Nowadays, production is becoming more and more frequent. small parts from wood, for certain structures. Also in stores you can find a variety of beautiful three-dimensional paintings made on wood canvas. Such operations are performed using numerically controlled milling machines. The accuracy of parts or pictures made of wood is achieved through computer control, a specialized program.
Milling machine for wood processing with numerical control is a highly professional machine, created with the latest technology.
All the work consists in processing with a special wood cutter, which can be used to cut small parts from wood material, creating beautiful drawings. Work is carried out by sending signals to stepper motors, which, in turn, move the router along three axes.
Due to this, high-precision processing occurs. As a rule, such work cannot be done manually with such high quality. Therefore, CNC wood milling machines are a great find for carpenters.
purpose
Since ancient times, milling was intended for planing work with wood. But the engine of progress is moving strictly forward in our time, numerical control has been created for such machines. At this stage, the milling machine can perform a variety of actions that relate to wood processing:
- Cutting various parts from solid wood.
- Cutting off excess parts of the workpiece.
- Ability to make grooves and holes of various diameters.
- Drawing complex ornaments using a cutter.
- 3D Three-dimensional images on solid wood.
- Complete furniture manufacturing and much more.
Whatever the task, it will be carried out with high precision and accuracy.
Tip: When working on homemade CNC equipment, you need to smoothly remove the thickness of the wood, otherwise your part will be damaged or burned by the cutter!
Variety
In the modern technological world, the following types of CNC wood milling machines are distinguished:
Stationary
These machines are placed in industries, as they are huge in size and weight. But such equipment is capable of manufacturing products in large volumes.
Manual
This homemade devices or devices from ready-made kits. These machines can be safely installed in your garage or your own workshop. These include the following subspecies:
Equipment using portal, with numerical control
Directly, the milling cutter itself is able to move along two Cartesian axes X and Z. This type of machine has high rigidity when bending. The design of the portal milling machine with numerical control is quite simple in its execution. Many carpenters begin their knowledge of CNC machines from this subtype. However, in this case, the size of the workpiece will be limited by the size of the portal itself.
Numerically controlled and mobile gantry
The construction of this subtype is a little more complicated.
mobile portal
It is this type that moves the router along all three Cartesian axes, along X, Z and Y. In this case, it will be necessary to use a solid guide for the X axis, since all the heavy load will be directed to it.
With a mobile portal, it is very convenient to create printed circuit boards. On the Y axis, it is possible to process long parts.
The cutter moves along the Z axis.
Machine on which the milling part is able to move in a vertical direction
This subtype is usually used when refining production samples or when converting drilling equipment into engraving and milling.
The working field, that is, the tabletop itself, has dimensions of 15x15 centimeters, which makes it impossible to process large parts.
This type is not very convenient to use.
Numerically controlled portalless
This type of machine is very complex in its design, but it is the most productive and convenient.
Workpieces can be processed up to five meters long, even if the X-axis is 20 centimeters.
This subtype is extremely unsuitable for the first experience, as it requires skills on this equipment.
Below we will consider the design of a hand-held CNC wood milling machine, we will analyze the principles of its operation. We learn how to do this brainchild and how such equipment is being adjusted.
Device and principle of operation
The main parts of the milling device are the following parts:
bed
Directly the design of the machine itself, on which all other parts are located.
caliper
A node that is a mount to support the movement of an automatic tool.
Desktop
The area where all the necessary work is done.
Spindle shaft or router
A tool that performs milling work.
Cutter for wood processing
A tool, or rather a device for a milling cutter, of various sizes and shapes, with the help of which wood is processed.
CNC
Let's just say the brain and heart of the whole structure. The software performs precise control of all work.
The work is in program management. A specialized program is installed on the computer, it is she who converts the circuits loaded into it into special codes, which the program distributes to the controller, and then to stepper motors. Stepper motors, in turn, move the milling cutter along the coordinate axes Z, Y, X, due to which the processing of the wooden workpiece takes place.
