some stability issues big time with ESS. They reccommend Mach3 with ESS I ll get the build and tell you. I built in March, and it was still an issue. Check with your build folks as well depending on your stepper motors.
> 
> Every thing you want to know about mach is there.
> 
> What you using for your motor/spindle?
> 
> - bonesbr549


Yes, I have been lurking at CNCZone for a few years but joined not long ago. I'm also posting the same photos and info there. I'm using a water cooled 3 Kw spindle and Hitachi VFD to drive it.

I've read a fair amount on Mach 3 vs Mach 4 but have yet to buy either. I like that 3 has been proven but 4 is newer and different. Since I don't have to wait on it to ship I'll probably decide at the last minute (instant download). I've been playing with both in demo mode for 4 or 5 months. Did you try 4 in demo mode? Just curious what your take is/was.


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## difalkner

> Strap an air line & nozzle to the gantry for chip clearence. Over head will put least tension on the cutter head.
> 
> M
> 
> - MadMark


Good tip, thanks!


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## bonesbr549

> First things first! Please (if you don t have an account) go to cnczone.com and register. Great wealth of information. Second, if you are going to use ESS and i do as well, go read up. Mach 4 has had some stability issues big time with ESS. They reccommend Mach3 with ESS I ll get the build and tell you. I built in March, and it was still an issue. Check with your build folks as well depending on your stepper motors.
> 
> Every thing you want to know about mach is there.
> 
> What you using for your motor/spindle?
> 
> - bonesbr549
> 
> Yes, I have been lurking at CNCZone for a few years but joined not long ago. I m also posting the same photos and info there. I m using a water cooled 3 Kw spindle and Hitachi VFD to drive it.
> 
> I ve read a fair amount on Mach 3 vs Mach 4 but have yet to buy either. I like that 3 has been proven but 4 is newer and different. Since I don t have to wait on it to ship I ll probably decide at the last minute (instant download). I ve been playing with both in demo mode for 4 or 5 months. Did you try 4 in demo mode? Just curious what your take is/was.
> 
> - difalkner


I did do a demo from the standpoint of seeing how it worked And it worked but there are limitations on what you can do with it if I recall in demo. I went straight from demo to purchasing with my kit.

they may have that issue worked out on 4 now, but i still see posts on missed or skipped steps. It may be fine now and depending on your controller might not be an issue, but 3 does everything i need as I've found that i mostly set zero and load the g-code and go (and keep my estop ready ).

Not broke a bit yet, but forgot to plug my spindle up once that was embarrasing. Luckily I was able to kill it quiick.

Cheers


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## helluvawreck

Wow! That is going to be a nice machine. I hope that you will be making some more posts on it - maybe even some videos.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## difalkner

> Wow! That is going to be a nice machine. I hope that you will be making some more posts on it - maybe even some videos.
> 
> helluvawreck aka Charles
> http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
> 
> - helluvawreck


Thanks, Charles! Yes, there will be many more photos and a few videos, as well. Right now I'm waiting on the correct mounting hardware for the steppers and also the spindle mount. I hate having a Saturday free to work on this but nothing much I can do until I get those parts. Right now I'm trying to decide on how/where I'll put my computer out in the shop. I need to run a CAT5e cable out there from my network closet but it's too hot in the attic - that's gonna' be an early morning task.


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## difalkner

Busy day but managed to get three of the motors mounted and belts tensioned. I'm waiting on a spacer and a coupler to mount the fourth motor, also waiting on the spindle mount.


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## Ger21

> I ve read a fair amount on Mach 3 vs Mach 4 but have yet to buy either.


If you didn't already have the ESS, I'd recommend UCCNC. I plan on using it on my next machine, and think it will be the DIY router control of the future.


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## difalkner

> I ve read a fair amount on Mach 3 vs Mach 4 but have yet to buy either.
> 
> If you didn t already have the ESS, I d recommend UCCNC. I plan on using it on my next machine, and think it will be the DIY router control of the future.
> 
> - Ger21


What does it offer that Mach3/4 doesn't, Gerry? I would have to use a traditional break out board and parallel port, correct? It certainly costs less…


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## Ger21

UCCNC uses it's own hardware, and does not use the parallel port.
They currently have 3 devices.
The USB UC100 and UC300.
And the ethernet UC400.

These devices also have Mach3 plugins, and can be used with Mach3.

UCCNC has a better trajectory planner than Mach3, and gives smoother, faster motion. It's also being actively developed, where as Mach3 development stopped several years ago.
It's not perfect, though, and is still missing some features, but it's getting better with each release.

I don't follow Mach4 development too much any more. I've had a license for 2 years, and still don't consider it usable yet. I don't like it's reliance on 3rd party hardware and plugins. If something doesn't work, you get two sides blaming each other. Warp9 has had notoriously slow plugin support for as long as they've been in existence. They've been working on their Mach4 plugin for nearly two years, and it's still not ready. Not exactly confidence inspiring. There was talk early on about Mach4 having a system to certify hardware and plugins so that it would work the same regardless of the chosen motion controller, but it doesn't appear that they are going to do that.
There have been a lot of Mach4 development decisions that don't seem to make sense.

With UCCNC, the same people writing the software are making the hardware, so you don't have any compatibility issues like you do with Mach3/Mach4.

Just my opinion.


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## difalkner

Quick question - I see VFD's mounted inside panels/enclosures and others mounted away from the machine on a wall or column; which is better? Do they need to be on a wall or column away from the machine for heat and vibration reasons, quick access to the control panel, etc., or is it just personal preference?


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## Mojo1

Swweeet!


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## difalkner

The spindle mount just arrived. I'm now 5 minutes closer to finishing - LOL! That's all it took to mount this, so while I can't run without it I figure I've only gained 5 minutes.


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## difalkner

The screw caps also came in with the spindle mount and I had time tonight after church to put those on - 72 of them! That took a lot longer than mounting the spindle, for sure. But it will keep dust out of the screw holes and help lengthen the life of the bearings. After I put them in I dressed each one down to make sure nothing was sticking up proud of the surface.


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## difalkner

Well, bummer… I am all set to wire the enclosure this weekend and my box arrived on time from Amazon, as usual. However, for the first time in a long time they sent the wrong item. I ordered a 16×16x8 enclosure and they sent a 20×24x8 box. That would be ok if it would fit but it is way too large and I'm gonna have to send it back. I'd have to modify the stand or mount it somewhere off the machine for this to work for me and I don't wish to do either of those.


