I have plans to do aluminum, but they are far in the future.
I've got software to do picture-to-toolpath conversion for
panels, but I haven't used it yet.
I just picked up a pair of PHL1340s and two pairs of Vifa
XG18WH00 (from Vance Dickason, no less) that I need to
get boxes built for. Vifa DX25TG tweets coming from Parts
Express.
Dave - You are always thinking like I'm thinking ( does that mean
you are insane too?!?). I don't know what to do for stands.
I have thought of just cutting down the top plate of the stands
they are currently on. Then paint them the same color.
How do you like that fleck-stone paint? It covers a lot of little
sins ....
herm
I've got software to do picture-to-toolpath conversion for
panels, but I haven't used it yet.
I just picked up a pair of PHL1340s and two pairs of Vifa
XG18WH00 (from Vance Dickason, no less) that I need to
get boxes built for. Vifa DX25TG tweets coming from Parts
Express.
Dave - You are always thinking like I'm thinking ( does that mean
you are insane too?!?). I don't know what to do for stands.
I have thought of just cutting down the top plate of the stands
they are currently on. Then paint them the same color.
How do you like that fleck-stone paint? It covers a lot of little
sins ....
herm
Its a fine line between insanity and genius. Ive spent all but a few moments of my life on the wrong side of the line.
What I wouldn’t give for a few moments of rational thought.
If you saved the MDF circles, you could use them with lengths of all thread to make speaker stands. Three or four pieces with EMT cut for spacers between the circles. It should come out nice and rigid with a sort of Jetsons look to it.
What I wouldn’t give for a few moments of rational thought.
If you saved the MDF circles, you could use them with lengths of all thread to make speaker stands. Three or four pieces with EMT cut for spacers between the circles. It should come out nice and rigid with a sort of Jetsons look to it.
Hmm. This really has my wheels turning now. My college roomate fooled with visual basic and managed to control a stepper motor through the serial port of his PC. Essentially, he did a very basic version of how this CNC is controlled. Building the mechanical part of the CNC wouldn't be beyond my abilities. I think I might need to start fooling with some prototypes of my own and see if I can build one of these puppies for way less than $2200. 
The actual motor control is very easy - the software
turns the geometry into step and direction pulses which get
sent to the motor controllers.
Parallel port layout:
pin 2: x step
pin 3: x direction
pin 4: y step
pin 5: y direction
pin 6: z step
pin 7: z direction
It's really that easy. If have a few questions, send them to me.
I am currently getting my brothers set up with controllers &
stepper motors, too. If have enough computer savvy to do
CAD work, you have all you need to do this ...
Da5id4Vz;
All those little mdf cutouts have been going straight into the
woodstove. I knew I shoudl have saved them!
turns the geometry into step and direction pulses which get
sent to the motor controllers.
Parallel port layout:
pin 2: x step
pin 3: x direction
pin 4: y step
pin 5: y direction
pin 6: z step
pin 7: z direction
It's really that easy. If have a few questions, send them to me.
I am currently getting my brothers set up with controllers &
stepper motors, too. If have enough computer savvy to do
CAD work, you have all you need to do this ...
Da5id4Vz;
All those little mdf cutouts have been going straight into the
woodstove. I knew I shoudl have saved them!
Department of commerce sponsored a NIST program for open source CNC.
http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/documents/michaloski/An_Open_System_Framework.pdf
http://www.sherline.com/emc/Developer_Handbook.pdf
A little more googling would likely find the source code.
I suspect that unless your a Linux wonk who really likes doing all of the required customizations, that purchasing a machine packaged with drivers and a decent software package is the way to go.
But this depends on your interests and resources. Are you interested in building machines, or are you interested in building stuff with machines?
I think that BTU conversion of the MDF scraps is as valid a use as anything. How is it on the chimney?
I'm still dreaming about a bridgeport with Fanouc controls, not that I have anplace to put it.
http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/documents/michaloski/An_Open_System_Framework.pdf
http://www.sherline.com/emc/Developer_Handbook.pdf
A little more googling would likely find the source code.
I suspect that unless your a Linux wonk who really likes doing all of the required customizations, that purchasing a machine packaged with drivers and a decent software package is the way to go.
But this depends on your interests and resources. Are you interested in building machines, or are you interested in building stuff with machines?
I think that BTU conversion of the MDF scraps is as valid a use as anything. How is it on the chimney?
I'm still dreaming about a bridgeport with Fanouc controls, not that I have anplace to put it.
I have a large file of Machinery and CNC resource URL's that I can Email to anyone interested.
I tried a couple of ways of posting it here and failed.
All kinds of resources, time money, talent, intelligence ingenuity... If you got the desire, and more of one than another, there are all kinds of ways of achieving a goal.
For me this must be a project in the undetermined future.
I have a lot of admiration for what herm is doing here. Its a great little machine that should help him build many satisfying future products.
I've always been interested in Bridgeport style machines (bench top) but can also see the innate versatility of the gantry machines.
For a quick and dirty machine I always thought that the Palmgreen X-Y compound looked easy to ad motors to. At around $200 it has decent travel and perhaps acceptable precision. The addition of a Z-axis and some type of mill, drill, cutter dremil rotozip thing would fill out the platform. Not perfect but the start of a hobby grade machine for not too much money.
I tried a couple of ways of posting it here and failed.
All kinds of resources, time money, talent, intelligence ingenuity... If you got the desire, and more of one than another, there are all kinds of ways of achieving a goal.
For me this must be a project in the undetermined future.
I have a lot of admiration for what herm is doing here. Its a great little machine that should help him build many satisfying future products.
I've always been interested in Bridgeport style machines (bench top) but can also see the innate versatility of the gantry machines.
For a quick and dirty machine I always thought that the Palmgreen X-Y compound looked easy to ad motors to. At around $200 it has decent travel and perhaps acceptable precision. The addition of a Z-axis and some type of mill, drill, cutter dremil rotozip thing would fill out the platform. Not perfect but the start of a hobby grade machine for not too much money.
Jim85IROC said:Hmm. This really has my wheels turning now. My college roomate fooled with visual basic and managed to control a stepper motor through the serial port of his PC. Essentially, he did a very basic version of how this CNC is controlled.
Probably not. Although I am in the "robotics game," I don't know a great deal about CNC machines. However, I would guess that the tricky bit would be finding and interpretting documents that define the interface between standard software and the device controller.
Dave,
There are quite a few CNC programs out there designed to convert ACAD to G-code files. Some are stand-alone and others come bundled with stepper or servo drivers, while others are supplied with complete machines or kits.
And then there is the open source stuff I mentioned in my earlier post:
http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/documen...m_Framework.pdf
http://www.sherline.com/emc/Developer_Handbook.pdf
A little more googling would likely find the source code.
- an other Dave
There are quite a few CNC programs out there designed to convert ACAD to G-code files. Some are stand-alone and others come bundled with stepper or servo drivers, while others are supplied with complete machines or kits.
And then there is the open source stuff I mentioned in my earlier post:
http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/documen...m_Framework.pdf
http://www.sherline.com/emc/Developer_Handbook.pdf
A little more googling would likely find the source code.
- an other Dave
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