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New Tool Day: CNC Router!

#61
Sorry for the slow updates. It isn't because of my recent obsession with Link Removed, honest! :)

Parts have been arriving. FedEx has not been on their 'A' game, regarding cross-border transactions. One or two more boxes and I'll be wrapping this up! :) Anyway, Here's where we are:

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Took the end caps and gantry pieces to River Street Metal Finishing In Braintree, MA for anodize. These guys do great work, quick turnaround!:
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Come on. This machine is called 'Raptor.' It's gotta have a badass finish, right? :bassist::bassist::bassist: I'm blown away by the sheer mass of this machine so far. I'm sure it's gonna come in around 200 lbs when it's all said and done. For the money, there is no CNC router on the market as heavy-duty as this one. George at XZero makes a killer product.

Here's my space at this point:
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#63
This is definitely a cool thread.

I can't wait to see the video where you load a massive slab of wood into it, speak into the computer's microphone saying "computer, make bass", a massive spray of woodchips comes flying out, and 5 minutes later, there's a complete bass waiting for frets, hardware, electronics and finish.

:D
 
#64
mpm32 said:
Awesome on the anodize, I don't think I'd be able to wait for the finishing. I'd want to put it together as soon as possible.
Click to expand...

My patience only comes from the fact that the assembly hardware is still somewhere in FedEx land :)

whodom said:
This is definitely a cool thread. I can't wait to see the video where you load a massive slab of wood into it, speak into the computer's microphone saying "computer, make bass", a massive spray of woodchips comes flying out, and 5 minutes later, there's a complete bass waiting for frets, hardware, electronics and finish. :D
Click to expand...

LOL, I can't control the machine with my Mac, yet! :P But I'll be able to make the electronics and a lot of the hardware, that part is pretty exciting.
 
#71
ThrashMaster said:
I would still be a tad concerned about that table moving around with humidity etc. My old shop had our cnc setup on a table with some kind of high density plastic type stuff...no idea what it was, but plywood definitely moves around.
Click to expand...

I have a big dehumidifier in the basement, keeps things below 50%. The furnace is down there too, it rarely dips below 55 degrees, so table movement shouldn't be a big deal. Someday, I would like to put it on a steel stand.
 
#72
Rrreaally close to finally making some cuts on the machine! Waiting for a couple more parts, and doing some more homework on CAM programs (the program that turns your 3D model into code that the machine can run.) I was using Pycam, a free linux program, but I've been having trouble with it. I recently discovered MeshCam, and I think this might be the one! Really easy to use, supports two-sided machining, and plays nice with my CAD models. It also runs nicely in my VirtualBox Windows XP install on my Mac:

ScreenShot2011-11-13at95614.png
 
#79
barnaclebeau said:
I recently discovered MeshCam, and I think this might be the one! Really easy to use, supports two-sided machining, and plays nice with my CAD models. It also runs nicely in my VirtualBox Windows XP install on my Mac:
Click to expand...

I gave MeshCAM a try, but it's the wrong philosophy for what I need to do in defining tool paths. MeshCAM treats the entire design as if it were a simple surface.

for guitar/bass design we're really utilizing a lot of 2-1/2D type CAD and machining (i.e. cutting a pickup cavity, neck pocket, or body outline profile to a specific depth) and not a whole lot of surface machining. I also utilize five different cutting/drilling tools on a typical body, each tool has specific feed rates/cut depths/cut overlap, and this was another place where MeshCAM was lacking the capabilities that a bass builder needs. I unloaded it a couple days after loading the demo licenses

the price on it is what originally got my attention, but I've come to learn that sometimes you need to spend some $$ to get good software tools which allow you to spend more time building instruments than hunting for workarounds in the software in hopes you can find a way to get something done

all the best,

R
 

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