CNC Router

[stephen.shannon]

Hi All,

Has anyone here built a CNC router? Or is there a bench top size unit that can be got? I'd love to have a crack at building one if there's any advice out there please post

[billscottni]

I have one, but it was built by another GI member. Also got a very good book off of Amazon "CNC Robotics" Start to finish on a cnc router build

[stephen.shannon]

Thanks Bill, do you need a degree in computer science to get the controls working? I'm reasonably tech savvy but was sure if they are difficult to manage?

[billscottni]

Spending some time at the moment trying to get mine running properly

This is the software I'm trying as most Linux stuff seems to work better!
http://www.linuxcnc.org/

[Fred]

Yep, built one many moons ago  

All details are here: http://gliderireland.modelisme.com/cnc.htm

Very easy to build, even with very little mechanical knowledge like me!
All you need, is a good plan, and a bit of time  
Software wise, you have loads out there now. Mine was using Ninos (from Iprocam). Very easy to setup and use.

So, basically, it's all easy! The main issue now, will be with your ability to produce CAD files, in 2D or 3D. Everything else, is just the push of a button, but to be honest, if you build a cnc router to build 1 model a year, this is not worth the effort, as by the time you produce the drawings, clean them up, arrange them for the machine, and cut, you would have cut your parts with a good fret saw!

If you cut 3 or 4 of the same model (friends, club etc), in this case, worth it, as the time spent making those files will be well used for production.

But if you like a mechanical "challenge", this cnc stuff is a hobby on its own

My 2 pences worth of course

[stephen.shannon]

This is an area I've been interested in a long time so would enjoy the challenge to build one. Especially the stepper motor and software controls.  

Plus the fact that making a plane's ribs and fuselage parts etc symetrically to me is too big a challenge by hand  :!:  so would prefer to allow a computer to do the cutting for me.

S