All Ryan is saying is that he cant support something he has not used and not many of us have either . So help may be hard to get and you may become the expert with the answers for the hardware you pick if it is to far out of the norm We all answer the questions we can so feel free to ask
As I said, it really isn’t about me making a sale. Some are here to have a platform to experiment and learn from, others just want to make things with it. I must have gotten the wrong vibe from you, I am only trying to make it a pleasant experience for as many people as I can.
I like to make things and learn something every time ( I hate doing the same thing 100 times)…so I tried to make that available for people as inexpensive as possible, robust, and take out all the million tiny choices, in the end have a solid platform to learn and grow with. I really hope it is obvious it is not a money thing for me.
Also, import chinese “rambo clones” have issues. They have swapped out parts to make them cheaper, which make them not work correctly with the V1 configured firmware.
Ryan, maybe .-) Learning things is kinda good. I am a Software Engineer since 20 years in Industry. But learning about this CNC stuff is kinda more difficult sometimes when learning a new programming language or playing around with new APIs.
My personal GOAL for this MPCNC is to use it, not so much playing around with it and trying things. Probably i swap the Cutter with a laser sometimes but well… This is why i say i would like to have some good components, i read that the 8825 Drivers maybe good to go but it is not recommended to drive them over 1.5 amps because they can cause loosing steps.
From my understanding the Steppers i want to use can use up to 4 Amps. this is why i want to use TB6600 to maybe be able to use the full power of them even having in mind that “their” full power may be too much for the MPCNC construction itself. But if i finished learning and got it working i probably will try to get a bit bigger so i want to reconstruct the MPCNC maybe with another system and reuse the components instead of throwing them away, so i have no problem to spent a few more bucks on better components.
the thing about WHICH components, well you are right i am still learning and i am still struggeling understanding the difference between ESTCLAM and direct control vs “a controller” and G Code like it is the case with Marlin and Rambo/Rumba
Still so much to learn and i am sorry, i didn’t want to upset you. Its kinda frustrating to read different infos anywhere on the net and the hint, just use the recommended and go with it, isn’t helpful because i want to understand and decide if i can upgrade some parts from the beginning. I think not everyone needs to start from the same beginning if they have different goals.
This is exactly why I recommend just buying the recommended stuff. I hope I have made it clear why I feel they are the best choice. If you are unclear why Just ask specific questions and I will give specific answers.
Not true of a quality board. The Rambo is properly heat sinking the DRV8825’s and have back current protection.Things like this are why I use an “expensive” board. A random board with swap-able drivers is cheaper…and typically less reliable and robust as well as not properly heatsinked (DRV8825’s have heatpipes that need to be tied into a cooling plane, the little purple boards are actually upside down and hold in heat).
Why? Why not trust my at least some of my recommendations. The machine runs fine with 42oz/in steppers, I sell and recommend ~70 as overkill…and you want to double that? I chose the best board I could find, I am running the drivers at a comfortable level and put on as large of steppers that fit that so nothing is left on the table…al while balancing cost. You want to add giant heavy steppers, and in turn add more expensive drivers to run them. As stated in many pages on the site, Stepper power is not and has never been an issue. Machine rigidity is what we balance.
If you just want to make things with my machine, just use the recommended course of action, You do not need to research alternative methods for everything. I have laid out what I believe to be the easiest path to making with a CNC possible without sacrificing any capabilities. Just use EstlCam to make the Gcode and repetier or and LCD to serve it to the board as the instructions say. It is literally no more complicated than that. Cristian has made a Post processor just for us so everything just works.
I am not upset in any way, promise. You are reading different info from different places…that has nothing to do with my machine. If something was substantially better and more robust…I don’t care about the price (…Ultimachine boards…) I will use/sell/recommend it. This is my full time job, I went to school for this, I spend a vast majority of my time in this, and do make changes when needed.
Break this into two parts.
If you want to know why I use a specific item, ask. I feel like I have been explaining why I use what I use, but if I am missing something ask. I have answered these questions many times so I very well could be leaving things you want to know out. You are listing parts you have read are better, we are trying to help you understand those choices.
“upgrade” I am trying to get this across. I do not believe there are any upgrades from my recommended, if there where why would I not sell a better machine?
Just keep asking questions until you understand everything clearly. Do not spend any money until you are sure. As you can see there are a ton of people here that want to help. Everyone starts with a different skill set and end goal in mind.
Don’t sell yourself short Ryan, you absolutely deserve a few bucks for all the effort you have put into this.
It really is very easy to over-complicate this build.
It’s complicated enough that adding in more complications just makes the experience far less enjoyable. Trust me, did that myself.
In the end, Ryan’s kits are the ultimate option for this setup.
There are far too many choices out there (some seriously suck), but in then end, his kits provide the best experience.
You can make it cheaper by printing your own parts from Ryan’s free designs.
Keep in mind that how you assemble/adjust the MPCNC and the tubing you use will determine your success in accuracy.
Read the FAQ’s, posts and instructions multiple times. DO NOT get caught up in the minutia, which is easy to do.
Just let the information sink in.
Conduit or tubing will vary and be inconsistent in curves and warps.
This WILL play a role in accuracy.
DO NOT expect machining parts for engines accuracy, this is a hobby build.
You can get pretty darn good accuracy out of it though, people have done it.
Don’t over complicate this whole thing, it’s easy to do. Keep it simple is the motto.
Ryan has put together what is the best options over all for success.
Trust the process.
If you really want to dig into options, start here.
To not make the Machine expensive.
I read a lot about the slightly bigger CNC machines, Erika for example, TRON. I am not going with the wish to have a CNC since yesterday and maybe from these points i come a bit with better equipment.
And regarding heavy motors and big steppers as i said i want to reuse the components… above in the thread i mentioned the product id of the NEMA 17 motors i want to use, some with 59 NCM or i think around 86oz. So whats wrong asking to drive them with maybe 24v and up to 4amp?
I run the 59NCM steppers on 8825’s. They’re rated 2 Amps/Phase, I did set the drivers to 0.9 Volts aka 1.8 Amps, No issues in normal operation, they run a bit hot while trochoidal milling.
To my knowledge those are the biggest steppers (Nema 17 class) available with an reasonable price.
I have no clue if stepper motors have their own laws, but 24V, 4A would just be 4 times over the rated specs.
Oh, and to come back to the original topic, I wrote to Christian a week or two back. And he said the Arduino Mega is supported by Estlcam, but not the Ramps board, so the board Andi linked will probably work (if they claim so) otherwise you have to wire one yourself.
On they other hand, does the Estlcam firmware supports something similar like dual stop endstops ??
If not, what’s all the fuzz about using the Mega anyways?
Shitty imports. Ryan had to send back a thousand of them because they were all doa. I’m still running mega/ramps on both my machines, but they’re both old. If I ever upgrade I’ll either go with a rambo, or spend some cash for a duet.
Not that I’m aware of in terms of “autosquaring” - but I believe Estlcam does traditional homing with one switch per axis.
I’ve had good luck with the Arduino clones on Amazon which has an excellent return policy, but been bit by a few bad clones going the China express way.