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## difalkner

Well, the 16×16x8 enclosure came in today from Amazon and it appears God was watching out for me via Amazon shipping the 24×20x8 enclosure on Friday. I typically plan to the last little detail but on the enclosure choice I never laid out all the components, just assumed 16×16x8 would be sufficient. Man, was I wrong!! So I'm keeping the larger (wrong) one sent on Friday and shipping back the smaller one.

I loosely laid out the components on the back plate and there's no way this would have ever fit on the smaller one -


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## difalkner

The spacer for the Z axis motor came in today along with the correct 14mm flex mount so now that's complete (except wiring) -



















This measurement doesn't mean anything but for scale it is 31" from the top of the motor to the bottom of the spindle nut -


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## Natobious

One quick lesson learned. My CNC table is very similar to yours and I found I needed diagonal bracing in both the short and long direction of the table. Yours may not need this as your Z axis looks pretty rigid, but it is something to check for.

Random info in case anyone wants to know. 
Been using CNC for only a year now- Zenbot2448. 
Love Mach 3 not one complaint. Tons of online support.
Really enjoy Fusion 360 and free is nice. Really no major complaints, but not really set up for woodworking like something like V-Carve is.


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## difalkner

> One quick lesson learned. My CNC table is very similar to yours and I found I needed diagonal bracing in both the short and long direction of the table. Yours may not need this as your Z axis looks pretty rigid, but it is something to check for.
> 
> Random info in case anyone wants to know.
> Been using CNC for only a year now- Zenbot2448.
> Love Mach 3 not one complaint. Tons of online support.
> Really enjoy Fusion 360 and free is nice. Really no major complaints, but not really set up for woodworking like something like V-Carve is.
> 
> - Natobious


I appreciate the tips! The frame is 4mm wall tubing completely welded around all joints and as rigid a structure as I've ever seen. The gantry itself weighs in a 125 lbs. and is also very rigid.

My plan is to use Fusion 360 starting out (I agree, free is good!) but understand I may have to also get into something like VCarve and or Cut3D. And I'll probably get Mach4 over Mach3 and hope I don't need the few things in areas it may be lacking.


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## difalkner

More of the electronic components came in today but I am waiting on a 12V power supply (just ordered today due to a change in plans from the way I originally intended one component), a terminal strip, and a few connectors. I'll likely make a little platform for the 5V and place the 12V PSU under it to save some back plate space. I'll be sure to give it enough space for all to remain cool but there's no reason not to stack these.

The pushbutton switches are both momentary with the green start button being NO and the red mushroom button being NC. The circuit I have designed will close the relays and start the power supplies and fans with the green button but nothing else will run until directed by the controller software. If I install a manual jog then that would work, though. The red button is not an emergency stop though it would have the same effect. It will cause the relays to open and there would be no power at all to the components. These pushbuttons will be at the opposite end of what I would call the 'front' of the machine so even though the red button is accessible I'll have other real e-stop switches located in better places for immediate use.

The relays in the bottom right corner will be for 120VAC and 240VAC. Only one of the contactors will be used on the 120V unless I decide to split the load and use both. The 240V relay will only be used for the VFD/Spindle. Both will open in the event of a power loss and that ensures the system won't restart on its own when power is restored.

I'm also allowing enough room for one more stepper driver for a future A axis installation. I'll go ahead and drill/tap the holes for it but will get the driver later. There will be a second and smaller fan to the right of the VFD and it will blow out. The bottom fan will blow in across the stepper drivers and power supplies.

So this is what it looks like in my initial layout, which is of course subject to change -


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## Dabcan

one issue I've had with mach 3, there's a setting called Constant Velocity or CV. Basically, if you tell the machine to move the spindle at 100 ipm while cutting, it tries to maintain this velocity no matter what. So picture it like you were driving a car, if you want to take a 90 degree turn in a car without slowing down, you have to cut the corner. So basically you get non-square corners as it attempts to keep a constant velocity. There are ways to set it so it slows down into the corner, and I've mostly found out ways to work around it, but sometimes I still need to reduce the movement speed of the spindle in order to keep the corners square. If you go to the aspire forum or mach 3 forums and search CV or constant velocity you'll get a ton of results on what to do.


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## difalkner

> one issue I ve had with mach 3, there s a setting called Constant Velocity or CV. Basically, if you tell the machine to move the spindle at 100 ipm while cutting, it tries to maintain this velocity no matter what. So picture it like you were driving a car, if you want to take a 90 degree turn in a car without slowing down, you have to cut the corner. So basically you get non-square corners as it attempts to keep a constant velocity. There are ways to set it so it slows down into the corner, and I ve mostly found out ways to work around it, but sometimes I still need to reduce the movement speed of the spindle in order to keep the corners square. If you go to the aspire forum or mach 3 forums and search CV or constant velocity you ll get a ton of results on what to do.
> 
> - Dabcan


Good analogy! I have briefly looked at that but had not stopped to gain any real world scenarios that relate. How well does Mach4 handle that? I am probably going with Mach4 over Mach3 and just wondered… thanks!


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## difalkner

We've been out of town moving my daughter to New Orleans and I'm still waiting on a couple of things before I start wiring, but I did manage to build the little platform mount for the 5V power supply. I'll get the holes drilled and tapped in the aluminum angle so I can mount the power supply but have to wait before committing to placement on the panel until the other things come in. Also, I'm starting a project with some beautiful Curly Maple and Walnut so I'll be bouncing back and forth between getting this wired up and doing some woodworking.


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## difalkner

I may actually have all the components I need now to wire this up but in the meantime I decided to test my submersible water pump. It seemed fitting to do a little video so that's what I did and you may find it lightly entertaining, at my expense of course…


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## difalkner

It's time to wire the panel but I wanted to make certain there would be sufficient airflow on the stepper drivers, in particular the Z and future A (rotary axis) since they aren't right in front of the fan. This is a simple little test but it validates what I thought it would be like so the next step is laying out the hole placement for the components and then drilling/tapping for a bunch of 6-32 screws.

Testing airflow on the panel


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## difalkner

I had some meetings today so I didn't get very far on the CNC build but I did manage to print the component layout and get it taped to the back panel. Yes, I realize this may be a bit over the top and yes I am a bit anal but this is just the way I like to do things…

With this printed and taped to the panel all I have to do now is drill where indicated, so even though it took a little time to draw this to scale and print it now my job is much easier. Plus, this gave me the opportunity for optimum placement without interference between components.




























One thing necessary was to make certain the switches didn't interfere with the PSU's or VFD since those come close to the door. But I drew these to scale, as well, and then opened and closed the door to verify nothing would hit on the inside.

