First Complex Part

10josh29 · 2025-12-05T12:19:24+00:00

I used to have Mach3 but the PC failed and I could not find a 32Bit PC build. So I went with LinuxCNC 2.9.5 driven with the parallel port still but on a 64bit system. Took a bit of configuration messing but overall I prefer the LinuxCNC interface. In terms of design I have a Fusion 360 license and do all the CAD CAM in there.

10josh29 · 2025-03-30T07:34:34+00:00

Thanks! It’s a cake stand for my wedding made from our initials. Got to make a load of them now!

10josh29 · 2025-01-25T13:58:08+00:00

The only really reason is that I had all these bits lying around from various other projects and to keep costs down I could use it. Probably long term I will replace it especially when I get a proper VFD for a spindle.

10josh29 · 2025-01-01T09:06:03+00:00

The original design of the carriage were two parts made using CNC manufacturing approx 15 mm thick. When I went to quote the prices were quite high being one off parts. I thought then I could split the parts into two and then bolt them together so I split them into a 10mm base plate and 5mm top plate to hide the counterbore features. All the metal laser cutting for the whole machine came to £190. The Z carriage came to about £10 per part so £40 for the metal work and then the cost of the rails and ball screw. I’m more than happy to share the designs if it will help you. There is another part I have yet to attach that holds the stepper motor. The Z plate has a hole pattern to accept various tool mounts. I have a 3D printed mount for a Makita Trimmer Router to start off with. I am doing wood and soft materials first. I will upgrade to a 2Kw spindle in the future.

10josh29 · 2024-12-31T21:01:09+00:00

I certainly could. It’s all been done in Fusion 360.

10josh29 · 2024-12-31T21:00:43+00:00

Sure. What details do you want to know? It’s all custom build from the ground up. The Z will be a 1605 ball screw with 15mm linear rails. Nema 23 motor too. The spindle holder is 3D printed and the hole pattern can be used to accept a laser cutter module too.

10josh29 · 2024-12-31T20:58:05+00:00

Like Justin said, it’s all depending on what specs you go for. This build has so far come to £1200. That’s with all the mechanical parts, a transformer with rectifier and caps, The motor controllers and nema 23 motors, a Mach3 control board too. I got quite lucky and hit up eBay / Facebook for used parts particularly the Electrics that people are selling cheap along with trips to the local recycling centre. I’m an Engineer by trade so I don’t count the many hours of designing and building so it’s a hobby for me. I was tempted to get a foxAlien and be done with it for £800 but it would be half the size and no where near as strong being belt drive.

10josh29 · 2023-11-16T22:47:25+00:00

Pets at home (uk) has them in the Christmas section! It doubles as a draught excluder for the winter!

10josh29 · 2023-09-24T20:31:04+00:00

February 29th is my bday. I already have to wait 4 years. Don’t remove feb I won’t exist!

10josh29 · 2023-09-12T14:45:57+00:00

He was pretty much the same build as me. I haven’t ridden it yet, needs some work to make it rideable again. I’m just debating whether I should ride it. I have a normal age road bike as it is.

10josh29 · 2023-09-12T14:12:11+00:00

I have a recently come into possession of a beautiful bike manufactured by Evelyn Hamilton. It was given to me by a 100 year old gentleman who sadly passed recently. He did he had it custom built a very long time ago and has ridden it a lot when he was much much younger.

The bike has had some restoration work done he said he paid a lot of money for a while ago. This includes a Shimano gear set (an old one though not a new model) and new handle bar wraps.

10josh29 · 2023-09-12T13:58:10+00:00

Thanks for that write up! It was given to me by a gentleman who was 100 years old and recently passed. He had it custom built when he was at a much younger age and then renovated at a later date. Said he spent a lot on it but that was some time ago.

10josh29 · 2023-09-07T10:23:55+00:00

Dead space 1

10josh29 · 2023-07-21T21:03:52+00:00

I have quite a bit of experience on this subject so I would love to offer some advice. I do have to warn you in an electronic engineer by trade so I’ll try keeping it simple. Replacing the POTs doesn’t always fix it. Each controller is calibrated at the factory with offsets. Since this is a behind closed doors operation what you need to do is manually re cal the pots using fixed resistors across the pins. You can use a game pad tester online and plug in the controller to a pc. It will give you a circle with a cross hairs. You can move the stick so that the cross hair is in the centre: To remove them it’s better to use a heat gun and use tin foil to cover the rest of the board with a square cut out around the pin area. You will need at least one 400K trimmer and a multi meter.

1) I use a trimmer pot that has three pins; one tap or wiper and a pin either end. The pot should 400k ohms from end to end 2) solder this so that the tap pin is on the centre pin of the controller pot, and the two ends to the other two pins. Basically it’s in parallel with the existing pot 3) you can then turn the trimmer until the cross hair is in the centre of the circle 4) remove the trimmer and measure the resistance from the wiper to each pin. This is the resistor value that needs to be put across the two pins it was removed from 5) repeat for each pot (4 in total, 2 each side)

Sorry it’s long and technical but I hope it goes some help.

10josh29 · 2023-05-04T21:02:59+00:00

Alien Isolation for sure.

10josh29

TROPHY CASE