The modern carpentry workshop is a set handy tools for processing any kind of wood. This is unthinkable without a do-it-yourself wood milling machine. Assemble a fixed installation based on hand tool simple enough.
Design
It is worth knowing the necessary parts of the structure for milling. The main components of a do-it-yourself machine are:
- Bed.
- Table.
- Support (caliper).
- Spindle.
- Slides for the movement of workpieces.
- Spindle start panel.
- Management control technology.
- Cutting kit.
220V models have an additional carriage. Thanks to it, you can process parts at different angles.
Scheme
The equipment diagram is shown below:
Required Tools
A very dense piece of cast iron or stainless steel is used to make the bed. A special shaft is attached to the caliper from above. Its upper zone rises above the table through an opening. In all such machines, the height of the shaft can be adjusted.
A spindle equipped with a cutting tool is mounted on top. Industrial models use a solid cutting arsenal. The key types of equipment are: disk, knife and cutters of various shapes.
To carry out cutting strictly in a direct vector, a special guide bar is used. Due to the special fastening unit, it moves to the desired length. The quality of processing increases significantly if the dynamics of the spindle rotation is high.
Aggregate classification
In total there are three categories of milling cutters:
- Professional. Workpieces of different sizes and in large quantities are processed. For this, a serious range of cutting tools is involved.
- Household. Functionally suitable only for home workshops.
- Manual.
Each classification has its subspecies. So professional machines have the following varieties:
- Standard. Used to implement template operations. Their equipment allows you to perform many works and give the workpieces the required configuration. The cutting arsenal includes: milling cutters, drills that differ in diameter, special knives.
- Copy. They perform artistic operations: applying complex images, dislocating samples on different surfaces, decorating ornaments. In this work, accuracy is guaranteed because the workpiece is fixed by vacuum method.
- For vertical machining of parts (from top to bottom). Here, grooves are cut with the desired width and depth, and fastening components are prepared. Parts are cut to the required length.
- For horizontal work with workpieces. Here the spindle axis is horizontal to the floor. There are cylindrical and end mills.
- Performing simultaneous processing on both sides. They are universal. Various profiles are processed here. Not a single production of furniture components can do without these machines: stands, legs, supporting elements, etc.
- Equipped with CNC devices. An electronic complex based on a special microprocessor is integrated here. It contains a program that determines the algorithm of operations. Due to this, the accuracy, quality and dynamics of work, and labor productivity are significantly developed.
household models are small in size and weight. They implement basic functions (planing, drilling, grinding, sawing). Their types:
- Desktop. It is characterized by ease of operation and service.
- Manual. Used to work with small parts. Small grooves are prepared on it, which are required for the articulation of separate components.
Step-by-step creation of a do-it-yourself wood milling machine
If for some reason it is difficult to purchase this equipment, then you can build the installation yourself. All of the following components are taken into account:
- Tabletop.
- Parallel stop.
- Spindle.
- Bed.
- Sledge.
- Vacuum cleaner to remove chips.
What components and materials are needed in the work
To create power components, steel corners and pipes with a minimum wall density of 2 mm are used. Their connection options: welding or screws. All metal components are primed and painted to resist corrosion.
For countertops and some other elements, durable grades of chipboard and plywood are suitable. They are resistant to moisture, temperature fluctuations and other dangerous factors.
electric motor
It is needed when it is planned to create a small CNC router. Its most important parameter is power. It is better to use a device for 1100 watts. It will allow you to use a variety of cutters.
You can also use the motor from hand power tools: drills, hammer drills or grinders.
engine's type
For optimal performance it is possible to base the machine on an asynchronous unit with three phases. Then the router will connect to the network, focus on a special scheme. It uses the star-triangle algorithm. Due to this, the engine starts smoothly and allows the machine to work at maximum power.
If such a motor is connected to a network with one phase, then it will lose 50% of its efficiency. If the network does not allow this type of connection, then a 1-2 phase motor is used.
How to choose the power drive power of a wood milling machine for a home workshop
According to the recommendations of experts for the planned milling cutter, it is better to use a power device with a minimum power of 1.4 - 1.6 kW. If it is planned to implement a solid amount of work, this indicator develops by 20-25%.
Powerful equipment will work without excessive load, the probability of breakdowns will decrease, and its operational life will increase. Also on such a machine you can put large cutters.
Speed
When choosing an engine, it is important to take into account the parameter of its revolutions - the rotational speed. It should be in the spectrum from 10,000 to 35,000 rpm.
If the cutter diameter increases, the angular dynamics also develops. When a certain limit is overcome, due to the friction force, the processing temperature rises dramatically, and the workpiece becomes covered with dark spots or even ignites.
Nutrition
For the motor, it must be suitable, as in the example with a three-phase apparatus. If a motor is used from any tool designed to work from a household network, then there should be no problems in the operation of the machine.
One way or another, the power cable must be resistant to wear and have a section corresponding to the power of the machine.
Crafting table
This is a special table for the workflow. It can be equipped with various accessories. Its parameters are determined by the amount of free space in the room. The planned scope of work is also taken into account.
Today, the most common types of workbenches for milling tables are:
- Static. This is a complete work site.
- Portable. This desktop version, quickly gathering and allowing to carry out milling operations.
- Aggregate. Possesses such opportunities due to which the saw area expands.
For a household workshop, item 1 is optimal. The second type is suitable for work with small details and has limited functionality. For the third, there should be a spacious room.
For its manufacture, drawings are needed (at least by hand), as well as profile pipes 2.5x2.5 cm. In total, 4 are needed. They are welded together. On one side of the table being created, a fifth pipe is welded. It is required for the movement of the parallel fence. Legs are mounted to pipes in a similar way.
To reinforce the structure, one corner of identical length is added to all sides. So the tabletop is securely fixed in the recess.
Countertop manufacturing
For this purpose, a sheet with specific dimensions is used:
- laminated thick plywood 1 cm thick;
- chipboard from 2.5 cm, having a polymeric defensive layer on top and on the end sides.
Such products have better resistance to aggressive external factors when compared with wooden counterparts. In the worksheet, you need to create recesses, and place metal profiles in them.
Making a do-it-yourself frame for a homemade wood milling machine
The process goes like this: the required blanks (corners) are cut off with a grinder. Reinforcing bars are placed on the underside. Support components (plates) are welded to the end zones. You can make threaded holes in them. Then bolts are screwed into them.
You can install additional supports instead of corners. For this task, two pipes are mounted to the long sides. They will support the plywood and act as restraints for the machine. For better table stability, jumpers are welded between its legs at a distance of 20 cm from the floor surface.
Additional protective elements
Work on the machine must be safe both for its user and for those who may happen to be nearby. For this, special fences are created from powerful plexiglass with a minimum density of 4 mm. You can build a transparent screen next to the instrument itself.
Those items of equipment that go beyond the frame are marked in yellow. Such markings should be on rapidly moving parts, the inner surfaces of casings and doors.
