Base Construction

I recently started construction of the base frame. I am using various aluminum extrusions which can be purchased from Lowes, including:

• Square tubing: 3/4" x 3/4", 1/16" thick wall
• U channel 5/8" wide x 1/2" tall, 1/16" thick wall
• 90 angle 1/2" x 1/2", 1/16" thick wall

Machine Base

Structure mad out of the square tubing, diagonal made out of the 90 angle, and the two X-axis rails made out of the U-Channel.

Ebay Goodies, Concept

I recently won several goodies off Ebay to construct my DIY CNC machine including:

• 80 ABEC-5 Skateboard Bearings - $26.00
• 3 1/4" flexible shaft couplings - $26.50

ABEC-5 Skateboard Bearings

1/4" Flex Shaft Couplings

 Now comes the theory. I want to build a cheap yet accurate machine. I have decided to build the machine out of metal, predominately aluminum, in order to produce a rigid machine. However, I don't want to sink my teeth into a 8020 based machine with Finelineautomation hardware.

So after scouring the internet for the last couple months I have decided to base my machine on this instructable. Except I have some ideas to make it bigger, smoother, and more precise. Now lets just see if I can do it! Maybe I will try to draw up a CAD rendering.

2D Conceptual Design

Concept Mock-up

Electronics, Software, Why?

I decided to start building a CNC machine. The primary reason is that a CNC machine is the ultimate tool when it comes to making one-off parts and prototypes. Sure I have a Dremel, but what if I had a Dremel controlled by a computer to make precise cuts all by itself? So after researching DIY CNC machines for the past year, I decided to start buying parts to play with. So I got a stepper motor controller off Ebay!

Ebay Special: 4axis CNC Stepper motor controller with TB6560 chips.

I got an old computer from my parents to install Ubuntu and EMC2. After playing with the settings in EMC2 I got it to work, no thanks to the Chinese manual. I also got 3 steppers off ebay.

Ubuntu, EMC2, 3 steppers, stepper controller and power supply.

Everything works great! Specs are:

• Software: EMC2
• Stepper controller: 4 Axis, TB6560, 2 amp per channel, ebay special
• Steppers: NEMA 23, 120 to 128 oz/in, 2A, 2.2V, 1.8 deg/step, FH6-1809 01
• Wires: ORG A, BRN A-, GRN B-, BLU B, BLK Common, WTH Common
• Power Supply: 36V, 9.7A