Looking down from the top of the electrical enclosure with the door closed (PSU's and VFD are the dashed lines) - 









And with the door open - 









Thanks for reading and following - more later!
David


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## difalkner

In preparation for drilling and tapping all the holes in the back panel I realized I had yet to drill the holes in the brackets for the 5V power supply. Simple task, right? Just stick it in the vise and drill 5/32" holes in the aluminum - a veritable walk in the park. Unless you don't clamp the vise very tight…

Oops! Drill bit grabbed and slung this across the room - 









But I straightened it out, polished the new character marks out, and shot some lacquer on both pieces - 









Lots of holes drilled and tapped, ready for components - 









Components mounted - 









More to come!
Thanks for following,
David


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## Desert_Woodworker

What type of router or spindle are you going to use? I use a water cooled spindle and I am very satisfied.
Best to you-


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## difalkner

> What type of router or spindle are you going to use? I use a water cooled spindle and I am very satisfied.
> Best to you-
> 
> - Desert_Woodworker


Hey DW - I'm using a 3kW water cooled spindle with Hitachi WJ200 VFD and hoping I'll be as satisfied as you. Thanks!
David


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## difalkner

Got a little further today on the build but not by leaps and bounds… The proximity sensors weren't going to be in the right location so I drilled new holes, 31/64", and that was difficult in this stress relieved steel. That is some hard stuff! It took about half an hour to drill 3 holes and I had to sharpen the drill bit about 4 times.

Anyway, I decided to move the enclosure to the front of the machine instead of on the rear where I had initially planned to mount it. I just couldn't get comfortable with it being on the opposite end of the machine. Tomorrow I'll drill the holes in the stand and get it mounted though I'll have to take it back off to drill all the holes for cable entry.


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## difalkner

I've laid out my template for drilling holes for connectors on the side of the enclosure and hope to get to that tonight. Lots of holes!


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## difalkner

One of those times when it's really nice to have a floor model drill press!


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## difalkner

I used a homemade 5/8" brad point drill bit to cut the holes for the 4 and 5 pin connectors and drilled a 3/8" hole to use the Greenlee chassis punch on the 1/2" conduit holes (7/8" dia.). The friend who brought his engine lift over to lift this onto the stand has the Greenlee hydraulic kit and that's pretty nice. For these small holes I just used my manual Greenlee although I have the ball bearing version so it's a piece of cake on this 16 gauge steel. I have some larger holes to make for switches in the door and will probably use the hydraulic punch on those.

Greenlee hydraulic punch - 









Greenlee manual punch - 









All connectors set into place - 









More later - thanks for following and commenting!!
David


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## difalkner

Spent a little time on this Labor Day making a bracket and mounting a box for the main E-stop switch. I don't have any metal working tools other than a drill press so I'm pleased with the results of this little foray into metal working. This is a wet location single outlet box from Lowe's and since I had some Ferrari yellow I thought that would be a good color to paint the box. Then I baked it in the oven for a while at 170° and let it set - seems pretty tough. And I got suitably dressed down for smelling up the oven so I promised not to let it happen again (today)...

At some point after I get the CNC up and running I'll make little aluminum spacers to replace the 6 washers I used to space the bracket out far enough so it doesn't hit the proximity sensor. It's in close 'proximity' to the sensor but doesn't touch it… 

I'll have a second E-stop mounted in the same type box but the second one will be on a cable and free to move around.

Bracket back side slides over bolts that can be removed to put sand into the frame if I needed additional weight (like 500 pounds isn't heavy enough!!) or if I need to control resonance in the stepper motors - 









I mounted this high enough that I don't think I'll accidentally lean into it with my hips or bump it walking by and because it's square 1/16" wall tubing it is very stout, doesn't budge when I hit it - 









I'll bring the cable up from the open bottom of the tubing and into the box through this grommet to protect the cable from the aluminum edges.









Back side of the bracket and switch -


----------



## difalkner

Started wiring the control panel - FINALLY!! I did a fair number of searches on proper wiring color code for the different voltages and flavors of electrical current on this panel - AC hot, AC switched hot, AC hot from another source, neutral, ground, DC, DC common, 120/240 single phase, three phase, etc. - and I'm here to tell you there are many, many different 'standards' depending on the type of panel, industry, environment, and lots of other variables. So I did the best I could for code, meaning I kept searching until I found one that closely matched the wire colors I had on hand and then modified 'the code' to fit the exact colors I had on hand. 

So yes, to those who may want to send me their version of 'proper', I am aware a small portion of what I've done may not be perfect so I can post the photos in B&W if that's better… LOL!

Somewhere under all this is a table saw that hasn't been used in a couple of weeks because it has become an electrical workbench - 









Probably a little past half finished; ignore the temporary ties but I needed to keep some of these sort of grouped for running the other wires. The AC hot wires are 14 AWG, the DC and control wires are 18 AWG, and the wire ends have been tinned where they go into the C25S board on the ESS -


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## difalkner

After getting all the wiring completed for power on the panel it was time to test and see if all was good. Obviously there is still a lot to do; still have to wire the stepper motors, proximity sensors, fans, etc. but at this point I needed to know that my latching circuit held the contactor closed and that all the power supplies were at the right voltage and that the stepper drivers and ESS powered up ok.

So rather than just tell you that it worked I videoed the first power up so if something blew either I or the investigators could go back and see what happened (really was the first, no 'pre-test' before the video). Since the video I have adjusted all the power supplies to their correct voltage.

Powering up the panel


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## difalkner

Well, I finally made it to the switches for the door of the enclosure so I took my CorelDRAW file and headed over to my favorite laser shop, Bud's Trophy Case in Bossier City. They do excellent work and are so easy to work with - it's always a fun visit! I needed three switch plates cut and one label for the spindle hour meter. It took all of 10 minutes from loading the file to holding the finished items in my hand. There are a lot more things I could add to the door but for now this will work just fine.

If you've never seen a laser running then you'll enjoy the short video.

Next will be mounting the door and then wiring the switches. More later!!










CNC Router build - Switches, legend plates, mounting in the door - 9-8-16


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## difalkner

Today I spent all morning tilling up the flower beds and then early afternoon doing some video editing for a friend starting his YouTube channel with a song he performed; not so much time on the CNC build. But the EMI filters came in so I did manage to get those mounted and the load side wired. The upper filter is 120V and the lower filter is 240V. Everything will be labeled when I finish the wiring. Still have to mount the panel into the enclosure and wire the steppers, spindle, water pump, fans, etc.


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## difalkner

Today I ran some ground wires on the panel, set the panel into the enclosure (still need to bolt it to the enclosure cabinet, hope I don't forget that little step), finalized how I am going to run the shielded cable to the stepper drivers, and managed to get the Z axis cable run before shutting down tonight. The biggest thing accomplished today was getting with the Hitachi dealer technician to verify the shielded cable connections to the VFD to take advantage of Modbus for controlling the spindle.

