Blog

Author Archive

X Axis Parts

Friday, July 27th, 2012

For this section you’ll need:

  • X Rail Panels
  • 5mm bolts, washers and nuts
  • 8mm bolts, washers and nuts
  • 1 Stepper motor
  • 2 shaft couplers, 2 belt pulleys
  • Drill rod, aluminum angle
  • Timing belt

Z Axis Parts

Friday, July 27th, 2012

For this section you’ll need:

  • Z Cart Panels
    • (1) Z Cart Back
    • (1) Z Cart Front
    • (1) Z Cart Bottom
    • (1) Z Cart Top
    • (2) Interior Z Cart Rail Runner
    • (2) Exterior Z Cart Rail Runner
    • (2) Z Cart Spacer
  • Z Sled Panels
    • (1) Z Nut Trap
    • (2) Z Rail Runner
    • (1) Z Sled Spacer
    • (1) Z Sled Face
    • (2) Tool Holder
  • (~50) 8mm bolts, washers and nuts
  • (16) Skate bearings
  • (2) Stepper motors
  • (1) ~8.5″/215mm length of ACME rod
  • (1) ACME nut
  • (2) Bushings
  • (2) ~9″/230mm length of 1/4″/6mm diameter steel rod
  • (2) ~28 3/4″/730mm-long sections of aluminum angle (3/4″ or 19mm leg length)

What It Takes

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

In order to build your own functioning DIYLILCNCv2 you’ll need the following:

  • A week of evenings and a full weekend (depending on skill level)
  • Basic shop skills/tools
  • Basic electronics skills/tools
  • Between $500-$1000 dollars for parts (prices vary by source, desired features)
  • Plywood panel kit (plans are free, CNC fees vary widely)

Metal Fabrication

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Some of the metal stock from the BOM must be cut to length. The following measurements assume a standard build (no change to axis length):

  • 2 x aluminum angle @ 28.75″ | 730mm (X-axis)
  • 4 x aluminum angle @ 24″ | 610mm (Y-axis)
  • 2 x steel rod @ 9″ | 230mm (Y-axis)
  • 1 x AMCE/trapezoidal @ 9″ | 230mm (Z-axis)

Run Stepconfig

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

From the OS desktop, run APPLICATIONS > CNC > Stepconf Wizard. See this link for a page-by-page walk-through of all EMC2 Stepconfig settings.

Most of the settings in Stepconfig are determined by the HobbyCNC controller board and the motors it ships with. One key setting, however, called “leadscrew pitch”, is determined by the hardware that you happened to purchase with your build.

X/Y: The pulleys on the DIYLILCNC are mounted directly on the motor shaft, so the system will travel a linear distance equal to the outer diameter of the pulley for each turn of the motor. Thus, LEADSCREW PITCH = 1 / CIRCUMFERENCE.

Z: Figuring Z-axis ratios is a little more challenging. Start with the following equation:

  • LEAD = PITCH x STARTS
  • Lead: The axial distance the nut advances in one revolution of the screw
  • Pitch: The axial distance between threads
  • Starts: The number of independent threads on the screw shaft

…and then calculate LEADSCREW PITCH = 1 / LEAD.

“Stock” Specs

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

DIYLILCNCv2 is designed to be as user-hackable as possible. All specs are flexible, and may change depending on how you construct your specific build.

  • Footprint: (H)18″ x (W)32″ x (D)26″ | 456mm x 809mm x 654mm
  • Working area: (X)12″ x (Y)13″ x (Z)4″ | 310mm x 340mm x 110mm
  • Table travel (cutting): depends on spindle, bit, and material to be cut
  • Tool: 1/4″ | 6.23mm collet whip-Dremel
  • Can cut: wood, plastic, foam, light metals and more ;)

Open Source

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

DIYLILCNC is an open source initiative tasked with increasing the accessibility of CNC tooling/education for the broadest possible audience. As such, all of the intellectual property generated by the project is free to download, remix and redistribute, even for commercial gain (details). All we ask is that credit be maintained in all derivative works, and that these works carry the same license. If you’re not sure what this means, feel free to get in touch.

PS: For this and many other open source projects, we like to rely on the “smell test” when in doubt. Not too long ago, an enterprising web denizen copied our entire DIYLILCNC v1 design document and submitted it to an online contest. In some ways, this was not explicitly in conflict with the letter of our Creative Commons license. After all, this individual did credit our authorship (even if they did move the details from the first to the last page of their submission). Naturally, we felt that this violated the spirit of our license and had the contest entry taken down.

Credit and Thanks

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

Although Taylor Hokanson and Chris Reilly are the principle researchers on the project, DIYLILCNC would not have been possible without the help and support of many individuals and institutions. Much of the DIYLILCNCv1 design was derived directly from two instructables posts (one, two) by oomlout. We improved upon the design with funding from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with particular help from Chad Gerth, Brian Stansbury and all the fantastic faculty and staff in the AIADO department.

The development of the DIYLILCNCv2 design was made possible by a successful Kickstarter campaign, followed by a generous prototyping grant from the Art + Design department at Columbia College Chicago. Extra thanks go out to Christopher Furman, Chris Kerr, Jay Wolke and Jim Zimpel.

Kickstarter 2011 Contributors: Edward Ford, Jakamoto, David Landry, shaji, blacketj, Mark A. Matthews, Chad Gerth, James Tippett, Andrew Laughton, EFFALO, Joe Murphy, ramy daghstani, Alexander C. Yao, Ash Kalb, Adam, Simon Benoit, Mark Wallström, Todd Masco, mdornseif, Jose Hevia, Szymon Kobalczyk, Andrew Ehret, machina ex, Isaac, christian, Dustyn Roberts, WeFab.it, John Mayo-Smith, draugluin, Gabriel Haffey, Martin Eliasson, Travis, Good, Doug Wilson, j. faceless user

Timing Belts

Friday, June 1st, 2012

Pass the timing belt through the Belt Slot in the front left Vertical Brace. Continue to pull the belt until you can pass it first around the belt tensioner, then around the pulley, and finally through the Belt Slot at back rear. Fix in place with a pair of Belt Clamp Panels. Cut the pulley to length, leaving yourself a little extra on either end for adjustment. The biming belt should be somewhat taught and equally tight on both sides. Experiment to find the right setting for your rig. Once the belt is taught, fix pulleys in place on drive rod.

Repeat these steps for both the right-hand Shoulder Block and the Z Cart.

Rod, Pulley and Coupler

Friday, June 1st, 2012

Insert a length of 1/4″ rod in the Exterior Panel of the left-hand Shoulder Block and push until about 1″ | 50mm is exposed at the Interior Panel. Now pass the rod through a belt pulley, then continue to push until the rod makes contact with the motor spindle. Fix the rod in place with a coupler, but let the pulley float for now.

Repeat these steps for the right-hand Shoulder Block.