Choice of accessories
The main step in the invention homemade milling machine is the choice of component parts. After all, choosing bad material, something can go wrong in
An example of an assembly from an aluminum frame.
the work itself. Usually use simple materials such as: aluminum, wood (solid, MDF), plexiglass. For the correct and accurate operation of the entire structure, it is important to develop the entire design of the calipers.
Tip: Before assembly do it yourself, it is necessary to check all already prepared parts for compatibility.
Check if there are any snags that will interfere. And most importantly, to prevent various kinds of fluctuations, as this will directly lead to poor-quality milling.
There are some assignments for the selection of work items that will help in the creation, namely:
Guides
Scheme of CNC guides for a milling cutter.
For them, rods with a diameter of 12 millimeters are used. For the X axis, the length of the rod is 200 millimeters, and for the Y axis, the length is 90 millimeters.
The use of guides will allow high-precision installation of moving parts
caliper
Support for CNC milling machine.
Support assembly.
Textolite material can be used for these components. Pretty durable material of its kind. As a rule, the dimensions of the textolite pad are 25x100x45 millimeters.
Router locking block
An example of a frame for fixing a router.
You can also use a textolite frame. The dimensions directly depend on the tool you have.
Stepper motors or servo motors
power unit
Controller
An electronic board that distributes electricity to stepper motors to move them along axes.
Tip: When soldering the board, it is necessary to use capacitors and resistors in special SMD cases (aluminum, ceramics, and plastic are used to make cases for such parts). This will reduce the dimensions of the board, as well as the internal space in the design will be optimized.
Assembly
Scheme of a home-made machine with numerical control
The assembly will not take you too much time. The only thing is that the tuning process will be the longest in the entire manufacturing process.
To start
It is necessary to develop a diagram and drawings of the future numerical control machine.
If you do not want to do this, then you can download drawings from the Internet. For all sizes prepare all the necessary details.
Make all necessary holes
Designed for bearings and guides. The main thing is to observe all the necessary dimensions, otherwise the operation of the machine will be disrupted. A diagram with a description of the location of the mechanisms is presented. It will give you a general idea, especially if you are collecting it for the first time.
When all the elements and parts of the mechanism are ready for you, you can safely proceed with the assembly. The first step is to assemble the equipment frame.
frame
Must be geometrically correct. All corners should be even and equal. When the frame is ready, you can mount the guide axles, desktop, calipers. When these elements are installed, you can install a router or a spindle.
The last step remains - electronics. Installing the electronics is the main step in the assembly. A controller is connected to the stepper motors installed on the machine, which will be responsible for their operation.
Next, the controller is connected to a computer on which a special control program should already be installed. Widely applied trademark Arduino, which manufactures and supplies hardware equipment.
With everything connected and ready, it's time to run a test piece. Any wood that will not go beyond the desktop is suitable for this. If your workpiece has been processed and everything is in order, then you can proceed to the full-fledged manufacture of one or another milling product.
Safety
Safety with milling equipment is the foundation of the basics. If you do not take care of yourself, you can end up in the hospital with serious injuries. All safety rules are the same, but the most basic ones will be listed below:
- You must ground your equipment to avoid electric shock.
- Keep children away from the machine.
- Do not eat or drink on the desktop.
- Clothing should be appropriate.
- Do not process bulky parts that exceed the size of the desktop, machine equipment.
- Do not throw various tools to the working area of the machine.
- Do not use material (metal, plastic, etc.).
Video reviews
Video review of parts for the machine and where to get them:
Video review of the wood milling machine:
Video review of electronics
The aim of this project is to create a desktop CNC machine. could buy finished machine, but its price and dimensions did not suit me, and I decided to build a CNC machine with the following requirements:
- usage simple tools(only need a drilling machine, band-saw and hand tools)
- low cost (I was looking for low cost, but I still bought items for about $600, you can save a lot by buying items in the appropriate stores)
- small footprint(30"x25")
- normal working space(10" X, 14" Y, 4" Z)
- high cutting speed (60" per minute)
- a small number of elements (less than 30 unique)
- available elements (all elements can be bought in one hardware and three online stores)
- the possibility of successful processing of plywood
Other people's machines
Here are some photos of other machines that have been assembled according to this article
Photo 1 - Chris and a friend assembled the machine by laser-cutting parts from 0.5" acrylic. But everyone who has worked with acrylic knows that laser cutting that's good, but acrylic doesn't handle drilling well, and there are a lot of holes in this project. They did Good work, more information can be found on Chris's blog. I especially liked making a 3D object with 2D cuts.
