Hello from Grantham in the UK - hometown of Newton himself - in fact the old school he attended is just a few miles from where I live. It’s also the hometown of Margaret Thatcher but, oddly, not many people seem to refer to that - not even a blue plaque on her parents old grocery shop.
Anyway, I’m making steady progress on the MPCNC with final assembly and electronics to complete.
Wood for the table from Build base UK - carcassing timber 6x3M lengths to make the following from the parametric model from GeoDave on Thigiverse :
ECHO: “** Cut 4 Legs 990” Long"
ECHO: “** Cut 4 Top Ledge Lengths 890” Long"
ECHO: “** Cut 2 Top Ledge Widths 890” Long"
ECHO: “** Cut 2 Top Edges 990” x 150" Wide"
ECHO: “** Cut 1 Top Middle 990” x 690" Wide"
ECHO: “----------------------------------------------”
ECHO: “** Cut 4 Shelf Ledge Lengths 890” Long"
ECHO: “** Cut 4 Shelf Ledge Widths 890” Long"
ECHO: “** Cut 2 shelves 990” x 890" Wide"
ECHO: “----------------------------------------------”
ECHO: “** Toe Space Height = 200"”
ECHO: “** Bottom Shelf Usable Height = 188"”
ECHO: “** Top Shelf Usable Height = 278"”
For control board I’m umm-ing and ahh-ing between a Rambo or a Duet Wifi - I want to wire all the motors independently and also have dual endstops. Rambo looks to be the most commonly built system so might make sense to start with that. With the Duet - it has built in wifi and a large 7inch touchscreen but I’d need to figure out the config needed - I see there are some on the forum that have gone the Duet route so any guidance gratefully received!
Spindle choice is likely to be a DeWalt 26200 as I was able to pick up a used one for a cracking price - it does seem a bit heavy and I’m wondering how well it would work - I see it’s recommended for the lowrider but guidance for the MPCNC seems a little sketchy on the forum.
Now, I’ve never ever run a CNC before and I realise that I have much to learn so have been reading as much as I can - I need to figure out software (I run on macs rather pc’s) and then start playing - initially with pens and then soft materials for cutting is my intent. I’m holding off printing a spindle mount so that I’m not tempted to get too big for my shoes and start cutting harder materials before I know what I’m doing.
One of the first things I’d like to start cutting is for one of my other hobbies - photography - and I want to create some lens boards for my wooden large format cameras. Then onto some parametric wall art - thus the larger size for the printer.
Finally, once I’ve got the thing built and working I shall be tipping the various people that have created all of this - it looks to be fabulously thought through and well executed - but the proof of the pudding of course is in the (precise cutting and then) eating. I’m likely to be so thrilled at seeing this work that I’ll be in a more generous mood.
I am not the best one to ask about boards but my advice is decide what you enjoy about this. If you just want a tool buy the rambo, easily. If you like to tinker and mess with the firmware and try lots of things and understand it, then go with anything that looks interesting to you. The most support is available with the rambo.
You are on the right track, start with a pen, tons of fun and gets you over the learning hump real fast and easy.
I can’t imagine your products not being precise after the precision with which you have gone about the build. You do Newton proud.
I can’t imagine not being able to control the machine without some type of remote setup. I settled for a rPi and CNC.js and it works so reliably. That is as long as I remember to turn the hard switch on on the router when I start the job with a IOT relay controlling it and the vacuum. One week of not doing any parts and I am back to silly mistakes. I have got to get that checklist printed out.
@vicious1 - I have the Duet for now with a Rambo on the way - I’ll be selling whichever I do not use. BTW - awesome job on the design of this - it really is very impressive!
@scrounge79 - Thanks for the tip - this reminds me of octoprint for 3d printers - I wasn’t aware of cnc.js so will give it a go.
Thanks @jeffeb3, I recently with through the rigmarole of configuring a RPI3 for access mode and it was a pain in the neck - doing that and the pre-installed software is a very neat job. One to bookmark for the Rambo for when it arrives.
For now, I’m getting my head around wiring on my steppers and endstops - I’ve bought the fysetc endstops with cabling - three wires so I guess the +ve wire shouldn’t be connected to the board, just the Signal and GND. Fun this isn’t it - the things I’m learning!
@Pascal, yes one colour, Black, as I was once a goth many, many…many moons ago. I’ve grown up but still love to simplicity of black and chrome. Actually, when I say I’ve grown up…
All assembly complete. Man, for some reason, putting the z-axis together was way more trouble than it should’ve been - entirely my fault though but once the tubes were drilled properly (!) and the tool mount fixed, the rest was really straightforward.
Bed spoiler board cut in place.
MPCNC squared - this was quite straightforward thanks for the accuracy of the cutting from Metal Mania UK - and fixed to the table using black japanned screws from Wickes; 4x20mm did the job nicely.
We have progress! I have finally figured out how to configure the Duet3d Wifi board thanks to all the existing threads on this forum. For future use I going to post the info for my board:
config.g
; Configuration file for Duet WiFi (firmware version 2.03)
; executed by the firmware on start-up
;
; generated by RepRapFirmware Configuration Tool v2.1.8 on Fri Jan 24 2020 19:30:09 GMT+0000 (GMT)
; General preferences
;M111 S0 ; Debugging Off
M453 ; CNC Mode
G21 ; Work in millimetres
G90 ; send absolute coordinates...
