Hi Duane ,
I am selling the Ox CNC gantry plates.
Please send me an email at chrisclub@gmail.com
Or check my listing on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Openbuilds-...tes-/261475896332?hash=item3ce12d8c0c&vxp=mtr
Thanks,
Chris

Hi Chris,

Once I've secured some v-slot I'll be in touch.

I was browsing eBay for cnc routers when I came across your listing, which led me here

Hi Duane,
Here is a distributor who had some a couple weeks ago.
"...I am a new distributor for Open build and I have a limited supply of V rail in stock. I am in New York State and I charge the same prices as the Open build store. Check out my website at
www.opensourceluthiersupply.com
Regards Bill Sterling

I am getting ready to start this build. I was hoping to make the larger scale version of this. Am I correct in what I will be purchasing on v-rail below (If I am also wanting to run with the built up table as well).

(2) 20x80mm (1500) - Side Rails
(1) 20x80mm (1500) - Center Rail
(2) 20x40mm (1000) - Front + Back Table Support
(2) 20x40mm (1000) - Built up Front + Back (Built Up Tabe Mod)
(2) 20x60mm (1000) - X-Axis
(1) 20x40mm (1000) - Back Brace + Z-Axis

I want to make sure I have all the v-rail covered before I make a purchase. Thanks so much!
Neil

No idea how I missed that underside graphic. Thank you so much wish me luck (that is once stock of supplies becomes available lol).

Hi all. I'm running a build group at our local maker space with six other participants. We're still waiting on some parts, but I had enough to get my OX mostly completed over the weekend to do some motion tests and thought I'd share.

This is a 750mm x 1000mm outer diameter unit (around 550mm x 750mm x 85mm cutting envelope). I started off with the parts list and video and worked from there, since I can't use sketchup (I don't run Mac or Windows at home), so it may be different in some regards.

My changes addons:

• TinyG for motion control (https://github.com/synthetos/TinyG/wiki)
• Laser-cut acrylic box for TinyG controller
• 425oz 2.8A steppers for X/Y
• Two support rails underneath the bed
• Used two precision shims instead of spacers for the X/Y steppers
• Used eccentrics under the static Z-axis wheels for stability
• Used blue 1/4" G10 for the OX plates
• 24V power supply
• E-stop + spindle power switch controlling an outlet in the back (e-stop mushroom controls all power, switch controls only one of the receptacles)

I've managed to do repeatable 12000mm/min (~475in/min) rapids when testing over the weekend with this setup, although that was without the spindle attached. The spindle is a more recent addition, because I was working on installing a slightly modified version of the Quick-n-dirty spindle holder. I'll probably cut a new one at some point out of UMHW or delrin or something. Until I finish up my Z axis, I can't test with any load on it.

I still have a few things to finish up:

• I don't like the wiring running to the controller and I'm going almost totally redo it.
• My controller housing is my prototype and I found a few issues as I was installing it and wiring things up. I've reworked it and will likely cut out a new one when I get a chance.
• Need to install the bearings, nylon washers and shaft collars for my Z-axis. Just received shaft collars today.
• Will likely attach the table to the under-table supports for more rigidity
• Change all the white tie-wraps to black
• Laser-cut some limit switch plates and attach my home+limit switches
• Possibly add a U-shaped extrusion between the front and back support and some cable chain on one side of the machine to manage the spindle power, controller power and USB cable.

Here's some pics I took last night



Here are a few places where I had issues and how I mitigated them (if applicable):

• The ultra-low profile screws (<2mm tall head) are critical in a couple of spots - bottom holes for Y-axis steppers, ACME nut block, Z-axis spacer blocks, Z-axis wheels. Everywhere else, you could use button-headed cap screws without an issue. The parts store was out of some of the screws and I was placing an order from McMaster anyway, so I thought the button head ones would be good. VERY close, but unfortunately too tall. To keep things moving, I filed the heads down while replacements were being ordered.
• Used eccentrics for the non-adjustable Z-axis wheels. I found my wheels, when tightened properly so they rotated well, still had enough lateral movement that I couldn't adjust the eccentrics enough to account for it. They needed some support closer to the wheel instead of at the head of the screw, so I added the eccentrics - much better. I'll likely disassemble the carriage and drill out the 5mm holes similar to the other side so the screws will be perpendicular. At the moment, the screws are sitting ever-so-slightly cocked upwards due to the eccentric. I'm thinking an additional benefit to having eccentrics on both sides is that it also enables the ability to adjust the Z-axis slightly if it isn't exactly 100% perpendicular to the table for some reason.
• Purchased some 0.375"OD x 0.192" ID x .25" tall nylon spacers to replace the spacers from the wheel kits (http://www.mcmaster.com/#order-history/=s1tx7d, #10 screws), especially for the Y axis rollers, maybe for X, too. They have a 19.2mm - 20.2mm hole whereas my M5 screws measure out to 19.2mm, IIRC. I had a similar problem with the static Y-axis rollers that I had with the Z-axis. They moved up enough so that the eccentrics are adjusted all the way up and are just barely set correctly. I'm hoping that the fact the are larger in diameter and almost exactly the same size as the 5mm bolt, they will move less than with the stock spacers. I just received the new spacers today, so we'll see how my idea works. Alternatively, drilling out the holes and using eccentrics would probably accomplish the goal in a similar fashion to what I did with the Z axis.
• I might purchase some 20x60 to replace the end-support rails. I could then hide the power supply and outlet box under the table, towards the back, reducing the footprint slightly.

