Do-it-yourself computer-controlled machine. Homemade CNC milling machine. Selection of design features

Knowing what is complex technical and electronic device, many craftsmen think that it is simply impossible to make it with your own hands. However, this opinion is wrong: you can make such equipment yourself, but to do this you need to have not only detailed drawing, but also a set necessary tools and related components.

Processing a duralumin blank on a homemade desktop milling machine

When deciding to make your own CNC machine, keep in mind that it can take a significant amount of time. In addition, certain financial costs will be required. However, by not being afraid of such difficulties and by correctly approaching all issues, you can become the owner of affordable, efficient and productive equipment that allows you to process workpieces from various materials With high degree accuracy.

To make a milling machine equipped with a CNC system, you can use two options: buy a ready-made kit, from which such equipment is assembled from specially selected elements, or find all the components and assemble a device with your own hands that fully meets all your requirements.

Instructions for assembling a homemade CNC milling machine

Below in the photo you can see the made with my own hands, which is accompanied by detailed instructions for manufacturing and assembly indicating the materials and components used, exact “patterns” of machine parts and approximate costs. The only negative is the instructions on English language, but it is quite possible to understand the detailed drawings without knowing the language.

Download free instructions for making the machine:

The CNC milling machine is assembled and ready to go. Below are some illustrations from the assembly instructions for this machine.

“Patterns” of machine parts (reduced view) Beginning of machine assembly Intermediate stage The final stage assemblies

Preparatory work

If you decide that you will design a CNC machine with your own hands, without using ready set, then the first thing you will need to do is choose schematic diagram, according to which such mini-equipment will work.

You can take an old one as a basis for CNC milling equipment. drilling machine, in which the working head with the drill is replaced with a milling one. The most difficult thing that will have to be designed in such equipment is the mechanism that ensures the movement of the tool in three independent planes. This mechanism can be assembled using carriages from a non-working printer; it will ensure the movement of the tool in two planes.

It is easy to connect software control to a device assembled according to this concept. However, its main disadvantage is that only workpieces made of plastic, wood and thin materials can be processed on such a CNC machine. sheet metal. This is explained by the fact that the carriages from the old printer, which will ensure the movement of the cutting tool, do not have a sufficient degree of rigidity.

To your homemade machine with CNC was capable of performing full-fledged milling operations with workpieces made of various materials; a sufficiently powerful stepper motor must be responsible for moving the working tool. It is absolutely not necessary to look for a stepper type motor; it can be made from a conventional electric motor, subjecting the latter to minor modifications.

Application stepper motor in yours will give you the opportunity to avoid using helical gear, A functionality and the characteristics of homemade equipment will not become worse from this. If you still decide to use carriages from a printer for your mini-machine, then it is advisable to select them from a larger model of the printing device. To transfer force to the shaft of milling equipment, it is better to use not ordinary, but toothed belts that will not slip on the pulleys.

One of the most important nodes of any similar machine is the milling mechanism. It is its production that must be given Special attention. To properly make such a mechanism, you will need detailed drawings, which will need to be strictly followed.

CNC milling machine drawings

Let's start assembling the equipment

The basis of homemade CNC milling equipment can be a beam rectangular section, which must be securely fixed on the guides.

The supporting structure of the machine must have high rigidity; when installing it, it is better not to use welded joints, and all elements should be connected only with screws.

This requirement is explained by the fact that welds very poorly tolerate vibration loads, which will necessarily be subjected to Basic structure equipment. Such loads will ultimately lead to the fact that the machine frame will begin to collapse over time, and changes will occur in it geometric dimensions, which will affect the accuracy of equipment setup and its performance.

Welds when installing the frame of a homemade milling machine often provoke the development of play in its components, as well as deflection of the guides, which occurs under heavy loads.

The milling machine that you will assemble with your own hands must have a mechanism that ensures the movement of the working tool in the vertical direction. It is best to use a screw gear for this, the rotation of which will be transmitted using a toothed belt.

An important part of a milling machine is its vertical axis, which for a homemade device can be made from an aluminum plate. It is very important that the dimensions of this axis are precisely adjusted to the dimensions of the device being assembled. If you have a muffle furnace at your disposal, then make vertical axis You can make the machine yourself by casting it from aluminum according to the dimensions indicated in the finished drawing.

Once all the components of your homemade milling machine are prepared, you can begin assembling it. Begins this process from the installation of two stepper motors, which are mounted on the equipment body behind its vertical axis. One of these electric motors will be responsible for moving the milling head in the horizontal plane, and the second will be responsible for moving the head, respectively, in the vertical plane. After this, the remaining components and assemblies of home-made equipment are installed.

Rotation to all components of homemade CNC equipment must be transmitted only through belt drives. Before connecting to assembled machine program control system, you should check its functionality in manual mode and immediately eliminate all identified deficiencies in its work.

You can watch the assembly process in the video, which is easy to find on the Internet.

