RealTime Reactor

Video of my machine cutting out a number ’8′, videos like this are both, boring and exciting…depending on your interest. I, of course, did the sound replacement over at youtube, because regardless of anyones interest…I can’t imagine anyone ‘wanting’ to hear wood being cut with a cheap bit…on any machine :)

This cut was made at a slow rate…I forget exactly the rate, but probably around 10 ipm or less…I could not afford a really good bit and also use a cheap dremel knock-off, so that = slow feed rates. Not to brag though, my machine is very capable of cutting at very nice feedrates, like…guessing here…probably at least 30ipm or more. Maybe I’ll have to upload a video of it cutting some foam…there you go, bet I could cut that stuff at a real fast feedrate, even with a cheap bit. But, enjoy…the machine works well, outside of what is noted below :( , and I hope to be able to afford better spindles/bits someday.

Note: My machine is currently broken, I dropped the gantry piece when moving it to the garage this summer. I have the new MDF (wood) to repair it, but it has just been to hot and humid…so putting it off for a few. I will have it up and running by the fall and I will post more. I am also trying to (on the side…and slowly) build an up to date Ubuntu ISO with EMC2…basically the EMC2 Live CD w/ a recent release of Ubuntu (lucid probably (v 10.04) because it is the current release and it is also a long term release as well. That should be cronicalled over at http://www.buildyourtools.com…and that goes with another apology to Patrick over there for the slow moving on my part.

The machine is getting closer to being finished. It now has the capability of drawing on paper with a marker, which is good progress. The only thing to do to change that is to mount a router, dremel, or some type of spindle (motor). There are still several things that need attention before it will handle the added force of a cutting tool (the marker is pretty light weight, no torsion either). It is now being driven by new electronics, I put together the kit from hobbycnc and it is working out quite well. I need to build a better power supply, beef up some of the linear slides and I think it will start to do some work. I am quite confident that it will perform engraving jobs without any real problems, but cutting wood may show some defenciencies at this point. All in due time though, a little more time and some or nickels and dimes…that add up quite rapidly. I seem to have a nasty nut & bolt habit lately.

Testing the machine with a marker...works!

Almost Completed!

Ok, so here it is…my latest ‘obsession’ (Click on Blog Entry Title to Read More)…my version of a CNC router. What is CNC? Computer Numerical Control, and its a the way that a machinist in the 20th/21st century controls the machining processes to make or refine parts, among other tasks. Before CNC a machinist would control ‘dials’ and ‘wheels’ by hand, following a set of instructions that he created…using much planning and math. This does not remove the planning and math, but it makes machining complicated parts a bit easier and duplicating that process…once programmed…much much easier. What does it do? Well, it is a way the a computer can control a machine/tool to cut out parts in a precise and accurate way (hopefully). Quick overview…You draft a design/part in CAD (Computer Aided Design), convert that information to code that the machine will understand, then send it to the machine…after it has been setup and loaded with the intended material to be used (like a piece of wood or plastic, or whatever you need). An example would be to draft the parts for a bookshelf (boring I know), convert to the code (g-code), then send it to the machine from the computer. The computer will actually tell the machine what to do step by step, with an interface in between to translate the code into pulses that will control motors, switches, etc., and even recieve input back from the machine so that the computer can know what position it is in or if it is in trouble and many other types of information too.

This machine is a 3 axis (X, Y, Z) CNC router. It will hold a router with a cutting bit, and be capable of controlling it in three directions…X longways down the table, Y across the table, and Z up and down for cutting depth. This machine should be capalbe (eventually) of cutting wood, plastic, foam, and maybe even some aluminum or brass…maybe :)

There is information about this subject all over the Internet. Some even refer to it as the “CNC Revolution”, referring to the booming interest in building and operating these types of machines right at home. You can do many things with such a machine, from engraving your name onto a piece of wood to cutting out high precision parts from steel, depending on how your machine is built, of course and how it is tooled (type of router (spindle)). There are also many variations, like lathes for turning round parts and there can also be more axis to control motion and machining positions.

And so here is a pic of my unfinished machine, there are more to come and videos real soon. It is finally getting to the point where it resembles something similar to other machines of the same type that you could easily find on the Web…with a quick Google like this… Link to Google Search for Homemade CNC