CNC plasma cutter build

[PeterT]

If you’re in the Vancouver area, https://www.rmmc.net/8020/ in Langley is a great place to get 8020 extrusions.

Has anyone had experience with them shipping items to you?
or @Johnwa maybe that's what you meant by 'if you're in the area' (ie. maybe spendy).

 

[Johnwa]

I picked some up when I visited Vancouver.
Downside of that is you have to forecast what you might need, buy more than you need, and explain to your wife why.

 

[PeterT]

Why it’s a modular brushed aluminum shoe rack of course. I was just resting the motor there....

 

[Janger]

I bought and tried out this GRBL shield: https://github.com/synthetos/grblShield/wiki

This is the picture from the web site. It attaches to an Arduino. I hooked up some stepper motors and was thinking about CNC plasma table. I didn't make much progress beyond that. The shield drives the motors but also it interprets the GCODE and runs the motors from the program appropriately. Significant step that. I was using a java based program on Mac to communicate with the board - kind of a Mach like piece of software. Now if I could only remember what it was called. That was a computer or two ago so it's not on the machine I'm using anymore.

 

[DavidR8]

I bought and tried out this GRBL shield: https://github.com/synthetos/grblShield/wiki

This is the picture from the web site. It attaches to an Arduino. I hooked up some stepper motors and was thinking about CNC plasma table. I didn't make much progress beyond that. The shield drives the motors but also it interprets the GCODE and runs the motors from the program appropriately. Significant step that. I was using a java based program on Mac to communicate with the board - kind of a Mach like piece of software. Now if I could only remember what it was called. That was a computer or two ago so it's not on the machine I'm using anymore.

View attachment 12952

So the design I'm leaning on has the steppers driven by the Arduino Uno board. Is there a piece of technology that I'm missing here?
(I'm a complete stranger in a strange land...)

 

[DavidR8]

Has anyone had experience with them shipping items to you?
or @Johnwa maybe that's what you meant by 'if you're in the area' (ie. maybe spendy).

They do ship, and the rates seem really reasonable.
For example shipping for four pieces of 24" long 1"x3" 1030 to me is $15.
Four 72" long pieces of the same is $35 by courier.

Edit: a bit of price checking reveals that their extrusion prices are very good.
A 995mm long piece of 2040 is $14.85
Banggood has the identical profile. A 350mm length is $12. A 1000mm length is $27 shipped from the US

 

[Johnwa]

@David_R8 the board @Janger posted has built in stepper drivers that are similar to the plug in one I posted a picture of. I don’t know which drivers are recommended in the plans that you have. For larger Nema 23s I’d recommend ones like these
https://www.amazon.ca/TB6600-Stepper-Driver-Controller-tb6600/dp/B07B9ZQF5D
They are about half that price direct from China. One other thing, unless you’re going to solder directly to the Arduino board get a screw terminal shield. They bring out the Arduino pins to screw terminals.
The software Janger referred to is a gcode sender. There are many choices but I assume there is a specific one for a plasma cutter.

 

[DavidR8]

Thanks @Johnwa
Those look to be basically the same I have coming: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07SBZ9SM5?ref=ppx_pt2_dt_b_prod_image

 

[DavidR8]

A big box of parts arrived today from McMaster-Carr.
Just need to get some parts waterjet cut and I can start building!

 

[JohnnyTK]

I can not wait to see the completed build.

 

[DavidR8]

I can not wait to see the completed build.

Me too to be honest.
I'm such a complete CNC newbie that I sometimes misspell CNC

 

[Chicken lights]

Me too to be honest.
I'm such a complete CNC newbie that I sometimes misspell CNC

I mentioned it before but I had a customs agent ask me once what “CNC” stood for. I actually drew a blank, I couldn’t have told you. They made me go find the brokers office and print off a paper explaining what a “CNC lathe” was

 

[DavidR8]

Well the plasma cutter arrived. And it's not what I ordered. So back it goes.

 

[DavidR8]

A small victory today...
I was struggling to get my CAD-->CAM-->postprocess to work. Kept getting an error on the post.
Kept at it and actually produced gcode to cut out a square.
It's the little things...

 

[YotaBota]

I'm such a complete CNC newbie that I sometimes misspell CNC

Did you spell it backwards???? lol

 

[DavidR8]

Sent the dxf file to the water jet folks!

 

[DavidR8]

Well the plasma cutter arrived. And it's not what I ordered. So back it goes.

The seller was very apologetic and sent me a prepaid UPS shipping label within two hours of asking to return the item.

I have a different make and model ordered now.

 

[Janger]

Sent the dxf file to the water jet folks!
View attachment 12963

How much David and what material etc.?

 

[DavidR8]

How much David and what material etc.?

All is 1/8" mild steel except for the rectangular piece which is 3/16". I don't have an estimate yet but I expect it will be pretty cheap.

 

[DavidR8]

A big step today!
I managed to get F360 to postprocess my CAM file and get UGS to send it to my Arduino board.
For a complete rookie this is a big deal