Melbourne (F) test plot

Okay after last weekends test move (with no magic smoke leaking), I had today to play around with getting:

  • Raspberry Pi - OctoPi built and configured.
  • Installed estlcam to trial (but looks like I will buy it)
  • Followed tutorial for crown plot
  • tested RAMPS and yes my steps/per were wrong. fixed and re-flashed firmware.
  • tested and calibration is now fine (when I dial it to move 20cm, it now moves 20cm in any direction).
  • Ran the crown gcode from OctoPi and webcam and produced this time lapse.

Total time was 2 minutes. Octopi time lapse was set to 25fps and taking 1 frame per sec.

hmm. I think I will refer to my melbourne CNC as the Melbourne(F) version (as I used the 25mm version), unless there is another melbourne MPCNC that already is build and working using F size prints?

next challenge is I think some Circuit cutting and/or maybe some g-code ripper to see how bad my bed is un-level.

Tough to tell with the video going so fast, but did it have some problems on that crown or was I working with a different image when I drew mine? seems like that curved box near the bottom should have square ends.

The surface the paper was on was :

  • Not quite level (hence the T top part of the crown)
  • There was some grit I missed under the paper
  • And as the pen was held on by rubber bands, at the lower part of the table, it dragged, thus the odd shape for something that should be a bent rectangle

But as a first go of running some g-code on it for 2d (and well, tech 3d as it did raise/lower the pen) it went well.

Really want to know if the marlin linked from the here -> home -> assembly ->… marlin (I think it is RC7) supports G38.2 for surface probing (for gcode ripper/etc) and also what pin (Z min or max maybe) it is bound to.

Okay Tried to use the same GCODE for the crown with a router on a bit of scrap wood I clamped down.

Technically a success. It moved with the fast spinning metal, which gouged out wood as it went along.

yes. I know I need to redo gcode with something (a) better, (b) slower the feed rate and © not as much Z step.

Edit: I know people will ask. Its a Ozito laminate Trimmer that I used for the router.

Nice one!
How do you find the router? I’ve decided any more money spent on Dremel bits is money wasted, but it was a good way of proving the concept.
I’ve got gumtree and eBay searches on Makita and Bosch routers - but might end up with an Ozito or Ryobi (the usual suspects!) from the big green shed.

well if you saw my post in “getting started” you will see that I have used the trimmer to make T slots in my spoil board for M5 bolts .

But you will also see that the vibrations make the Z Motor plate slip up the pipe (or the Z pipes down). So had to redesign the Z Motor plate with bolt through the Z pipe to properly secure it.

The Trimmer worked nice with 1/4 shank router bit I used. I also got a 1/4 to 1/8 collet converter (for the dremel PCB shafts I have) that I have yet to test. Will let you know how that goes.

Up coming X-mas holidays so should have more time to work on it. :slight_smile:

looking for dust extractor solution at the moment as well. much as I would like to build one, I think I will buy one in and looking at getting a Clearvue Cyclone CV06 mini version. Will also let you know how that goes.

keep on milling people.

After getting the correct safety equipment (Dust collector), and putting all the cables away (cable management), I finally did a test cut into foam and it worked.

The video is in 2 parts, the first minute is of the outside loop cut. I started recording the video after the first 3 holes were cut(the holes were 12.5mm, and since the bit is 6.35, I had the mill bit drill it, rather than change bits).

The second part of the video is after its finished (and the router is turned off), and you can see the size, cut quality and the 2 tabs I set.

Note: this was cut into test FOAM, but since this worked I will be shortly being doing it into the final wood with the same gcode.

I wanted it to work, so I went slow and total cut time was 25 minutes(ish).

ESTLCam settings are mentioned in the comments in the youtube video.