Also, your machine must be equipped with overload protection. This system automatically blocks the power in dangerous cases (for example, a cutter's stupor), automatically brakes the spindle after the drive is turned off.
Other functional details
Their list is as follows:
- Base plate. It dampens waves of elasticity.
- Drive board for vibration damping.
- Comb stops (combs). Needed to neutralize the vertical vibrations of the workpiece.
- Static side stand. Guarantees the correct feed of the part and the depth of its horizontal processing.
- Dust trap.
Drive unit
It is better to make the opening for placing the drive round, so the machine will have less vibrations in operation. The engine must not come into contact with the plate.
Installing the drive in this plate is as follows:
It is better to create a drive board from textolite or fiberglass with a density of at least 1.5 cm.
Thick plywood (1.9 cm) treated with a vibration-absorbing agent is used for the plate.
The board and the plate are separated by a gap of 0.5 - 1 mm. It is desirable to have mounting paws for the engine, and they should extend beyond the body. So the cutter can move up. For its installation, long motor bolts are used. The removal of the cutter is ensured as follows: between the engine housing and the suspension cushion, steel washers with rubber gaskets are put on the bolts in turn.
Emphasis
Suitable material for the stop is thick plywood (from 2 cm). It is required to drill 3-5 holes for combs and lifts. The first two are 5 mm from the extreme sides of the cutout for the cutter. Others - after 2.5-3 cm. The positions of the stops depend on the parameters and quality of the workpiece.
The lateral movement of the cutter can be slightly adjusted by turning the stop and fixing it with a clamp.
The scheme of the side stop is as follows:
It can be configured like this:
System elements
- A 15-20 liter bucket with a tight lid and cap latches.
- Branch pipe 1 - inlet. Diameter - 2 cm. Its end is beveled 45 degrees and rotated 25 degrees to the outside. It is placed 2 cm from the side of the container.
- Branch pipe-2 - exhaust. Diameter - 3 cm. It is placed strictly vertically on the bucket. Its selective ending is narrowed to 1.5-2 cm.
- Vacuum cleaner.
Combs
Oak or walnut is used for combs, without fungi and defects. They are made on the right and left sides for the convenience of feeding the workpiece.
The length of the first tooth is reduced by 3 mm. The reason is that it acts as a rebound spring for the entire comb. Without this, damage may occur.
The combs are attached to the stop with a special bolt through a slotted hole.
The non-working element is fixed with a self-tapping screw to the same stop through the hole D7.
For work, the comb is placed so that it is in contact with the workpiece with all teeth, except for the initial one. Then it is fixed with a lamb.
In what order are components assembled?
Here the work goes according to the following algorithm:
- Creating a framework.
- Installation of countertops and hanging parts.
- The design is placed on its side. It is connected to the drive and hose of the vacuum cleaner.
- The machine is located in the working position and connected to the network.
- Testing his work.
Design options: we make a milling machine from improvised means
Equipment can be built from a drill, grinder, "washer". These are the most popular household options. Devices are obtained with less power and manual type, but are suitable for minor work.
How to make a functional wood router from a conventional drill
Here a stand is being built, and equipment is changing. These are the main criteria for creating such a version of the router.
The shank of the cutter is fixed in the chuck. You can make a vertical and horizontal milling cutter (example 1 and 2). The stand is made from chipboard.
Advantages and disadvantages of a drill router
The advantages of such a device:
- Ease of use.
- Little dust from work.
- Poor quality of the result due to low revolutions (3000 rpm).
- Very narrow range of features.
How to make a milling cutter from a grinder
There are two ways:
- A collet is screwed onto the tool spindle. Work can go with all toolings that have cylindrical shanks.
- A standard cam-type chuck is attached to the spindle (from a drill)
Milling cutter from the engine from the washing machine
A table is created according to the described method. The motor shaft is placed on the collet. For this, a special adapter is ordered.
A lifting system is created to control the exit of the tool: an engine and a threaded stud are mounted on two pipes.
With one end it goes into the nut fixed to the bottom of the table, and with the other end into the lower side of the engine. A rotary device - a wheel - is firmly fixed on it. Due to the adjustable height.
Features of the operation of a homemade manual milling cutter
Work with this device according to the following criteria:
- Focus all attention on how the cutter goes.
- Do not move the workpiece with your hands - use special mechanisms.
- Hand and eye protection with gloves and goggles.
- Children are not allowed near the machine.
- If the milling cutter is broken, disconnect it from the power supply and send it in for repair.
Instead of a conclusion
The range of milling machines is quite wide. If funds allow, you can purchase any suitable model. But when you have the necessary skills and abilities, it is quite interesting to build this equipment yourself. It is important to understand for what purposes the installation is necessary. If a very modest milling cutter with narrow functionality suits, then it is created from a home power tool.
All photos from the article
Each owner who wants to adequately equip his own home workshop seeks to install a small but multifunctional machine in it. In the modern market, the cost of such equipment is quite high, so you have to do it yourself. Experienced craftsmen say that it is quite possible to make a vertical milling machine for wood with your own hands, the main thing is to have a desire.
What are the options
A homemade wood milling machine for a home workshop, as you understand, the same is not done out of thin air, so you will have to spend money on materials and basic work units. Often the price of such a design depends on the cost of the main assembly, which includes the electric drive and the cutting cutter itself.
The simplest and most affordable milling machine can be made from a conventional electric drill or hammer drill. If the tool is rigidly fixed on a vertical bracket and the cutter is clamped into the chuck, then it is possible to process small parts, holding them in your hands or fixing them in movable clamps.
Important: a manual wood milling machine for home can be done in two versions. The first direction provides for rigid fixation of the working cutting mechanism, while the part itself or the frame with the part clamped in it is made movable. The second approach is radically opposite, here the workpiece is rigidly fixed, and cutting tool moves around her.
A wooden platform is installed between them with clamps rigidly fixed on it, the part will be clamped in them.
The platform can be moved manually or a lever can be attached behind it.
- From an electric drill, you can make a more functional machine. For this, several wooden bars and 4 smooth metal tubes, preferably aluminum, are used. The idea is to provide controlled movement of the drill in 3 planes. Up - down, left - right and forward - back;
- First you have to build 2 rectangular frames. The frame lying on the table is responsible for moving forward and backward. 2 parallel metal tubes are installed on it, along which the second frame will move, which is in a vertical position;
- On a vertical frame, parallel to the table, the following metal tube cuts between the bars. This guide will be responsible for the movement of the mechanism on the sides;
- To fix the drill itself on such a frame, we need a couple of planks. The drill will be fixed on a bar that is mounted between the ends of these bars;
- On the other side of this makeshift lever, the slats are drilled and put on the tube of the vertical frame;
- Another tube is fixed parallel to the table on a bar with a drill. At the second end of this tube, strictly parallel to the drill, a handle is mounted for control and management;
- The dimensions of all these nodes can be different, and the connection principle is shown in the photo.
