aliexpress – CNC Router Info https://cncrouterinfo.com Wed, 22 Nov 2023 14:40:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.5 https://cncrouterinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.webp aliexpress – CNC Router Info https://cncrouterinfo.com 32 32 210092132 80$ off – Exclusive Aliexpress black friday promotion https://cncrouterinfo.com/coupon/80-dollar-aliexpress-black-friday-discount/ https://cncrouterinfo.com/coupon/80-dollar-aliexpress-black-friday-discount/#respond Fri, 10 Nov 2023 12:37:06 +0000 https://cncrouterinfo.com/?p=4372 Prepare for AliExpress Black Friday and Cyber Monbdpromotion, featuring incredible discounts valid from November 23, 2023, 12:00:00 AM, to November 29, 2023, 11:59:59 PM. Don’t miss out on these exclusive deals available for a limited time!

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Code NameCode Discount ($)Minimum Spend Needed ($)URL
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ABLACKFRIUSA1010.0080.00https://a.aliexpress.com/_oEgtA1d
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Code NameCode Discount ($)Minimum Spend Needed ($)URL
ABLACKFRI86.0045.00https://a.aliexpress.com/_olTPlkR
ABLACKFRI1010.0080.00https://a.aliexpress.com/_oCmzp9
ABLACKFRI2020.00150.00https://a.aliexpress.com/_omI9yd5
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SBLACKFRIPL2020.00150.00https://a.aliexpress.com/_onGQtiT
SBLACKFRIPL5050.00300.00https://a.aliexpress.com/_okUnP5v
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Mightymill – Build log #4 -professional diy CNC router https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-4-diy-cnc-router/ https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-4-diy-cnc-router/#respond Tue, 24 Oct 2023 18:31:47 +0000 https://cncrouterinfo.com/?p=4343 The Mightymill is the name I gave my professional DIY cnc router build that I’m working on. It features, BT30 ATC CNC spindle, Durfill polymer concrete filling and more.

My build has finally begun and in this post I will take you on the building journey. Make sure you have read part 1 here , part 2 here , part 3 here

Lifting it up in the shed

It’s been some time since my last update. The machine is complete, but it’s worth noting that I had to construct a shed specifically to accommodate it; the machine proved too large for the existing brick structure.

Mightymill cnc lift in shed

I bought a garage “engine block” crane to lift the approximately 350kg structure in the shed. You really notice that using the right tools in a situation likes this makes huge amount of difference.

Replication method at work

After moving and leveling the machine I had to make the surface of the aluminium extrusion flat in order to mount the rails to it.

granite ruler epoxy flattning mounting surface

It is a bit of a messy situation but hey! it works.

20230411 165535

After making the surface flat I cut out the slot with a hot-knife in order to mount my rails to it.

Adjusting the gantry level

I used the metal epoxy “gap filling” method to level the gantry vs the Y1 and Y2 gantry rails:

Metal epoxy gap filling gantry

I used Mirror glaze wax release on the gantry to make sure it just fills the gap and does not stick to the gantry extrusion itself. Not this works REALLY well!

levelling diy cnc gantry tube

After making sure it is level, I let it cure.

in a Dan Gilbart video I recently learned to make figure 8 motions when doing this. I tried it out and noticed it worked well. I did not actually check it on the surface plate but you notice that the surface is quite flat. Within >=0.0x mm I would estimate. Good enough for this part.

Mirror Glaze

Mirror Glaze Wax release; 16$

harpening Stone Professional Grinding Stone Set for Knives, Double Sided Grain 400/1000 and 3000/8000, with Bamboo Base, Angle Guide

Fixing the electronics

I decided to rewire the electronics from scratch. It worked out quite well I must say!

Delta B3 Delta ASDA M cnc electronics box

After I wired most of it on the desk I hung it on the wall and started connecting it to the CNC.

CNC electronics cabinet delta servo cumark ES580 VFD

Finishing the mechanics

I kinda dropped and messed up the C5 1605 nuts I had on my spindles. As they were already too short anyway I decided to pick up some new ones from Aliexpress:

1605 DFU C5 ballscrew Yixindianqi Store

I was seriously impressed with how riged the DFU version of the ballscrew feels. There is no play at all. I later on measured it on the CNC itself with load and you dont see it budge at all. I can really recommend these C5 1605 DFU screws from Yixindianqi Store on Aliexpress.

20230901 195142

So after completing most of the electronics, I went off to mount the spindle and servo motors. Initially, I had put the MAKITA RT0700 router on there; but that died very quickly after a little accident when I crashed it into the toolsetter.

Because the design of my frame is more of an afterthought … I had to add some way to mount the fixture table/wasteboard on the CNC. While it is not ideal to weld on a relatively precise machine frame, it was still the easiest method to do it.

mightymill diy cnc build welding table to wasteboard frame fixture table

After completing this stage I mounted 36mm of MDF plate to it and went on to the next step

mightymill diy cnc wasteboard facing

Many small steps in between

So as it goes in a project. you lose focus on documenting a bit and do all kind of small steps. During this time I got probe basic working well on the CNC, tuned the servos and did some final adjustments on the mechanics.

