DIY CNC Router

C

Cypher618

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Joined
Jan 14, 2021
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34
Came up with this design a few years ago using 2x4s, and the cheapest appropriately sized stepper kit, linear rails, and ball screws I could find on eBay. The whole machine sits on a rolling platform inside a sound enclosure, since this thing is loud!
 

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Nice! Just shows we don't always need to use extruded aluminum for such things
 
Sweet build. What did you use for the drivers and controller, software etc.?
 
Yeah I didn't wan't to spend on the aluminum extrusion when 2x4 were so cheap.

The controller isn't a mach 3 but some other 4-axis cnc controller called USB-CNC which processes the Gcode. Steppers are 425oz-in torque.

I used CamBam to generate the Gcode.
 
I did something like this to but out of scrap metal that i welded together and with linear rails from server racks :D It worked fairly good and did run through alot of parts. But it ended up to small to bought a larger one instead hehe

I use Mach3 for my systems and work great.
 
Looks like a useable router. The first one that I built looked very similar. However I built the bottom box out of 29/32 plywood with drawer slides for the linear components. I used 1/4-28 all thread to move the three axes. I haven't used in 4 or 5 years but I might convert it to a large area 3d printer some day.
 
oh its a dream machine #needtobuild. hope i get time one day. (thinking could i just use the controller from the 3d-printer i have)?
 
yeah fundamentally you could use the arduino based controller of a 3d printer to run a milling machine. 3d printers and milling machines are totally different in their requirements (stiff and heavy vs light and zippy) but you can probably get away with very simple light work. I would reach out to Bubba if you are interested in doing this, he is working on exactly what you are talking about.

For anything more serious than a little dremel with a tiny cuttter you would need to build a whole machine. You could modify the controller, change out the stepper drivers, and add some g-code commands to the printer firmware. But at that point you might as well buy a Mach3 clone for 50 bucks which has all this done for you.
 
Currently upgrading from an 8bit board to 32bit skr 1.4 turbo, but having problems. So still a work in progress. Bad thing about making a 3d printer into cnc... can't print while figuring out cnc :(
 
You need both :D !!

I have 2 3dprinters and 1 cnc and thats ok. Because 3d printers are slow and tend to need more service than the cnc that use proper ballscrews and gliderails and stuff :p Though the cnc did cost tad more than my printers did.
 
I agree. I built this CNC long before I had any 3d printers. I tried to make it 3d print too but that was an absolute failure. Way too slow.

A couple years later I got an ANET A8 and played around with it for a bit then gave up on it because as is it was a POS and I didn't know enough about 3d printing to fix it yet.

By the time Covid hit I had upgraded the Anet and also had a Geetech A20M which I was using to print miniatures. I changed out the cyclops end to a chimera end and modified the firmware and wiring. The experience of the A20M gave me knowledge to fix up the A8, its decent now.

There was a PPE shortage in Canada so I linked up with a local group printing faceshields and then ended up with an anycubic chiron and an Ender 3. It was wild going through filament so quickly. At one point I had 5kg spools rocking on every printer running around the clock.

Its a pretty busy basement...
 
:) Yeah it goes fast. I run 1kg spools here because they are cheaper but i have to change every day when i print a bit faster. so 2kg per day basically :D
 
That is a lot of filament u guys run. Have you found any good nice too print, or you just print ppe and
 
I have for an example printed tons of boxes and things building storage bins. Also done things as lamps and other larger stuff. Its not hard to use alot of filament when you do larger sturdy things :D
 
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