Using a hand router
At the beginning of the article, we talked about a home-made vertical machine for wood milling. This means that the working tool is installed in a vertical position. If it is more convenient to install the drill vertically above the table, then it is better to permanently mount the milling cutter into the table from the bottom of the tabletop. Accordingly, before you make a wood milling machine yourself, you need to pick up a table or at least a reliable countertop.
But you can’t just cut a hole and screw the tool from below. The base plate of the tool must be flush with the base table and be securely fixed at the same time.
Therefore, as a rule, the countertop itself consists of two layers. The bottom layer has a hole according to the size of the router. And the top plate is made of two parts, the mounting for the router and the base, which is permanently attached to the table top.
As you can see in the diagram, a wide rectangular section is cut out in the center of the top plate, after which the remainder is glued or screwed to the base tabletop. In this rectangular sector, a hole is made according to the diameter of the working cutter. Next, the work plate is screwed to the tool. Now you can insert and fasten the plate into the niche. The video in this article shows several options for assembling such structures.
Conclusion
Anyone who works more or less seriously with wood sooner or later comes to the conclusion that it is impossible to obtain a high-quality product without milling. But for a decent household milling machine for woodworking, you will hardly have to pay less than 20 thousand rubles. Will these costs pay off and when? Will the selected unit be adapted to your most common milling operations and to what extent? Solving such questions is speculatively extremely difficult and far from always possible. The way out is to make a wood milling machine with your own hands. This will at least make it possible to understand exactly what this or that machine can do and what you can do with it. Perhaps the need to buy will disappear - a homemade product made for oneself will be handed over for years. The material of this article is intended to lead the reader to just such a turn of events.
What to do?
For processing materials, dozens of different milling operations and at least a dozen types of machines for them are used. At home, not all of their designs are repeatable by beginners and intermediate craftsmen. 2- and 3-axis CNC machines (2D and 3D wood routers) are not considered in this article. It is possible to make a 2D or 3D router on your own (pos. 1 in the figure below), but already having quite a lot of experience working on simple machine, a significant volume of orders and an urgent need for a sharp increase in labor productivity. At the same time, you will have to master the programming of microcontrollers, because. finished samples are designed for a machine of a well-defined design; there will also be significant costs for stepper motors and precision drive parts.
To begin with, at home, you can make a home-made milling machine of any of the following. varieties:
- Horizontal (pos. 2 in the figure).
- Vertical (pos. 3).
- Flat copy with pantograph (2D duplicarver, pos. 4).
- Machine for volumetric copying (3D duplikarver, pos. 5).
Tool…
The choice of a machine of one type or another is determined, of course, by the work operations most used by the master. To specify their nomenclature, you must first decide which working bodies (milling cutters) you will most need. Most of them are applicable in both horizontal and vertical machine.
Shell cutters (pos. 1 in the figure) process preim. straight edges of the boards: cut out grooves and ridges (including shaped ones) in full length, induce a molding (shaped chamfer). The spindle assembly of the machine for shell cutters (see below) is structurally the most simple; its parts can be machined by a turner of the 3rd category. The required drive power for a processing depth of up to 60 mm from 1.5 kW. The quality of the material is almost any, starting from raw right from under the sawmill from the sawmill. The most suitable for shell cutters is a vertical wood router, see for example. Below is a video in 4 parts:
Video: homemade wood milling machine with shell cutters
Milling cutter with cylindrical shank(planting, planting) there are much more varieties, tk. their functionality is wider. But for such a cutter, it will be necessary to grind a spindle nozzle with a Morse taper under chuck; it is also possible to use ready-made spindle assemblies from a drilling machine.
End mills, e.g. Forstner cutter (pos. 2 in the figure above) is a specialized tool; they choose round holes with a flat bottom in thin boards with a decorative coating that cannot be spoiled. Have you ever hung doors on furniture? The holes for their loops were chosen precisely by the Forstner cutter. The quality of the material is no worse than straight-layered wood of the 1st grade of chamber drying. Required drive power from 150 watts. They work with end mills only on a vertical machine or, with a certain skill, manually.
Note: choose with a Forstner cutter in a 170 W screwdriver holes D32 for door hinges in furniture chipboard 16 mm thick is quite realistic, I did it myself.
End (finger) cutter, pos. 3, can be threaded into both horizontal and vertical spindles. With end mills, blind grooves are selected (not the entire length of the board) and spikes are cut out for carpentry tenon-groove joints. It is more convenient to work with an end mill on a horizontal machine. On a vertical one, it is possible to choose long grooves (grooves) of a rectangular profile on the faces of boards and beams. Tapered end mills (key 4) are also specialized tools for preparing parts for dovetail joining. Work with conical end mills only on a vertical machine. For those and others, the required drive power to a processing depth of up to 80-100 mm is from 1 kW. The quality of the material is from industrial wood of the 2nd grade of air drying (from the timber exchange).
End shaped (curly) cutters, pos. 5, also a specialized but highly sought-after tool. They are used to make a molding (including on curved edges) and select shaped grooves (decorative grooves) of any configuration in the board faces. Drive power from 1.2-1.5 kW; material quality requirements are the same as for face mills. For edge processing, the shaped cutter can be threaded into both horizontal and vertical spindles; for work on layers only in vertical.
Cone cutters (burrs, pos. 6) can also select shaped grooves and induce molding both on a horizontal and vertical machine, but in fact they are a special tool for copy milling machines. The requirements for material quality are high, as for face mills, but the drive power in the copier can be from 250-300 watts.
And, finally, with a circular cutter (pos. 7) in a vertical milling or drilling machine, round holes are cut large diameter in almost any not excessively thick material (including sheet metal). Required drive power per hole D200 in 60 mm thick oak plank approx. 2-2.5 kW.
…and its presentation
Milling can be done in two ways: counter and passing, see fig. below. As for wood, ordinary straight-grained wood (especially of not very high quality air-drying) is milled only along the way, otherwise the cutter can very well split and / or ruffle the workpiece. But in this case, with an excessive feed rate, there is a considerable probability of the workpiece being withdrawn by the cutter and damage to the processing profile. Removal of dust, sawdust and shavings from working area(and this is a serious problem) on a vertical milling machine, climb milling is difficult, because the dust collector (see below) has to be placed in the field of view in front of the cutter and it obscures the working area.
Note: on a horizontal milling machine, there are no problems with the removal of processing waste during climb milling, because dust (sawdust) then fly down, and the dust collector socket can be placed directly on the machine plate (see pos. 2 in the figure at the beginning and further).
Up milling gives the best accuracy and cleanliness of processing, but only on sufficiently high-quality and homogeneous materials. From wood - on solid small-layer wood of chamber drying. At the same time, the removal of processing waste on a vertical milling machine is facilitated, but on a horizontal one it is difficult - dust and sawdust fly up. The removal of the workpiece is almost unbelievable, but there is a danger of biting it with a cutter. A behavioral profile can often be modified; bitten and broken workpiece unconditional marriage.