Tramming and aliging the axis

So as in any precision machine build where your mechanics are to perfect, you are going to have to adjust the tram and yaw of the spindle.

I started first with fixing the “nod” of the spindle by putting in a 10mm endmill upside down and using an indicator to make sure the measured distance stayed the same while moving the Z-axis up and down. This was relatively quick to be fixed.

For the trimming (rotation of Z spindle ) I did the following:

mightymill DIY cnc router tramming the spindle

So I 3d printed a spacer so I could mount my indicator on the spindle. Turned it round to make sure the distance of the indicated stayed the same. As my z-axis is quite heavy, I found the use of a strap quite useful to slowly get it in the right spot.

Making chips!

This was the first time i milled aluminium on this machine. Drilling, milling, boring. It all went pretty well!

After spending some more time with the machine I made another short video where I did some more drilling and milling

Helical boring, drilling holes, (manual) assisted tool-change in linuxCNC with probe basic

Can it mill hardened steel?

So a question that comes up quite a lot is if the Lusintun BT30 ATC spindle can mill steel? The answer is yes, the spindle itself is not the limit. The stiffness of the machine is.

I did some testing on some hardened steel to make sure it could handle normal steel with ease.

Conclusion – Mightymill build Part #4

Since part #3 quite a lot has happened. The machine is together, is working and performing pretty well. As this is the first full CNC build that I have done there are plenty of areas that need improvement. One of the main things is to make the Z-Axis stiffer and make a better connection from the gantry to the ballscrew.

Other than that I’m happy with how it performs!

Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any updates.

Feel free to reach out to me on discord

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Uncovering the Value of Affordable Chinese Granite Parallels for Precision Engineering Enthusiasts https://cncrouterinfo.com/article/cheap-chinese-granite-parallels/ https://cncrouterinfo.com/article/cheap-chinese-granite-parallels/#respond Tue, 09 May 2023 14:45:27 +0000 https://cncrouterinfo.com/?p=4279 During the construction and fine-tuning of my MightyMill CNC machine, I found myself in need of precision granite reference tools, including a granite parallel and a granite square. However, the steep prices for new and used tools in the local market quickly dampened my enthusiasm. Undeterred, I began searching for a more affordable alternative.

Introduction

In the realm of precision engineering, top-notch precision ground and lapped granite measuring parallels are essential for accurate and stable measuring and inspection processes. However, the cost of premium parallels can be prohibitive, ranging from $500 to $3,000, making it challenging for hobbyists and small-scale machinists.

china affordable granite parallels 00
Unexpectedly, I came across an advertisement for granite precision tools from a factory in China (the amusing English caption is worth a read).

Venturing into the world of affordable alternatives, I discovered Chinese granite parallels and decided to share my experience with these budget-friendly tools that exceeded my expectations.

Discovering and Ordering Chinese Granite Parallels

Navigating the complexities of ordering from a Chinese supplier that only communicates in Chinese and requires payment through a Chinese bank account [Insert my lovely wife here], I took a leap of faith and ordered a set of granite measuring parallels.

To save on shipping costs, I opted for the economical One Belt One Road rail transport initiative, which delivered the package to my doorstep within a month.

Chinese granite parallel 000 grade
Unboxing – Chinese granite parallel 000 grade

Upon unboxing the well-packaged granite parallels, I was impressed by their visual finish and clean, chamfered edges. Each parallel and granite square came with a factory measurement certificate, verifying their 000 grade (Chinese national standard) quality.

Chinese granite parallel 000 grade
Close examination – Chinese granite parallel 000 grade – 3.2um parallel grade

The granite parallels held up well within the tolerances specified by the manufacturer (at least how well you can measure using primitive tools). They were flat and parallel, indicating a high degree of precision.

Chinese granite parallel test certificate
Chinese granite parallel test certificate

Sharing My Findings with Friends

After validating the quality and performance of these affordable granite parallels, I shared my findings with friends in the machining community. Their interest led me to order more sets, which I distributed among them, receiving positive feedback on the value for money these Chinese granite parallels offered.

I ordered a few more sets and distributed them among my friends, who were equally impressed by the value for money these Chinese granite parallels offered. They have since become a popular choice among our community, especially for those seeking cost-effective options without compromising on quality.

Chinese granite square 000 grade
Chinese granite square 000 grade (4um , 5um) ~ 200$
Chinese granite square 000 grade 400x300x50mm
Chinese granite square 000 grade 400x300x50mm (4um, 3um) ~ 300$

One of my friends out of the machining community who got two parallels even made a video showing its performance:

[Note turn sound off!!]

Youtube video examining one of my sourced 500x100x50mm parallels ~ 200$

Conclusion

My experience purchasing and testing Chinese granite measuring parallels has been enlightening, proving that budget-friendly alternatives can provide satisfactory results for hobbyists and small-scale machinists. While caution is necessary when purchasing from overseas suppliers, I believe it’s worth exploring affordable options like these Chinese granite parallels, as they can save you a significant amount of money without sacrificing quality.