Hi all,

FYI,

Goodluckbuy sell Aluminium spindle clamps, I've ordered a 65mm item which I will try to adapt onto my machine. They offer a few to suit different diameters.

http://www.goodluckbuy.com/65mm-diameter-spindle-motor-mount-bracket-clamp.html

Cheers
Anthony

Finally got my steppers and power supply ! StepperOnline helped from China with the tracking and pushing DHL at this end.

The good news is DHL/Canpar/Loomis are not working out of someone's garage or basement here in town. The bad news, they are working out of an other carrier's garage (warehouse) AND basement ! The guys, and one gal, don't have much for desks, change room, etc. ... just a room in a basement ...

Now I have to build myself an OX. I'll probably end up with a Dewalt DW611M, although the DW618M has more rpm range it weighs twice the little bro and seems to have some issues from what I could read in various forums. For now, it will be the old Dremel just to get things going.

I'll correct a much earlier statement, I don't want to do dust, but chips.

what is the cutting area of the larger size?as I need to do this as funds come online,I'd like to get the parts for the Z and the trucks for the gantry,in the parts list which parts would they be?

I've been playing with the OX design and came up with a bigger plate to replace the L bracket on the open ends.


I like the idea of a corner bracket, however 1 side of the 2080 is 'trimmed' to get a fit that matches the exact gantry
width, causing a step, meaning a gap between the 2080 and the inside of the bracket. I guess a printed shim would fix it.
I've left the top T-Slot channel clear to allow it to be blown out with some air.


Spoiler board update.

Posted for comment.

Hey guys, I have 4 Nema 23 motors from cnc router parts, as well as the G540 setup, can I use them for this build?

Info about the motors.
Step Angle: 1.8o +/- 5%
No. of Phase: 2
Weight: 1.15kg Max
Voltage: 3.15V
Current/Phase: 3.5A
Inductance/Phase: 4.1 +/- 20%mH
Resistance/Phase: 0.9 +/- 10% Ohm
Holding Torque: 28Kg/cm

Thanks

They were left over from a previous cnc table build, which turned out to be more of a problem and mess, (costs more to fix it than it is to build a new one), so why not see if it goes on a machine called the "OX".

I have the whole setup, mach3, gecko g540, power, computer, motors, I just need a frame and components.

On top of the new Z motor mount, is there anything special I need, additional rails, or wheels to support the weight of the motors?

Thanks

Hi Robert. On a completely different subject. I opened a new conversation with you recently, but didn't really understand what that meant, and couldn't find it again. So, at the risk of repeating myself. After reading many,many of your threads, I read one about some pics you showed, of carvings which had been over-lasered to give the picture/carving added detail. I was wondering if you still had the name or site address of the person who made them? This is the sort of thing I was planning to do in the future. Do you think it could be done with two separate CNCs, one with spindle and one with laser, and still keep the registration accurate? Maybe using a fixed reference like a set of holes in the corners or something as zero.
Many Thanks
Gray

Thanks a lot my Friend. I fear the threads may got overlapped somewhat.
Many Thanks
Gray

I have quite a bit of V rail in stock if you are in a hurry- www.opensourceluthiersupply.com

So its been about a month since I finished my build. Here are a few lessons learned that I can pass on:

- Don't expect to be done in a couple days, a week, and maybe a month. While the actual mechanics construction didn't take long (maybe 3-4 hours) the construction of everything else kicked my buttocks (about 80 hours)!
- Don't expect what you buy from open builds being the end all list. For my build I decided on making a couple control boxes and portable table and a few other bells/whistles here and there and ran about another $300-$400.
-When you think you figured out how much wire you will need; double it! Also, found that visiting a local electrical supply store and picking up some 5-6 line shielded control cable was much cheaper in the long run.