Motor
Based on the foregoing, it is optimal to do a do-it-yourself milling machine with a drive with a power of 1.5-2 kW. The reason is that motors up to such power are produced, incl. asynchronous with capacitor start for voltage 220 V 50 Hz. They can be plugged into a regular household outlet, and switching the direction of rotation is a child's task for an amateur electrician; rotation speed is 700-2850 rpm, which is suitable for milling. It is also possible to use an electric motor of the same type from a washing machine; in this case, it becomes possible to switch the rotation speed (there are different windings for this in asynchronous washing machine motors). A 2 kW motor will provide a processing depth of up to 80-100 mm; if you need a large one, you will have to put a three-phase motor at 380 V 50 Hz from 3 kW into the machine, see for example. video clip:
Video: homemade vertical milling machine for wood
Note: collector motors 1.5-2 kW 220 V 50/60 Hz (for example, from another washing machine or vacuum cleaner) are not suitable for driving a milling machine - due to their excessively soft external characteristics the milling cutter, with imperfect manual feed of the workpiece, can get stuck in the tree, tear and shaggy it (if it is damp).
What is the best wood router
Now we know enough to choose the horizontal or vertical axis of rotation of the machine spindle. Comparative performance characteristics of horizontal and vertical milling machines for wood are summarized in the table:
Horizontal or vertical?
From the data in Table. it follows that it makes sense to do a horizontal wood router on your own if you are faced with the need for mass simple processing of lumber from low-quality raw materials. Not necessarily for sale; perhaps for cladding with wood siding or clapboard of your house. The savings will be such that it is just right to buy a branded router, but a normal developer does not have extra money. Or, let's say, still for sale, if you are an individual entrepreneur with a sawmill and a circular saw. Compare market prices for unedged and tongue-and-groove boards, calculate the profitability - is the game worth the candle?
Details for the most complex module of a horizontal wood router - a spindle assembly - will be made by any skilled turner similarly to the same circular saw assembly; structurally, they are the same (see the drawings in the figure; plain bearings are highlighted in red).
Cabinet, dust collector and base plate are the same as for the vertical machine (see below). The plate is even simpler - no cutout is needed to hang the motor with vibration damping. Own vibrations of a horizontal milling cutter are an order of magnitude smaller than those of a vertical one. The transmission from the motor to the spindle further reduces them, and pulleys or sprockets for it can be found in their own trash or in the iron market. In a quite decent horizontal milling machine for wood, you can also convert a cash circular saw, see for example. video:
Video: milling machine from circular / planer
Making vertical
A vertical wood milling machine has a lot of great functionality and provides a better quality of material processing than a horizontal one. It is vertical milling machines that are built most of all by home-made amateurs. However, the problem of dealing with vibrations in a vertical milling machine is much more acute. If in a horizontal milling cutter vibrations through the sole of the spindle assembly are given preference. down and are effectively damped, re-reflecting in the thickness of the material, then in a vertical machine the elastic waves in the machine plate propagate mainly to the sides. In this case, their inertia and the occurrence of standing waves with antinodes (foci) of such a magnitude that the workpiece is thrown away from the cutter. Therefore, one of the main tasks of designing a homemade router is to suppress machine vibrations.
Structural scheme
The least susceptible to vibration are vertical milling machines with a lower drive of a free (fixed only from below) cutter. The working body is mounted directly on the motor shaft. The entire drive is made as vibration-resistant as possible. Under the influence of the beats of the cutter on the inhomogeneities of the workpiece, the drive staggers, swaying. At the same time, a noticeable transverse (vertical) component appears in the elastic waves, which is effectively absorbed by the frame, and a heavy motor with a massive, rapidly rotating rotor plays the role of an inertial absorber of mechanical vibrations.
The device of industrial and home-made home vertical milling machines for wood is shown in the figure:
Their main difference is in the folding (lifting) stop 7. Since drives of 5 kW or more with high-performance milling cutters are not used in amateur designs, the folding stop is replaced by a lifting stop that prevents the workpiece from being extruded upwards from the cutter. Also, for an amateur machine, an adapter adapter with a Morse cone on the motor shaft is machined to order, the same as for a home-made drilling machine. A standard clamping chuck for a cylindrical shank is mounted on the cone. In this version, shell cutters can also be used: adapters for them with a cylindrical shank are commercially available or are included in the set of cutters. The most important structural components of such a machine are:
- Base plate - the main absorber of longitudinal (horizontal) elastic waves in the machine;
- Vibration-damping drive board;
- Comb stops (emphasis) - dampen vertical vibrations of the workpiece;
- Static side stop - ensures the correct feed of the workpiece, and in a home-made machine also some adjustment of the exit of the cutter (horizontal processing depth);
- Dust collector - removes processing waste into a dust collector.
The latter is absolutely necessary when milling, because. wood dust, sawdust and shavings, the cutter gives several times more than they are formed during sawing. The base plate is most often made integral with the vibration damping suspension of the drive. The curbstone (bed) can be any, if only the plate with the rest of the parts did not crash down.
Drive plate and hanger
The window (opening) for hanging the drive from the machine plate is most often cut out square (see the figure on the right), so it’s easier at home. But the machine in operation will tremble much less if the drive window is made round. In any case, the motor must not directly touch the plate (again, see the figure on the right), otherwise, instead of damping the vibrations, they will be strengthened.
The best materials for the plate and drive board are fibrous laminates: textolite, fiberglass with a thickness of 12-15 mm; the thicker the better. Hardboard and other massive plastics are less suitable: they dampen vibrations well, but over time they warp from heating by the motor and the machine loses accuracy. Getinaks and other thermosetting laminates are unsuitable: they exfoliate very quickly due to vibrations.
However, making the whole plate whole is both impossible and impractical: it is difficult, expensive, the vibrations of the drive itself will be freely transmitted to the plate. Only the motor board needs to be made of plastic, and the plate - from impregnated with a vibration-absorbing compound and re-glued plywood, and low-grade construction and packaging will do. It is necessary to re-glue the slab from at least 5 sheets so that the fibers of the outer layers of the neighboring ones are oriented mutually perpendicular.
The scheme for cutting a standard plywood sheet 1550x1550x4 mm into sheets for the base plate of a wood milling machine is given on the left in fig. Sheets for the plate of a horizontal router are cut out without windows for the motor, but with a dust collector socket (see above and below). Plate size up to 750x500 mm. A flash of 50 mm along the contour of the sheet is needed to cut off low-quality material at the edges.
At first, the sheet is abundantly impregnated 2-3 times on each side with building eco-primer (water-polymer emulsion), it perfectly dampens vibrations. The interval between impregnations is at least 3.5 hours. Then the sheet is cut out, spread on the floor plastic film(not PVC, will stick!). Sheet No. 1 is placed on the film and with a brush (better - with a “shaggy” paint roller) a thin even layer of mounting (reinforced) PVA is applied to it; the same layer - on the adjacent side of sheet No. 2. The brush (roller and its tray) immediately after applying the glue is thrown into a bucket of water, and after all the gluing is completed, it is washed in water.
