Things are slowly taking shape, I have laid out the slides for the X Axis as well as built the bearing blocks and supports for the Acme Thread. The caridge will have the nut attached to it underneath the aluminum plate. I have found that 10mm Aluminum fits perfectly into the slot on the extrusion and once locked togher makes the entire frame very rigid.
After having heaps of fun with the original DIY CNC machine and having it run on carving jobs for some 12 to 14hours per day it came as no surprise that the aluminium angle used for the guides started to show signs of wear and the MDF also seemed to show some reduction in structural integrity. Although I could have realigned things and probably continued to use it I decided to look for other options.
Here is a short video of the router in action. I have been having problems finding small router bits so have modified a 1.4mm drill bit and am using it to route some 2mm thick acrylic. You can see a little bit of flexion in the drill due to the speed of the table. After the video I tweaked this down a little so as to ensure a cleaner cut and hopefully not snap the tool.
A few more test while i come to grips with the software and the types of tools. I have just made a simple modification to the collet that will now allow me to use any of the dremel type bits and this should recude the costs as well as enable me to use much finer bits.
After almost finishing the milling/routing machine i decided to throw some work at it and see what it would handle.
I have always wanted a CNC milling machine and have decided to create my own with of course the assistance of the internet. My intention is to fist create a prototype unit that is somewhat simple in design and will allow me to use it to build a more complex unit or essentially grow bigger and better versions of itself.
The weekend saw the birth of yet another little project, below is a video of the creationin action. The music you can hear is being emited from the arc and was being taken from the headphone jack of my stereo. thjere were no speakers used at all.
After several evilgenius meetings we realised the need to create a badge of honor that could be worn as a symbol of our dedication to the cause. After much experamentation and the application of a bit of science a process was found that not only produces great results but can be reproduced with reasonably predictable outcome.
Here is a sneak peak at my Evil Genius Power Supply. Although I have limited its output for this demonstration when tuned correctly it will self arc in free space/air over a distance of around 50mm giving an estimated output voltage of 50'000 volts. The unit is compleatly self contained and requires no external power source. Although its a little heavy it is transportable.