More to come - thanks for following along!
David

Stepper driver end of the cable - 









Connector end with shrink wrapped protection - 









Cable run from side panel to Z axis stepper driver; the shield clamp is homemade from a 4-fuse block but works great to provide ground for the shield. I still need to run a bunch more of these cables/connectors for the other drivers and the proximity sensors, water pump, fans, etc. -


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## difalkner

Today I got to the point where I could run the stepper motor cables to the stepper drivers, or at least from the 5-pin connectors on the enclosure to the drivers. As you can imagine this took a while because each wire end had to be properly tinned to ensure a good solder joint on the connector terminal, then placement with shrink wrap tubing in the small area of the connector, then run to the stepper driver with part of the insulation removed for the makeshift shield clamp for grounding. Anyway, it was a lot of tedious steps but was also a blast to do! I've said it before but until the wiring is complete and tested I won't clean up the grouping and tying of the wires, so they just have temporary ties in place right now.

You'll notice the top connector has green shrink wrap tubing and that's because that is the A rotary axis that will come later. I figured it was much easier to run the cable and do all the soldering now while I was in that mode. Oh, the other reason the shrink wrap is green is because I ran out of the correct size of black but my justification satisfies my OCD nature… LOL!

Next in line will be the proximity sensors and those will be done the same way as these stepper motor cables.


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## difalkner

It was time to begin running wires from the door panel switches to the main panel in the enclosure so I ran a few and then tested to see how they would react when the door is opened and closed. The wires will be encapsulated in black plastic mesh that should adequately protect them from rubbing anything. I don't plan on opening the door often, though, so it's probably not as critical as some other pieces of the puzzle.

Here's a quick shot of the enclosure with the door attached and a couple of switches wired to the EMI filters - 









And here's a short but high action video of me closing the door - exciting stuff!!
CNC Router build - Testing wiring location from door


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## difalkner

I didn't get to spend much time on the build today but did manage to get the bottom fan mounted. Also, a new 8-channel relay board came in so now I need to figure out where and how I'll mount that, may have to pull the panel back out to keep from getting shavings inside the box and next to conductors - I don't want any surprises when I power this up for real!

Bottom of the enclosure, fan guard, I'll probably build a small frame to put a finer filter over the inlet. This screen will not stop dust - 









Looking at it from the inside, again I still am not finished with the wiring so lots of loose wires in there -


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## difalkner

It only took about 20 minutes to disconnect everything and get the panel out so it wasn't too bad at all. I'm really glad I took it out to drill and tap the holes; this would have been a mess inside the box. I shot a short video showing the testing of the 8-channel board and one proximity sensor. Now I have to build a bracket for the 4-channel board and make sure it's out of the way of everything else.

Using my analog meter, to me anyway, is so much easier to see open/close for continuity because the needle swing is just very obvious. With a digital meter I have to take my eyes off of what I'm working on and wait to see where the digits end up after a second but with my peripheral vision I can see the needle swing on the analog meter.

Anyway, now I have to finish the 4-channel relay bracket and then mount this back inside the box and then keep plugging away.

CNC Router build - Testing 8-channel relay board, proximity sensor


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## difalkner

It may look like a simple task but this took about 4 hours total to accomplish; had to undo all the stepper driver wires and wires from the door (that I have yet to put back into place so make that 4.5 hours), take the VFD out (that I have yet to put back into place so make that 5 hours), take the panel out, drill & tap for the 8-channel relay, design and make the bracket for the 4-channel relay, drill & tap for that to mount, then mount everything making certain to use thread locker so all this stuff stays in place, and then run most of the wires back to their respective destinations.

Some of y'all could do this in way less time, I know, I know…

4-channel relay bracket - 









New location for 4-channel relay almost looks like it was designed this way all along, well if you squint when you look at it maybe -


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## difalkner

It's been a couple of days since I posted my progress on the build but I haven't been idle, not even close. I just didn't want to bore y'all with small steps so here's a significant advance in progress - all stepper and proximity panel mount connectors are complete! If you've never done this I can tell you it takes a while, especially if you plan on doing it neatly and with attention to detail and consistency. Even if you do this all the time it still takes a while. I think the bread wrapper twist ties are a nice touch but when I finally get the wiring finished I'll go with something more traditional like nylon tie wraps.

Steppers on the left, proximity on the right (upper and lower when the enclosure is mounted) - 









Outside of the enclosure, still have a few left to do - 









Lights off in the shop and powered up - all looks good at this point!


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## nikolas123

More than 3000 3D models for CNC machine tools of any complexity. 
Wholesale and Retail. 
Very attractive price. 
Product models: https://cloud.mail.ru/public/FCjL/wzmZ9syv2 
For any questions please e-mail: [email protected]


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## difalkner

I thought with all the soldering I'm doing on this CNC build and have done through the years, coupled with some friends who've told me they have issues with soldering, that I would do a Public Service Video. Disclaimer - I am not claiming to be an expert or in any way 'the' soldering guru nor have I covered every facet of soldering but I have been doing a good job at it for over 40 years so with that out of the way, here's my slightly over 9 minute video. I hope this helps any who may have issues with this little task. Kudos to you for watching the entire video!

Soldering Aviation Connectors


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## difalkner

I shot a quick video tonight testing the fans and components powered up - sounds cool to me!

Powered up with door on, fans installed


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## bobasaurus

> Well, the 16×16x8 enclosure came in today from Amazon and it appears God was watching out for me via Amazon shipping the 24×20x8 enclosure on Friday. I typically plan to the last little detail but on the enclosure choice I never laid out all the components, just assumed 16×16x8 would be sufficient. Man, was I wrong!! So I m keeping the larger (wrong) one sent on Friday and shipping back the smaller one.
> 
> I loosely laid out the components on the back plate and there s no way this would have ever fit on the smaller one -
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - difalkner


I use those same stepper drivers at work, they're great.


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## difalkner

> I use those same stepper drivers at work, they're great.
> 
> - bobasaurus


That's good to know, Bob - thanks! I'm counting on them working well for me.


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## difalkner

I thought it would be good to see how much current draw I had before connecting the stepper motors. Everything is now wired inside the panel except the VFD and connections for the E-Stop switches. Current draw at this point is about 0.5 amp and after 10 minutes of running everything was cool inside the box (as I expected it to be).

The E-Stop switch connections will be next and then the VFD. I'm debating whether to pull the stepper motors off the machine and bench test them all at once. I'll probably do that because I mounted them just to make sure everything worked correctly for rack & pinion tension and that everything lined up for the mounting. They all need to come back off so I can use thread lock on them anyway so I'll probably bench test them. That will be a good opportunity to begin setting up the ESS and Mach4.