Photo 2 - Sam McCaskill made a really nice desktop CNC machine. I was impressed that he did not simplify his work and cut out all the elements by hand. I am impressed with this project.
Photo 3 - Angry Monk's used DMF parts cut with laser cutter and toothed-belt motors converted to propeller motors.
Photo 4 - Bret Golab's assembled the machine and set it up to work with Linux CNC (I also tried to do this, but I couldn't because of the complexity). If you are interested in his settings, you can contact him. He did a great job!
I'm afraid I don't have enough experience and knowledge to explain the basics of CNC, but the CNCZone.com forum has an extensive section on homemade machines, which helped me a lot.
Cutter: Dremel or Dremel Type Tool
Axes options:
X axis
Travel Distance: 14"
Speed: 60"/min
Acceleration: 1"/s2
Resolution: 1/2000"
Pulses per inch: 2001
Y-axis
Travel Distance: 10"
Drive: Toothed belt drive
Speed: 60"/min
Acceleration: 1"/s2
Resolution: 1/2000"
Pulses per inch: 2001
Z-axis (up-down)
Travel Distance: 4"
Drive: Screw
Acceleration: .2"/s2
Speed: 12"/min
Resolution: 1/8000"
Pulses per inch: 8000
Required Tools
I aimed to use popular tools that can be purchased at a regular craft store.
Power tool:
- band saw or jigsaw
- drilling machine (drills 1/4", 5/16", 7/16", 5/8", 7/8", 8mm (about 5/16")), also called Q
- Printer
- Dremel or similar tool (to be installed in the finished machine).
Hand tool:
- rubber mallet(for planting elements in place)
- hexagons (5/64", 1/16")
- screwdriver
- glue stick or spray glue
- Adjustable wrench (or socket wrench with ratchet and 7/16" socket)
Necessary materials
The attached PDF file (CNC-Part-Summary.pdf) provides all costs and information about each item. Only summarized information is provided here.
Sheets---$20
- A piece of 48" x 48" 1/2" MDF (any 1/2" thickness sheet will do. I plan to use UHMW in the next version of the machine, but now it is too expensive)
- A piece of 5"x5" 3/4" MDF (this piece is used as a spacer so you can use any 3/4" piece of material)
Motors and controllers --- $255
-A whole article can be written about the choice of controllers and motors. In short, you need a controller capable of controlling three motors and motors with about 100 oz/in torque. I bought motors and a ready-made controller and everything worked well.
Hardware --- $275
-I bought these items in three stores. Simple elements I got it from a hardware store, I bought specialized drivers from McMaster Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com), and bearings that I need a lot, I bought from an online seller, paying $ 40 for 100 pieces (it turns out to be quite profitable, a lot bearings remain for other projects).
Software --- (Free)
-You need a program to draw your design (I use CorelDraw) and I'm currently using a trial version of Mach3, but I have plans to switch to LinuxCNC (an open source machine controller using Linux)
Head Unit --- (Optional)
-I installed Dremel on my machine, but if you are interested in 3D printing (like RepRap) you can install your device.
Printing templates
I had some experience with a jigsaw, so I decided to glue on the templates. Need to print PDF files with the templates placed on the sheet, stick the sheet on the material and cut out the details.
File name and material:
All: CNC-Cut-Summary.pdf
0.5" MDF (35 8.5"x11" template sheets): CNC-0.5MDF-CutLayout-(Rev3).pdf
0.75" MDF: CNC-0.75MDF-CutLayout-(Rev2).pdf
0.75" aluminum tube: CNC-0.75Alum-CutLayout-(Rev3).pdf
0.5"MDF (1 48"x48" pattern sheet): CNC-(One 48x48 Page) 05-MDF-CutPattern.pdf
Note: I am attaching CorelDraw drawings in original format (CNC-CorelDrawFormat-CutPatterns (Rev2) ZIP) for those who would like to change something.
