Home Rapid Prototyping

[theblackangus]

Even if I tried, it would take a long time to write and nevertheless will be quite incomplete as this will be my personal 'invention of the bicycle' . There are dozens of dedicated forums on CNC machines in general and particularly for 3D printing too.
The largest one I know so far: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/forum.php
I literally got lost there and almost gave up initially . Now I write from time to time but mostly follow and read.
Here, I think, we will diverge quite from the forum's theme.
Rapid prototyping and even part manufacture is used in contemporary F1, especially in the aerodynamics of the car, but my guess is that their machinery is at the leading edge of technology.

I looked at making a cnc router a couple years back.... I went to cnczone and actually did give up.
I didnt really find an clear and good processes for a new guy to get started, and dont have months to learn and research atm. (Work, building speakers and drones has taken my time.)
So Dragonfly, it would be so greatly appreciated if you even wrote up a small (<1 page) summary of your getting started process.
Ill have to go back to cnczone... this just got my blood going to build a cnc machine or 3d printer again.
Cheers all and thanks for the thread!

[Dragonfly]

It all started when I got bored and frustrated by hand-drilling PCB's. My initial intention was to make something simple using mechanical parts from discarded dot matrix printers just to drill holes on the boards. Started searching what info is available over the net and, figuratively speaking, very soon was 'on the hook'
Here's a rather normal sized forum with DIY build threads and photos: http://www.mycncuk.com
In the 'Zone' take a closer look at the DIY section: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/diy-cnc-r ... -machines/
There are ready plans for some of the builds described there. (Although it seems some of the authors have started asking money for the plans).
Also a forum for a CAM program which is under development (you will definitely need at least one alongside a CAD program), but the community is very friendly and there are also some threads on home built machines as well as modified commercial ones: http://www.cambam.co.uk/forum/
My nickname is the same at all places. There are many Russian forums with tons of information but you must know Russian to read them.

It depends very much on what you intend to use the router for. If it is for milling wood, wooden composites and plastic - an MDF/plywood chassis would be quite sufficient and accurate. For aluminum and other soft metals a more rigid metal frame is needed. This applies to the guides and the linear slides too but with the ever growing offers of linear guides and bearings of different types and sizes from China it's not worth anymore making your own. Same for the drive screws. I am still using rods with trapezoid thread 14x4 with polyamide nuts but am planning an upgrade to real ball screw drive - lowest friction and tiny to no backlash, no need for periodical adjustment.
For a melted wire type 3D printer like RepRap timing belt drive units from old printers can be used IMO.

But it's really an endless topic and my recommendation is to register in a dedicated forum, do some initial search and reading and then start asking questions when an idea starts to shape in your imagination.
Cheers,
Ivan

P.S. And you can finally buy a ready Chinese router. Some of them do work for real

[theblackangus]

It all started when I got bored and frustrated by hand-drilling PCB's. My initial intention was to make something simple using mechanical parts from discarded dot matrix printers just to drill holes on the boards. Started searching what info is available over the net and, figuratively speaking, very soon was 'on the hook'
Here's a rather normal sized forum with DIY build threads and photos: http://www.mycncuk.com
In the 'Zone' take a closer look at the DIY section: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/diy-cnc-r ... -machines/
There are ready plans for some of the builds described there. (Although it seems some of the authors have started asking money for the plans).
Also a forum for a CAM program which is under development (you will definitely need at least one alongside a CAD program), but the community is very friendly and there are also some threads on home built machines as well as modified commercial ones: http://www.cambam.co.uk/forum/
My nickname is the same at all places. There are many Russian forums with tons of information but you must know Russian to read them.

It depends very much on what you intend to use the router for. If it is for milling wood, wooden composites and plastic - an MDF/plywood chassis would be quite sufficient and accurate. For aluminum and other soft metals a more rigid metal frame is needed. This applies to the guides and the linear slides too but with the ever growing offers of linear guides and bearings of different types and sizes from China it's not worth anymore making your own. Same for the drive screws. I am still using rods with trapezoid thread 14x4 with polyamide nuts but am planning an upgrade to real ball screw drive - lowest friction and tiny to no backlash, no need for periodical adjustment.
For a melted wire type 3D printer like RepRap timing belt drive units from old printers can be used IMO.

But it's really an endless topic and my recommendation is to register in a dedicated forum, do some initial search and reading and then start asking questions when an idea starts to shape in your imagination.
Cheers,
Ivan

P.S. And you can finally buy a ready Chinese router. Some of them do work for real

Greatly appreciated.