Hello Guest it is March 28, 2024, 10:07:20 AM

Author Topic: The CNC router that ate the family room  (Read 10503 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

The CNC router that ate the family room
« on: January 05, 2016, 09:50:59 PM »
Here are some picture of the CNC router that I constructed.  Like my small routers I posted before I use a lot used biomedical research equipment.  All the T-slot aluminum and the white .5 inch plate aluminum came from an old Q-bot. The linear rails came from 3 Sagian 3 meter  robotic arm rails and the Z axis from a Sagian Mutiipet. The rack n pinion drive systems came from CNC router parts.  The electronics are a USB smooth stepper driving a PMDX-126 and the power supply is also from PMDX.com   The stepper drivers are Geckos.   I do have more work to do.  I want to add a tool touch plate and a rotary axis at the one end and dust collection system.
Regards,
Todd

Offline Tweakie.CNC

*
  • *
  •  9,196 9,196
  • Super Kitty
    • View Profile
Re: The CNC router that ate the family room
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2016, 02:36:53 AM »
Nice work Todd.

If you keep building them bigger and bigger you may have to consider moving house  ;D

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: The CNC router that ate the family room
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2016, 07:01:45 PM »
Thanks Tweekie.

I will attach some pictures of items I have made with this router.
(No subject)
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2016, 04:48:51 PM »
Great stuff. :)

« Last Edit: September 13, 2017, 01:39:47 AM by Tweakie.CNC »
Re: The CNC router that ate the family room
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2017, 03:37:55 PM »
Hi,
I am adding a fourth axis.  It will be parallel to the Y axis,  so I will be wrapping the X axis around it.  Should it be the A  or the B  or does it matter?  Right now I use the A axis as a slave on my X axis but I can change that to the B or C if needed.  It looks like the post processor in V Carve uses the A axis for a rotary axis.  Thanks for your help.
Todd

Offline Tweakie.CNC

*
  • *
  •  9,196 9,196
  • Super Kitty
    • View Profile
Re: The CNC router that ate the family room
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2017, 01:57:05 AM »
Hi Todd,

I think it is as you say, changing your slave to B and keeping A as the rotary will make life easier in the long run.

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: The CNC router that ate the family room
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2017, 09:05:13 PM »
Thanks Tweakie,
I have decided to use B as for my axis of rotation for now.  I can switch it later, that is no problem.  My currant problem is I can not get the rotary axis to move.  Below is what I posted on the PMDX forum but have not received any feedback.  I now think it may be a Mach 3 setting or something I am missing.  The rotary axis has no home switch  so I guess Mach 3 never tries to home it?  On the Mach page the 4th axis has a red box around it while x,y,z are green after homing,  is that why I can not move it?  How do I tell mach where home is for the rotary axis?  I think I am missing something?  Thanks for any help ???

"I have a PMDX-126 run by USB SS and I am trying to get a rotary axis working.  The axis is driven by ClearPath SD servo.  I have  step wire going to pin "16" on J6 and the direction going to pin "17" on J6.  The enable is connected to +5 PC and all commons are connected to ground PC.   This rotary axis uses the B motor in Mach 3 and is parallel to my Y axis.  I believe I have all the settings in Mach correct.  If i try to use MPG to move the rotary axis The numbers on the screen change  but no real movement. The servo drive is in servo lock.  I do not see the LEDs at pin 16 or 17 light or change at all.  I do not believe I am getting step or direction signal from the PMDX-126.  All my other axis work x,y,z and C slaved to X.  Any ideas?  what am I do wrong?"
Thanks,
Todd
I have rotary movement now
« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2017, 10:30:36 PM »
Well I got the rotary axis to move.  I went into USB SS data monitor and noted that when ever I used the MPG to move the 4 th axis it was the A axis that was active.  So I went into mach and switched from using the B axis for the rotary to the A axis and I have movement!    This leaves me with a question.  I was Googling around about A,B and C axis today trying to figure out if it mattered what one I used.  From what I read it looked like A rotary should be parallel to X, B rotary should be parallel to Y and C should run parallel to Z.   Kind of made sense when I read it.  But my setup will have A parallel to Y,  Now I could swap my X and Y around if needed.   Any help wrapping my brain around this would be appreciated. 
Thanks,
Todd

Offline rcaffin

*
  •  1,052 1,052
    • View Profile
Re: The CNC router that ate the family room
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2017, 04:05:36 AM »
My RT is called the A axis but it is parallel to the Y axis - like yours.
It works fine, and there IS an option in Mach3 to tell it what linear axis the A axis is on.
Whether this affects the tool path display I am not sure. I remain slightly puzzled by what the display does sometimes, but I do keep reminding myself that my perspective is NOT the machines perspective.

Cheers
Roger
Re: The CNC router that ate the family room
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2018, 09:09:21 PM »
Some test cut on the 4th axis.