A few OX build lessons learned:
- Z Axis: Get eccentrics for both sides of block. This will save some of your hair.
- Z Axis mount nuts should face the spindle. If you have to drop the axis plate for some reason, you won't have to disassemble the entire axis to get done what needs to be done.
- X Axis top wheels, put nuts to outside. If you decide in the future to put some type of dust guard, you can mount without interference.
- The sandwiched y Axis beams. Get some of the light weight double sided sticky tape and put between them (I used 4 slices run the length). This will prevent some vibration from them bouncing off each other. Remember this is not to hold them together, just something to give it a little cushion.
- MDF spoiler board (technically the actual table) is not the best idea if your machine is not going to be in an atmosphered controlled environment or basement. If you do use MDF recommend put at least 3 supports under the table (I used 4 for my 1500X1000 table). Also, let the board stabilize a couple days before leveling/mounting (put it in the hole and let it set). Its truly amazing how much it changed. I also added a nice silicone bead on the inside to prevent dust from getting under the table.
- Don't consider this machine to be a speed demon! Yes I can get 800-1000 IPM with a spindle onboard, but the machine will flex and the jerk is quite of bit of stress on the aluminum frame (and I have 9 points of anchor). I have found 100-200 IPM is about perfect.
- Pulleys are kinda cheap. While they seem to work ok and I am getting zero loss across 52"X30", they just seem to not meet my quality compared to the rest of the machine. Also, my motors had round shafts and had to do some creative filing and a bit of lock tight to make sure nothing decided to grow a brain.
- Taping holes is a pain. Use oil, new tool and take your time. If you have never tapped a hole before, youtube it! LOL It will save you lots of time in tapping a deeper hole and changing bolts.
- I purchased my plates from Chris above. Outstanding quality and fast shipping. Do know that a little dressing will be required, but thats due to the Vslot, not the machining.


Other:

For the novice guys, nothing has been discussed on safety. Before you start your build, you need to master the concept of the E-STOP. I would also recommend looking into limit switches. These things are small, inexpensive and easy to take care of from the start. Trust me the small price to pay now, its definately worth an eye, finger, arm in the future.

I didn't care much for the GRBL so I went with the Planet CNC MK2/4. To be honest, it exceeded my expectations! While the board was around $230-250 I didn't need to drop another $175 for mach 3. It seems to do everything I need it to at this point. Also I did run into an issue and posted on the boards and had a software fix within 4 hours!

For my build I went with some 240 oz motors, LM542A drivers, dual 36V power supplies from longs. While the china stuff is from china, I haven't seen any step loss and get great resolution. Also, took a bit of trial and error to get the amperage settings correct, but now that I have it tuned, it produces almost no heat and sings the CP30 song! As far as the Z, used the Nema17 from OBPS and it does get the job done, but not very satisfied/convinced it could handle 3D for a very long period of time before some replacements would have to made.

All in all I am extremely satisfied with this build. While I went with a much larger scale (1500mmX1000MM) and upgraded the electronics; I believe with a enough experience on how to use basic tools anyone could complete this build. If you can solder and understand basic electronics, anyone could go into a more customized build. The Planet CNC software was easy to setup and took very little effort to learn the basics.

Sorry to be long winded, but wanted to cover a few aspects that I thought would be helpful.

~Kendall

Very nice CNC, would this be able to cut aluminium?

Any pictures Kendall? Especially of the areas you talked about above, makes it easier to see why it needs changing. Plus with a picture in mind, I might not forget it! It's an age thing!! LOL
Many Thanks
Gray

Hi Kendall, what width did you use for your MDF spoiler board?

Attention all computer Brainiacks: I could use your help. My CNC computer's hard drive went to that big computer in the sky and I had to replace it. I installed a fresh copy of Windows XP Professional w/SP2. (It's my understanding Mach3 won't run on WIN 7 - it requires Win XP.) I am now trying to install Sketchup 2014 Maker however it needs Microsoft Service Pack 3. SP3 won't install nor will the XP updates for whatever reason. (I know-I know Microsoft no longer supports XP as of April 8 2014. But I'm thinking there still out there somewhere) Do any of you out there know how/or where I can get the XP updates and Service Pack 3? Also, is it just the nature of WIN-XP to run so frustratingly slow?

Aluminum: I definitely have enough torque, not sure if pulleys and belts could handle it. It is in my near future, will let you know.

MDF is 3/4" to be honest with the low profile of the y axis anything greater would cause issues (IMO).

Photos gonna try to attach some! Sorry for the mess. Making acrylic name tags at the moment.

Essentric on the z block and nut on outside (only had 1 extra essential and that done the trick). Got the idea for shifting the nuts half way into it lol.