Y & Z Stages

Built a motor area / Z-axis shaft support

and the shaft drive mount bracket on the other side.

Not much play with the runners! but I might seperate the Y-axis ones a bit!

Electronics

Nema17 Steppers and the all in one 3axis driver/interface board

of ebay ;)

I have also ordered some roller limit switches.

X, Y & Z Runners

This is the first photo I have taken, should have gotten onto it earlier... anyway!

This is my first CNC machine, so I am going to not take it to seriously and try to work out some good ideas for the next incarnation, and will try to find out what does and doesn't work!

I have used ball bearing drawer slides for the linear motion conveyors, they seem to have very little play in them and are pretty darn smooth!

So I have a moving X tray type of setup here, with a fixed gantry X/Y rig

I am TRYING threaded rods as a drive shaft, with secured nuts to move the stages,

I and imagining they may be way to slow, but I am going to give it a try for now!

Skateboard bearings for the drive shafts

DESIGN PLANS

I did this for a TAFE Instructional Design Assignment, So I figure I might aswell put it up here in case someone can get some use out of it!

Drawings done in google sketchup (never used it before)

Feedback will be appreciated!

It is a simple guide and not meant to be extremely thorough like some designs I have seen around

The Beginnings

I have been meaning to start a blog with my progress with building a DIY homemade CNC machine, so here goes.

I have researched for ages and just combined the most cost effective and realistic elements of projects I have seen, this is my first one, and I do plan to make more :)

I have bought a 3 axis Nema17 based Stepper driver/interface board

and am basically using Ball bearing draw runners for the linear modes.

Pics will explain.

I will update when more progress is made :)