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DIY a desk top CNC milling/router machine

tomodonnell132@yahoo.com

I'm a hobby-shop woodworker with limited room in my garage/shop. I would like to build a small CNC milling/router machine about 12" x 12" base or larger. I understand the basic concept of the machine but do not know the best motors and electronics I should buy. I have a trim router (Pilot) and lots of time.

 

I don't want to under power my machine but do not need the power to cut deep and run all day either.

  • I have recently build a CNC for Wood and potentially some Aluminium. Mine is a bit bigger at 1500mm x 1500mm The Bull Dog, A RoverCNC OX based 1500mm x 1500mm CNC - Tutorial build | OpenBuilds  but the principals are the same, as would be most of the electronics.

    I have also upgraded to thicker beams / extrusions but for your size you will not have to. I did because at the size of mine there was too much flex. The OpenBuilds system is excelent for beginners and those with limited access to metal working tools

     

    Check them out here Build List | OpenBuilds    and here OpenBuilds Part Store

     

    Your biggest cost will be the Stepper Drivers and the actual Steppers. Shopping arround is the order of the day here, you can get all the Electronics from Element14 (Farnell / Newark) and this route will get you guaranteed better an more trustworthy parts. but this comes at a cost. E-Bay and even the Open Builds store can also provide most of the parts. My current build is using an Arduino to interpret the GCode and uses Universal GCode sender to drive the Arduino and this works pretty well.

     

    I will be upgrading to Mach3 and a Mach3 motion control board though as I want to include a 4th axis on my build. If you're sticking to 3 axis then this is not needed.

     

    Nema 17 may be good enough for a 12x12 build if your not cutting Aluminium but if you are then upgrade to more powerful NEMA 23 (Look for ones with about a 3Amp coil rating or more)

     

    A tip, Stepper Motors have a rating that to a newcomer makes them think you only need a 5V or less power supply to drive them, this is not true and in reality for most NEMA style steppers you need 24V o more ideally to allow for full torque and power during movement. The Stepper controller takes care of limiting the current etc, This is all about the inductance of the coils in the stepper and you could think of it like a BUCK regulator if that helps. Gecko has an excelent tutorial you can download http://www.geckodrive.com/gecko/images/cms_files/Step%20Motor%20Basics%20Guide.pdf

     

    I actually have 48V going into my 3V steppers (Via the controller of course.)

  • in reply to Robert Peter Oakes

    Hello Peter

     

    A very nice project here list a list of links that you might find useful . Wish you well with it I never finished mine image

    wanted to build one to mill my own prototype pcbs , nema 23 motors are the way to go

     

    https://cnc4you.co.uk/

     

    https://buildyourcnc.com/

     

    https://buildyourcnc.com/Documents/CNC%20Kit%201-1.pdf

     

    LinuxCNC

     

    steve