Author Topic: Long running CNC router table.  (Read 3526 times)

Offline John Hill

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Long running CNC router table.
« on: September 03, 2015, 07:52:15 PM »
Quote from: John Hill
I have been spending a bit of time working on a CNC router table for no reason but just because I can.

The X axis is about 900 and the Y axis about 1800mm.  The Z axis is 120mm or less depending on what thickness sheets I have on the table.

The table itself is an 18mm MDF box reinforced with steel angle and box section steel frame around the top and bottom of the box.  The gantry is hollow section rectangular steel.   The Z axis is to be actuated by a direct action threaded rod on a plastic nut and a stepper motor which might be from an old IBM printer.  The Y axis will also be threaded rod and plastic nut and will be direct driven by a modified Fisher and Paykel washing machine motor.  On the X axis the gantry will be attached to roller chains (ex garage door openers) with a chain each side of the box to prevent wracking.  The power for the X axis will come from another F & P washer motor but this time through a 40:1 worm and wheel gear box I have built for the job.

All slides are ball bearing races running against steel.  There are no 'precision' parts and I do not have high expectation of being able to mill billet unobtanium to gnat's cock tolerances however it should prove capable of handling sign making and general cutting of sheet ply and MDF.  The first job might be to cut MDF ribs etc for our Proctor project.

I will be using Linux CNC to drive the machine and FreeCAD for the design side of things.

The general idea of it..



Gearbox for the X axis drive..


Two washing machine motors, one rewired to drive the X axis and one somewhat cut down to drive the Y axis.

.. these motors are good for a horse power or more but I will be operating them at much less power.  In operate them in three phase stepper mode.  The cut down motor is effectively a smaller motor.
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Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Long running CNC router table.
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2015, 11:50:37 PM »
Sorry John, I just saw this... That thing is huge. Is that yours in the picture or is that what you are shooting for?
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