Note: There are two options for MDF 0.5". MDF-CutPattern.pdf) with one 48"x48" sheet for printing on a large format printer.
Step by step:
1. Download three PDF templates.
2. Open each file in Adobe Reader
3. Open the print window
4. (IMPORTANT) Disable Page Scaling.
5. Check that the file has not been scaled by accident. The first time I did not do this, and printed everything at a scale of 90%, as described below.
Gluing and cutting elements
Glue the printed templates on the MDF and on the aluminum pipe. Next, just cut out the part along the contour.
As mentioned above, I accidentally printed the templates at 90% scale, and did not notice this until I started cutting. Unfortunately, I did not understand this until this stage. I was left with 90% scale templates and moving across the country I got access to a full size CNC. I could not resist and cut out the elements with this machine, but I could not drill them with reverse side. That is why all the elements in the photos are without template pieces.
drilling
I didn't count exactly how many, but this project uses a lot of holes. The holes that are drilled on the ends are especially important, but take the time to get them, and you will rarely need to use a rubber hammer.
Places with holes in the lining on top of each other is an attempt to make grooves. Perhaps you have a CNC machine that can do this better.
If you have reached this step, then I congratulate you! Looking at a bunch of elements, it is quite difficult to imagine how to assemble a machine, so I tried to make detailed instructions similar to LEGO instructions. (attached PDF CNC-Assembly-Instructions.pdf). Looks pretty interesting step by step photos assemblies.
Ready!
The machine is ready! I hope you made and run it. I hope the article is not missing important details and moments. Here is a video that shows the machine cutting a pattern on pink foam.
Knowing that milling machine CNC is considered sophisticated technical and electronic equipment, many craftsmen think that it simply cannot be done by hand.
However, this opinion is not true: you can make such a device with your own hands, but for this you need to have not only its complete drawing, but also a set of certain tools and suitable components.
DIY CNC machine (drawings)
When deciding to create a homemade special CNC machine, remember that this can take a lot of time. In addition, you will need a lot of money.
To make a milling machine that is equipped with a CNC system, you can use 2 methods: purchase a ready-made set of specially selected parts from which such equipment is assembled, or find all the components and independently assemble a device that fully meets all your requirements.
Preparation for work
If you planned to make a CNC machine yourself without using a ready-made kit, then the first thing you will need to do is stop at special scheme, on which such a mini-device will work.
Equipment assembly
The basis of the assembled milling equipment can be a rectangular beam, which must be firmly fixed on the rails.
The supporting structure of the equipment must have high rigidity. When installing it, it is better not to use welded joints, but to attach all parts only with screws.
In milling equipment, which you will assemble yourself, a mechanism must be provided that will ensure the movement of the working device in the vertical direction. It is best to take a screw gear for it, the rotation of which will be transmitted using a toothed belt.
The main part of the machine
An important part of such a machine is its vertical axis, which for homemade device can be made from aluminum plate. Remember to the dimensions of such an axis were precisely matched to the dimensions of the device being created.
In the home workshop, it is desirable to have the simplest desktop machines– drilling, grinding, etc. But if you need to perform precise work, then you can not do without a milling unit. To do this, you can make a simple CNC with your own hands. This can be done in two ways:
A homemade CNC machine is necessary for precise drilling or cutting, as well as turning parts.
- buy a kit for the manufacture of a similar design;
- make such a cutter yourself.
The first way is associated with certain financial costs. Branded machines for home use have a relatively high price and not everyone can afford.
CNC requires certain knowledge and possession of the tool to create it.
Where to start designing a homemade router?
To get started, choose suitable scheme unit. You can take an ordinary drilling machine as a basis, but instead of a drill, use a cutter as a working tool. Naturally, it will be necessary to think over the mechanism of its movement in three planes. Usually, for small units, redesigned carriages from the printer are used, with the help of which the working tool can move in two planes. This is also beneficial in terms of connecting software to work in automatic mode. But such designs have one drawback - they allow you to process wood, plastic and thin sheets metal (1-2 mm).