Before folding, the sheets are kept for 15-20 minutes (or according to the instructions on the adhesive package), folded and adjusted without separating them so that the edges of the drive window meet exactly. Then, sheets No. 3, 4 and 5 are glued in the same way. The whole package is covered with a film and loaded over the entire area with a dispersed load of 30-40 kg (it is best to pile more books or magazine binders). Dry for at least 3 days at room temperature: the mounting PVA is strong, its adhesive layer is viscous and perfectly absorbs vibrations, but it takes a long time to dry to full strength.
The design of the motor suspension is shown in the section on the right in fig. Between the motor board and the machine plate, you need to leave a gap of 0.5-1 mm. It is not necessary to clean sawdust from it: they will be an additional side vibration-damping cushion. It is advisable to find a motor with mounting paws protruding beyond the body size: then it will be possible to set (not quickly) the cutter extension upwards. To install the cutter in height, the motor mounting screws are taken long, and the takeaway itself is exposed, putting on them, between the rubber suspension cushion and the motor housing, steel washers alternately with gaskets from the same chambered truck rubber.
The plate with a suspension is checked for workmanship with a pencil. If you put it sticking out 5 cm from the edge of the suspension board, then with the engine running at idle, the pencil should not fall.
Stop and dust collector
A drawing of a simple but good static side stop with a dust collector socket, see the following. rice. Material - re-glued plywood from the same sheet. Holes for comb and lifting stops are drilled in 3-5 pieces: the first 50 mm from the edges of the cutout for the cutter (rectangular); the rest after 25-30 mm. The position of the stops is selected depending on the size of the workpiece and the quality of its material. Lateral removal of the cutter within a small range is regulated by turning the stop and fixing it with a clamp.
dust collector
Since there is no industrial pneumatic system with air extraction at home, milling dust has to be sucked off with a household vacuum cleaner. If you connect it directly to the nozzle of the dust collector, the necessary expensive household appliance will soon fail. An expensive, well-cleaning vacuum cleaner with a hydraulic trap, most likely immediately. So, in addition to the dust collector, a homemade wood router also needs a dust collector, through which the vacuum cleaner is connected.
The dust collector device for the milling machine is shown in fig. on right. Capacity - round in plan from 10-15 liters (preferably from 20 liters). The ideal option is a household bucket with a tight lid, planted on a seal and equipped with cap latches (both are quite doable with your own hands).
The inlet pipe is approx. 20 mm (on the inside). Its end is beveled 45 degrees and rotated 20-30 degrees outward; is installed 15-20 mm from the side of the vessel (counting from the outer edge of the nozzle). Exhaust outlet wider, approx. 30 mm on the inside; installed exactly along the vertical axis of the container. Its selective end is narrowed to 15-20 mm (the taper is not critical). Everything together works like a cyclone, and the air goes into the vacuum cleaner clean enough not to spoil the device.
Note: An additional advantage of the dust collector is that the dust from it is an excellent filler for high-quality wood putty. For her, the dust is mixed with PVA (3-4): 1 by volume.
Comb
A drawing of a comb stop of a wood milling machine is given on the next. rice. Material - hard elastic small-layer wood (oak, beech, walnut) without defects - streaks, rot, slant, knots - 20 mm thick. Combs need a pair, right and left, so that the workpiece can be fed from either side.
The first comb tooth along the workpiece (pay attention!) is shortened by 3 mm. It does not directly contact the workpiece, but serves as a rebound spring for the entire ridge. Without it, the comb can pinch on the workpiece and break.
Fastening combs to the side stop - a bolt with a wing nut through longitudinal groove(slotted hole in Fig.); fixation with a non-working self-tapping screw to the same stop through the hole D7. In the working position, the comb is placed so that it touches the workpiece with all teeth except the first, and is fixed with a lamb.
Making a copy cutter
Copying on wood by milling a workpiece is a very delicate matter. The principle of 2- and 3-coordinate (2D and 3D) copying is the same: the copier probe outlines the contour of a flat sample (template) or drives along the surface of a volumetric one. The cutter of the milling head exactly repeats the movements of the probe, removing excess wood from the workpiece. You need to drive the probe carefully and slowly, sensitively feeling the resistance of the material: the workpiece is not out of thin air. It is better to start mastering wood copying with 2D. In this way, it is already possible to make good money: flat decorative details with a pointer on router kalyovka are in good demand, and are made quite quickly. But for both 2D and 3D copying, you will need a special milling head.Head
Copy milling heads are commercially available separately, but are expensive. You can replace the branded head with a drill without an impact mechanism: “grooving” drills are unsuitable for copying due to design features from the spindle assembly. To begin with, any drill or screwdriver will do, but it is better to purchase a tool with increased accuracy. Such a drill is more expensive than a conventional one, but much cheaper than a milling head, and in terms of work quality it is not inferior to it. It is easy to recognize an accurate drill by its appearance: on the neck of its body there is a metal collar for installation in the bed of a drilling machine under a drill.
2D
For 2D copying on wood, machines with a pantograph, desktop and hinged, are used. It is easier to make a desktop pantograph machine with your own hands, but it will be difficult to achieve copying accuracy better than 1 mm. On a machine with a hinged pantograph, you can literally draw and leave autographs on the workpiece.
The device of 2D copy-milling machines for wood is shown in Fig: on the left of the desktop; on the right with a hinged pantograph. The last in essence engraving machine. The probe here and there is needle-shaped with a tip radius of approx. 0.5 mm (in engraving up to 0.1 mm or less). Mill cone conical; by setting it to a different offset in the head chuck, the width and depth of the selected groove are adjusted.
Do you need a scale?
Drawing and drawing pantographs are made scaling (see Fig.). Wood copying is usually done on a scale of 1:1. The fact is that due to the resistance of the material, the copying error on wood increases greatly due to backlash in the hinges; a professional engraving machine is a complex precision expensive unit. But if the copy pantograph is set to a scale of 1:1, an interesting phenomenon is observed: the beats in the hinges seem to compensate each other, and the total error due to backlash increases slightly.
3D
3-axis milling and copying machines (duplicarvers) are quite active in the tool market despite high prices. On a duplicarver, you can make copies of a three-dimensional sample (not necessarily wooden; for example, stucco), which, in the opinion of the average consumer, are not inferior to the original in terms of artistic merit.
The device of the factory duplicarver is shown on the left in fig. Its copier (milling cutter + probe) has 4 degrees of freedom: swing up and down, back and forth, turn in a vertical plane, move left and right. It would be possible to do without an “extra” degree of freedom compared to the number of geometric dimensions of the copied figure if the movements of the copier along all three axes were rectilinear (as in CNC machines), but this is technically difficult and expensive. The same degrees of freedom can be implemented in a different kinematic scheme used in most homemade duplicarvers (center in the figure).