In addition to my own positive experience, my friends in the machining community have also found these affordable granite parallels to be a game-changer in their work. These tools have enabled them to achieve high levels of accuracy and precision in their projects without breaking the bank.

Ultimately, the key takeaway is to keep an open mind when searching for affordable tools and equipment, as it’s possible to find hidden gems that offer excellent value for money. Chinese granite parallels are just one example of such a discovery that can benefit precision engineering enthusiasts on a budget.

Interested in Getting a Set?

Occasionally, I go through the trouble to import a batch of these parallels from China. If you’re interested, feel free to contact me through this page or on Discord. I will also be sending a set to a nationally recognized metrology lab to verify the factory’s measurement certificate.

Have you tried any budget-friendly tools that have exceeded your expectations? Share your experiences in the comments below!

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Mightymill – Build log #3 -professional diy CNC router https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-3-diy-cnc-router/ https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-3-diy-cnc-router/#respond Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:35:25 +0000 https://cncrouterinfo.com/?p=4145 The Mightymill is the name I gave my professional DIY cnc router build that I’m working on. It features IHSV57 servo motors, BT30 ATC CNC spindle, Durfill polymer concrete filling and more.

My build has finally begun and in this post I will take you on the building journey. Make sure you have read part 1 here and part 2 here .

Assembling the machine frame

It took a while, but finally I was able to move the machine frame in my recently cleaned shed and get it assembled. For me, the concrete filled machine frame was one of the most time consuming aspects of this build.

durfill UHPC machine frame diy cnc epoxy granite
Rolling the machine frame parts into the shed

The leg assembly was the most difficult to move. While I had put GD-60S wheels under it, it is till a top heavy assembly which weighs 120kg. With a bit of sweat and hurt, I was able to position it and get the assembly going.

diy cnc uhpc concrete epoxy granite farmer jack
Tractor / farmer’s jack is an incredibly useful device for such handlings

I was able to assemble it without too much hassle. To get it all square I had to use the Farmer’s jack to pull the legs inward as there was a slight misalignment. After that it is square (diagonal measurement) within 1-2 mm over a span of 1.6 meters. Which is fine for this application.

diy cnc uhpc concrete epoxy granite farmer jack mightymill fitment
Initial fitment of the extrusions

It all seems to fit pretty well. Time to go on to the next step.

Lets “rise” up!

It was time to make the riser plates. I used my old and not so trusted HBM BF25 manual mill for this. It actually had lots of troubles during this process. Wobbliness … (DC) motor brushed dying, and other fun electronics issues… But i got it going again and was able to finish the job.

mightymill bf25 diy cnc top plate
Drilling the gantry mounting plate
mightymill bf25 diy cnc top plate drill mill BAP300R bap300 honing
Honing out the holes to allow for a flat surface for the recessed cap screws
mightymill bf25 diy cnc top plate drill mill
Mounted on the extrusion
mightymill bf25 diy cnc bottom plate drill mill hgr20 hgw20cc sorotec
Milling and drilling the mounting plate for the HGW20CC carriages. 25mm alu plate

As you can see in the image, the side finish of my milling does not look very good. As I mentioned before my HBM bf25 is quite wobbly and not in a good state. There is still quite some play in the column and in the gibs even after tuning.

As the side surface is not a critical one for my application it is not too bad.

mightymill diy cnc bottom plate drill mill hgr20 hgw20cc sorotec  wetstone scraping
Flattening the mounting surface with whetstones

in a Dan Gilbart video I recently learned to make figure 8 motions when doing this. I tried it out and noticed it worked well. I did not actually check it on the surface plate but you notice that the surface is quite flat. Within >=0.0x mm I would estimate. Good enough for this part.

Whetstone set

This set of whetstones was affordable at 25$ and I was able to get it locally quickly.

harpening Stone Professional Grinding Stone Set for Knives, Double Sided Grain 400/1000 and 3000/8000, with Bamboo Base, Angle Guide
mightymill diy cnc bottom plate drill mill hgr20 hgw20cc sorotec y axis x axis
Mounting and aligning the HGW20CC carriages to the adapter plate

It all fit well without too many issues. With such precision applications be sure to torque bolts and screws correctly. It is essential that you do in precision applications to ensure equal load and proper contact between surfaces.

mightymill diy cnc 120x120 aluminium extrusion BAP400R BAP400
Milling the 120x120mm Durfill filled extrusions flat

After this I also ran the whetstones over it quickly to remove all the burrs.

In addition to this I had to buy the following items:

ItemLink
BAP300R holder – BAP 300R 50-22-5T, APMT1135-H2 KT1505Aliexpress
MT3-FMB22(M12) (BAP300R holder)Aliexpress
Cheap 3 axis DRO for mill / latheAliexpress
Items I used for creating and assembling these parts
mightymill riser
(temporary) mounting the 4mm thick steel side plates

I used some 3mm thick ground steel parallels for equal spacing vs the alu block.

mightymill diy cnc bottom plate drill mill hgr20 hgw20cc sorotec y axis x axis granite surface plate durfill
Mounting it all together on the surface plate.