Stepper motors

The design of any CNC-equipped milling machine necessarily contains stepper motors that ensure the movement of the tool in three planes: 3D. When designing a homemade machine for this purpose, you can use electric motors installed in a dot matrix printer. Most older models of dot matrix printing devices were equipped with electric motors with fairly high power. In addition to stepper motors, it is worth taking strong steel rods from an old printer, which can also be used in the design of your homemade machine.

To make your own CNC milling machine, you will need three stepper motors. Since there are only two of them in the dot matrix printer, it will be necessary to find and disassemble another old printing device.

It turns out a big plus, if the motors you find have five control wires: this will significantly increase the functionality of your future mini-machine. It is also important to find out the following parameters of the stepper motors you have found: how many degrees are rotated in one step, what is the supply voltage, as well as the value of the winding resistance.

The drive design of a homemade CNC milling machine is assembled from a nut and a stud, the dimensions of which should be pre-selected according to the drawing of your equipment. To fix the motor shaft and attach it to the stud, it is convenient to use a thick rubber winding from electric cable. Parts of your CNC machine, such as clamps, can be made in the form of a nylon sleeve into which a screw is inserted. In order to make such simple structural elements, you will need a regular file and a drill.

Electronic equipment

Your DIY CNC machine will be controlled by software, and it needs to be selected correctly. When choosing such software (you can write it yourself), it is important to pay attention to the fact that it is operational and allows the machine to realize all its functionality. Such software must contain drivers for the controllers that will be installed on your mini-milling machine.

In a homemade CNC machine, an LPT port is required, through which electronic system control and connects to the machine. It is very important that such connection is made through installed stepper motors.

When choosing electronic components for your homemade machine, it is important to pay attention to their quality, since the accuracy will depend on this technological operations, which will be executed on it. After installing and connecting all electronic components The CNC system needs to download the necessary software and drivers. Only after this do they follow trial run machine, checking its correct operation under the control of loaded programs, identifying deficiencies and promptly eliminating them.

A kit with which you can assemble your own CNC milling machine.
Ready-made machines are sold in China; a review of one of them has already been published on Muska. We will assemble the machine ourselves. Welcome…
UPD: links to files

I will still provide a link to a review of the finished machine from AndyBig. I won’t repeat myself, I won’t quote his text, we’ll write everything from scratch. The title only indicates a set with engines and a driver, there will be more parts, I will try to provide links to everything.
And this... I apologize in advance to the readers, I didn’t take any photos during the process on purpose, because... I wasn’t going to do a review at that moment, but I’ll take as many photos of the process as possible and try to give detailed description all nodes.

The purpose of the review is not so much to brag as to show the opportunity to make an assistant for yourself. I hope with this review to give someone an idea, and perhaps not only repeat it, but also make it even better. Go…

How the idea was born:

It so happened that I have been involved with drawings for a long time. Those. my professional activity closely related to them. But it’s one thing when you make a drawing, and then completely different people bring the design object to life, and quite another thing when you bring the design object to life yourself. And if I seem to be doing okay with construction things, then with modeling and other applied arts not really.
So, for a long time I had a dream of making a zhzhik out of an image drawn in AutoCAD - and it’s in real life in front of you, you can use it. This idea popped up from time to time, but it couldn’t take shape into anything concrete until...

Until I saw REP-RAP three or four years ago. Well, the 3D printer was very interesting thing, and the idea to collect myself took a long time to take shape, I collected information about different models, about the pros and cons different options. At one point, following one of the links, I ended up on a forum where people were sitting and discussing not 3D printers, but CNC milling machines. And from here, perhaps, passion begins its journey.

Instead of theory

In a nutshell about CNC milling machines (I write in my own words intentionally, without copying articles, textbooks and manuals).

A milling machine works exactly the opposite of a 3D printer. In the printer, step by step, layer by layer, the model is built up by fusing polymers; in a milling machine, with the help of a cutter, “everything unnecessary” is removed from the workpiece and the required model is obtained.

To operate such a machine, the required minimum is required.
1. Base (case) with linear guides and transmission mechanism (can be a screw or belt)
2. Spindle (I see someone smiled, but that’s what it’s called) - the actual engine with a collet into which the working tool - a milling cutter - is installed.
3. Stepper motors - motors that allow controlled angular movements.
4. Controller - a control board that transmits voltages to the motors in accordance with signals received from the control program.
5. Computer with installed control program.
6. Basic drawing skills, patience, desire and good mood.))

The points:
1. Base.
by configuration:

I will divide it into 2 types, there are more exotic options, but there are 2 main ones:

With movable portal:
Actually, the design I chose, it has a base on which the X-axis guides are fixed. The portal on which the Y-axis guides are located moves along the X-axis guides, and the Z-axis node moves along it.

With a static portal
This design is also a body, which is also a portal on which the Y-axis guides are located, and the Z-axis unit moving along it, and the X-axis is already moving relative to the portal.