Experienced copiers work with a cylindrical probe and cutter. At the same time, the template is surrounded by the very edge of the probe (the annular face of its lower end); it turns out to be working and acc. cutter edge. The sample and the workpiece are fixed in exactly the same position on exactly the same supports. In the process of work, they have to be laid on their side and turned upside down, each time fixing the stands in a precisely defined position relative to each other. In this way it is indeed possible to exactly copy the complexity figure as on the left in fig.
It is better for beginner copiers to learn business on less complex samples, using a spherical probe and cutter, on the right in fig. The probe needs to be sharpened to order. "Micron" precision is not required; instead of a sphere, a drop can hang at the end of the probe. But the tip of the probe must be sanded at home with fine sandpaper and polished with felt or leather with alcohol and GOI paste. The diameter of the cutter is taken equal to the diameter of the probe tip, otherwise the contours on the left and right (top and bottom) will not converge. The handle of the probe is also better turned from pear-shaped wood; with a probe from a screwdriver with a ribbed plastic handle, the “recoil” of the workpiece material feels much worse.
Errors in design
There are three main mistakes in the designs of homemade duplicarvers. The first is insufficient balancing of the mechanism. The copier within the working area should move easily and freeze from the position in which it was left. The second is a copier on a rod instead of a U-shaped frame, pos. And in fig. The torsional rigidity of the rod is an order of magnitude (ki) less than the frame; resp. the error of copying also increases. The third is a “hanging” horizontal copier bar, pos. B; here the insufficient rigidity of the bar free at one end for bending is already affecting.
2 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)
For the convenience of working with a milling cutter, the craftsmen install it permanently, and the workpiece is moved. When working in this way, we are no longer talking about a manual router, but the so-called "milling table". In this article we will try to explain how to make a wood milling machine with your own hands.
Which cutter to choose
There are many types of cutters. Before choosing it, you need to consider for what purposes you will need it. More complex workpieces will require a more powerful and resourceful router. Experts recommend choosing a router with manual adjustment and automatic spindle stabilization.
Very convenient milling machines with systems soft start and quick stop. And if the tool allows you to replace the motor brushes without opening the case, then there will be no price for it at all. This is a really significant plus.
In many operating instructions, manufacturers of milling machines advise against using it in upside down work. In general, these restrictions are not justified and can be ignored.
Tip: choose a router with a power of at least 2 kilowatts to confidently work with any tree. It should also have a speed control, as a rule, it is on all models. As for whether it’s worth buying brands like Bosch or Makita, my opinion is that if you do it professionally and every day, it’s worth it, but if for yourself, then an inexpensive Chinese is enough.
DIY milling table video
Milling table base
An important part of the tool is a special frame (bed). This is a frame on supports, on top of which there is a countertop. The bed can be made from any material: metal, wood, chipboard, etc.
The main thing is that it be rigid and stable. Size doesn't really matter either. It all depends on what size parts you will be working with.
To provide convenient work machine operator, the lower part of the bed must be deepened.
Due to this, the operator does not cling to the structure with his feet during work. We advise you to make a bed with adjustable supports that will allow you to work on any uneven floors.
A do-it-yourself wood milling machine is notable for its huge selection of creation options. You can create it completely for yourself.
table top
There is nothing complicated here. One option is the usual kitchen countertop covered with special plastic. On plastic, the workpiece will glide perfectly, and the board will dampen vibrations well.
Table router mounting plate
A plate with high strength at low thickness. As a rule, it is made of metal or textolite (the latter option is easier to use).
A rectangular plate with a hole in the center. After that, the router is attached to the mounting plate. In order to fix the tool with the plate to the table, four holes must be drilled at the corners of the plate.
The easiest do-it-yourself milling table, drawings
So we got to the point of this article. So how to assemble a wood milling machine with your own hands? First, a tabletop is temporarily attached to the finished frame (frame). Then they put it on the table mounting plate and note its position. Next, with the help of a milling cutter, on the countertop choose seat for the plate.
It should fit perfectly with the top plane of the countertop. In conclusion, it is necessary to mill the hole according to the shape of the sole of the router and connect it all together. Of course, you will have to tinker with some points, but the main thing is to follow all the instructions.
Top clamp
For more comfortable work, the table can be equipped top clamp. A regular ball bearing will do.
It will allow you to tightly fix the workpiece. This will allow you to improve the quality and speed of work, as well as save your nerves and effort.
Safety
We need to focus on the most important thing - safety. First, for the cutter, it is recommended to set protective screen. Secondly, equip the tool with an emergency stop button. The button should be in an easily accessible place for you, but at the same time, not interfere with your work. Thirdly, the working area can be additionally illuminated.
All these points will only add comfort to your work, because you cannot save on safety. Create for health.
From this article you can learn how to make a wood milling machine with your own hands at home to perform basic operations with workpieces. The text describes a step-by-step technology for creating a tool: analysis design features the appliance and all the components needed for its installation, dimensional drawings and detailed descriptions to help you create each of these elements and put them together.
Wood milling machines can have various purposes. Some devices are designed to perform only one operation, others are multifunctional. Buying a professional tool is an expensive pleasure, so many craftsmen resort to making a woodworking machine with their own hands. Most often, such a router is used in small furniture workshops.
Milling cutters are usually used to process wood along a straight or curved contour. The cutting head, which performs rotational movements, acts as a working element in the design. In most cases, this part is located vertically. There are many varieties of milling cutters, each of which has its own design features.
The most popular types of devices:
- standard single-spindle (the spindle is located vertically);
- single-spindle designs, where the spindle or homemade milling table leans over;
- copy milling machines with a spindle having an upper placement;
- copy structures with a spindle having a horizontal placement (the tool is designed for processing propellers made of wood).
Note! In all of the listed designs, except for the last one, the material is fed manually.
Milling machine device: single-spindle designs
The design of a single-spindle machine includes a horizontal table with a pair of tongue-and-groove sockets designed to fix the guide rulers. It is mounted on a cast iron frame. Under the table there are sleds that move along the guides. They have a spindle on a thrust bearing and a pair of bearings. At the top of this element is another spindle - plug-in. It is designed for mounting cutting parts.
The slide with the spindle can be raised if necessary. For this, a bevel gear with a handwheel or a screw is used. The belt drive allows the spindle to be driven. Moreover, a counter-drive, motor or motor shaft can be used for this.
To make such a wood router with your own hands, you need to take into account some of the nuances. In some cases, you can not do without additional reinforcement of the spindle. Such a need arises if it is necessary to process workpieces of great height or serious loads act on the part. To do this, you need to install and fix the upper stop on the machine table. This element is fixed on the bracket. To control the movement of the workpiece during the milling process, it is desirable to use a guide ring or ruler.
Machines in which the spindle or table tilts allow you to do a wider range of woodwork with your own hands. In addition to standard operations, such designs allow you to get a higher quality of processing, obtaining a clean and uniform surface. This result can be achieved by cutting the wood at an angle, using cutters with a very small diameter. An instrument with a tilting spindle is much safer and more convenient.
The device of a home-made copier for wood with an upper spindle
These devices are used to perform copying work. It does not require high power. Such designs allow milling and drilling work to create openwork products.
