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C-Beam cnc

Discussion in 'CNC Mills/Routers' started by Kyo, Jun 24, 2016.

  1. Pointy

    Pointy New
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    I'll add the BOM as soon as I have made a couple more changes. I haven't had a chance to start playing with the skecthup file yet, but have a few ideas and tweaks in mind.

    I am actually thinking of just using the low profile M5 bolts. With a standard M5 washer they slide nicely in the slot. It's then a case of drilling a clearance hole for the allen key in the correct place, so they can be tightened up from the outside. The front slot can by tidied up with some slot cover.( I have used a similar method with Motedis profile and it works great)

    Yes I knew I would need at least one. Two of my current motors are 56mm long and the other is only 40mm. I am guessing the 2 bigger ones are similar specs to these basic Nema 23's. Not sure if the smaller one would be any good. I think the crappy stepper drivers I have only go up to 2.5A current, so it limits my motor choice for now.

    Well I don't want to hjack your thread with it too much, but if you can't sleep and want something to read you can find some details on my blog. The LCD is controlled by a Teensy 2++, which is connected to the PC via USB. A custom Mach3 plugin handles communications between the 2. (You can also see part of the charge pump circuit in the following pic, which shuts of the 24V to the motors and power to the spindle relay in case of a PC crash or Estop event)

    [​IMG]

    Regards,

    Les
     
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  2. Barry Gooden

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    Great work, awesome documentation. I am new to this and your giving the part numbers of the components has lead to a lot of research and answers. Thank you.
    Ok, Gone through your build, I am now very interested in building a (your) cnc machine for automating my work that I do by hand. I have a few questions and quite honestly you seem the person I would ask.
    1. Tension or compression of the lead screws? Since the screw, while working the nut back and forth has both tension and compression how do you load it for one and not cause a greater effect of the other? Does the anti-backlash nut remedy both? Is the actual flex caused by this really a problem for this size of machine using an 8mm screw? Perhaps you can recommend a book that would reflect on this?
    2. Why use a Z axis reduction belt? Are not the speeds regulated by the controls? Would there not be less accuracy under load verses a direct coupling? Is it for greater stability on the X & Y axis' with a lower center of gravity? Maybe the same book?
    Sorry if these are inane questions but I can't find any answers on the internet and you seem willing to share your knowledge.
    Again, I would like to thank you for posting a fantastic project.
     
  3. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    Thank you, I look forward to seeing your build !

    1: I put mine in compression and that has been working well for me.. The plates as designed will allow either or.
    2: With the z-axis speed is not to much of concern the belt reduction offers more torque. I went belt reduction to save some space on over all height. keeping the motor mounted low. For now I recommend all builds use direct mounting / coupling in tell the new OB reduction plate comes out. This is how i have it on my plate maker and is works great :thumbsup:

    I have done most of my research online and here on the forums a lot of good info in all of the build threads here. So I am afraid I do not have one particular book tittle to recommend more a few on general cnc if applicable?
     
  4. Barry Gooden

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    Thanks for the reply. Kyo.
     
  5. Eric Filomeno

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    I just got all my parts and started cutting the c-beam. Slight problem though. I ordered 1000mm Cbeam and if I cut it in half (need 2 500mm cbeams) it it will be a little short because of kerf... My bad. Should of asked for a tad bit more when ordering or just order 2 500mm cbeams. Just thought I'd give others a heads up.. :) May want to put a note in cut-list/bom.

    Anyway, Thanks Kyo for the awesome design!
     
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  6. RichGMD61

    RichGMD61 New
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    Hi Kyo.

    I've received my 'Phoenix' board from Bulgaria, was there anything special you had to do to get GRBL uploaded and running. It's just that when I tried to upload GRBL onto it I get a bunch of error messages and refers me to the Arduino website, one of which there might not be a 'bootloader' installed.

    Any chance you can share your experiences please.

    Rich
     
  7. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    Awesome, I can not wait to see your build! They tend to provide enough extra on the C-beam for you to cut the 1M in half and end up with two 500mm rails. But I will add a side not on the next file update. Thanks for the heads up. As long as each Y axis is the same you should be fine. So if you end up with a length of 495mm make sure both are 495mm. You will also need to trim down the base frame 20x60 rails the same amount. In this example they also would need to be 5mm shorter. The top and bottom 20x60 for the base frame would remain unchanged.

