# Off on a tangent..



## EndTuition

Beleive it or not this* is* duck call related. 
Lots more work to go on this.


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## bill

duck call display?


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## 3192

I vision some sort of custom router table????


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## Robert A.

My Darling wife Tena say's its a dry box..But I think it is a wood chip and dust making machine..:rotfl::rotfl:


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## EndTuition

Dang, just about everyone is right. This ought to help confirm it. Still waiting on a few more parts, but in a few more days I hope to have my very own CNC mill. More when I have it...


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## 3192

OK.... I want one! Awesome idea...plans??? Details??? jg


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## EndTuition

I did some serious homework and purchased plans from Rockcliff. The frame is all built from scratch, the driver boards and motors are all off ebay or from Rockcliff as well. Lots of software involved also. The electronics, hardware and software can be used to upgrade to a larger machine if I want to, but I started with the smaller version for my first attempt. So far so good. Building the PC to drive it now. All this to cut a toneboard....LOL.


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## speckle-catcher

hos much does it cost to make it?


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## bill

EndTuition said:


> I did some serious homework and purchased plans from Rockcliff. The frame is all built from scratch, the driver boards and motors are all off ebay or from Rockcliff as well. Lots of software involved also. The electronics, hardware and software can be used to upgrade to a larger machine if I want to, but I started with the smaller version for my first attempt. So far so good. Building the PC to drive it now. All this to cut a toneboard....LOL.


if you need parts for the PC, let me know


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## EndTuition

speckle-catcher said:


> hos much does it cost to make it?


Most of the cost in the electronics and software. Wood and hardware for the frame is ~ $100, the motors, electronics, software, dedicated PC, specialty hardware add about $900 more to it. If you don't have to buy CAD/CAM software and want to use a Linux based PC you can almost cut that in half.

There are LOTS of other options out there, but I wanted to challenge myself. The challenge is turning out to be the CAD/CAM side.


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## Bobby

Need video of it in operation after you get it finished.


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## EndTuition

Bobby said:


> Need video of it in operation after you get it finished.


That's the plan Bobby, I'm going to mount an old Craftsman 1hp router to it and make some dust ! Wish me luck !


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## EndTuition

bill said:


> if you need parts for the PC, let me know


PM Sent. 
I have a PC for it, but I want to use a notebook instead. Don't need much HP or drive space.


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## Robert A.

ONLY Two WORDS!! BAD A^&!!! you need me to hold the video recorder??:bounce:


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## Tortuga

Would you believe (and I'm sure you would) that I don't understand one word of any post on this entire thread once we got past 'display case' ?


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## EndTuition

Tortuga said:


> Would you believe (and I'm sure you would) that I don't understand one word of any post on this entire thread once we got past 'display case' ?


That's about where I was a few months ago LOL.

Robert you can hold the camera cause I'm going to be hiding behind the garage door !!


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## Slip

I am green with envy. I have looked at the CNC machines including the Rockler versions and would love one myself. Making one seemed way out of my league but looks like you are making it work out for yourself. Them things are awsome to say the least. Keep up the progress.


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## Texas T

Found this on the web http://buildyourcnc.com/default.aspx after Googling "homemade cnc mill for woodworking". There are tons of links.


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## EndTuition

If you're interested in building a CNC, start with cnczone.com.
There are three popular approaches. The Rockcliff plans (build from scratch), Joes2006 Kit, pre cut, you assemble it, and the "jgro" plans. Don't know to much about thr JGRO plans. There are a lot of kits for very small mills that are basicaly pre cut aluminum extrusion you bolt together. You can buy a working dremle based CNC mill or router for 1K, but it's very very limited in what it will cut. I started to go with a pre-cut frame kit, but once I figured out the rest of the needed investment, I wanted to be able to make something bigger than 8x5" for the money. Same software, motors, electronics etc. for a big one as a small one. Only difference is the lenght of the drive screws and size of the table. With the set up I hope to have working, if I can draw it (or find a drawing of it) I can cut it.


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## Viking48

EndTuition said:


> PM Sent.
> I have a PC for it, but I want to use a notebook instead. Don't need much HP or drive space.