The copier is able to replace three tools at once:
- Frazier.
- Drilling machine.
- Jigsaw.
Wood processing is carried out using cutting mills. Spindle develops a large number of turns, thanks to what the processed surface turns out very pure.
Homemade woodworking machine can be used for various purposes:
- boss calibration;
- production of openwork frames;
- elaboration of the walls of the ribs, etc.
As a basis for this design, a bed made of cast iron is used. Its upper part is curved in the shape of a sickle. This area is used for mounting the electric motor.
Note! The bed performs the function of a link on which all the elements of a home-made wood milling machine are installed. The stronger and more reliable its design, the better.
The engine is mounted on rails. Due to the system of levers, it can move up and down these elements. This section is set in motion by pressing the pedal, which is equipped with a special stopper. The rotor shaft of the engine is connected to the spindle, where the chuck with the tool is fixed. This cartridge can be self-centering or American.
In the lower zone of the frame, a table is mounted on a movable bracket. This design can move along the guides vertically using a handwheel. There are other options for making a home-made wood milling machine with your own hands, a drawing of this design involves the vertical movement of the table also in the process of work by pressing the pedal. In such models, the electric motor and spindle remain stationary.
How to make a wood lathe with your own hands: drawings and technology
The easiest way to make a tool yourself at home is to construct a lathe or milling machine from a drill or an electric motor taken from another tool. This process is not so complicated, so every master is able to cope with its implementation. This will require an electric motor, the power of which does not exceed 500 W, and improvised materials. A drill can also be used as a drive. Of course, some skills are required to make a lathe.
The following elements are required for the construction of the machine:
- metal frame;
- electric motor;
- handyman;
- back grandma.
It does not hurt to get a drawing that will help you navigate in size and correctly manufacture all structural elements for its subsequent assembly.
How to make a homemade drilling machine with your own hands with a motor
First you need to prepare the shaft of the electric motor. To do this, a faceplate is installed on it, and a threaded steel center is also suitable. The installation of the second center is carried out in the tailstock tube. For the manufacture of the bed, you will need a pair of corners measuring 5x3 cm, their length is 15 cm. The motor is attached to the bed using a bolted connection.
Note! The central part of the tailstock must necessarily coincide with the middle of the motor shaft.
At the next stage of production homemade machine do-it-yourself headstock is assembled. This element is formed from a pair of horizontal and a pair of vertical corners. A pipe is attached to it, designed for the spindle. You need to insert a bolt into it, the diameter of which is 1.2 cm. Previously, its head is sharpened at a right angle. Thus, the central part of the spindle is indicated. After that, the headstock is installed on the bed. On the top rack, which is connected to the horizontal corners, it is necessary to fix the tube by welding.
To make a handpiece, you need to take a steel rod with a chamfer. Also, this element must have a hole that will be used to secure the reference ruler. It is necessary to vertically weld the tube with the locking screw to the long angle. Then the handpiece rod is inserted into it.
The motor rotor, on which the faceplate is fixed, will be used as the headstock spindle. It needs to make several holes. A fork will be inserted in the central part. The holes along the edges are designed to fix the part with screws.
How to make a wood lathe from a drill with your own hands
Having at hand a workbench with a solid and even work surface, you can build a lathe without resorting to the construction of a bed. An electric drill in this case will perform the function of a rotary drive and a headstock. According to the simplest drawing of the machine, it is enough to fix this tool on the surface of the workbench through the neck. Clamps and a collar are suitable for fixing.
This element is mounted opposite the drill. To create it, you can take two bars of wood and an adjusting screw, sharpened at one end under a cone. If it is intended to use the machine for processing massive wooden blanks, then it is advisable to fix the stop on the table with clamps.
To make a tool with your own hands, inexpensive materials are enough. A drill-based lathe can be used to turn various parts:
- door handles;
- structural details of the stairs;
- decorative items, etc.
Note! A machine with a wooden clamp is suitable exclusively for processing wood blanks. It is not allowed to use such a tool for working with metal.
To expand the functionality of the tool, its design can be supplemented with nozzles and other devices that can improve the quality of work.
These improvements include:
- winding on transformers;
- applying a coloring composition over a rotating part to create patterns;
- applying spiral notches to the workpiece, etc.
Installing a special prefix in the form of a copier will allow you to use the machine to create a whole series of identical parts or products according to a template.
How to make a wood milling machine with your own hands: drawings, videos, instructions
- Decide on the type of construction, and what tasks the tool will perform.
- Decide on the materials that will be used for the construction of each element, and methods of fixation.
- Calculate the technical and operational parameters necessary for the full functioning.
- Choose for a do-it-yourself CNC wood milling machine drawings with the dimensions of all parts.
To work with complex elements, you will need a router with a high level of power and a large number of revolutions. Experts recommend giving preference to devices that have manual spindle adjustment and automatic stabilization. Functions such as quick stop and soft start will be useful. In ideal designs, changing the motor brushes does not require disassembly of the tool body.
The design of the milling cutter consists of the following elements:
- countertops;
- beds;
- spindle
- parallel stop;
- feed sled;
- vacuum cleaner.
Helpful advice! The recommended motor power for the machine is 2 kW or more. A tool with a lower performance will not be able to process workpieces from hard rock wood.
Selection of materials for the manufacture of a woodworking machine with your own hands
In order for the bed to be able to withstand high dynamic loads, it is desirable to use metal as a material for its manufacture. The most suitable option is a pipe with a square or rectangular section. It is allowed to use a massive metal corner.
The choice of such materials allows you to create a design without applying welding machine. All elements are connected by bolts. The design is collapsible, which facilitates its transfer and transportation. In addition, using the appropriate drawing of the milling table, you can create adjustable legs with your own hands. Movable supports allow you to adjust the machine horizontally.
For the manufacture of countertops, the following materials are suitable:
- multilayer plywood sheets;
- planed board;
- MDF, OSB or chipboard.
The tabletop must have a smooth surface. Any irregularities will affect the quality of work. In addition, it is necessary to exclude all factors that can cause scratches during processing of workpieces.
When making a table for a router with your own hands, a flat surface can be achieved in several ways:
- finishing with plastic;
- careful adjustment and grinding of planed boards;
- metal finishing.
To make a router with your own hands, you can use an asynchronous or commutator motor. The first option is quite unpretentious in operation and does not impose restrictions on the size of the cutters used. Among the shortcomings - high level noise. The commutator motor is more accessible, but its brushes wear out faster.
How to make do-it-yourself router bits
Homemade wood cutters are able to effectively process wood, however, when in contact with hard materials cutting elements become dull quickly. Therefore, the range of application of such parts is significantly limited.
To make a wood cutter with your own hands, you need to take a cylindrical blank and cut off half of its diameter in the area where the cutting zone will be located. After that, it is necessary to smooth out the resulting transition. From the cut part of the workpiece, you need to remove another 1/4 of the diameter and perform a similar operation. Then you should give the processed section of the cutter a rectangular shape. To do this, cut off its lower part. The thickness of the resulting working area should be 2-5 mm.