    Nice! sorry your having trouble. It really is a solid board. Wire it into your system and plug in your usb. It will come preloaded with Grbl 0.9j no need to load anything on it.

    Are you trying to update to 0.9i?

    I am not sure what method he used to install grbl if he started with a blank 328 chip it may not have the arduino bootloader as it is not needed to install grbl.

    If you have any questions the designer / maker is really quick to respond to msg. on Tindie. and is happy to help. He also has a youtube.

    Edit: 9/8/2016
    Well Sphinx is now officially at her new owners home, It has been in the works for a few days now but this afternoon everyone's schedule worked out and I was able to deliver the machine in person and do a full run down of operations including a few stromtropper test cuts. :thumbsup: They turned out awesome!

    He is completely new to cnc and shows drive and willingness to learn and get started.. I have sent him the link to here and he should be joining in on the fun. Lets all give him a warm welcome!

    I am sad to see her go but with the build complete my itch to start a new build has been growing. Passing Sphinx on to a new home gives me the space I need for the next build ! Design in progress :D
     
    #127 Kyo, Sep 7, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2016
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  8. RichGMD61

    RichGMD61 New
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    Doh!!

    Plugged it back in, started up UGS, selected relevant com port, connected to it and GRBL boots up [GRBL 0.9j] , lights all flashy flashy, done a 'shift 44' now need to change my settings.

    How much of an idiot do I feel now.

    Old age and stupidity is my only excuse.

    Cheers
    Rich
     
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  9. Felicem

    Felicem New
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    Hi there,
    it is now a week that I am studying your build and try to find the different parts around me (Johannesburg) without success. I will have to order the recommended retailer.
    Could you please post the last version of the plates (all) because for some reason I have experienced some trouble to open those I downloaded.
    Is the material aluminium 5 mm ?

    Very nice build, thanks a lot for sharing.
     
  10. KM4_2855

    KM4_2855 New
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    Kyo
    Would it make sense to turn Cbeam around on Z axis so the C beam travels and the plate is fixed if that makes sense to you. I was wondering if I could get more Z travel that way.
     
  11. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    @Felicem Sure what file format would you prefer? dxf, sketchup, stl?
    Plates are designed to be 6.35mm If using thinner or thicker stock adjustments to screw lengths may be needed.

    @KM4_2855 As it mounts now. It offers full reach. However if one was to go with the taller y-axis side plates Chris has. A longer z-axis might be needed. Flipping it like you mention might also require a new x-axis front plate that has a matching bolt pattern as the double wide plate.
     
  12. Felicem

    Felicem New
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  13. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    Here are the dwg files.
     

    Attached Files:

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  14. Felicem

    Felicem New
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    Thanks a lot.
     
  15. KM4_2855

    KM4_2855 New
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  16. Felicem

    Felicem New
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    Hi Kyo,
    I was going trough the BOM to order the components and comparing with the instruction manual I picked up a couple of differences.
    The lead screw is listed as L500mm in the BOM but in the assembly manual is 530 mm. Which one is the correct length?
    I also noted that you have only 4 bearings 688Z but to assemble the machine you need 8 if I am not wrong.

    Thanks a lot for your great work
     
  17. peterpoon

    peterpoon New
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    Hello,

    Very nice design ! Thinking about making my future own design, about the CNC plates that make the interface with the motors, I was wondering if they could be replaced by standard V-wheel rails (like the structure) and the plates fixing the frame structure replaced by standard openbuilds plates. That would require adaptation of the rest of the design but that could also avoid to use custome made plates. Do you see any drawback to this approach (maybe you considered this idea during your design).

    For your custom plate, do you have some proposition where they could be procured ? I don't have easy access to CNC manufacturer.

    Thks
     
  18. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    @Felicem Thanks for pointing this out. I am taking note of any errors that are found and will be updating the files. This helps. :thumbsup:
    The lead screw is sold as 500mm which is why in the BOM I call for a 500mm lead screw. In reality it is 540mm long in my assembly manual I note 530mm as 10mm will need trimmed off to make the end of the lead screw flush with the aluminum plate. The 10mm is not trimmed off if you will be running your lead screws in tension. You need two 688z bearing for the z-axis and six 688-2z bearings for the x and y.

