Jump to content

Homemade CNC


PVA - Admin

Recommended Posts

  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee
On 3/2/2019 at 9:30 AM, Terry Ackerman said:

Jim, any plans to mount a laser on your rig?

 

On 3/3/2019 at 5:07 AM, Claes Lundstrom said:

A blue laser head should be easy to insert as it basically a small box where age milling uint is located. The Chinese ones are quite inexpensive. 


🤪😎

Very much so. The smaller solid state units up to 5W seem to be able to cut the very thin 3mm plywood, but I've been eyeballing a 50W CO2 model as well. Maybe next Christmas.

Link to comment
15 minutes ago, Jim Wilson said:

 


🤪😎

Very much so. The smaller solid state units up to 5W seem to be able to cut the very thin 3mm plywood, but I've been eyeballing a 50W CO2 model as well. Maybe next Christmas.

I think you can get up to 10W now. They seem to have the disadvantage of generating an oval dot rather than circular, so it might be a good idea to wait for that technology to catch up. A CO2 is still a better technology from a cutting point of view, though also more complex with a huge and somewhat fragile tube, fairly sensitive mirrors, and requiring water cooling. In your case you also need to enclose the machine as the light is very powerful, but also to contain the smoke generated. Yes, I have had one in the past mostly for cutting Plexi glass. 

  • Love 1
Link to comment
  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee
8 hours ago, Benson Shaw said:

Just wanted to congratulate @Jim Wilson for a cool diy especially because it seems to include a padded seat and steering wheel! Next addition should be a 40hp vac hold down system. THEN the laser head.

 

-B

It was definitely the first time I have had a mouse, keyboard, choke, deck height and throttle controls all within reach at once. 

Link to comment

All very cool, I'm tempted myself but that new shed has been earmarked by she-who-must-be-obeyed!.

 

Just a quick tip that I found handy, when I'm nesting parts, I generally have them as a solid fill but with 20% opacity. That way you can see easily when you have to co-incident parts (because they're darker)

Nothing more annoying than watching your CNC cutting in empty space because you duplicated the part on-top of its self.

 

@Jim Wilson You'll be getting the devs to make a bubble fillet tool next! Really handy for CNC work! 🙂

 

image.thumb.png.fca365cffaa2f311cf3ad59f1f7d9503.png

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

@Terry Ackerman Any setting results that worked without going through a 3rd software? I've been trying to get a VW file into Create and have been getting the same error message. I've been trying different export settings in the DWF but no luck. We've added a lot of "maker" tools to our shop lately--3D printers, a Glowforge, and now a Shapeoko 3. I've had no problem getting stuff out of VW and into the printers and laser cutter but I've hit a wall with the CNC. 

 

Link to comment
  • 1 year later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...