According to the material:
the body can be made from different materials, the most common:
- duralumin - has a good ratio of weight and rigidity, but the price (especially for a hobby homemade product) is still depressing, although if the machine is intended to seriously earn money, then there are no options.
- plywood - good rigidity with sufficient thickness, light weight, the ability to process anything :), and the actual price, sheet of plywood 17 is now quite inexpensive.
- steel - often used on machine tools large area processing. Such a machine, of course, must be static (not mobile) and heavy.
- MFD, plexiglass and monolithic polycarbonate, even chipboard - I also saw such options.

As you can see, the design of the machine itself is very similar to both a 3D printer and laser engravers.
I deliberately do not write about the designs of 4, 5 and 6-axis milling machines, because... A homemade hobby machine is on the agenda.

2. Spindle.
Actually, spindles come with air and water cooling.
WITH air cooled in the end they cost less, because for them there is no need to fence an additional water circuit; they operate a little louder than water ones. Cooling is provided by a rear-mounted impeller, which at high speeds creates a noticeable air flow that cools the engine housing. How more powerful engine, the more severe the cooling and the more air flow, which may well inflate in all directions
dust (shavings, sawdust) of the processed product.

Water cooled. Such a spindle works almost silently, but in the end, you still cannot hear the difference between them during the work process, since the sound of the material being processed by the cutter will be covered up. Draft from the impeller, in in this case Of course not, but there is an additional hydraulic circuit. Such a circuit must contain pipelines, a pump pumping liquid, as well as a cooling place (radiator with airflow). This circuit is usually filled not with water, but with either antifreeze or ethylene glycol.

There are also spindles of different powers, and if low-power ones can be connected directly to the control board, then motors with a power of 1 kW or more must already be connected through the control unit, but this is no longer about us.))

Yes, straight grinders or milling cutters with a removable base are often installed in homemade machines. Such a decision may be justified, especially when performing work of short duration.

In my case, an air-cooled spindle with a power of 300W was selected.

3. Stepper motors.
The most common engines are of 3 sizes
NEMA17, NEMA23, NEMA 32
they differ in size, power and operating torque
NEMA17 is usually used in 3D printers; they are too small for a milling machine, because... you have to carry a heavy portal, to which additional lateral load is applied during processing.
NEMA32 is unnecessary for such a craft, and besides, you would have to take another control board.
my choice fell on NEMA23 with maximum power for this board - 3A.

People also use steppers from printers, but... I didn’t have them either and still had to buy them and chose everything in the kit.

4. Controller
A control board that receives signals from the computer and transmits voltage to stepper motors that move the axes of the machine.

5. Computer
You need a separate computer (possibly a very old one) and there are probably two reasons for this:
1. It is unlikely that you will decide to place a milling machine next to the place where you are used to reading the Internet, playing with toys, doing accounting, etc. Simply because a milling machine is loud and dusty. Usually the machine is either in a workshop or in a garage (preferably heated). My machine is in the garage; in winter it mostly sits idle, because... no heating.
2. For economic reasons, computers are usually used that are no longer relevant for home life - very used :)
Requirements for the car by and large about nothing:
- from Pentium 4
- presence of a discrete video card
- RAM from 512MB
- the presence of an LPT connector (I won’t say anything about USB; I haven’t looked into the new product yet due to the presence of a driver that works via LPT)
such a computer is either taken out of the closet, or, as in my case, bought for next to nothing.
By virtue of low power We try not to install additional software on our machines, i.e. only the axis and control program.

Then there are two options:
- install windows XP (the computer is weak, remember, right?) and the MATCH3 control program (there are others, but this is the most popular)
- install Nixes and Linux CNC (they say that everything is also very good, but I haven’t mastered Nixes)

I’ll add, perhaps, so as not to offend overly wealthy people, that it’s quite possible to install not just a fourth stump, but some kind of i7 - please, if you like it and can afford it.

6. Basic drawing skills, patience, desire and good mood.
Here in a nutshell.
To operate the machine, you need a control program (essentially a text file containing movement coordinates, movement speed and acceleration), which in turn is prepared in a CAM application - usually ArtCam, in this application the model itself is prepared, its dimensions are set, and cutting tool.
I usually do a little more the long way, I make a drawing, and then AutoCad, having saved it *.dxf, I load it into ArtCam and prepare the UE there.

Well, let’s begin the process of creating your own.

Before designing a machine, we take several points as starting points:
- The axle shafts will be made from construction studs with M10 threads. Of course, there are undoubtedly more technologically advanced options: a shaft with a trapezoidal thread, a ball screw, but you need to understand that the price of the issue leaves much to be desired, and for a hobby machine the price is absolutely astronomical. However, over time I plan to upgrade and replace the pin with a trapeze.
- Machine body material – 16mm plywood. Why plywood? Available, cheap, cheerful. There are actually a lot of options, some make them from duralumin, others from plexiglass. It's easier for me to use plywood.