    @peterpoon Thanks. I did indeed originally have a first design only using OB plates and brackets and no custom plates. The required combo of plates and connectors was more or close to a custom set of plates from Chris. The plates also cut down on parts and ease of assembly making a cleaner build.

    Yeah, @Chris Laidlaw has them on ebay. Just search for "sphinx cnc" or send him a msg on here.
     
  19. Clark222

    Clark222 New
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    I'm trying to order the 688-2z bearings and all I can find are F688-2z bearings. I'm guessing the F stands for flanged, but could you offer any incite? Thanks for any help you can provide.
     
  20. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    You would be correct. F688-2z are the same bearing. 8mm ID 16mm OD 5mm Wide and flange thickness of 1mm.
     
  21. Clark222

    Clark222 New
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    Thank you very much! Buying the bearings through ebay sure is a lot cheaper. I was wondering how much an advantage it is to use the higher torque motors. I have a couple for the z-axis (two machines) and I still need a couple more motors, and use them on the x-axis
     
  22. JAPartridge

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    Kyo,
    Your build information is phenomenal! I've been looking through different plans for CNC routers for the past few weeks, was almost ready to pull the trigger on the original C-Beam plate maker... and then I found the sphinx! I'm in the process of procuring parts and I'm looking at the plethora of 425 oz-in motors out there and was wondering if that size would be overkill? I see your sphinx cutting through aluminum using the OB 345 oz-in motor and I'm wondering if I'm overthinking it and just adding a lot of extra weight/power consumption/heat to the system. What are your thoughts on it? I've got a habit of using a 20 lb sledge where a 19 oz hammer would work! :)
     
  23. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    No problem, For sure. Shipping times can take a little while on ebay and the like but you can really get some good deals if your patient.

    Thank you :D

    I really like running the high torque motors (345 oz-in). However I have no complaints with the standard OB units either (175 oz-in). My plate maker build chews aluminum , wood, plastic, ect. and it uses the regular motors (175 oz-in) on each axis. All my aluminum machining videos on my youtube channel are with the smaller OB nema 23 motors as well (175 oz-in). In my opinion the z would be the right place to use the High torque motors showing the most improvement with using them on that axis.. In the end they will all do the job and it comes down to budget availability ect. nothing wrong with over building but at some point you can have more motor then a machine this size will ever use :thumbsup:
     
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  24. KM4_2855

    KM4_2855 New
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    Kyo,

    Thanks for the great build and documentation. Do you have a opinion on using a 1.5KW spindle? I don't know the weight but he size is 65m x 200mm or there a bouts. I am wondering if it would be to heavy. I want to cut mostly aluminum plates.

    Thanks
     
  25. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    Some guys are using the 1.5kw on Ox and Plate mkaer builds. I would say they are the upper limit weight wise. A 800watt Would be the sweet spot for weight and power.
     
  26. KM4_2855

    KM4_2855 New
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    I thought that as well but was looking for a little bigger collet size not so much the HP. Since the reduction plate is no longer in the OBP store could Chris add that to the plate package?
     
  27. Eric Filomeno

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    Hey Kyo,
    How/where are you attaching your drag chains?
     
  28. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    I mounted it using a system of 3d printed stand offs and mounts. Here is a older video mid build I made that shows the mounting better.
     
  29. Jaden_05

    Jaden_05 New
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    Just waiting for a the last couple of parts to finish the hardware portion. Somehow, my wife hasn't given me an explanation, the bearings I ordered from McMaster went into the trash. The parts store was out of the c-beam end mounts so I will be fabricating those tomorrow. I also need to devise a mount for my spindle.

    I've been fairly lucky on the plates. I managed to talk my way into auditing a maintenance machinist course at the local community college and have been using their equipment. It forced me to learn how to use CAM with Fusion 360. I put tags connecting the pieces to the stock and I need to spend a little more time sanding the edges smooth, but I wanted to see how everything fit.

    Rails.JPG Y axis Plates.JPG
     
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  30. Kyo

    Kyo Veteran
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    Your build is coming right along and looking good. Thanks for posting a update. :thumbsup: I always enjoy seeing all the builds.
     

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