M83 ; ...but relative extruder moves
M555 P2 ; Set firmware compatibility to look like Marlin
; Network
M550 P"IngCNC" ; set printer name
M552 S1 ; enable network
M586 P0 S1 ; enable HTTP
M586 P1 S0 ; disable FTP
M586 P2 S0 ; disable Telnet
; Drives
M584 X0:3 Y1:4 Z2 U3 V4 P3 ; Axis mapping, setup axis U (with X) and V (with Y) and hide, pair
M569 P0 S1 ; X physical drive 0 goes forwards
M569 P1 S1 ; Y physical drive 1 goes forwards
M569 P2 S0 ; Z physical drive 2 goes backwards
M569 P3 S0 ; U (X') physical drive 3 goes backwards
M569 P4 S0 ; V (Y') physical drive 4 goes backwards
M350 X16 Y16 Z16 U16 V16 I1 ; configure microstepping with interpolation
M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z400.00 U80.00 V80.00 ; set steps per mm
M566 X900.00 Y900.00 Z12.00 U900.00 V900.00 ; set maximum instantaneous speed changes (mm/min)
M203 X6000.00 Y6000.00 Z180.00 U6000.00 V6000.00 ; set maximum speeds (mm/min)
M201 X500.00 Y500.00 Z20.00 U500.00 V500.00 ; set accelerations (mm/s^2)
M906 X1000 Y1000 Z1000 U1000 V1000 I30 ; set motor currents (mA) and motor idle factor in per cent
M84 S5 ; Set idle timeout
; Axis Limits
M208 X0 Y0 Z-100 U0 V0 S1 ; set axis minima
M208 X570 Y570 Z200 U570 V570 S0 ; set axis maxima
; Endstops
M574 X1 Y1 Z0 U1 V1 S0 ; Set endstops controlled by switch
;M581 X Y Z U V S0 T0 C0 ; Enable endstop triggers while machining
; Z-Probe
;M558 P0 H5 F120 T6000 ; set Z probe type to switch and the dive height + speeds
;G31 P500 X0 Y0 Z2.5 ; set Z probe trigger value, offset and trigger height
;M557 X15:195 Y15:195 S20 ; define mesh grid
; Heaters
M140 H-1 ; disable heated bed
;M305 P1 T100000 B4138 R4700 ; set thermistor + ADC parameters for heater 1
;M143 H1 S280 ; set temperature limit for heater 1 to 280C
; Fans
M106 P0 S0 I0 F500 H-1 ; set fan 0 value, PWM signal inversion and frequency. Thermostatic control is turned off
M106 P1 S1 I0 F500 H1 T45 ; set fan 1 value, PWM signal inversion and frequency. Thermostatic control is turned on
; Tools
M563 P0 D0 H1 F0 ; define tool 0
;G10 P0 X0 Y0 Z0 ; set tool 0 axis offsets
;G10 P0 R0 S0 ; set initial tool 0 active and standby temperatures to 0C
; Custom settings are not defined
M96 wificonnect.g
homex.g
G1 H2 Z5 F6000 ; lift Z relative to current position
M584 X0 P5 ; split X motor control to X and V - for it to work we have to show U (param P4) in the UI
G91 ; relative positioning
G1 H1 X-605 U-605 F1800 ; move quickly to X axis endstop and stop there (first pass)
G1 X5 U5 F1800 ; go back a few mm
G1 H1 X-10 U-10 F360 ; move slowly to X axis endstop once more (second pass)
G1 H2 Z-5 F6000 ; lower Z again
M584 X0:3 P3 ; Hide U axis using P3
G92 X0 ; Tell the firmware where we are
G90 ; absolute positioning
homey.g
G1 H2 Z5 F6000 ; lift Z relative to current position
M584 Y1 P5 ; split Y motor control to Y and U - for it to work we have to show U (param P4) in the UI
G91 ; relative positioning
G1 H1 Y-605 V-605 F1800 ; move quickly to X axis endstop and stop there (first pass)
G1 Y5 V5 F1800 ; go back a few mm
G1 H1 Y-10 V-10 F360 ; move slowly to X axis endstop once more (second pass)
G1 H2 Z-5 F6000 ; lower Z again
M584 Y1:4 P3 ; Hide U axis using P3
G92 X0 ; Tell the firmware where we are
G90 ; absolute positioning
I’m using Fusion360 and the post processor from ooznest from here.
As above - I’m starting simply with a pen - until I’m familiar with it I want nothing sharp on it - just a sharpie ;). So, I started with the crown:
Then I switched it up a little with different tool paths for different parts of the crown - ie changed the sharpie to a different colour. I was pleased I had the dual endstops as I jogged one of the ends of the x axis as I replaced the pen - I simply re-homed and resumed - bingo!
So we continue making progress and onto foam cutting. I’m using the DeWalt 26200 with a Yonico 2 flute end mill from eBay. First cuts were a simple 5mm deep pocket and a contour to remove item from the stock.
Today was 3D carving starting with 3D adaptive clearing, 3D parallel then a count our cut. User error on the first piece when changing my bits but nailed it on the second.
Feeling really good about this but more practice required for sure.