Making a 3D model:


Scan:


Then I did this, there was no picture left, but I think it will be clear. I printed the scan on transparent sheets, cut them out and glued them onto a sheet of plywood.
I cut out the parts and drilled the holes. Tools include a jigsaw and a screwdriver.
There is one more little trick that will make life easier in the future: before drilling holes, squeeze all paired parts with a clamp and drill through, so you will get holes equally located on each part. Even if there is a slight deviation during drilling, the internal parts of the connected parts will coincide, and the hole can be drilled out a little.

At the same time, we make specifications and start ordering everything.
what happened to me:
1. The set specified in this review includes: stepper motor control board (driver), NEMA23 stepper motors – 3 pcs., 12V power supply, LPT cord and cooler.

2. Spindle (this is the simplest, but nevertheless it does the job), fasteners and a 12V power supply.

3. Used Pentium 4 computer, most importantly, the motherboard has an LPT and a discrete video card + CRT monitor. I bought it on Avito for 1000 rubles.
4. Steel shaft: f20mm – L=500mm – 2 pcs., f16mm – L=500mm – 2 pcs., f12mm – L=300mm – 2 pcs.
I bought it here, at that time it was more expensive to buy in St. Petersburg. It arrived within 2 weeks.

5. Linear bearings: f20 – 4 pcs., f16 – 4 pcs., f12 – 4 pcs.
20

16

12

6. Mounts for shafts: f20 – 4 pcs., f16 – 4 pcs., f12 – 2 pcs.
20

16

12

7. Caprolon nuts with M10 thread – 3 pcs.
Took along with the shafts on duxe.ru
8. Rotation bearings, closed – 6 pcs.
Same place, but the Chinese have plenty of them too
9. PVA wire 4x2.5
this is offline
10. Screws, dowels, nuts, clamps - a bunch.
This is also offline, in hardware.
11. A set of cutters was also purchased

So, we order, wait, cut and assemble.




Initially, the driver and power supply for it were installed in the case with the computer together.


Later, it was decided to place the driver in a separate case; it just appeared.


Well, the old monitor somehow changed to a more modern one.

As I said at the beginning, I never thought that I would write a review, so I am attaching photos of the components and will try to give an explanation of the assembly process.

First, we assemble three axles without screws in order to align the shafts as accurately as possible.
We take the front and rear walls of the housing and attach the flanges for the shafts. We string 2 linear bearings on the X-axis and insert them into the flanges.


We fasten the bottom of the portal to linear bearings, we are trying to roll the base of the portal back and forth. We make sure of the curvature of our hands, take everything apart and drill out the holes a little.
This way we get some freedom of movement of the shafts. Now we attach the flanges, insert the shafts into them and move the base of the portal back and forth to achieve smooth sliding. Tighten the flanges.
At this stage, it is necessary to check the horizontality of the shafts, as well as their coaxiality along the Z axis (in short, so that the distance from the assembly table to the shafts is the same) so as not to overwhelm the future working plane.
We've sorted out the X axis.
We attach the portal posts to the base; I used furniture barrels for this.


We attach the flanges for the Y axis to the posts, this time from the outside:


We insert shafts with linear bearings.
Fastening back wall Z axis
We repeat the process of adjusting the parallelism of the shafts and secure the flanges.
We repeat the same process with the Z axis.
We get a rather funny design that can be moved with one hand in three coordinates.
An important point: all axes must move easily, i.e. Having slightly tilted the structure, the portal itself should move freely, without any creaks or resistance.

Next we attach the lead screws.
We cut the M10 construction stud to the required length, screw the caprolon nut approximately in the middle, and 2 M10 nuts on each side. It is convenient to do this by tightening the nuts a little, clamping the stud into the screwdriver and holding the nuts and tightening them.
We insert the bearings into the sockets and push the pins into them from the inside. After this, we fix the studs to the bearing with nuts on each side and tighten them with a second one so that they do not come loose.
We attach the caprolon nut to the base of the axle.
We clamp the end of the pin into a screwdriver and try to move the axle from beginning to end and return it.
A couple more joys await us here:
1. The distance from the nut axis to the base in the center (and most likely at the time of assembly the base will be in the middle) may not coincide with the distance in the extreme positions, because shafts may bend under the weight of the structure. I had to place cardboard along the X axis.
2. The shaft movement may be very tight. If you have eliminated all distortions, then tension may play a role; here you need to catch the moment of tightening the fixation with nuts to the installed bearing.
Having dealt with the problems and having obtained free rotation from start to finish, we move on to installing the remaining screws.

We attach stepper motors to the screws:
In general, when using special screws, be it a trapezoid or a ball screw, the ends are processed on them and then the connection to the engine is very conveniently made with a special coupling.

But we have a construction pin and had to think about how to fasten it. At that moment I came across a piece of paper gas pipe, and applied it. It “screws” directly onto the stud, onto the engine, it goes into lapping, tightened it with clamps - it holds quite well.