Helpful advice! To cut a metal workpiece for a cutter, you can use a drill or grinder, adapting this tool to perform this task. The cutting edge can be made using a sharpening machine.
- It is desirable to sharpen the cutting part at an angle of 7-10 °. A sharper edge will cut much worse and quickly lose sharpness.
- By using grinder angular type, equipped with discs for metal, you can give the cutting part of the cutter the necessary configuration. For these purposes, diamond-coated needle files are also suitable.
- If the cutter has a complex configuration, you can flatten or bend it.
How to make a milling machine with your own hands
The simplest milling machine can be made in the same way as the turning tool described earlier. There are several ways to design the leading center of the structure.
In the first case, a steel tube with thin walls is mounted on the shaft. This method is considered the simplest, but it is not without drawbacks. The operator will not be able to process workpieces whose diameter is smaller than the internal section of the pipe. In addition, such a structure cannot be quickly dismantled if necessary.
In the second case, the workpiece will be attached to the faceplate. To do this, you can use screws, for which you first need to make holes. This method also has disadvantages. The diameter of the processed workpieces is limited by the size of the faceplate. To simplify this process, you can make a special cartridge, although in this case it will not be possible to avoid some restrictions.
The back center, which will be used to hold long workpieces, must be installed on the tailstock. The electric motor is mounted on the frame. In general, the simplest designs of turning and milling tools are similar in many ways. If you want to get a more functional device, you can make a CNC milling machine with your own hands, but this will require additional technical knowledge.
Do-it-yourself table manufacturing technology for a router with drawings
There are several design options that can be used to install a desktop CNC router. Tables can be fixed or portable. In addition, there is also an aggregate variety. This design allows you to expand the surface of the table for the use of a router.
Most often, craftsmen prefer stationary structures with a metal frame. Dutch plywood is suitable as a material for the countertop.
Note! When making a table for a manual router with your own hands, you must definitely take into account the height of the person who will work on it.
List necessary tools and materials include:
- metal parts for the frame (pipe or corner);
- aluminum guides;
- axis for fixing the router;
- putty, as well as priming and coloring compositions;
- self-tapping screws;
- furniture bolts (60x6 mm);
- hex adjusting bolts with nuts (4 pcs.);
- Finnish laminated plywood with moisture resistant properties (sheet thickness 1.8 cm);
- material for the manufacture of a parallel stop (plywood or boards);
- drill and a set of drills;
- screwdriver and electric jigsaw;
- welding machine;
- accessories (brushes, rags, spatula).
Having everything you need, you can easily make the design of the milling table with your own hands, video reviews of the technology, of which there are many on the net, will help you visually familiarize yourself with this process.
Do-it-yourself CNC machine manufacturing technology: drawings and assembly
CNC router is different from conventional tool the presence of a program that controls its work. In many videos, home-made machines are made on the basis of a beam with a rectangular section, which is fixed on rails. The CNC router is no exception. During the installation of the supporting structure, it is advisable not to use welded joints, it is better to fix it with bolts.
The fact is that the welds are vulnerable to vibration, due to which, over time, the frame will undergo gradual destruction. As a result of changing the geometric dimensions, the equipment will lose its accuracy and quality of processing. It is desirable that the drawing of the table provides for the possibility of moving the tool vertically. For these purposes, a screw drive is suitable. The rotational movement will be transmitted by means of a toothed belt.
The vertical axis is the most important structural element. For its manufacture, you can use an aluminum plate. At the same time, it is very important that the dimensional parameters of the axis correspond to the dimensions of the future machine.
Helpful advice! Using a muffle furnace, it is possible to cast a vertical axis from aluminum, taking into account the dimensions indicated in the drawing.
The assembly of the machine should begin with the installation of two stepper type electric motors. They are installed behind the vertical axis directly on the body. One engine will control the movements milling head horizontally, the other vertically. Then you need to proceed to the installation of the remaining components of the structure.
The rotational movement will be transmitted to the key elements of the tool using belt drives. Before you connect software control to the finished router, you must definitely check its performance and, if there are any shortcomings, eliminate them. Many craftsmen use video reviews to assemble the machine with their own hands, where this process is discussed in detail.
Equipment for creating a CNC milling machine for wood with your own hands
To create a CNC milling machine at home, it is imperative to use stepper motors. They provide the ability to move the tool in 3 planes. To create a homemade machine, the electric motors present in a dot matrix printer are ideal. It is necessary to ensure that the motors have sufficient power. In addition to engines, steel rods will be required.
A dot matrix printer has only a couple of motors, but three are required to create a router. Therefore, several old printing devices will be required. It is desirable that the motors have 5 control wires. This increases the functionality of the tool.
Other engine parameters are also important:
- degree of rotation per step;
- winding resistance;
- voltage level.
To assemble the drive, you will need a stud and nut. The size of these parts is selected according to the drawing. To fix the motor shaft and the stud, you can use a thick rubber winding from an electrical cable. A nylon sleeve is suitable as a retainer, a screw should be inserted into it. As an auxiliary tool, you can use a drill and a file.
The tool will be controlled by the software. An obligatory element of the machine is the LPT port, which provides the connection of the control system to the router through electric motors. The quality of the components used to assemble the machine determines its service life and the quality of the technological operations performed. Therefore, the choice of details should be approached thoroughly. When all the electronic components of the machine are installed and connected, all that remains is to download the drivers and software.
How much will it cost to buy a CNC milling machine: tool prices
If with the manufacture of a manual router and stationary table almost any master can handle, then assembling a CNC machine will seem an impossible task for many. Moreover, home-made designs do not have the capabilities that a factory-made tool can offer.
Helpful advice! If you plan to use a router for complex woodworking, it is better to give preference to factory designs that are accurately calibrated and have many functions.
Prices for them vary depending on the functionality, table size, power, manufacturer and other parameters.
Average prices for factory-made CNC milling machines:
| Machine name | Table length, mm | price, rub. |
| LTT-K0609 (LTT-K6090A) | 900 | 228970 |
| WoodTec MH-6090 | 246780 | |
| LTT-P6090 | 329120 | |
| R.J.1212 | 1300 | 317000 |
| WoodTec MH-1212 | 347350 | |
| RUIJIE RJ 1200 | 399200 | |
| WoodTec MH 1325 | 2500 | 496350 |
| WoodTec MH-1625 | 540115 | |
| WoodTec VH-1625 | 669275 | |
| RJ 2040 | 3000 | 1056750 |
| WoodTec VH-2030 | 1020935 | |
| WoodTec VH-2040 | 1136000 |
Assembling a machine with software is a rather complicated process that requires certain skills and knowledge. This work cannot be done without a suitable drawing and necessary details. Items such as signal cables, stepper motors, and microprocessor boards can be removed from legacy equipment or purchased online. Many online stores offer ready-made kits for assembling milling machines for home workshops.
Making a wood milling machine with your own hands: video instruction