I used this method to ensure that the side of the extrusions meet the adapter plate perfectly at the same reference plane.

mightymill diy cnc bottom plate drill mill hgr20 hgw20cc sorotec y axis x axis granite surface plate durfill
Semi assembled riser mounted to the gantry
Mightymill frame gantry assembly x axis y axis durfill  diy cnc
Assembled Y axis including gantry on riser blocks

Finally! it is starting to look like a CNC!

Conclusion – Mightymill build Part #3

Moving and re-assembling the machine frame was one of my biggest hurdles. But once I got going it went relatively smooth. The Farmer Jack’s helped a lot with this.

I ordered some new goodies such as Delta ASDA-M controller, 400W ECMA 20b optical encoder ac servo motors. A 1 meter 000 grade granite parallel (all surfaces) and some nice steel AC servo motor mounts. It is now all on the train from China. Hoping for it to arrive at the beginning of December.

The next step will be making the adapters for the ball screws and motors, mounting the extrusions to the table and making the z-axis adapter so it can all be mounted together.

Stay Tuned!

Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any updates.

Feel free to reach out to me on discord

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Tool setter : Measuring tool length [#1 ultimate guide] https://cncrouterinfo.com/article/ultimate-guide-to-cnc-tool-setter/ https://cncrouterinfo.com/article/ultimate-guide-to-cnc-tool-setter/#respond Thu, 27 Oct 2022 11:17:05 +0000 https://cncrouterinfo.com/?p=4127 Final workpiece accuracy is often dependant on how accurately you can measure and compensate for tool length difference between tool changes.

CNC controllers require understanding of the exact length of tools in order to compensate for any tool length differences between milling cutters.

In this article, I go over the various style of tool length sensors available. Evaluating aspects such as accuracy, versatility, and cost.

Lower cost mechanical tool setter

The lower-cost mechanical tool setter such as the HLTNC CNC tool length sensor which I reviewed here is the most popular method of tool length measurement for DIY hobby or semi-pro CNC machines.

tool setter aliexpress tool length measurement
40$ HLTNC tool length setter

There are various models available on Aliexpress and at other sources of these lower cost mechanical tool setters. Internally they are all constructed similar. There is a plunger where the end mill presses down and internally there is a switch that gets contacted when the plunger is moved down by a certain distance.

The repeatability of this style of tool setter has been shown and tested to be within +-0.01mm – 10um. For most DIY, hobby, and semi-pro CNC machining applications this is suitable.

However you will face some challenges with irregular shaped milling tools such is index-facemills or bigger tools that exceed the size of the plunger.

In addition this style of mechanical tool setter does not allow you to measure the tool width.

The elecrtical connection of this type of tool length sensor is quite easy. It with either have an NC or NO type switch internally which allows you to connect it to your cnc controller board such as an UCCNC or Mach 3 breakout board.

comparison NO and NC contact
a comparison between No contacts and NC contacts – source us.Idec.com

Non-contact tool setter

Non contact tool setting system often recognizable the U shape is one of the most common methods for automatic tool length measurement for industrial machines.

reneshaw tool length sensor non contact tool length measurement
Renishaw NC4+ non-contact tool setter

These non-contact tool setter work by sending a small laser beam from the sending fork to the receiver fork on the other side.

Due to its non-mechanical nature of it, the accuracy and repeatability of it tool length measurement is generally around 1 – 2 um for the more affordable models such as the Sick WF2. On the higher range of the spectrum, the Renishaw NC4+ achieves a repeatability specification of +-0.5um for smaller tools and +-0.75um for larger tools

An additional benefit of this type of non-contact tool length sensor is that it allows irregularly shaped tools such as big insert-based face-mills to be accurately measured. This can often be a challenge when using a contact-based tool setter.

In addition to that you can do width measurement of an milling tool. This is especially beneficial to capture catastrophic damage to a milling tool or to verify that the physical tool matches the tool size as set in the cnc controller such as linuxcnc or UCCNC.

This width measurement is usually less accurate than length measurement. One can generally expect about 20 – 50 um measurement accuracy using a non-contact

non-contact tool length sensor cnc automatic on
Non-contact tool length setter – measurement cycle

Endmills and other milling tools are often not completely flat on the bottom face due to cutting edges etc. To measure the longest point of the endmill accurately this kind of non-contact tool length sensor requires the spindle to turn (~1000 rpm) while measuring the lowest point of the milling tool.

On the second hand market such non-contact tool setters are available from just 10$.

Popular term for this on european ebay is “Gabellichtschranke” which translates to “Fork light barrier” – one example of this is the Balluff BGL000A which you can often find new or used for 20 – 40$

Premium – mechanical tool setter

In comparison to lower-cost mechanical tool setters that are often used in the DIY CNC community, there is also a premium style available that can achieve repeatability numbers comparable to or better than non-contact tool setters.

2ec0f3059a904efb8b0b2c0c35238187

Renishaw OTS 3D touch trigger tool setter is one of such premium mechanical tool setters.

