It’s been a while, since I’ve posted advice section https://www.v1engineering.com/forum/topic/planning-my-first-mpcnc-build/
and wanted to update on my progress, I could use some help still. I’ve got it up and running and just machined foam board. Everything seems to be working OK. I am still working out some details. Like the Z end stop which is currently rigged with aluminum tape. I’ve got a mini switch coming.
Nice!
I still use metal tape…
On the crown test I thought it would have the origin at the opposite corner of the machine, It still worked but I’d rather have the origin on the opposite side. It drew over the lines twice so it seems pretty accurate.
I squared it using an actual square and M666 X1.75 gets it as close I can tell with paper n pen. I would like to move the stop block a notch 2mm and go with a smaller correction in the opposite direction,would that be (M666 Y.25) ?I leveled the bit to the table with the feeler gauges. And set the dewalt perpendicular to the table, with the thingy. When I was in machining this piece out of the blue foam, I tripped over the power plug and cut power to it, but I was able to restart the cut in the same exact place and finish it. The crack in it is from double sticky tape to the table (oops, I won’t do that again with foam if I actually want the peice), I don’t have an actual waste board yet. So I didn’t cut all the way through. Anyway I don’t understand everything I’m doing with ESTLcam yet, I was just copycating your tutorial.
One more thing I have 483mm square of travel, And if it’s over 250 mm away on either axis it errors out. what do I change in the firmware to fix this (search keyword or phrase)? This is my rig for the Z endstop, if someone has a better one I’d like to see it. I also have this pi optical trigger I might use. Seems it needed +,- and signal tho. And I’m not that great at the software side of this.
Generally we don’t use Z endstops as an actual endstop. It gets used as a touch probe. Just don’t hit home all in repetier and should be good.
BED SIZE, I think.
I want to verify that these are the bits Ryan used to cut steel? Got to get them ordered, still got to get some practice in on estlcam and my machine. Been too busy with other stuff, but getting back to it.
https://shop.v1engineering.com/collections/sharp-stuff/products/1-8-2-flute-endmill
Yes, but steel is not easy or even recommended. I did it more as a proof of concept than anything else.
Update, I started mailing some on some MDF scraps that I had. Had some good and bad experience with that. I did get a couple really good MDF peices cut. One I did one with trochoidal cuts, it turned out great. I don’t remember if it was my second or third run with it but at one point It plunged the bit through the half-inch MDF and into my waste board and broke the bit off. I think that was my inexperience at knowing whether to start with the top of the material or at the bed. I’m still not super sure on how come up with my own feeds and speeds have just been using the other people’s they said they’ve been able to do on their MPCNC. Couple of days ago I decided to give aluminum a try and I used the single flute that I had which I don’t believe is meant for aluminum. It galled up and broke pretty quick. But it might’ve been doing better have I been more careful about z at the bed. When I screwed the aluminum down it lifted it up off of the bed lil bit. When I measured it it was trying to cut 1.5 mm deep, oops. When I tried with the 2 flute from Ryan’s shop it worked great but I was more careful about my Z zero being 3.2mm below the top. So it would only cut 1.07 on its first pass. When I turn off the spindle the bit is usually cool but the collet is always hot. Does everybody else get that kind of heat out of the DW660?
Single flute will work better with aluminum, just have to be careful with your depth of cut. Yea, the collet will get hot, the motor shaft acts like a big steel heat sink for the motor.
Today I tried and tried a trochoidal skim cut along a edge of 3/8” steel, Then I tightened my collet and tried again. When I figure out how to videos on here I’ll post it. I need to know how to pre-drill holes in exactly my planned plunge spots in Estlcam. I’ll do a search for that. See if I can figure it out.
3/8 steel!
Just shaving a straight edge off it. Really small slivers for shavings. Trochoidal step was 5%, width 10%, feed 3.2mm/s. It can do more, but I think I need to do a mod where I can change the Z in my legs and choke up the z axis. I’ll let you know if it turns out good. I did ramp it up 200% while running does that make 6.2mm/s? Or am I missing something? I also would like to know a little bit of making custom commands? Has anyone made a return to 0,0,0 command? Or a pause and toolchange command for when you break a tool.
Hey Chris… Where are you in Idaho?? East side, west side or ??
I’m in Idaho Falls, have a running MPCNC along with some other fun shop toys. 
Always nice to have someone to look at stuff and just shoot the $hit with! 
Ron