To secure the engines, I took an aluminum tube and cut it. Adjusted with washers.
To connect the motors I took the following connectors:




Sorry, I don’t remember what they are called, I hope someone can tell me in the comments.
GX16-4 connector (thanks Jager). I asked a colleague to buy electronics from a store; he just lives nearby, and it was very inconvenient for me to get there. I am very pleased with them: they hold securely, are designed for higher current, and can always be disconnected.
We set up a working field, also known as a sacrificial table.
We connect all the motors to the control board from the review, connect it to a 12V power supply, connect it to the computer with an LPT cable.

Install MACH3 on your PC, make the settings and try it out!
I probably won’t write about the setup separately. This could take a couple more pages.

I'm so happy that I still have a video of the first launch of the machine:

Yes, when in this video there was a movement along the X axis there was a terrible rattling noise, unfortunately, I don’t remember exactly, but in the end I found either a loose washer or something else, in general it was solved without problems.

Next, you need to install the spindle, while ensuring that it is perpendicular (both in X and Y) to the working plane. The essence of the procedure is this: we attach a pencil to the spindle with electrical tape, thus creating an offset from the axis. As the pencil is lowered smoothly, it begins to draw a circle on the board. If the spindle is full, then the result is not a circle, but an arc. Accordingly, it is necessary to achieve the drawing of a circle by alignment. I have saved a photo from the process, the pencil is out of focus, and the angle is not the same, but I think the essence is clear:

We find finished model(in my case, the coat of arms of the Russian Federation) prepare the UE, feed it to MACH and go!
Machine operation:

Photos in progress:


Well, of course we go through initiation))
The situation is both funny and generally understandable. We dream of building a machine and immediately cutting out something super cool, but in the end we realize that this will take a lot of time.

In a nutshell:
During 2D processing (simply sawing), a contour is specified, which is cut out in several passes.
During 3D processing (here you can plunge into holivar, some argue that this is not 3D but 2.5D, since the workpiece is processed only from above), a complex surface is specified. And the higher the accuracy of the required result, the thinner the cutter is used, the more passes of this cutter are necessary.
To speed up the process, roughing is used. Those. First, the main volume is sampled with a large cutter, then finishing processing is started with a thin cutter.

Next, we try, configure, experiment, etc. The 10,000 hour rule applies here too ;)
Perhaps I won’t bore you any more with stories about construction, adjustment, etc. It’s time to show the results of using the machine - the product.

As you can see, these are basically sawn contours or 2D processing. Processing three-dimensional figures takes a lot of time, the machine is in the garage, and I go there for a short time.
Here they will rightly remark to me - how about... building such a bandura if you can cut out the figure with a U-shaped jigsaw or an electric jigsaw?
It is possible, but this is not our method. As you remember at the beginning of the text, I wrote that it was the idea of ​​making a drawing on a computer and turning this drawing into a product that served as the impetus for the creation of this beast.

Writing a review finally pushed me to upgrade the machine. Those. The upgrade was planned earlier, but “everyone got around to it.” The last change before this was the organization of the machine house:


Thus, when the machine is operating in the garage, it has become much quieter and there is much less dust flying around.

The last upgrade was the installation of a new spindle, or rather, now I have two replaceable bases:
1. With Chinese 300W spindle for small work:


2. With a domestic, but no less Chinese milling cutter “Enkor”...


With the new milling cutter new possibilities have appeared.
Faster processing, more dust.
Here is the result of using a semicircular groove cutter:

Well, especially for MYSKU
Simple straight groove cutter:


Process video:

This is where I will wrap things up, but according to the rules, it would be necessary to sum up the results.

Minuses:
- Expensive.
- For a long time.
- From time to time we have to solve new problems (lights turned off, interference, something went wrong, etc.)

Pros:
- The process of creation itself. This alone justifies the creation of the machine. Finding solutions to emerging problems and implementing them is what, instead of sitting on your butt, you get up and go do something.
- Joy at the moment of giving gifts made with your own hands. Here it should be added that the machine does not do all the work itself :) in addition to milling, it still needs to be processed, sanded, painted, etc.

Thank you very much if you are still reading. I hope that my post, although it won’t encourage you to create such (or another) machine, will somehow broaden your horizons and give you food for thought. I also want to say thank you to those who persuaded me to write this opus; without it, I apparently didn’t even have an upgrade, so everything is a plus.

I apologize for the inaccuracies in wording and all sorts of lyrical digressions. A lot had to be cut, otherwise the text would have turned out simply immense. Clarifications and additions are naturally possible, write in the comments - I will try to answer everyone.

Good luck to you in your endeavors!

Promised links to files:
- drawing of the machine,
- sweep,
format - dxf. This means that you can open the file with any vector editor.
The 3D model is 85-90 percent detailed, many things were done either at the time of preparing the scan, or on site. I ask you to “understand and forgive.”)

I'm planning to buy +150 Add to favorites I liked the review +261 +487

This is my first CNC machine assembled with my own hands from available materials. The cost of the machine is about $170.

