Dream. Design. Do.

So our camera bit the dust shortly after the last post.  Since then, I have mounted the supports for the x-axis lead screws, put the gantry together, and done a few other things.  First, the assembled gantry:

And now, to slide the gantry on to the base.  I ran into a minor problem here–the gantry is about 1/8″ too narrow.  Fortunately, the 1/2″ MDF has just enough elasticity for me to force it onto the track.  It might actually be a good thing–I don’t have to worry about having enough tension to keep the gantry in place.  I will have to add some reinforcement to the vertical sides of the gantry at some point, to make sure I don’t end up breaking them.  Of course, from what I’ve heard, all it has to do is last long enough to cut the pieces for my next, better CNC machine!

I’ve been wanting to build my own CNC machine for years now, and I’m finally in a position to do so.  I’m cheap, which means I’ll be using inexpensive materials and lots of my own labor, rather than spending the money for a commercial project.

I’ve gone through a number of iterations on the design, and finally have one that I think meets the dual requirements of being A) within my skill-set, B) big enough to be useful, and C) within a modest budget.  Unlike previous iterations, I haven’t made a google sketchup model of the machine, and I’m making it up a bit as I go along, so I fully expect the design to evolve as I go.

Last weekend, I started on the base.  This is the simple stuff.  I added some bracing underneath for stiffness, and now have the two side rails for the linear bearings.

It’s not much to look at, at this point.  Here’s the bottom: