Results of some recent tool threads

[Stytooner]

I thought some might be interested in my results from some recent tool threads here. Most notably the Ridgid trimmer router and the HF toggle clamps.
I wound up getting the trimmer from HD. I had a coupon for $10 off of $75. I got it for $90, but no hassle for returns if needed.

I changed the end on the HF clamps to suit this purpose as well. Just ground spikes on some 1/4 20 all thread. They hold the aluminum sheet great. The jig is made of 1/8" steel sheet with 3/16" phenolic as a spoil board. 2 pieces of angle iron front and back keep it held tightly to the magnetic chuck it sits on.

This addition to the mill worked out very nicely. The little router is set at high speed and is running 30,000 rpm no load. Load under cutting pulls it down to about 25 to 26 thousand.

Nice little router and cool HF clamps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fswDGVjeZPc

[atgcpaul]

That is a cool setup! Do you think you'll do carving like the CompuCarve? Do
you free hand cut the metal parts free from the blank?

[cabinetman]

Looks like the set-up worked great. Forgot to put on my ear muffs for the video.
.

[crokett]

That is pretty spiffy! You have a great setup there.

[cgallery]

So 150-IPM is moving pretty fast. What kind of screws (TPI) are you using, and what kind of motors (stepper/servo)?

[poolhound]

ahh - so thats how you make them, very cool.

[Stytooner]

Thanks Guys.
The edges have to be sanded some and then the top bent, but I usually use the bandsaw with bimetal blade to cut these out afterward. Wire side cutters will work too, but them I'm left with a larger skeleton. Bandsaw makes it take up less space in the recycle bucket.

I will get to play with this one of these days. Right now all my machines either work on producing sharks or for building or bettering themselves.

Here is a link to the build log at the Zone.
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32609
It explains what all I used to built and rebilt and upgrade this machine. Not near done yet though.


Cman, sorry about that. The router is pretty quiet as far as routers go, but the camera is almost on top of it.

[cgallery]

Good read, thanks. Those look like some fast screws.

There was a lot of reading and I'll no doubt read it more closely tonight. But I was wondering: How many steps per rev. are your steppers? And what controller are you using?

The reason I ask is, I have a little CNC router that I bought from a guy on eBay a few years ago. I purchased it to help me make tools I need to stack swaps on hard drives. It has served its function (actually, I made a few sets of tools and I haven't needed it much since then). But I'm trying to investigate more uses for it.

Anyway, I'm using 10-TPI screws and I purchased a Xylotex 3-axis controller that came w/ three steppers. The steppers are 1600 steps per rev. The screws are 10-TPI. This translates into an amazing 16000 steps per inch. This translates into a max. of approx. 24-30 inches per second.

I don't use the machine for production of course, but for some material I wouldn't mind moving a little faster. I've been thinking the fastest way to get me there would be to replace the steppers w/ something coarser.

Any thoughts?

Edit: Just noticed that I think I can disable micro-stepping w/ the controller. I really need to read a lot more before I ask any Q's.

[Stytooner]

The steppers I am using are 1.8 degree, so that makes them 200 steps per rev. These are pretty normal for steppers.

The drives I am using on this one are Gecko 203V's. They multiply the steps by 10. So 2000 steps per rev.

The screws are 10 mm lead, so 2.54 turns per inch. This works out to a resolution of 5080 steps on X and Y since they are direct drive on the screw.
My Z axis uses a belt drive, so my steps there are like 10290 or so. I had to do some testing to get the exact step count for this axis. The belt drive was 10 to 20 teeth. Theoretically it would be a 10160 step count, but I had to add more steps to account for the actual gearing and size.

Microstepping your drive is going to give you better resolution than straight stepping.
I initially had a Xylotex, but found it is on the slow and low side. There are some new Gecko's coming out that are on the cheap side, and you will get much better performance out of those with a larger power supply. They will make a little machine scream.