My Jorney Into The Cnc World.

[compsurge]

Progress looks great!

If you'd like to get into CAD and CAM, download Autodesk Fusion 360 and give it a try. It is free for hobbyist use (I don't know if that is a one year promotion or not). It is extremely easy to use and the CAM is excellent. If you do end up having to pay the yearly subscription fee, it is worth it for the software capability, continuous feature upgrades, and updates.

 

[REdington]

Progress looks great!

If you'd like to get into CAD and CAM, download Autodesk Fusion 360 and give it a try. It is free for hobbyist use (I don't know if that is a one year promotion or not). It is extremely easy to use and the CAM is excellent. If you do end up having to pay the yearly subscription fee, it is worth it for the software capability, continuous feature upgrades, and updates.

I have it downloaded, but haven't taken the time to play with it. I've never heard how well the CAM work within it though.
The way I understand the it, it'll be free to all who use it as a hobby or production and don't make more than $100,000 a year with it.

Thanks for your opinion of it and will try to work with it when I have time.

Rodney

 

[rcaffin]

Here is how I have the X and Y driven now. They are both driven 1 to 1. The ball screws are 5/8" X .500" pitch.

I really really strongly suggest you put fairly close covers over all those tothed belt drives, and keep all the chips out of them. Otherwise you will shred the hell out of the belts, and travel will be uneven.

Cheers
Roger

 

[REdington]

I really really strongly suggest you put fairly close covers over all those tothed belt drives, and keep all the chips out of them. Otherwise you will shred the hell out of the belts, and travel will be uneven.

Cheers
Roger

Thanks Roger, I'll be doing that then.


Rodney

 

[chips&more]

Just curious, what was the problem with the power supplies? Are you trying to show us a pic of the choke? And I think you can have big problems with a switching power supply that does not have an insulation transformer in it. When you hook up units in series you should be very careful of a floating ground.

 

[REdington]

Just curious, what was the problem with the power supplies? Are you trying to show us a pic of the choke?

I guess they are chokes, anyways, two of the wires that were soldered to the pc board were knocked loose. Paul (my son) soldered them back up and they worked.

And I think you can have big problems with a switching power supply that does not have an insulation transformer in it. When you hook up units in series you should be very careful of a floating ground.

Well I have no idea what you are saying. Would you explain it to me. What is a floating ground??? Is that the ground that is on the one PS hooked to the positive on the other???

I do have the enclosure wired so it has a earth ground and the PS's are mounted in the case, so they are grounded.




The enclosure is done and I want to post some photos but my hosting site is down. I'll get them uploaded soon I hope. BTW that is why some photos are not showing up.

Rodney

 

[chips&more]

Hi again Rodney, if you already have them hooked up in series and they are working, then you should be OK. But maybe in the future if you do a similar. I would check every connection input and output and make sure it is all the same. And even then, I wouldn’t say you were guaranteed to not smoke something. Just got to thinking, maybe an isolation diode between the two PS would be in order?...Dave.

 

[REdington]

Just got to thinking, maybe an isolation diode between the two PS would be in order?...Dave.

Dave, what is a isolation diode??? I have a bunch of diodes and don't know the difference.

Thanks

Rodney

 

[REdington]

Well here is what the enclosure look like now. While I was looking for something else, I found this fan that I had forgot that I had. It'll move more air than the 2 fans that I was going to use. Still need to make some sort of filters for the air inlets. I was just going to use screen wire, but I think a filter of some sort will keep it a lot cleaner inside.

I got the new PS, but I'm going to use the duel 24's to make sure it will work before I switch them out.

















Rodney

 

[compsurge]

You can get some activated carbon filter material for cheap from Amazon or a roll of filter material from Home Depot/Lowe's