CNC Upgrade and Fretboard program

[phavriluk]

Oh boy can't wait to see how your fretboard comes out

I'm in awe of this!

[Diane Kauffmds]

Well sports fans, this bad girl is truly finished! Much like my second guitar that I named Delilah (the bad girl), this cnc has truly tried my patience. I finally got the new limit switches working by jumpering out each axis pair. They're much better switches, but they're 2 wire and my board takes 3 wire switches. I could get 1 to work in each axis, but when I plugged in a 4th, none of them worked. But, they're working as intended in all axis now. I've wrapped wires and inserted them into the slots as much as possible to corral them.

I ended up installing a 16mm ballscrew. That's quite an upgrade from the 8mm lead screw that I had originally installed. I bought and installed a 16mm ballscrew for the z-axis, but the stage was too narrow, and I couldn't properly anchor it to the guide rods. I started to buy a different model, but decided not to. While my design on the z-axis isn't pretty, it's damn accurate and solid. So for now, it stays.

The wood is gone and I cut metal plates in its place and replaced each end with 2080 t-slot extrusion. The thing weighs a ton now. I installed what I call "table guides", which are 1" aluminum angle, meant to ensure the table stays straight no matter what I'm cutting. But, that 16mm ballscrew isn't going to allow the table to deflect at all.

I'm still using "sliders" which are 1/8" thick aluminum angle wrapping around the sides to under the table. Under the table, it rides on another angle, attached to the frame. Both surfaces have heavy duty UHMW tape, which they slide, so there's no friction. But, I upgraded from 3/4" angle to 1" for the table itself and 1 1/2" for under it. My husband, both German Shepards, and I, can all stand on it and there won't be any movement or deflection.

I upgraded the motor for the Y-axis to the same high torque nema 23 I'm using on the z-axis. The x-axis still has the nema 17, which easily handles it.

I had to slow down the maximum speed for the Y-axis. Apparently Nema 23 motors (except for closed loop) are limited to 1000 rpm. Nema 17 motors can run as fast as 2000rpm. This wasn't an issue until I installed the ballscrew. In order for the table to move, it takes a lot higher rpm's. So, where I could run the old table, with the small lead screw at 80ipm (or maybe faster), the motor gets unhappy at anything above 60 ipm. So, I've Programmed it so the table can't move faster than 50ipm. I'm in no big hurry and I don't make fretboards and necks for resale. I never run the cnc programs more than 20ipm, and mostly I stick with 14ipm. So, it doesn't bother me.

So, here she is in all her glory. I have 11.5" of active cutting across the x-axis, 6 inches of z-axis movement, and my big goal was to have a cutting area of 22" long on the y-axis. I have 24" of cutting length, right on the money. The entire cnc unit is 16" wide x 31" long.

The table is solid aluminum t-slot, with a spoilboard screwed to the slots. I top it with another spoilboard. As far as table accuracy, it is off by 1/2mm from dead center. I can live with it.

She's obviously homegrown and not a sleek name brand cnc. But, she'll do everything I need very accurately and quietly. She still sounds like R2D2 when she's cutting.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

That is a purty beast!

[Diane Kauffmds]

Well, I keep changing things slightly as I think of them. I took out the guide rods from under the table. The table rides on 2 aluminum angles, each with UHMW tape, so there's no friction. I added side table guides, made of aluminum angle. I've experimented with smaller pieces on each side and it works brilliantly. I'll replace those pieces with 1" angle today, which will run the length of the cnc, today when it arrives.

The biggest addition is the new computer system, dedicated to the cnc. It's now totally autonomous.

I found a mini pc, which is runs windows 11 pro. I've paired it with a mini Bluetooth keyboard and 7" monitor. All I'm putting on it is the cnc grbl software, and I'll keep gcode files that I reuse, like fretboards and bridges. I'll use my laptop to design things in Fusion360, then use VCARVE to generate the codes. I can transfer the gcode files to the CNC via Bluetooth. It works perfectly.

Now it can run from across the shop without a bunch of wires to trip over.

[Diane Kauffmds]

I know your sick of seeing this, but I've made some little changes.

1. I moved the relay to the other side of the machine, so it's not crowded with the monitor and e-stop.

2. I moved the e-stop to the machine side.

3. I bought a pool filter hose. It fits my vacuum fittings. I've moved the shop vac to the back room of the shop, where it's plugged into a remote control outlet. The hose is run along the ceiling. For now, it's in the cnc. I can remove it to use on the bench or floor, but I'll eventually install a splitter so there are separate hoses, one for the cnc, the other for bench/floor. I want to be able to close up one side while using the other.

Anyway, that small white button turns my shopvac on remotely. What I hope to do is eventually wire a small shopvac, dedicated to the cnc, that will turn on when the machine starts, then turns off when the program is done.

I'm a big dreamer.

I AM going to put a brushless ER16 spindle on the machine.

[Diane Kauffmds]

The actual milling area is 24 7/8" x 11 3/8" x 6".

[Kevin Sjostrand]

It looks so good. You are amazing.

[Diane Kauffmds]

Nope. Not done yet. I've been afraid of going beyond the 500w motor, because of wiring concerns. I really wanted a brushless motor, for a variety of reasons, but they're 3 phase. Household current is single phase. A motor driver and/or variable frequency drivers are used, but there is little info on how to wire these into a grbl controller. Everything is on mach. I like the grbl candle software and my controller. Then, I found a 600w brushless motor.

100w is only a 20% increase, but brushless takes it to a whole new level. This performs like a 1hp motor, which has been my goal. It has an er16 collet, so it can take 3/8" bits if needed. The downside is the 9000rpm rating. The 500w has a 12k rating. So, I experimented with my old 500w spindle and cut letters out of shell at 9k. Apparently, 20000rpm for shell is a myth, because 9k did the best I've ever seen. So, I sold the 500w motors and power supply, and invested in the 600w brushless spindle motor.

I'm so glad I did.

It came with everything needed, but I invested in a really good power supply, that has adjustable voltage and amps, with a digital readout. I had to figure out the wiring so that I could control the spindle on the computer and by Vectric programs. It took me a day to figure it all out. But, I managed to get it wired and running with my control board.

It has a tachometer, which I really like, so I know the rate of the spindle, instead of guessing. I decided that I really like having the capacity to change the spindle speed when it's running a program, rather than the computer adjusting it. I know how to wire it for complete computer control if I change my mind.

So, here's the machine running a small test program I made a while back for calibration. It thinks it's cutting a square.

I think I may rig it so I don't have to attach an alligator clip to the bit to use a z-probe. That way, I can use put a plate under the bit to home the z-axis. I'll explore that today.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/bGu2HR ... tid=xfxF2i

[Diane Kauffmds]

For some reason, you can't hear the audio in the video when you use the link. You can hear it when you go to Facebook, then into the video. I'm not sure why. I'll see what I can do.

[AluminumTop]

Hi Diane, Are you ready to make rhat aluminum top Dread?
Bridges? Engravings? 3D sculpting (necks)?