Tag Archives: CNC

CNC Build, Day 5 – rails and prep work

It took me a bit, but I figured out what rails I need for the new machine (T6 6061 structural aluminum, as opposed to 6063 architectural aluminum), and was able to order and pick them up from Online Metals.com (which … Continue reading

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CNC Build, Day 4 – parts ordered

I put in 2 separate orders this morning; one to Pointe for ~$50 and the other to BuildYourCNC for about $450. The Pointe order includes 1/4-20 and 3/8-16 bolts and nuts, and a couple pieces of 1/4″ allthread. I found … Continue reading

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CNC Build, Day 3 cont. – Testing the CAD

With the CAD drawings all converted to the cuttable area of the Book machine, I needed to confirm that all the parts were placed properly. I scratched my head about how to do this, and then hit upon an easy … Continue reading

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CNC Build, Day 3 – hardware pricing

I more or less know what I’m getting into this time; the structure will be built of 1/4-20 bolts and cross dowels, with a small smattering of larger bits (to hold on bearings and stuff), some angle aluminum, and a … Continue reading

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CNC Build Day 2, The Rhino in the Beetle

The plans for the 4×8 machine require 4 quarter-sheets of ply, so I went to McLendon’s to pick up some 3/4″ Birch. Their stuff is really pretty compared to Home Depot. $19/sheet, though. I briefly considered getting 4’x4′ sheets and … Continue reading

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CNC Build Day 1, Moving on up

I’ve decided to upgrade my trusty CNC machine to a larger unit. There are several small problems with the current machine, some by design, and some in my execution. By design, the machine has a 24″x48″ table, but it can … Continue reading

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CNC router mount finally gets shifted

Because of the way that the original router mount was designed, I lost a lot of usable router bit length. So I redesigned it immediately; it was the first real job I ran on the CNC machine. But, because the … Continue reading

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CNC update – endmills

I have a DeWalt palm router (I’ll get the model number later). It has a collet, not a chuck, so it can take 1/4″ shank bits only. Speed change bits don’t work. Just round-shank router bits. I ran the endmill … Continue reading

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CNC – parts is parts

I fired up the CNC machine over the weekend. I was trying to figure out how to cut concentric circles in a piece of plywood, and decided that it would be easiest to do it “in software”. The hardest part … Continue reading

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CNC – 3D, baby!

… well, 2.5D anyway. This is by far the most complicated design I’ve even attempted on the CNC machine. I learned a lot. In particular, I learned that the machine is *slow*. This carving took about 14 hours to cut … Continue reading

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