I have been dreaming of assembling a CNC machine for a long time. I mainly need it for cutting plywood and plastic, cutting some parts for modeling, homemade products and other machines. My hands itched to assemble the machine for almost two years, during which time I collected parts, electronics and knowledge.

The machine is budget, its cost is minimal. In what follows I will use words that to an ordinary person may seem very scary and this can scare away self-built machine, but in fact it’s all very simple and easy to master in a few days.

Electronics assembled on Arduino + GRBL firmware

The mechanics are the simplest, a frame made of 10mm plywood + 8mm screws and bolts, linear guides made of a metal angle 25*25*3 mm + bearings 8*7*22 mm. The Z axis moves on an M8 stud, and the X and Y axes on T2.5 belts.

The spindle for CNC is homemade, assembled from a brushless motor and a collet clamp + a toothed belt drive. It should be noted that the spindle motor is powered from the main 24 volt power supply. IN technical specifications The motor is stated to be 80 amps, but in reality it consumes 4 amps under heavy load. I can’t explain why this happens, but the motor works great and does its job.

Initially, the Z axis was on homemade linear guides made of angles and bearings, later I remade it, photos and description below.

The working space is approximately 45 cm in X and 33 cm in Y, 4 cm in Z. Taking into account the first experience, I will make the next machine with larger dimensions and will install two motors on the X axis, one on each side. This is due to the large arm and the load on it, when work is carried out at the maximum distance along the Y axis. Now there is only one motor and this leads to distortion of the parts, the circle turns out to be a bit elliptical due to the resulting flexion of the carriage along the X.

The original bearings on the motor quickly became loose because they were not designed for lateral load, and this is serious. Therefore, I installed two large bearings with a diameter of 8 mm on the top and bottom of the axle, this should have been done right away, now there is vibration because of this.

Here in the photo you can see that the Z axis is already on other linear guides, the description will be below.

The guides themselves are very simple design, I somehow accidentally found it on Youtube. Then this design seemed ideal to me from all sides, minimum effort, minimum details, easy assembly. But as practice has shown, these guides do not work for long. The photo shows the groove that formed on the Z axis after a week of my test runs of the CNC machine.

I replaced the homemade guides on the Z axis with furniture ones; they cost less than a dollar for two pieces. I shortened them, leaving a stroke of 8 cm. There are still old guides on the X and Y axes, I won’t change them for now, I plan to cut out parts for a new machine on this machine, then I’ll just disassemble this one.

A few words about cutters. I have never worked with CNC and I also have very little milling experience. I bought several cutters in China, all of them have 3 and 4 grooves, later I realized that these cutters are good for metal, but for milling plywood you need other cutters. While new cutters cover the distance from China to Belarus, I am trying to work with what I have.

The photo shows how a 4 mm cutter burned on 10 mm birch plywood, I still didn’t understand why, the plywood was clean, but on the cutter there was carbon deposits similar to pine resin.

Next in the photo is a 2 mm four-flute cutter after an attempt to mill plastic. This piece of melted plastic was then very difficult to remove; I had to bite it off a little bit with pliers. Even at low speeds the cutter still gets stuck, 4 grooves are clearly for metal :)

The other day it was my uncle's birthday, on this occasion I decided to make a gift on my toy :)

As a gift, I made a full house for a plywood house. First of all, I tried milling on foam plastic to test the program and not spoil the plywood.

Due to backlash and bending, the horseshoe could only be cut out the seventh time.

In total, this full house (in pure form) milled for about 5 hours + a lot of time for what was spoiled.

I once published an article about a key holder, below in the photo is the same key holder, but already cut on a CNC machine. Minimum effort, maximum precision. Due to the backlash, the accuracy is certainly not maximum, but I will make the second machine more rigid.

I also used a CNC machine to cut gears out of plywood, it’s much more convenient and faster than cutting it yourself with a jigsaw.

Later I cut out square gears from plywood, they actually spin :)

The results are positive. Now I’ll start developing a new machine, I’ll cut out parts on this machine, manual labor practically comes down to assembly.

You need to master cutting plastic, because you are working on a homemade robot vacuum cleaner. Actually, the robot also pushed me to create my own CNC. For the robot I will cut gears and other parts from plastic.

Update: Now I buy straight cutters with two edges (3.175 * 2.0 * 12 mm), they cut without severe scoring on both sides of the plywood.

Many craftsmen often think about assembling a homemade CNC machine. It has a number of advantages and will allow you to solve a large number of problems more efficiently and quickly.

Home machines carry out milling and cutting of almost all materials. In this regard, the temptation to manufacture such a device is quite great. Maybe it's time to take matters into your own hands and replenish your workshop with new equipment?

Computer numerical control machines have become widespread not only in industrial production, but also in private workshops. They allow flat and profile processing of metal, plastic and wood.

In addition, you cannot do without them when performing engraving and drilling and filler work.

Almost any task solved using such devices is performed at a high level.

If necessary, draw something on the board or wooden slab, it is enough to create a layout in a computer program and transfer it to the product using CNC Milling. In most cases, it is simply impossible to perform such an operation manually, especially if we're talking about about high accuracy.

