I ordered my kit and parts last night, so my CNC journey is officially underway. I’m super ecited to get started with this. I’ve got lots of CAD experience, some woodworking experience, but zero CAM or CNC experience. So this should be fun!
Like many of you, I’ll be posting my progress here.
I’d like to start out asking for some feedback. I’ve got a super simple table design I put together in Sketchup, and I’d like to know if you think it has any obvious flaws. The legs are 36 inch long 4x4s, the top frame is 2x3’s on 12" centers, and the table top, which I was planning to use as my spoil board, is just 3/4" MDF board. Or should I have a separate spoil board on top of the MDF? And if so, do I then need to recess the MDF to be flush with the 2x3 side panels?
Table dimensions are 44" x 75" for a 3’ x 5’ cutting area (per the calculator).
If your wheels ride on top of the mdf, then that’s fine. If you want the wheels to ride on the 2x3s, then any distance down from the top will be taken from your max z height. Making the mdf go all the way to the edge will mean you get max Z height.
The rails and the top need to be total 4" or less. With 2.5"+0.75", you’ve got enough space there. If you make them from 2x4s, you probably won’t.
Spend some time finding the clearest dryest boards and spend some time doing what you can to make the surface under the mdf flattish. If you’re good at woodworking, you might consider buying 2x12s and ripping the boards you want out of them. 2x12s can only be made from the center of the tree, so their grain usually is straighter.
Honestly though, don’t stress too much (unless you want to). This table you’ve drawn can be built quick and replaced quick. It will do just fine for many months if not years of fun. After that, you’ll be an expert.
I woke up this morning like a kid on Christmas. Yesterday I finished the table top and picked up my SS tubes. Today I’m scheduled to receive my LR2 kit in the mail, so I’ll be putting on table legs and then waiting by the door for my delivery!
The table is looking great! Can you post pictures of the support structure underneath your MDF? I am getting ready to start building mine and I need ideas.
Well, it took about 30 hours from the moment I got my kit delivered to when I made my first wood cut (including 90 minutes at the scroll saw cutting flat parts, and a few hours sleeping) . My kids wanted a dinosaur and a doggy, so that’s what they got!
I have to say, this is some great engineering by Ryan. It’s a complex machine made about as simple and inexpensive as possible, which, as I learned as an engineer myself, is exactly what good engineering is.
The feeling I got the first time I saw the z axis move gave me goosebumps. Same for the y axis. By x, I had come to expect success. ?
I have so many fun things planned for this machine, but here’s a picture from my first cut.
Also made this for my wife (it too needs to be painted still). This one’s with quarter inch birch plywood, although I may do it again with half inch BB when I get some).