While listed as a mechanical tool setter in this article, internally it is just like the non-contact tool setter optically based to achieve better stability and accuracy numbers.

Brand new the Renishaw OTS 3D tool setter costs approximately 2000$ but used these can be found for about 500 – 1000 $ on places like ebay.

The Renishaw OTS 3D tool setter lits a repeatability specification of 1.00 um.

Renishaw OTS 3D tool setter – Tool length measurement, tool width measurement

There are a few copies of this design on aliexpress but they are still quite pricey at 1000+ $. At that price point, I would advise to look at second-hand options in the west.

Conclusion

In this article, the various kinds of tool length setters are described with each having their pro and cons. For most hobbies and DIY use, a lower cost mechanical tool setter will be sufficient.

Looking for more versatility and better accuracy? have a look at (second hand) non-contact tool setters.

Are you a job-shop that is running VMC all day long, with coolant etc – for you the premium 3D mechanical tool setters for a brand such as Renishaw might be the right option.

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PrintNC Mini : New meta 1000$ DIY CNC ? https://cncrouterinfo.com/cnc-kits/impressive-printnc-diy-opensource-cnc-2/ https://cncrouterinfo.com/cnc-kits/impressive-printnc-diy-opensource-cnc-2/#respond Wed, 19 Oct 2022 19:20:02 +0000 https://cncrouterinfo.com/?p=4091 The PrintNC is a open source metal cutting CNC machine that was designed to be more capable and professional than the current offering of DIY open source cnc machines.

In the past few months its little brother the PrintNC Mini which extends the PrintNC capabilities further but in a much more compact and cost effective platform.

Features of the PrintNC Mini

The PrintNC mini is the baby that came out of all the findings and learnings of the (opensource) PrintNC project. The main improvements are as follows:

  • Dual HGH15 block bearings on the Y axis – Fixes the main stiffness issue which was often one of the first upgrades done for the PrintNC V3.0
printnc mini y axis dual block aliexpress
  • Triple HGH15 bearing block configuration for the X axis – This setup drastically increases the stiffness of the X axis and Z axis assembly
printnc mini x axis HGH15
  • Re-design of the Z-axis – Allows for a smaller overall package while retaining simplicity to build and overall stiffness
z axis PrintNC Mini – Its a PrintNC – But Mini
  • In-chassis Nema17 stepper motors allow for a much more compact build
PrintNC mini Nema 17 x axis motor

PrintNC mini specifications

The standard build has the following dimensions:

  • Wasteboard 395 x 500 mm
  • Y axis beams: 75×50 mm steel tube
  • X axis beam: 50×50 mm steel tube
  • Z travel: 110mm
  • Y travel: 300mm
  • X travel: 300mm

The PrintNC Mini is designed with parametric modelling. You can scale-up and scale-down the design within reason.

What makes the PrintNC so special vs other DIY CNC router offering?

The PrintNC Mini’s design makes use of rectangular steel beams which are interconnected with bolts to keep it DIY friendly.

It avoided all the shortcomings from entry level desktop CNC-routers that are on the market.

Such as the Indymill and Carbide 3D’s Nomad which are far less capable then the PrintNc

To name a few:

  • Ballscrews on all axis
  • Dual and triple ” Hiwin ” bearing block design
  • rigid steel frame
  • Supports watercooled 65mm spindle
  • 3D-printed parts on the parts you can get away with less tensile strength
  • Designed to mill non-ferrous materials

PrintNC Mini current status

The PrintNC mini is still in beta mode. Meaning it is only available to a select few which have purchased the 3D files and get access to the member zone. At this point approximately 2 or 3 completed builds were spotted on the Discord.

It is too early to know the full extents and capabilities of the PrintNC mini. But looking at how it was designed and the already excellent performance of the PrintNC DIY router, I have full confidence in it.

Looking for something completely different?

Have a look at my build the Mightymill :

Conclusion

The PrintNC mini is currently in Beta status and a few builds have shown up on the discord. The design carries many improvements from the PrintNC V3.0 and seems to have addressed the main issues with that design.

It is too early to know the full extents and capabilities of the PrintNC mini due to small amount of builds out there.

I’ll definitely be watching closely at how it performs over the coming few months.

Frequently asked questions – FAQ

Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions relating to the PrintNC

What is the PrintNC mini

The PrintNC mini is the latest and greatest development in the PrintNC project. It is a machine with a smaller footprint featuring double linear carriages all over. It is however not open source anymore and requires a payment to access the files.

PrintNC Mini kit BOM

The (public) PrintNC mini bom (linear components) can be found here For the full bom purchase the 3D files etc. From https://printncmini.com/

PrintNC Mini aliexpress kit

There is no kit available for the PrintNC mini. Want to source it yourself? look at the public bom here and HLTNC cnc Aliexpress store

Where can I find the PrintNC mini 3d file

The PrintNC Mini is a for profit project. There are no public files available. You can buy them on the PrintNC mini website.

How much does the PrintNC Mini cost?