Therefore, for more serious CNC work, the router must have stepper motors with increased power. They can be made by refining standard electric motors of this class, which will make it possible to abandon the use of a screw transmission while maintaining all its advantages. To transfer force to the shaft, it is best to use toothed belts.
When using homemade carriages to move the working tool, you can use parts from large printers. One of the improvised designs of a similar type.
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Making a CNC router on your own
This machine in its design resembles samples of industrial units. Its basis is a low beam of rectangular section, directly fixed on the rails. This allows you to get the desired rigidity of the structure and minimize welding work when creating a cutter.
The metal is taken as the base. square pipe with a side of 75-85 mm. For fastening to the guides, it is necessary to use soles of a rectangular type 65 x 25 mm. This eliminates the need for welding this stage work and will help with fine-tuning the router. This is also necessary for the correct setting of angles of 90 degrees. The main beam and the sole are connected using 4 M6 screws, which must be tightened to the stop in order to obtain the desired rigidity. This will eliminate the backlash, although deflection of the guides under heavy load and malfunctions in the plain bearings are possible (you can use any suitable ones, even Chinese ones).
The vertical lifting of the working tool is carried out using a screw gear, and a toothed belt is used to return rotation to lead screw. This makes it possible to avoid beats, lower the center of gravity of the unit and save space. The vertical axis itself is made of aluminum plate. It must be processed on a milling machine according to the dimensions needed for a home-made machine. If there is a muffle furnace in the home workshop, then it can be cast from aluminum.
Two stepper motors must be installed behind the axis: the first one rotates the lead screw vertical displacement, and the second provides horizontal movement. Rotation is transmitted by belts. Some parts must be ordered from a turner if you do not have your own lathe.
After the manufacture of all elements and assembly, it is necessary to check the CNC router in operation, using manual control. After that, you need to deal with stepper motor controllers and software. If there is no relevant knowledge, then you can contact a company that has good programmers on staff.
You may also need a metal frame or artificial stone, which is better to order according to the desired size.
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What stepper motors can a homemade CNC have?
These are the most important elements of the future router.
In order to get such electric motors, it is necessary to disassemble old dot matrix printers (for example, Epson). Inside such machines there are two stepper motors and good hardened steel rods. To build a router, you need to have 3 electric motors, so you have to disassemble 2 printers.
In order to simplify the production of operations on a homemade machine, it is best to use motors with 5-6 control wires: they have good torque and are easy to work with. For the correct software setting, you need to know the number of their degrees per step, the operating voltage and winding resistance.
To drive a homemade CNC, a nut and a stud are usually used. To fix the shaft of a stepper motor, a piece of thick-walled rubber cable is usually used; with its help, the electric motor is attached to the stud. Self-made bushings with a screw are used as clamps. They are made of nylon, using a drill and a file.
Difficult to manufacture, in addition to the technical components, it has an electronic device, which can only be installed by a specialist. Contrary to this opinion, the ability to assemble a CNC machine with your own hands is great if you prepare the necessary drawings, diagrams and component materials in advance.
Carrying out preparatory work
When designing a CNC with your own hands at home, you need to decide according to which scheme it will work.
Often, a used one is taken as the basis of a future apparatus.
Drilling machine can be used as a basis for a CNC machine
It will require the replacement of the working head with a milling head.
The greatest difficulty in designing a CNC machine with your own hands is the creation of a device with which the working tool moves in three planes.
Partially solve the problem will help carriages taken from a conventional printer. The tool will be able to move in both planes. It is better to choose carriages for a CNC machine from a printer that has large dimensions.
Such a scheme allows you to later connect to the machine control. The downside is that the CNC milling machine only works with wood, plastic products, products from thin metal. This is due to the fact that the printer carriages do not have the necessary rigidity.