Here's the short video of testing the current draw - 
Current draw test


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## difalkner

I had a little time tonight after church to begin cleaning up the wiring and started with the door, hopefully I'll get the rest of it tomorrow. The incoming power lines to the switch and ground are temporary and will be similarly secured when the time comes to run those lines.


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## difalkner

Well, it didn't take long for me to decide the first cleaning up of wiring on the door wasn't up to par, so I redid it this morning. I think this looks much better and doesn't have the couple of wires hanging loosely around the switches. One thing I did was to replace the connectors on the start button with right angle versions so they don't stick so far down into the enclosure when the door is closed. They weren't in danger of hanging on anything but I just didn't care for the way they looked. Also, I cleaned up the wiring on the panel so except for the 240V and VFD it looks like the wiring is complete.

Just for curiosity I powered this up and let it run almost two hours so I could check the temperature of components and there's wasn't enough rise in temp to even notice - about 2° in some places. I'm certain this will change when I connect stepper motors and the spindle to the VFD, though.

Improved door wiring - 









Completed wiring except for 240V and VFD -


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## ssnvet

Whenever I see a CNC build with an elaborate and crowded cabinet layout, I appreciate over and over again the virtues of the Gecko 540 stepper controller. You can run NEMA 23's with >500 in-lb torque all day long and the set up is sooooooo easy.

That said, Your kit looks very solid and I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

We've used Win CNC (with daughter cards in the PC cab) on both our big 5×10 routers at work and are running the 2D Enroute package for our CAM, and we like it a lot. It was pricey, but has lifetime support (where a human being answers the phone and doesn't have to transfer you).

I run Mach 3 on my converted small mill and it does everything I ask of it.

If I was to start from scratch with a CNC router, I'd probably go with the Vectric Aspire CAM software.

Draft Site does everything that AutoCAD LT does, but it's free. CAD Edge also give away their 2D package for free (at least they used to).

Re. Sketchup…. keep in mind that it only surface models via. a Mesh (think tiny triangles fitted together), which is what all the graphic arts type programs use (think games and CGI). All of the "real" engineering solid modeling apps (SolidWorks, Pro-E, Catia, etc…) use NURBS to mathematically produce very accurate geometries. The reason I mention this is that you're Mesh format files will never truly play well with NURBS based software. NURBS will give much more accurate curves than a Mesh, and if you have to collaborate with other peeps out there, they will be using NURBS based software and will not be able to import your models.

This video describes the difference better than I can.


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## difalkner

> Whenever I see a CNC build with an elaborate and crowded cabinet layout, I appreciate over and over again the virtues of the Gecko 540 stepper controller. You can run NEMA 23 s with >500 in-lb torque all day long and the set up is sooooooo easy.
> 
> That said, Your kit looks very solid and I m sure you ll be happy with it.
> 
> - Mainiac Matt


Thanks, Matt! I'm glad you like it.

However, I don't see this enclosure as crowded at all, especially not relative to others I have seen. And it isn't a kit; I designed the circuitry and sourced all the components. I appreciate that you think it to be elaborate but I think it's pretty simple. It has power filters, relays, PSU's, controller board, and drivers. The two relay boards were just something I wanted to do and weren't required. Same with the VFD; had I chosen to use a router then the VFD doesn't factor in, either. The frame was built by Nate at Fine Line Automation and everything else is my doing. Personally I don't think it's too bad for a first time effort and except for my use of Keling drivers (rebranded Leadshine) I don't see how this would look much different with Gecko's, but then again, I'm new to the field.


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## difalkner

I had originally planned to pull the motors off and just hook the leads directly into the drivers for testing but decided instead to go ahead and make up the cables with connectors and that way I can test everything - electronics, system, software, motors, and my cables. I'll still pull the motors off for bench testing but now I'll be using the actual cables to which they'll be connected (I have to pull the motors off anyway to put thread lock on the mounting bolts). At the pace I work and as detailed and OCD as I am that means most of the day soldering and shrink wrapping connections but it has to be done anyway so might as well be now.

120' of 18/4 shielded cable cut and ready for connectors and soldering onto motor/sensor lead wires (I borrowed the kitchen floor for measuring) -


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## difalkner

I've been making up cables for a good part of the afternoon but started by mounting the enclosure on the stand so I could get the proper lengths of the stepper and proximity cables. So the enclosure is mounted temporarily but will come off later so I can configure the VFD, the Ethernet SmoothStepper, and Mach4. It'll be so much easier to program the VFD with it on the bench (table saw) instead of having to squat down and manage this.

Getting closer -


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## difalkner

Well, it was a LOT of work to arrive at this point of completing the stepper motor and proximity sensor connectors but I managed to finish this in one day - fast for me! Lots of soldering and shrink wrapping; tomorrow I'll double check each connector for continuity to the end of the cable and to the drivers and relays on the inside of the cabinet. It'll never be easier than now to fix something that isn't making good contact.

Stepper motors, red; Proximity sensors, blue -


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## difalkner

Well, like so many other times in the shop I started out intending to test all of the cables I made up yesterday but instead ran the power lines so I could test the 240V side of the electrical system. While I had the enclosure mounted on the stand I measured for the 120V cord and cut that because I have 120V on my test bench for power but left the long remaining cord for running over to the 240V plug on the wall. I'll trim that to the proper length when I have everything mounted on the machine.

This doesn't look like much progress but it took a while to get the cords run correctly inside the box such that nothing hit or rubbed when the door opens or closes. Either way the cords needed to be run but I still need to test the cables for continuity and shorts, of which I don't really think there are any, and then connect the stepper motors and proximity sensors for testing and initial setup. We have band practice after church tonight so I probably won't get a chance to do much more when I get home.

Completed wiring on door - 









Powered up and VFD on - 









VFD closeup -


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## difalkner

Short video of powering up with both 120V and 240V -

Powering 120V and 240V


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## difalkner

In checking my cables I found a problem with the very first one I tested - but it wasn't the cable. Rather, it was the connector on the side of the box. I had already checked these when I put them in and before I cleaned up the wiring inside the box. But it had a broken solder joint and I just couldn't see how this would have happened until I fixed it and put the connector back in; turns out I probably broke it loose with the 3/4" open end wrench when I tightened all of these down after cleaning up the wiring. Because it's so tight right in that area I noticed that the wrench, if I'm not careful, will apply pressure to the terminals. Fortunately it wasn't that difficult to remove and repair and get back into place, tightening carefully this time…


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## difalkner

It's about time this looked different!! I'm ready to begin programming the ESS and connecting stepper motors and proximity sensors for testing and setup. I'll start fresh tomorrow and see how far I get before reaching out to someone for assistance although several people have already sent me files to get me started and that's a great big help!