1000$? Pricing really depends on build size, local steel prices etc. But it is mentioned on the PrintNC discord that a mini can be had for ~1000 – 1500 USD

What are the PrintNC dimensions

The PrintNC Mini is designed with parametric modelling. You can scale-up and scale-down the design within reason. The standard machine footprint is 400 x 500 mm

Where can I find the PrintNC discord

You can find the discord here

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Mightymill – Build log #2 -professional diy CNC router https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-2-professional-diy-cnc-router-2/ https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-2-professional-diy-cnc-router-2/#respond Fri, 14 Oct 2022 10:52:25 +0000 https://cncrouterinfo.com/?p=4047 The Mightymill is the name I gave my professional DIY cnc router build that I’m working on. It features IHSV57 servo motors, BT30 ATC CNC spindle, Durfill polymer concrete filling and more.

My build has finally begun and in this post I will take you on the building journey. Make sure you have read part 1 here.

The heavy duty z-axis

Due to wanting to use a BT30 ATC spindle I had to upgrade to a heavy duty Z-axis. The design I opted for was originally designed by Crabs Shed. I optimized some small aspects of it and added it to my design.

heavy duty z-axis cnc machine design
Fusion360 image of the heavy duty z-axis

Milling the z-axis plates

Crabs Shed was so kind to help me with milling the z-axis plates for my diy cnc build.

He even made a video of him milling it:

Crab shed – milling z-axis

Initial measurements

heavy duty z-axis diy cnc router image
Measuring rail deviation vs eachother

One of the first things I did after receiving the plates was mounting my Sorotec Blue line HGR20 rails to it and measuring the (relative) flatness of the base plate versus it.

I quickly noticed that the leftover milling marks had a significant impact on the relative flatness of the mounting surface.

As the rails I uses are P – grade and my carriages have p1 preload it adds additional requirements on the rail mounting surfaces and alignment versus each other.

linear rail hgr20 mounting surface diy cnc router uhpc 8020 t-slot
Excerpt from Hiwin linear rails assembly document

The image above gives you an indication regarding the accuracy of various parts of the rail and the various grades available. Regular Aliexpress “china” rails will be grade C or worse undefined.

I measured too much deviation of the z-axis mounting plate for my liking. I really wanted to keep this under 0.01mm or better hence I had to take it one step further.

Surface correction step #1

I got myself a set of whetstones from aliexpress in order to get rid of the milling marks and achier an overall surface which is more uniform.

In terms of improving the surface finish and flatness this did the most. It removed all the high spots and made the surface much more even.

Whetstone set

This set of whetstones was affordable at 25$ and I was able to get it locally quickly.

harpening Stone Professional Grinding Stone Set for Knives, Double Sided Grain 400/1000 and 3000/8000, with Bamboo Base, Angle Guide
diy cnc z-axis flat whetstone
Surface quality after initial step of making the surface more ven.

Surface correction step #2

I got myself a small and affordable granite surface plate. It came with a full test certificate and all.

Surface plate cheap eu 000 grade A 1.2um
Test certificate of surface plate

I got this since i wanted to scrape the high spots of the mounting surfaces flat.

In addition to this I had to buy the following items:

ItemLink
Gedore 133 F-200mm HSS scraperhttps://amzn.to/3MtxuUp [USA]
https://amzn.to/3CYbJcf [DE]
Diamant bluing paste – Tuschierpastehttps://amzn.to/3rXDr2y [DE]
Rubber brayer rollerhttps://amzn.to/3g1Obdj [USA]
https://amzn.to/3MvDKe6 [DE]
Items I used for surface scraping the alu z-axis plate

In total I spent about 2 hours of scraping. Can significantly speed it up if your initial plate is flatter or if you use power tools such as a dremel to do the difficult work for you.

surface scraping aluminium z-axis diy cnc
After scraping bottom mounting plate
surface scraping aluminium z-axis diy cnc
After scraping top mounting plate

I was not completely happy about the Diamant bluing paste. When indents get smaller than 0.01mm you will have a very hard time seeing it. There are better alternatives out there albeit those are difficult to get as an European.

When fully assembled, I measured the parallelity of the top plate vs the mounting surface of the Z-axis and it is well below 0.01mm. Good enough for me!

Mounting the Lusintun ATC spindle

Time to start drilling holes in the 100mm spindle mount.

100mm spindle holder drill hole BF25
Drilling holes in the 100mm spindle mount

The spindle mount was too tall so I could not fit a bigger size drill in my BF25L. So i had to put it on the side and ream it to the final size of 8.5mm.

100mm spindle holder drill hole BF25
Manually drill to final size of 8.5mm
100mm spindle mount lusintun BT30 atc cnc spindle diy z-axis heavy duty z-axis
Semi-assembled heavy duty z-axis

How heavy is the Z-axis?

100mm spindle mount lusintun BT30 atc cnc spindle diy z-axis heavy duty z-axis weight 25kg
Z-axis weight measurement 25.4kg

I would have guessed that it would have been heavier but 25.4kg it is!

New goodies

As I’m still waiting on quite a few milled parts for my cnc build I put my focus a bit on other aspects of the build.

