Talked work into looking into replacing my annoying to use small 2 axis router.

Here is what i need.

I need to cut 50" X 12" X 3"
I need to hold .001" - .002" tolerance.
I need to know how much this would cost.
I would think this is douable for 2000$ using linear slides and ball screws. What do you guys think.

That's definitely doable with 2k. If you bought all of the components new, you might be cutting it close. If you buy them off ebay, you could get good deals, but you'd have to wait for just the right parts.

do you think it would hold the tolerance?

The real $$ in it would be the ballscrews. A 50" Good Ball Screw is probly kinda $$. Anyone know a place to buy good ballscrews?

On a side note. I was talking to salesmen from united grinding. Its a german company that makes 5 axis Cnc Tool grinders. He was telling me they dont use ballscrews anymore. They use a magnetic system. Not realy sure how it works since we realy didnt go into it very much. He said you can rapid 2x as fast with the magnetic and you get 2x the wheel life from them. Mostly because they are alot more smooth. We bought one of there 5 axis couple years ago. Great machine. But they cost a fortune. When i get home ill half to upload some pics of it. I have a bunch on my laptop.

I've seen some postings on the zone about linear steppers. It's essentially a rail and carriage with the coils and magnets built in. I'd imagine they'd be very expensive.

I dont want to use them on this router. Because it would jump to cost up way to much.

I do want to find a place to buy good ballscrews and linear slides. Also find a place that sells a 3 axis control that can turn the router on and off and etc. I dont know if the hobbycnc.com controller controls the router or not. If one of you guys could let me know it would be great.

I want to build it out of steel. I want to make it heavy. Its going to sit ontop of a table. I want to keep most of the slides and ballscrews covered up to keep from dust getting to them. It also has to be profeshional looking.

And the biggest need is for it to be able to hold the .001" - .002" Tolerance. Its going to cut plastic. This weekend I am going to start designing it.

I was thinking about using linear slides instread of rails.

Id like to buy the control / servo's / psu all in a package. I want it all to be wired and ready to go. http://www.3dxhobbies.com/cart/index.php?m...&products_id=73
I realy like how this control Looks but the price seems alittle $$. Is there something that makes it that $$?

Anyone use those Gecko Controllers? I emailed the makers of them but got no reply. From what i take you just buy one of them for each servo? and then connect them all together onto your parallel port. Well how many axis can you hook to one parallel port?

you need to hook those to a breakout board i think, and depending on the breakout board you can have up to 5 axis some have 6

Here is a fantastic drawing that Ynneb did on the zone, a very good illistration (the man has talent) this is a guide only not to be used for wiring.....

So with the gecko drives i could make a full 5 axis machine? ya it would cost 100$ per controller but it would work.

http://www.geckodrive.com/product.cfm?pid=17

is this the break out board? i cant find anything called a break out board on there website.

Breakout boards range from 25.00 to 150.00

you can also make your own boards.

http://pminmo.com/

know anyone who sells 5 axis break out boards?

Its not a 5 axis breakout board its the pin seperation for easy connection is what a breakout board is.

http://www.winfordeng.com/products/brk25_p...1dc94ddc9569225

So you can hook 5 gecko drivers to one of those? man i ask alot of questions

Look at pin 14 for B axis, and 16/17 for C axis, thats 6 total.

http://pminmo.com/pport/pport.htm

joe

Gotcha now :-) Good Info

Try this guy for a BOB ( Break Out Board). I'm using one and it works fine. You can spend a lot more if you like. This guys stuff is kinda modular.

Don't try to hookup you drives without one , unless you can replace the LPT port. I would recomend using a PCI add on card, just to protect your MB. Dodo occurs .. and will !!

If you want 5-6 axis you need to add a second LPT port and a second bob. I believe that 4 is the max on one LPT.

So if you have 2 Lpt ports then you can use BOB at the same time?

That was the board i was trying to find but just could not find it at work... looks to be a really good board, Haas-Man what driver board and motors you usually run?

The link I showed has buffered connections. That means that the PC and the machine are not electrically connected to each other they actually are optically linked. It will prevent damage to your PC from a short or mis-wired component on the machine side.

You would use a bob on each LPT port. I have cobbled a port for myself, but found the $25 was money well spent.

Well you get what you pay for... the workmanship was lacking. But for the money...you know!

I snagged some good drives. They are CMD260's ($400). Believe it or not they were tossing them out at work after a heat sink fell off them. One that they glued on!!. I have a friend in service that was giving them to me. Then they hired a new EE and they all dried up. The motors are NEMA 23. about 3" dia x 4" long 3/8" shaft.

That said, I still can't get a good speed without missing steps occasionally or stalling. I'm even running them at 60V and 7A.

I was thinking about my ideas on this router. I think im going to go with a X axis in the table. So the table will move in the X axis instead of the router. I think this will make the Router alot more solid. Then have the router move in the Y and Z.

Travel I am thinking:
X : 50"
Y : 20"
Z : 4"

I cant decide between servo or stepper motors. And i think im going to go with Gecko Drivers.

Hopefuly this weekend ill have some time to sit down and get some stuff on cad done for this and my other projector(the bowling ball master)

My normal bowling ball driller is taking forever to do anything anymore so i need to get work on my setup hehe.