Attention must be paid to the engine of the future unit. Its role is reduced to the movement of the working tool. The quality of work and the possibility of performing milling operations depend on this.
A good option for a homemade CNC router is a stepper motor.
An alternative to such an engine is an electric motor, previously improved and adjusted to the standards of the apparatus.
Anyone using a stepper motor allows you to not use a screw drive, this does not affect the capabilities of such a wood CNC in any way. It is recommended to use toothed belts for milling on such a unit. Unlike standard belts, they do not slip on pulleys.
It is required to correctly design the milling cutter of the future machine, for this you will need detailed drawings.
Materials and tools required for assembly
The general set of materials for a CNC machine includes:
- cable 14–19 m long;
- processing wood;
- cutter chuck;
- a frequency converter having the same power as the spindle;
- bearings;
- control board;
- water pump;
- cooling hose;
- three stepper motors for three axes of movement of the structure;
- bolts;
- protective cable;
- screws;
- plywood, chipboard, wood board or metal structure to choose as the body of the future device;
- soft clutch.
It is recommended that when making your own hands, use a spindle with coolant. This will allow you not to turn it off every 10 minutes to cool down. Suitable for work homemade machine with CNC, its power is not less than 1.2 kW. The best option will be a device with a power of 2 kW.
The set of tools required for the manufacture of the unit includes:
- hammers;
- electrical tape;
- assembly keys;
- glue;
- screwdriver
- soldering iron, sealant;
- grinder, it is often replaced with a hacksaw;
- pliers, welding machine, scissors, pliers.
A simple CNC do-it-yourself machine
Procedure for assembling the machine
Homemade CNC milling machine is assembled according to the scheme:
- production of drawings and diagrams of the device indicating the electrical system;
- purchase of materials containing a future home-made CNC machine;
- installation of a bed, engines, a working surface, a portal, a spindle will be mounted on it;
- portal installation;
- setting the Z axis;
- fixation working surface;
- spindle installation;
- installation of a water-cooling system;
- installation of the electrical system;
- connection of the board, with its help the device is controlled;
- software setup;
- start-up of the unit.
The basis for the bed is a material made of aluminum.
The frame must be made from aluminum
Profiles of this metal are selected with a section of 41 * 81 mm with a plate thickness of 11 mm. The body of the bed itself is connected using aluminum corners.
The installation of the portal will determine how thick the product can be processed by the CNC machine. Especially if it's handmade. The higher the portal, the thicker the product it can process. It is important not to install it too high, as this design will be less durable and reliable. The portal moves along the X axis and carries the spindle on itself.
An aluminum profile is used as a material for the working surface of the unit. Often take a profile with T-slots. For home use, they accept, its thickness is at least 17 mm.
After the frame of the device is ready, proceed to install the spindle. It is important to install it vertically, since in the future it will need to be adjusted, this is done to fix the required angle.
To install the electrical system, the presence of the following components is required:
- power unit;
- computer;
- stepper motor;
- pay;
- stop button;
- motor drivers.
The system requires an LPT port. In addition, it is installed that controls the operation of the apparatus and allows you to answer the question of how to perform this or that operation. The control is connected via motors to the milling machine itself.
After the electronics is installed on the machine, you will need to download the drivers and programs necessary for operation.
Common Build Mistakes
A common mistake when assembling a CNC machine is the lack of a drawing, but the assembly is carried out according to it. As a result, there are omissions in the design and installation of apparatus structures.
Often the incorrect operation of the machine is associated with incorrectly selected frequency converter and spindle.
For the correct operation of the machine, it is necessary to choose the right spindle
In many cases, stepper motors do not receive proper power, so a special separate power supply must be selected for them.
It must be taken into account that a correctly installed wiring diagram and software allows you to perform numerous operations of different levels of complexity on the device. Do-it-yourself CNC machine can be done by a middle-level master, the design of the unit has a number of features, but using the drawings it is not difficult to assemble the parts.
It is easy to work with a CNC, compiled with your own hands, you need to study the informative base, conduct a series of training work and analyze the condition of the unit and parts. Do not rush, pull moving parts or open the CNC.
