![]() Check then double check every single dimension in the plans. Don’t be afraid to make changes to the design to suit what you want.Ģ. The plans in Woodsmith are a starting point. ![]() Hardware incl rails, bearings, paint $489 When it was all said and done here is the exact costs I incurred:īaltic Birch plywood for the machine $267 The 36V power supply referenced in the article is inadequate for motors of this size. Mean Well Multi Voltage Power Supply 5V, 12V, 24V – DC output 7, 4, 2 amps (this one runs the auxillary bits, cooling fans, lights, breakout board, etc) Mean Well 48V Power Supply 120V / 240V AC input. And yes ArtMann is quite right – friction is also a huge enemy of stepper motors and the ball screws do an awful lot to reduce it.įor the Y and Z axis I used the followng:įor the long X axis I used the following: Here’s a few videos and articles that helped me make the decision to go with ball screws. The owner, Chai, was fantastic at answering all questions, helping me select the right one and shipped it all DHL Air Express, I had all the parts in my hands a week after ordering! Don't be afraid to order from China, it's easy! I bought mine from China – LinearMotionBearings2008– You will get virtually 0 backlash with a ballscrew and the bearings on each end ensure the screw runs perfectly true. And in the world of CNC accuracy is king. There are lots of articles online expounding on the advantages/disadvantages of them vs lead screws but really it boils down to one thing – accuracy. The decision to go with ball screws over lead screws was a long and involved one… before I started this project I didn’t even know what a ball screw was. I have included a selection of photos taken along the way that show how it progressed. I am not going to describe every step of the build here. It’s meant for a woodworker who wants to stick his/her toe into the CNC arena and see what it holds with some assurance that they will come out with something tried, proven and very useful at the end. no this isn’t an industrial quality, production CNC machine. I think these comments are right on the money and well serve to justify the design…. #CNC ROUTER FOR MAC UPGRADE#I hope that people will take the base design and modify it, upgrade it, customize it, and share their ideas.” My hope in this machine is to provide a simple, obtainable starting point for people to enter into the world on CNC machining. He made several good points:ġ) Create a machine that could be built by the most number of woodworkers with average equipment in a reasonable amount of time.Ģ) Create a solid high performing machine for the lowest possible cost so that it will be accessible to the most people.ģ) Create a machine that could be reasonably explained in 24 pages of a woodworking magazine (not so easy). I had a nice mail back from Chris Fitch who is the author and designer of the Woodsmith CNC router at the heart of this discussion. There are over 117 replies to date so lots of good reading. I wanted bigger motors to handle the load and I wanted to source as much as I could from within Canada. the biggest being the decision to use ball screws instead of threaded rods and anti-backlash nuts. I knew there were some things I wanted to change from the original article. There is a wealth of information out there! I spent the next month Googling everything with the word "CNC" in it and watching untold hours of YouTube videos made by professionals down to aspiring CNC'ers such as myself. We discussed design ideas and I knew I was hooked. I fired off some e-mails to Chris Fitch who is the author and designer of the machine. #CNC ROUTER FOR MAC SOFTWARE#Yes I'd have to add in software and tooling costs but that was for later. Some quick Excel spreadsheet work showed me I could build this thing with a custom made base unit for about $2,500 Canadian. After a few casual reads and dismissing it as being way beyond what I could do, I decided there and then to just do it. Then issue #242 of Woodsmith Magazine landed in my mailbox. Entry level machines were north of $5,000 and something that would suit my needs was more likely $10,000 to $15,000 when you add in the software and tooling costs. I priced them out a few years ago, wet my pants, and parked that idea for when I won the lottery. I really never thought too much about having a CNC router of my own.
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