All professional equipment of this type characterized high level automation and ease of operation. Only basic skills required to work in specialized computer programs to solve simple material processing problems.

At the same time, even homemade CNC machines cope with their goals. With proper configuration and the use of high-quality components, you can achieve good accuracy, minimal backlash and acceptable operating speed from the device.

DIY CNC machine

Functional diagram of a CNC machine.

So how to do this device? To make a CNC machine with your own hands, you need to spend time developing the project, as well as familiarize yourself with existing factory models. Following these first and most simple rules, you will be able to avoid the most common mistakes.

It is worth noting that a CNC milling machine is technically complex device With electronic elements. Because of this, many people believe that it cannot be done by hand.

Of course, this opinion is wrong. However, it must be borne in mind that for assembly you will need not only a drawing, but also a certain set of tools and parts. For example, you will need a stepper motor, which can be taken from a printer, etc.

The need for certain financial and time costs should also be taken into account. If such problems are not terrible, then it will not be difficult to produce an affordable and effective unit with coordinate positioning of a cutting tool for processing metal or wood.

Scheme

The most difficult stage of manufacturing a CNC machine for metal and wood is the choice optimal scheme equipment. Everything here is determined by the size of the workpiece and the degree of its processing.

For domestic purposes, it is better to give preference to a drawing of a small device with the necessary set of functions.

One option could be a design consisting of two carriages that will move in a plane. Steel grinding rods work well as a base. Carriages are attached to them.

You will also need a motor and screws with rolling bearings to ensure the transmission. The control of a homemade CNC machine will be carried out using a program.

Preparation

To automate a homemade CNC milling machine, you need to think through the electronic part as much as possible.

Drawing of a homemade machine.

It can be divided into several elements:

• power supply that supplies power to the motor and controller;
• controller;
• driver regulating operation moving parts designs.

Then, to build the machine yourself, you need to select assembly parts. It is best to use available materials. This will help minimize the cost of the tools you need.

The base is usually made of wood, plexiglass or metal. It is important that no vibrations occur during the movement of the calipers. They will lead to inaccurate operation of the device. In this regard, it is necessary to correctly develop their design.

Here are some tips for choosing parts:

• rods with a diameter of up to 12 mm are suitable as guides;
• the best option for a caliper would be textolite;
• SD is usually taken from printers;
• The cutter fixation block is also made of textolite.

Assembly instructions

After preparing and selecting the parts, you can begin assembling the milling unit for processing wood and metal.

First of all, you should check all the components again and make sure that their sizes are correct.

CNC device diagram.

The assembly sequence looks approximately as follows:

• installation of caliper guides, their fastening to the side surfaces of the structure;
• grinding in the calipers as a result of their movement until a smooth ride can be achieved;
• bolt tightening;
• installing components on the device base;
• securing lead screws with couplings;
• fastening to the screws of stepper motor couplings.

All electronic components should be located in a separate unit. Thus, the likelihood of failure during operation will be minimized. This type of placement of electronics can be called the best design.

Features of work

After the homemade CNC machine has been assembled with your own hands, you can begin testing.

The actions of the machine will be controlled by software. It must be chosen correctly. First of all, it is important that the program is working. Secondly, it must maximize all the capabilities of the equipment.

Kinematic diagram of the device operation.

The software must contain all the necessary drivers for the controllers.

You should start with simple programs. During the first starts, it is necessary to monitor each cutter pass to ensure that the width and depth are processed correctly. It is especially important to control the three-dimensional versions of such devices.

Bottom line

CNC woodworking devices incorporate various electronics into their design. Because of this, at first glance, it may seem that such equipment is very difficult to make on your own.

In fact, making a CNC machine with your own hands is a feasible task for everyone. You just need to believe in yourself and your abilities, and then you can become the owner of a reliable and efficient milling machine that will become the pride of any master.

Machines equipped with numerical software(CNC) are presented in the form modern equipment for cutting, turning, drilling or grinding metal, plywood, wood, foam and other materials.

Built-in electronics based printed circuit boards Arduino provides maximum automation of work.

1 What is a CNC machine?

CNC machines based on Arduino printed circuit boards are capable of automatically continuously changing the spindle speed, as well as the feed speed of supports, tables and other mechanisms. Auxiliary elements of a CNC machine automatically accepts desired position, and can be used to cut plywood or aluminum profiles.

In devices based on Arduino printed circuit boards, the cutting tool (pre-configured) also changes automatically.

In CNC devices based on Arduino printed circuit boards, all commands are sent through the controller.

The controller receives signals from the software. For such plywood cutting equipment, metal profiles or foam, the program carriers are cams, stops or copiers.

The signal received from the program carrier sends a command through the controller to an automatic machine, semi-automatic machine or copying machine. If it is necessary to change a sheet of plywood or foam plastic for cutting, then the cams or copiers are replaced with other elements.