The photo on the screen is one I took of Tenaya Lake in Yosemite NP in 2009 -


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## difalkner

Finally labeled the side panel so I can put things in their proper place - can't tell the players without a program!! Now I need to figure out how I want to label the cables…


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## difalkner

Tomorrow I hope to get far enough in setting up Mach4 to be able to test the motors. Here's my 'bench' setup for testing -


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## difalkner

The motors are spinning!! I ran the Roadrunner program that comes with Mach4 so these varied in how much they ran. You can see the tape is blurred on three of the motors; the Z axis motor wasn't moving when I took the shot. Current draw during this time was about 2 amps. I'm spinning motors but not moving anything so I expected it to be low. After 20 minutes of running the X axis motor, closest one in the photo, got up to 119°, the two Y axis motors made it to 100°, and the Z axis just made it to 90°. Video coming soon -


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## difalkner

Here's the video of the motors spinning -

Spinning the motors


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## difalkner

Modbus and relay control wires on the VFD, programming is next -


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## whiteshoecovers

Sorry if this is buried in the thread somewhere, but what do you fabricate that you'll be using this machine?


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## difalkner

> Sorry if this is buried in the thread somewhere, but what do you fabricate that you ll be using this machine?
> 
> - whiteshoecovers


I don't actually think I've discussed what I plan to make, so good question! I'm building acoustic guitars, just getting started, so I'll use the CNC for some of that - molds, forms, fixtures, jigs, templates, neck and heel blocks, maybe later to cut necks or at least get them close for the hand finishing to final shape and size. But I also have other things I'll be doing for other businesses and people I know so my plan is to book time on the machine. I wanted a robust one that could handle aluminum, brass, and hardwoods to very accurate tolerances. Some of the things I'll make will be engineered pieces so repeatability and overall accuracy/rigidity are important to me.

Thanks for asking!
David


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## difalkner

Today I got the Hitachi WJ200-022sf Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) programmed and the cable connector soldered on so I could test the spindle and my programming. I left the cable long so it would reach all the way over to the enclosure but will trim it once I get the enclosure mounted. The spindle ran backward but since it is 3 phase all I have to do is swap any two wires and it will run in the other direction (which I did right after the initial test).

As I expected the spindle is very quiet; matter of fact the fan on the VFD was louder than the spindle. I only ran the spindle at 6,000 RPM for a few seconds because I don't have water lines connected yet. But I'm pleased with this and now I can look at programming the logic controls in the VFD for activating other relays on the 4-channel relay board (the one mounted on an angle).

Spindle running first time


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## difalkner

It was time to mount the enclosure to the stand so I disconnected the spindle cable, wrapped up the power cords, unplugged the motors and sensors, and carried it over to mount. This thing must weigh 60 to 70 pounds! A normal man would have difficulty with this but my friends say I'm not in that category… LOL!

The holes were predrilled so mounting should be easy except for handling the weight and trying to line up screws so I just put some boards down and set the enclosure on those. Got the first screw in the upper left corner very quickly so I could let go and then had an 'uh oh' moment.

I drew a very detailed and well thought out set of plans for this and had everything measured, calculated, and double-checked so I knew everything was going to fit and I would have access to everything required (pardon me while I pat myself on the back…). However, I didn't follow those plans (pardon me while I kick myself in the rear!!).

When I laid out the location for the side exhaust fan in the upper right of the enclosure I wanted it as high as I could mount it and still have access to the bolt in the upper right corner. No problem, I set the location accordingly and moved on. But a week later when I actually began to cut the holes for the fan I pondered why it was 1.5" from the top and not 1". So I drilled all the holes and mounted it at 1" from the top so it would be just a little higher to exhaust an immeasurable increase of warm air. Yes, I'm anal like that - sorry.

Today I discovered why it was suppose to be 1.5" from the top; I can't get to the upper right corner bolt. For about 30 minutes I tried all sorts of tricks and techniques to get the bolt at least started but to no avail. I can't take the fan out without taking the VFD out. I'm thinking that if I take the VFD out I can get to it ok and it is, after all, very easy to take out. I can probably take the VFD out, attach the bolt, and put the VFD back in place in less than the 30 minutes I wasted trying to 'stubborn' my way through it. I'm just glad my wife wasn't here at the time because she would have said from the start to take the VFD out and quit wasting time! LOL! The only thing is that every fastener in the enclosure is secured with thread lock and I didn't really want to disturb that but I guess I'll just put some more on.

On the stand -



















Inaccessible bolt - it may appear as though a long extension would work but I assure you it will not even come close -


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## difalkner

15 minutes, start to finish with bolt in and VFD back in place; should've done that to start with! Actually, should have mounted the fan in the right place to start with but I digress…


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## difalkner

Wrapping up a busy day, lots accomplished! After mounting the enclosure I remounted all the stepper motors. That meant putting thread locker on every set screw and mounting bolt, including the mount for the spindle, and on every fastener except the mounting bolts that go into nylon lock nuts. After I got the steppers mounted and properly tensioned I started running cables through the cable chains. Both of these tasks actually took quite a while but they're all run now and the only thing left to run are the water lines.

It's probably going to take just as long to clean up the lines and get them better organized and I still have to solder the leads on 4 stepper motors and 6 proximity sensors. Each will be covered in shrink tubing and carefully placed so as not to rub unnecessarily on anything else in the path but still allow for free movement.

Gotta' shut it down for the night, though. Not only because I have been at this since 7 this morning but now I have to clean up for a high school reunion we're going to in about an hour. Tomorrow we have a family reunion and that's going to take all day. So I won't get much done tomorrow.

Grounding the frame to the main ground lug in the enclosure and thus to earth ground - 









Steppers and sensors plugged into the enclosure - 









Running cables through the cable chains -


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## difalkner

We did the reunion trip and I had a few hours after we got home last night to solder the cables to the motor leads. There's a lot more to doing this (and doing it right) than meets the eye - lot of prep work and diligence to keep the solder joints staggered, provide a good mechanical connection before soldering, getting the shrink tubing in place, etc. but the connections are good so that's what matters.









3 down, one to go -


----------



## difalkner

IT'S ALIVE!!

First run of G-code


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## difalkner

Got some more wiring finished today, starting with one E-Stop and moving on to the proximity sensors. When I made the bracket for the E-Stop I drilled a hole where the center of the box would be so I could bring the wire in from the bottom to the inside of the box. Since I wanted to make certain nothing rubbed or cut the outer jacket I sized it for a grommet and while I had the cover off for wiring I thought I'd take a photo of that.