Richard, I may have an old one around here for you. One might need a keyboard but I think I have another that is OK Let me see if I can find one and check it out.


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## Robert A.

Robert you can hold the camera cause I'm going to be hiding behind the garage door !![/QUOTE]

Ha Ha Ha I aint Skeered!!! :bounce:LOL


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## Slip

By the way, what are you going to be making as far as duck calls with a CNC router?
Never mind, I found it right under my nose in your post earlier. Toneboards.


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## EndTuition

I have missed a bit of work taking care of the dog, attempts to save his fading vision took a turn for the worse Tuesday night and he is pretty much blind now. Lots of hope, but not much chance he will get any back. Still we are doing what we can. It's been sad to watch, but he seems to be ready to adjust and move on more so than the wife and I. 
Anyway, been home with the dog and while he has been laying out in the wonderful sunshine, I have been busy in the shop. Got the gantry, tables and all three axis done. I got some smudges on it that don't want to wash off, and I don't want to dissassemble it to repaint. Waiting on one more circut board and I will be ready to start putting all the electronics in a box. 








This is how I attached the drive nuts. Had to do a bit of fabracation, some drilling and tapping. 








This is how I captured and aligned the axis rods.


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## Robert A.

I hate to hear that about your pup Mate!!


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## bear hide

I'll bet even Norm Abram is jealous


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## EndTuition

No new pictures...yet. But I got the motors and software working today. Not routing wood yet, but it will draw a picture if you put a pen on it !! 

I'll try to get a video of it in the next day or so.


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## EndTuition

Well, after cutting air for a few days, I mounted the spindle and some foam and and cut a sample sign out. Not too bad, all the motors do what they are supposed to do and it never ran off the table. I still need to mount some limit switches and an Emergency Stop Button in case it tries to run away. The motors are stong enough to destroy the frame and I don't trust my CAD/CAM expertise one bit yet.
Here is a very short video of it cutting out an "Open" sign, and some more pics of the rest of the project. I'll make a better video when I'm cutting some actual wood and less worried about being with in reach of the "RESET" button.


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## 3192

ET....that has to be the coolest thing I've seen!!! AWESOME!!!!! Totally, totally IMPRESSED!!!
When does it cut it's first piece of wood??? Again, Congrats on a job well done!!!
jim

That deserves a huge *GREENIE!*


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## Bobby

galvbay said:


> ET....that has to be the coolest thing I've seen!!! AWESOME!!!!! Totally, totally IMPRESSED!!!
> When does it cut it's first piece of wood??? Again, Congrats on a job well done!!!
> jim
> 
> That deserves a huge *GREENIE!*


X50!!!!


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## Slip

Ohhh Wowwww. I love it. I have wanted one of them things for a good while and that thing looks great. Nice job.


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## Tortuga

GOOD LAWD HAVE MERCY !!!... That is incredible.. Mucho congrats on the successful project finale.. I can't even begin to understand HOW any of that works...and the thought that YOU put it together from scratch boggles my mind...

Gread job... You got my interest up and I been looking at some of that work on youtube and there seems to be no limit to what you could do..

Just think what Michaelangelo could have done if he had one of them.:rotfl:


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## 3192

ET's next project!


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## bill

That is very cool!


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## EndTuition

One step forward, one step backwards....
Got a 3d redfish all set up and ready to cut on my CNC. First two passes went fine, third pass required a tool change, I messed that up some how, I don't even know what happened, and the fish is no longer a keeper. Learning it all one step (mistake) at a time.
Video of work in progress, but unfortunatly no finished product to show for it. More as I progress. Thanks for all the kodos, it's been a heck of a project so far. Still a bit to go before I'm cutting toneboards, but I'm sneaking up on them!


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## Bimini Twisted

That is incredible stuff! Top Notch!


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## bear hide

After watching your video I may have to smoke a cigarette and take a shower!


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## EndTuition

First complete piece...
http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?p=2627397#post2627397


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## bill

sweet.....lot's of good things to come

all the way from looking at a pen in the parking lot of academy to your own cnc lol 

Congrats


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## Robert A.

That is awesome!!!!! Great work ET.. I am so jealous..LOL


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## FishBone

That is just 2cool, nice job ET.


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