-
Welcome back Guest! Did you know you can mentor other members here at H-M? If not, please check out our Relaunch of Hobby Machinist Mentoring Program!
CNC daydreaming
- Thread starter rabler
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2021
- Messages
- 3,271
Sorry, missed your comment until just now. I'm working on building a new shop: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...uildings-expansion-building-on-a-grade.91117/
Contractor is suppose to start "By the end of January" (Jan 3 was the original tentative start date). Until I get the additional square footage, I don't have room for the tools I already have much less a decent sized VMC. Just today I was working on building out the new meter panel to upgrade the power feed to 400A for the house, so I'll basically have a 200A service to the house and a 200A service to the new shop. To run a VMC I may have to also upgrade my RPC, currently using a 20HP on a WNY panel. Looking at adding another 10HP or 20HP idler and making that one a pony start to avoid the horrendous inrush on starting a large RPC necessary to feed a VMC and still allow other things to be going on in the shop.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2021
- Messages
- 3,271
Almost a year later. Shop is almost done. Still need to put in the NG heater and the flu on the wood stove. Heat pump mini-splits will suffice for mild fall weather.
Went to visit another hobbyist that is looking to get into building some things as a sideline revenue stream. He went from CNC'ing a PM-30V to buying a new Okuma M560-V, a monster 18,000 lb VMC. Impressive what he can turn out, but certainly not what I'd consider a hobbyist budget given the 6 figure cost of the machine, before shipping and rigging and ....
Still like the plan of retrofitting an older VMC with newer electronics/controller. I do think something with an ATC is in the cards even if it isn't a day one feature.
Went to visit another hobbyist that is looking to get into building some things as a sideline revenue stream. He went from CNC'ing a PM-30V to buying a new Okuma M560-V, a monster 18,000 lb VMC. Impressive what he can turn out, but certainly not what I'd consider a hobbyist budget given the 6 figure cost of the machine, before shipping and rigging and ....
Still like the plan of retrofitting an older VMC with newer electronics/controller. I do think something with an ATC is in the cards even if it isn't a day one feature.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2014
- Messages
- 2,133
If you are going to refit a pro size machine with an ATC, I'd strongly suggest Camsoft. I have done half dozen refits with this software over the years. Very similar to the custom software way that Jim Dawson goes. I'd suggest you use him for all the servo and drive selection
This is quite a huge project the first time - steep learning curve here.
karl
This is quite a huge project the first time - steep learning curve here.
karl
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2021
- Messages
- 3,271
I’ll add camsoft to my list of things to dig into.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2014
- Messages
- 2,287
OMG, that is a BEAST
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2021
- Messages
- 3,271
It will fit right in with my huge surface plate, 25" swing lathe, and WWII K&T 3k mill. They all weigh about 4-5 tons each.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2021
- Messages
- 3,271
The NT 4.0 based Siemens acramatic 2100 controller on this machine has lost it's nvram battery so the BIOS is shot. Current owner tried troubleshooting it but I think he made more of a mess of it. Windows NT gives me heartburn 
I've taken a dive into looking at LinuxCNC, and am pretty well set on that route. May not be the right route in general but I have a predilection for open source software, and have years of experience messing with embedded Linux, realtime extensions (for software radio, but same concept) , C programming, and even some kernel hacking. VHDL programming for the MESA FPGAs would be a bit of a stretch but probably not necessary. So rebuilding the controller is rather tantalizing, as I'll then know the guts of the machine inside out. Unfortunately MESA cards are unobtainium right now given the chip shortage. But it'll probably be a month before I even get the machine moved.
I've taken a dive into looking at LinuxCNC, and am pretty well set on that route. May not be the right route in general but I have a predilection for open source software, and have years of experience messing with embedded Linux, realtime extensions (for software radio, but same concept) , C programming, and even some kernel hacking. VHDL programming for the MESA FPGAs would be a bit of a stretch but probably not necessary. So rebuilding the controller is rather tantalizing, as I'll then know the guts of the machine inside out. Unfortunately MESA cards are unobtainium right now given the chip shortage. But it'll probably be a month before I even get the machine moved.