Finished E-Stop, bracket, and Y- proximity sensor - 









Y+ proximity - 









Making certain nothing moves or rubs through the outer jacket on the cabling -


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## difalkner

Busy day on sensors, including crushing one - ugh! The design locations for sensors on this frame/machine are less than desirable. I relocated the Y axis sensor positions and made some simple temporary brackets for the X axis sensors. However, the Z axis locations have the sensors pointing at the plastic end piece on the linear bearings. Now, if you have 8mm sensing distance proximity sensors then you might get away with this but mine are 4mm. And here's a little piece of info if you're shopping for sensors - the distances given are for steel. They're half the distance on aluminum.

I had decided to cut some small pieces of cold rolled steel and attach to the aluminum so I could get my full sensing distance, including onto the plastic for the Z axis. I had set up the sensors for testing and the Z axis was nearly touching the plastic when it tripped but since I planned to add some steel it wasn't going to be an issue. Well, it wasn't until I accidentally jogged the Z axis up instead of down when it was about 1/2" away from the sensor - too far away to trip and just far enough away to fly into the sensor.

Here's the result - 









The jog rate was only 25% but that was enough to crush the sensor. Luckily I had another sensor although replacing one isn't what I started out to do today. So after that I made the steel pads to double my sensing distance and these give me much greater results. Ultimately I believe the sensors should be alongside the traveling carriage or component instead of directly in the path. That's probably how I'll redesign the mounts once I get finished with the build but I won't tackle that right now.

Steel pads and the new sensing distance -


----------



## difalkner

The other task I completed today was to change out the spindle connector. I didn't care for the one that came with the spindle so I ordered an Amphenol and it arrived today. Getting the old connector off was a bear; finally had to take a punch and bust it up. The new connector went in without a hitch and is much more solid.

Old connector (I planned to shrink the tubing but decided instead to replace the connector so the heat shrink is just sitting there) - 


















New Amphenol connector -


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## difalkner

Ha!! Look what I found under all the CNC electronics stuff - a table saw!!









After I figured out how to turn it on and what it does I did a little woodworking; it's been a couple of months since that's happened in this woodshop. I made a shelf for the spindle water reservoir and added a much needed diagonal brace. I knew it was going to be needed but until I decided on the water reservoir size I couldn't put the brace in. As I expected it is now much, much stiffer in the Y direction. The tub for water reservoir is about 7.5 gallons capacity. The shelf is made with a couple of boards from the shipping pallet for the CNC frame.


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## difalkner

It was time to run the water lines for the spindle and I needed to drop them through the cable tray down to the reservoir so I used a grommet to protect the lines. For about 5 seconds I considered running the lines over the edge but didn't like that.









Tonight I mounted the radiator, fan, and box with connectors for the pump and fan. The fan is 120Vac and the submersible pump is 12Vdc. The fan will use the top 3-pin connector and the pump will use the bottom 5-pin connector. Neither one needs this many wires but I wanted them different so down the road I wouldn't accidentally plug them into the wrong spot - it won't always be this easy to see down there. I mounted the radiator right over the reservoir so that if a slow leak starts the lid will contain a small amount of water. Also, if I need to drain the lines all I have to do is remove the lid and the radiator is right over the reservoir.

I'll connect the lines and wire the plugs tomorrow and then I can test the spindle fittings and lines.


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## difalkner

Today I completed the water cooling system for lines and wiring and ran it for testing - all is good! However, not without some hiccups along the way. When I first tried to run the pump nothing happened. I know it works because I tested it, even did a video of me spraying water in the kitchen. So I started troubleshooting and quickly discovered that I had wired the relay inside the enclosure for 5V instead of 12V. That meant I had to do some rewiring with the enclosure on the stand and that's a whole lot more difficult than doing it on the bench.

After finding a spot to grab 12V I ran the wire to the common side of the relay and with all the confidence in the world I fired it back up, expecting the pump to run. Nothing, nada, zilch… The pump plugs into a 5-pin connector and I had checked continuity after making the cable and soldering everything so I knew that was good. Finally, after about 20 L O N G minutes of searching for broken solder joints, wires, checking polarity, etc. I decided to check the plug on the pump again. For some reason I had soldered the two leads to pins 4 & 5 instead of pins 1 & 2 (like the receptacle). What a dummy! Now it didn't matter which two pins I used but you'd think it would be a good idea to use the same pins on the receptacle and plug - right?! Right! Sometimes I wish I was smart instead of just good looking… ok, at this point in my life I'll take either one. LOL!

Anyway, here's the completed unit; the filter on the intake is for aquariums and it should stop anything 1/16" or larger. I intend to keep the lid on and monitor the water for sediment or trash so I'll add a better filter later if needed. The discharge hose is fastened to the lid so I can see water flowing out and I'll probably add a flow indicator later. The blue fittings on the pump are anodized aluminum, the capacity of the reservoir is 7.5 gallons, and the tubing is silicone with a continuous use temperature range: -60 ℃ ~ 200 ℃ - I expect to be operating the spindle well inside that range!


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## difalkner

Here's a video testing the cooling system -

Cooling system test


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## difalkner

While I didn't really do anything on the CNC today I did do something needed for the CNC; I built a mobile cart for the computer. I don't have room to have a dedicated spot for a computer and related peripherals so a mobile cart was my only real option. This is narrow enough to fit between the table saw and CNC and also narrow enough to go against the wall at the front end of the CNC but it is wide enough to be stable. I can't mount anything to the wall at the front of the CNC even though that spot appears to be available because the attic stairway folds down right there so it's really not usable space, at least not for anything mounted permanently.

I made this with some of the boards from the CNC shipping pallet and some MDF I had sitting around. The only thing I bought for this project are the HF casters and outlet strip. Both the Ethernet and Modbus cables are 15' long so I have a fair amount of travel available.

So here's my afternoon project (for me to start and finish a project in one day is close to miraculous!!) -


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## difalkner

I drained the water out of the system and am preparing for distilled water and the RV antifreeze but thought I'd mark the lines so the pump will know which way the water flows when I turn it back on…


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## difalkner

When the machine came in it was missing a few links in the cable chain and those arrived today so I was able to complete the cable run on the gantry. I need to get the correct bolt and then decide how I'll secure the cables and water lines but at least now the cable chain is in place.


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## difalkner

I set up the homing based on what I've read and seen online but I'm not certain I have this correct. Many machines I've seen move very quickly toward home and when they approach the sensors they slow down. The way I have it set it's just slow across the board. It's ok if I jog it to a couple of inches away from home but if it has a long way to travel I might as well pack a lunch. So… I wonder what I have not yet set or if I'm just mistaken on how it is suppose to act.