Units with program control based on Arduino boards use punched tapes, punched cards or magnetic tapes as a program carrier, which contain all the necessary information. With the use of Arduino boards, the entire process of cutting plywood, foam plastic or other material is fully automated, minimizing labor costs.

It is worth noting that building a CNC machine for cutting plywood or foam plastic based on Arduino boards you can do it yourself without much difficulty. Control in CNC units based on Arduino is carried out by a controller that transmits both technological and dimensional information.

Using CNC plasma cutters based on Arduino boards, you can free up a large number of universal equipment and, at the same time, increase labor productivity. The main advantages of Arduino-based machines assembled by yourself are expressed in:

• high (compared to manual machines) productivity;
• flexibility of universal equipment combined with precision;
• reducing the need to attract qualified specialists to work;
• the possibility of manufacturing interchangeable parts according to one program;
• reduced preparation times for the manufacture of new parts;
• the opportunity to make a machine with your own hands.

1.1 Process of operation of a CNC milling machine (video)

1.2 Types of CNC machines

The presented units for cutting plywood or foam plastic, using Arduino boards for operation, are divided into classes according to:

• technological capabilities;
• the principle of tool change;
• method of changing the workpiece.

Any class of such equipment can be made with your own hands, and the Arduino electronics will provide maximum automation of the work process. Along with classes, machines can be:

• turning;
• drilling and boring;
• milling;
• grinding;
• electrophysical machines;
• multi-purpose.

Arduino-based turning units can process external and internal surfaces all kinds of details.

Rotation of workpieces can be carried out in both straight and curved contours. The device is also designed for cutting external and internal thread. Arduino-based milling units are designed for milling simple and complex body-type parts.

In addition, they can perform drilling and boring. Grinding machines, which can also be made with your own hands, can be used for finishing details.

Depending on the type of surfaces being processed, units can be:

• surface grinding;
• internal grinding;
• spline grinding.

Multi-purpose units can be used for cutting plywood or foam plastic, perform drilling, milling, boring and turning parts. Before you make a CNC machine with your own hands, it is important to consider that the equipment is divided according to the method of changing tools. Replacement can be made:

• manually;
• automatically in the turret;
• automatically in the store.

If the electronics (controller) can provide automatic change of workpieces using special drives, then the device can long time work without operator participation.

In order to make the presented unit for cutting plywood or foam plastic with your own hands, you need to prepare the initial equipment. A used one may be suitable for this.

In it, the working element is replaced with a milling cutter. In addition, you can make a mechanism with your own hands from the carriages of an old printer.

This will allow the working cutter to move in the direction of two planes. Next, electronics are connected to the structure, key element which is the controller and the Arduino board.

The assembly diagram allows you to do it yourself homemade unit CNC automatic. Such equipment may be designed for cutting plastic, foam, plywood or thin metal. In order for the device to perform more complex species work, you need not only a controller, but also a stepper motor.

It must have high power indicators - at least 40-50 watts. It is recommended to use a conventional electric motor, since its use will eliminate the need to create a screw drive, and the controller will ensure timely delivery of commands.

The required force on the transmission shaft is homemade device must be transmitted via timing belts. If a homemade CNC machine will use carriages from printers to move the working cutter, then for this purpose it is necessary to select parts from large-sized printers.

The basis of the future unit can be a rectangular beam, which must be firmly fixed to the guides. The frame must have a high degree of rigidity, but welding is not recommended. It is better to use a bolted connection.

Welding seams will be subject to deformation due to constant loads during machine operation. In this case, the fastening elements are destroyed, which will lead to settings failure, and the controller will not work correctly.

2.1 About stepper motors, supports and guides

A self-assembled CNC unit must be equipped with stepper motors. As mentioned above, it is best to use motors from old dot matrix printers to assemble the unit.

For efficient operation of the device you will need three separate engines stepper type. It is recommended to use motors with five separate control wires. This will increase functionality homemade apparatus several times.

When selecting motors for a future machine, you need to know the number of degrees per step, the operating voltage and the winding resistance. Subsequently, this will help to configure the entire software correctly.

The ball motor shaft is fastened using a rubber cable covered with a thick winding. In addition, using such a cable you can connect the motor to the running pin. The frame can be made of plastic with a thickness of 10-12 mm.

Along with plastic, it is possible to use aluminum or organic glass.

The leading parts of the frame are attached using self-tapping screws, and when using wood, the elements can be attached with PVA glue. The guides are steel rods with a cross-section of 12 mm and a length of 20 mm. There are 2 rods for each axis.

The support is made of textolite, its dimensions should be 30x100x40 cm. The guide parts of the textolite are fastened with M6 screws, and the supports “X” and “Y” at the top must have 4 threaded holes to secure the frame. Stepper motors are installed using fasteners.

Fastenings can be made using steel leaf type. The sheet thickness should be 2-3 mm. Next, the screw is connected to the axis of the stepper motor via a flexible shaft. For this purpose, you can use a regular rubber hose.