Messages

8681

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: My first CNC Router

« on: February 01, 2009, 05:04:41 AM »

Excellent work.
I wish that my first machine looked as good as that.
How much does it cost please ?.

Tweakie.

8682

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Isolation Routing for PCB's.

« on: January 31, 2009, 03:16:45 AM »

Thanks to Jeff and by following the links he has given - over the last two days I have learn't a great deal and now have a far better understanding about isolation routing. For those who participate in this process it is far far more than just making circuit boards, their varying techniques, differing cutters used and fineness of detail produced can almost be regarded as an art form in itself.

Because the cutter loadings are extremely small even the most basic and less rigid of the CNC machines have been shown to produce excellent and professional results.

Certainly the Eagle software together with JJ's ulp produces Mach ready routing and drilling files which would be extremely hard to better.

For anyone wishing to make a circuit board or explore a whole new side to CNC I can certainly recommend this method.

Tweakie.

8683

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Isolation Routing for PCB's.

« on: January 29, 2009, 11:14:00 AM »

Hi Jeff,

The smallest hole I drill is 0.77mm but most often I use 0.96mm as this allows for everything. For cutting the tracks I used a 60 degree engraving bit (which is what I assumed everybody else used) but as I said earlier I have not done this before.

Best regards,  Tweakie.

8684

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Isolation Routing for PCB's.

« on: January 29, 2009, 10:42:49 AM »

Thanks for the info Jeff.

I will certainly have a look at Eagle but it would be contrary to their license to use anything created with the free version commercially - who knows I may buy the licensed version.

Best regards,  Tweakie.

8685

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Isolation Routing for PCB's.

« on: January 28, 2009, 11:27:03 AM »

It's a PIC microprocessor based circuit designed as an addition to an existing industrial controller to slightly modify the program sequence and timing.

Tweakie.

8686

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Isolation Routing for PCB's.

« on: January 28, 2009, 08:16:08 AM »

I had not tried this before, OK it's a very simple circuit but it still needed a circuit board.
Isolation routing is simple, easy and is just like engraving I don't know why I didn't try it sooner - it sure beats ferric chloride for simple one off jobs.

I did not use a dedicated PCB program, instead I created the layout as a bitmap then outlined it as a vector image, exported it as an HPGL plot file then converted it to GCode. Quite easy really.

Tweakie.

8687

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: complex turnings

« on: January 22, 2009, 03:56:25 AM »

Well done Ed.

CNC Cookbook changes it's pages regularly and it's links change. I had been unable to find the cube making link as well.

Tweakie.

8688

SmoothStepper USB / Re: Smoothstepper disconnect safety concerns

« on: January 22, 2009, 03:50:36 AM »

I just can't resist putting my spoke in again on this thread.

No matter how unlikely, sudden and unexpected, power outages will and do occur at the most inappropriate moments. The design of all machines must be able to handle a sudden power disconnection in a controlled and safe manner. The ultimate and effective emergency stop will disconnect all power to the machine instantly. In other words - if for some unlikely reason the software polled e-stop has no effect on a runaway machine then pull the power.

Tweakie.

8689

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Another Turner's Cube.

« on: January 22, 2009, 03:37:24 AM »

No problem guys, I am thoroughly enjoying the information sharing. Keep it up.

Cubes rule !

Tweakie.

8690

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: CNC Taig lathe

« on: January 21, 2009, 10:08:10 AM »

Nice set-up Vince.

It seems that your wife is a lot more understanding than mine. 

Tweakie.