HGR20 linear rails covers

To protect my nice precision and preloaded linear rails I know that I needed to get myself some linear rail protection. After looking on Aliexpress I found myself some.

HGR 20 rail cover aliexpress
HGR 20 rail cover aliexpress
20221005 124321

I got 6 of the 600mm length ones. This is probably a bit too long for my build but I was afraid to get ones which were too short. It has many “internal supports”. This enables you to cut it to size when needed. You can find them here on Aliexpress.

Tool length measurement

In addition to that my tool length measurement sensor just came in. It seems like quite a solid and professional item. I also made a separate review of it. For those interested you can find it here.

Finishing up the machine frame

As I had too little concret last time, I went to Hornbach, got some more and finished up the second leg of the machine frame.

20221008 154653

I cut some extra holes in the legs as I wanted to make sure it was completely filled.

After grinding it open I observed that it was completely filled. So there is no need for doing this. the total weight of a single concrete filled leg is 120kg now.

Mounting for the machine feet

I started cutting some 120x120mm squares out of 10mm thick steel plate to have a surface to mount my GD-60 levelling feet to.

angle grinder cut 10mm steel diy cnc
cutting out steel plates with angle grinder

After cutting and tapping it was time to grind off some paint from the legs and weld them to the frame. It made a little mess of my previously beautifully painted kern red paint.

weld steel plate machine leg table diy cnc
router concrete
Steel feet after welding mounting plate to it

I will have to clean up the spatter a bit and re-paint the damaged parts.

painted machine frame kern red concrete uhpc
Re-painted the machine leg

Conclusion – Mightymill build Part #2

Getting the z-axis mounting surfaces flat and dialed in was initially one of my bigger concerns. But after wet sanding it and scraping I was quite happy with the result.

Additionally I was able to make some progress regarding the machine frame.

Now it is finally ready to go to the next step and that is mounting and aligning the alu extrusions and rails to each other. And start making my design into reality.

Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any updates.

Feel free to reach out to me on discord

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https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-2-professional-diy-cnc-router-2/feed/ 0 Machining 5083 aluminum Z axis plate on a DIY CNC gantry router. nonadult 4047
Mightymill – Build log #1 -professional diy CNC router https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-1-professional-diy-cnc-router-2/ https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-1-professional-diy-cnc-router-2/#respond Wed, 05 Oct 2022 13:40:03 +0000 https://cncrouterinfo.com/?p=4023 The Mightymill is the name I gave my professional DIY cnc router build that I’m working on. It features IHSV57 servo motors, BT30 ATC CNC spindle, Durfill polymer concrete filling and more.

Mightymill cnc router

My build has finally begun and in this post I will take you on the building journey.

The machine frame

My machine frame is built out of 120x120x4mm thick steel tubing. I chose this size as I could get it relatively cheaply. It is massive overkill, however. As my shed only has a small door it needed to be able to come apart easily so I opted for various bolted connections instead of welding it fully (which would have been much and much easier).

diy cnc router machine frame
Rough fit-up of pre-welded cnc frame components

I added some extra supports for the machine bed which is not shown in the image above.

For painting I opted for Nelfamar Vinyl Plus which as a marine grade vinyl paint. I used this is various outside based projects before and it is easy to use, durable and quite affordable. The color I opted for is RAL3002 “Kern red”.

20220917 113816
Machine frame after painting

Concrete time

I wanted to take advantage of the vibration dampening properties of filling the machine frame with polymer concrete such as UHPC or Durfill. I describe the workings of that in this post here.

As Durfill is relatively expensive when you use it in low quantities I opted for using off-the-shelf pre-mixed concrete from the local Hornbach which at 2.75 EUR per 25kg bag is a steal. I added Moertelshop’s Flup4 to it to enhance its properties.

machine frame UHPC polymer concrete DIY cnc concrete CNC
Filling side-supports with ~40kg of UHPC concrete
machine frame UHPC polymer concrete DIY cnc concrete CNC
One support leg is approximately 80kg of concrete. The total weight of one leg is about 120kg

To cover the bolts I added grease to them and tighten them to the steel base. After semi-drying the concrete they were removed. I still need to do one of the steel legs. When I have some time in the coming weeks I’ll proceed with it.

Aluminium extrusion

For the machine itself, I used 80x80mm aluminum extrusion for the Y axis and 120x120mm extrusion for the X axis. The gantry risers are also 120x120mm aluminum t-slot profile.

professional diy cnc machine side view
professional diy cnc machine z

120120 aluminium extrusion DIY cnc machine 8080
120×120 aluminium extrusion for the grantry and risers, 80×80 t-slot extrusion for the y-axis.

Again to enhance it’s stiffness and vibration dampening properties I have filled these with UHPC polymer concrete. The specific product I used is Durfill by Durcrete.

It performs better than regular concrete or run-of-the-mill UHPC. As the volume for these aluminum extrusions is limited I chose the more expensive but better-performing Durfill product.

Polymer concrete time – Durfill

Durfill expands a little to ensure a good hold on the containing material. To ensure a clean mounting surface a spacer was created to prevent it from expanding past the edge.