Homing Speed is set to 20% but it was 5% so it is much faster now but not sure it's correct.









Here's a short video of the homing - 
Homing test


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## difalkner

I set up to do a little calibrating and found the machine was out more than I thought it would be. The first test on the Y axis was 0.014" out in one inch. In the full travel of the Y axis, 50", that is almost 3/4" off (0.700")! So I used a dial indicator and did a little tweaking to the motor configuration and the Counts per Unit in Mach4. Now when I tell it to move an inch it moves an inch - poifect!! The only drawback is that the DRO on the screen in Mach4 is off by 0.0002" which isn't very much at all but I just don't see why it isn't 0.0000".

Here's a video to better show what I'm seeing - 
Calibrating the Y axis


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## difalkner

If you watched the previous video you probably noticed that I wasn't satisfied with the slight error in accuracy. So, I changed my methodology and process and now it is dead on and I'm good with dead on. I wrote a spreadsheet to use the current motor settings, take the error in accuracy, and then calculate new motor settings. Each time I ran it the errors became smaller and the accuracy got better so after running it about 5 times it is now dead on.

Here's the new process and video - 
Calibrating the Z axis - new method


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## difalkner

After all the calibrations for accuracy I put the machine to a field test for about 10 minutes. I used simple G-code to feed at 300 ipm and then to various positions all over the machine. About 90% of the time it was spot on the number I put in the parameters and the other 10% it ended up on xx.9999" and I don't think I'll get it any better than that. I also picked up some reusable tie straps from HF so I could clean up the cabling yet still have the ability to redo something if necessary.

Machine calibration testing -


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## difalkner

After calibrating I thought it would be good to run some very simple patterns in the X and Y directions, no cutting so Z isn't involved. There's not much to this but it does show me that the machine is smooth and does what I asked it to do, at least cutting air anyway. This is a short video, about 42 seconds, so you won't be bored very long.

Simple G-code test


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## difalkner

I've been away for a few days but only because I had to rebuild my main graphics computer, which is also the same computer I use for posting on forums and for e-mail. But I have not been idle, rather I've managed to spend countless hours on Fusion 360 tutorial videos just so I could cut four pockets on the spoil board. This is cutting edge stuff!! LOL!

Anyway, here's the video - 
Cutting first program


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## bonesbr549

Cool build !


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## difalkner

I was setting up to cut a 24"x24" board when it occurred to me that I had not checked the table for coplanar accuracy. This is the initial test and it's out enough that I need to correct it before going much further.

Here's the setup I used - 









Setup for coplanar test


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## difalkner

This isn't really part of the build except that it's a natural progression to at least show the CNC machine working, so I thought a little project was in order. The build isn't 100% complete, though, but close enough to begin using the machine. I still need to get the VFD talking to the software (Modbus, connected via USB adapter - right now I have to open the electrical enclosure and use the keypad to turn the spindle on/off and change speeds), I need to make an auto-zero touch plate for the Z axis, need to figure out how to mount the Z- axis proximity sensor, and I truly need a dust shoe - really, really need a dust shoe!!

A little background on the project - I'm building acoustic guitars which means right now I build more templates, fixtures, forms, and jigs than guitars. One of the tools frequently used is a radius dish or a set of radius dishes for different guitars. People frequently call them 'flattop guitars' but most aren't even close to flat. The top and back have radii ranging from 12' to 65' or more. The radius helps keep the guitar stable, makes it stronger, and helps with the sound (very basic explanation). What I'm using is a 28' radius for the top and 15' for the back so last August Sandy and I got out in the driveway and made some MDF dust, lots of MDF dust. I know the dishes aren't cut perfectly so this looked like a good project to start the CNC on its path to production.

The video is a little longer than most I've posted but still tolerable at 8 1/2 minutes and starts with cutting the first radius dish by hand and progressing to cleaning them up on the CNC. It's interesting to note that the DC is much louder than the CNC and also how the mic picks up sound - the radio isn't as loud in the room as it sounds on the recording and the fans for the enclosure aren't that noticeable but they are in the recording. The hearing protection I wear is for the DC, though, because it is annoying and just loud enough that I won't run it without ear plugs.

Cutting radius dishes


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## difalkner

I guess technically the build is complete but there are still a few things I associate with 'the build', like dust control. Tonight I ran a 7' piece of 4" PVC for dust collection and connected it to my partially complete dust shoe. A friend is suppose to be getting me some clear vinyl so I'm holding off ordering anything to complete the dust shoe.

The hose reaches the extents of the X, Y, and Z travel but I need to work on securing it so it doesn't flop around. At this point I'm not certain what I'll come up with for that, though - just started thinking about it.

I'm still not accustomed to coming up with a design/idea, being able to draw it in Fusion 360, and then be cutting it out a short while later. It's a given that we all do that with the other tools in our shops but this is just a bit different for me and it's still pretty cool!

I had some scrap 5/8" MDF and 2×4 so that's what I made these brackets out of, then painted them Ferrari Red, Yellow, and Black (that's important, btw - LOL!).

Anyway, here's what I have to this point -


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## difalkner

After running the PVC pipe and connecting the hose to the dust shoe, yet to be completed, I needed a way to manage the hose movement. I worked through several mockups before deciding on making this mount out of 1/2" Baltic Birch. I'll try it for a while and see how it does but the first thing I need to do is make a collar of some sort so the hose doesn't slip down. It won't actually be that big of a deal because I imagine most of my work is going to be in the first 24" of the table and the hose doesn't move in that area.

Dust collection hose mount


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## difalkner

Quick update - I said I needed a way to keep the hose from falling down toward the spindle so what I came up with is a hose retaining nut, left hand threads, of course… Yeah, they didn't know what one was at Lowe's, either 

It's possible I could add a second one below the mount and maybe hold the hose in place better but I don't think the little bit of movement will be a problem. I could also put a retainer clip on the 'nut' and hold it in place but again, this probably won't be an issue.

Dust hose retainer nut


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## difalkner

This isn't really part of the build except that I was testing not only the machine's ability to engrave small letters, 0.25" high, but my ability to do it in Fusion 360 which is definitely NOT friendly to this sort of thing. I saw this small piece of Honduras Mahogany and thought it would be a good test and it turns out the machine had no issues at all with this. I may try smaller just for grins - larger won't be an issue. But one of the things I plan on using this CNC for is inlay work on guitars so I need to know it will perform well on small, intricate, delicate pieces of wood and Abalone (or Mother of Pearl).

Here's a short video of my test -
CNC Engraving test


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