Next meeting?

[Conrad_Turbo]

I know I just missed the last meeting, but I just came across this site today. I am interested in meeting some of you and seeing what this club has to offer. I posted in the "Introduce Yourself" thread and I am just wanting to learn more about Mach3 and DIY CNC machine building. I have a few high precision servo drives that I want to reconfigure into a CNC milling station to be run off of Granite Device drives and Mach3. It will be built mostly to be used for lexan and the odd wood part, but if I can design it stiff enough I would like to do some light aluminum work as well.

This is one of the axis' I have.

[rsilk]

Ooh, ballscrews. Fancy!

We're having a project night tomorrow (tuesday), you're welcome to pop by and meet the gang. Our next monthly meeting will be october 11th.

We have a couple CNC guys in the group. Thesaxmachine has a CNC-converted Sherline mini-mill, and I've got a small homebrew CNC router (working on a larger one). I'd be happy to answer any questions you've got about CNC basics or about mach3, and I'm sure Sax would as well.

[Conrad_Turbo]

Yes and they have a Heidenhain linear encoder that is accurate to 1 micron! My machining process will eat into that precision a bit, but that's fine by me!

I may be free tonight (all depends on how my wife is feeling), what time is the meet? 220- 20th Street Studio D right? Near Boomtown Outfitters (I haven't been on 20th in a while)? Is there a secret knock?

[rsilk]

I think officially it starts at 7. Boomtown isn't around anymore, but it's on the block where Boomtown used to be. I'll post a sign with a phone number you can call to get let in.

[Odemia]

Linear encoder with 1um, that is fancy!

[Conrad_Turbo]

Sounds good. I'll be by around 7pm as long as my wife is doing okay.

Odemia they came off a decommissioned x-ray machine used for inspecting PCB's. I managed to get through two machines and salvage six axis'. I'm guessing they aren't cheap!

[Conrad_Turbo]

Was really nice meeting some of you and I have done some very preliminary design work for laying out a CNC mill. It will be designed stiff enough that I will be able to machine aluminum, my biggest concern I will have is plugging the flutes on the mill without any cutting fluid/coolant.

[rsilk]

Some people suggest a jet of compressed air to keep the kerf clear of chips. You could give that a try.

[Conrad_Turbo]

So this project is temporarily on hold, thanks for all the info rsilk and allowing me to check out your CNC machine! This is on hold as I bought a CNC plasma table and should have it running by the new year. THEN I can begin the fab work for building this CNC machine! I found a servo driver that will work with the linear scales and servo motors:

http://www.granitedevices.fi/index.php? ... rive-vsd-e

It's about $300/axis, but the drivers will work with Mach3 so it's nice to know there is support for it locally here in S'toon!

Also I've been MIA for a bit as we just had a baby girl a bit over a month ago.

[Bergo]

did you buy the one off of kijiji saskatoon?