20220925 102730 1
Spacer created out of regular garden sand

Afterwards the spacer can just be washed out by washing it out with water. This method is extremely simple but works well.

With the Durfill, I just followed the mixing instructions and poured it into the aluminum extrusion. Whatever was spilled on the side, just wash it off with the garden hose.

Durfill aluminium extrusion 8080 120120 t-slot
tslot diy cnc router  UHPC polymer concrete
Filling aluminium extrusion with Durfill

After drying, the washed out spacers of the riser tubes look like this:

Durfill aluminium extrusion 8080 120120 t-slot
tslot diy cnc router  UHPC polymer concrete

I did some video recording during this process. I’ll be uploading that somewhere in the coming weeks on my youtube channel.

The gantry tubes etc have also dried at this point.The weight of the table frame is about 400kg after filling it with concrete and mounting it togther.

Mounting and adjusting the Linear guides

For my design I utilized Sorotec Blue‘s HGR20 rails with P – precision class and P1 preload.

One of the first things I had to do was to create an adapter in order to allow two HGW20CC carriages and my dial indicator to be mounted to it. With a hole in the middle to tighten the t-slot nut and bolt. If you are interested in the drawing of this just hit me up on Discord.

Linear rail alignment adapter sorotec blue HGR20 HGW20CC aligning linear rail linear rail mounting
Linear rail alignment adapter

After finishing this on my HBM BF25 mill (glorified drill press) I mounted it on my Y axis rail.

Linear rail alignment adapter sorotec blue HGR20 HGW20CC aligning linear rail linear rail mounting
Rail alignment adapter
ProductLink
0.01 mm resolution dial indicator20$ aliexpress
Magnetic dial indicator base stand15$ aliexpress

Buy these t-slot nuts!

I used the regular “twist and turn” t-slot nuts before and they are… very bad for this application. After switching to the model on the right all my adjustment issues went away. I was able to align the whole rail in just a few minutes instead of an hour of tinkering. Do not cheap out on your (t-slot) nuts!

10PCS M3 M4 M5 M6 M8 M10 T Block Square Nuts T Track Sliding Hammer Nut T Nut nf

After using the premium of style of t-nuts the adjustment went swiftly.

Video of the linear alignment

[Gantry tube] I was able to align it within 2um with ease (relative angle)

I aligned the distance between the blocks to about 10um. This took about 15 minutes of work. Good enough for me 🙂

Conclusion – Mightymill build Part #1

I was able to make a good amount of progress so far. The next step is starting with the Z-axis and getting that going. Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any updates.

Feel free to reach out to me on discord

Continue reading

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https://cncrouterinfo.com/news/mightymill-build-log-1-professional-diy-cnc-router-2/feed/ 0 #1 Aligning Linear Rails on Aluminum Profile (HGR20) nonadult 4023
High precision HLTNC CNC tool length sensor https://cncrouterinfo.com/review/automatic-tool-length-sensor/ https://cncrouterinfo.com/review/automatic-tool-length-sensor/#respond Wed, 05 Oct 2022 11:33:45 +0000 https://cncrouterinfo.com/?p=4013 For my new CNC build I needed an affordable, easy to use and accurate cnc tool touch probe to do automatic tool length measurement.

I chose for HLTNC’s option due to the fast shipping to EU and good prices. I opted for the “with dust blow” model as it allows me to keep the touch probe clean when doing automatic tool length measurement with my uccnc controller.

Items were packed well, arrived in ~14 days from China to EU and was complete and to spec. I paid ~45 USD for it including shipping and taxes.

Physical product – tool length setter

THe body is made by anodized cnc milled or turned aluminium. Which is free of dents, scratches and burrs.

HLTNC tool length setter tool length sensor automatic tool length measurement

The wiring is protected by a metal sleeve which covers he rubber wiring.

HLTNC tool length setter tool length sensor automatic tool length measurement bottom

The bottom features a serial number which could indicate that there is individual quality checks and potentially even calibration done on the tool length sensor.

HLTNC tool length setter tool length sensor automatic tool length measurement rubber

The tool length plunger/plate features a rubber or silicone gasket which keeps chips and coolant out of the internal workings and mechanics of the tool length setter.

Instructions of the touch probe

HLTNC tool length setter chinese description

The instructions themself that are affixed to the box it came in are in chinese.

Product Description:
The repeat positioning accuracy of this product can reach 0.01mm, and the layered sealing design is completely anti-drop, anti-collision, and dust-proof.

wiring is simple, easy to install and use.
Suitable for all kinds of engraving machines.

Additionally it tells you how to connect the probe in case of a DC24V PNP or 0V NPN setup.

PNP wiring method

Brown: DC24V
Green:Tool Setting Signal Output
White:DC24V
Yellow:Tool Setting Stroke Protection

NPN wiring method

Brown:0V
Green:Tool Setting Signal Output
White:0V
Yellow:Tool setting stroke protction

Tool setting stroke protection = overtravel protection switch

So far I’m happy with the product. And i will use it in my new cnc build.

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