Getting X-Carve on a budget. is this enough?

Hi,

I am building my first CNC on budget. This is just for hobby and also introduce my kids to CNC and 3D printing.

Just ordered the following for a total of $605:

  • X-Carve 1000mm Rail Kit - 30689-02
  • X-Carve - 30686-03
  • X-Carve 110V DeWalt 611 Spindle and Mount - 30622-03
  • X-Carve Toolkit - 30540-02
  • Pre-Assembly T-Slot Nuts - 25281-08 (×3)
  • Button Head Cap Screw - 25286-15 (×2)
  • Threaded Inserts - 30517-05

And ordered from amazon for a total of $150

  • 4 Stepper Motors. (Zyltech Nema 23 Stepper Motor 2.5 A 1.3 Nm 184 oz.in 56mm)
  • 4 Stepper Drivers (SMAKN® TB6600 Stepper Motor Driver)
  • 1 Powersupply (NEWSTYLE 24V 15A Dc Universal Regulated Switching Power Supply 360W)

I already have Arduino & wasteboard.

Am I missing anything?

Appreciate your input.

Thanks,
Viru

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If you’re getting the X-Carve - 30686-03, I don’t see why you would need the drivers or power supply. Getting the motors from Inventables will include the wiring which makes connecting to the controller pretty easy and also the pulleys. I would also get the drag kit.

I didn’t select the X-Controller option which is $329. It includes Power supply, stepper drivers, Arduino and a nice enclosure. I decided to build this myself which costs about $100. Once CNC is ready, i could make an enclosure.

I thought Pulleys are part of Core kit. I’ll double check and try to add to the order if needed.

Plan to use this Wire Wrap in place of drag kit, for now.

Thanks for the info.

Sourcing a power supply can be done very cheaply, look for power transformers for laptops etc, they are often 24V and have limited value once their laptop is trash.

You would need a DC-DC converter (buck-converter) to lower voltage for the Arduino board (9V is fine)

Yes, the power supply is cheap. Ordered this for $20:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CS5G8J6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ordered 4 of these stepper drivers for a total of $60:

Ordered 4 of these stepper motors fora total of $72:

Thanks,

Pulleys are not part of the core Xcarve. They are part of the steppers and are pressed on now. You’ll need 4 GT2 6mm pulleys for a 1/4" shank.

I think the same goes with the belting…

Drag chain is, in my opinion, needed.

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Thanks for the info. Will call them in the morning and add them to the order.

Still resisting on the drag chain. Since its purpose is only to hold the stepper wires and router power cable together, i plan to use this to start with:

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If you are ordering separate components, then, for your stepper motors, I would get the NEMA 23 269oz motors. I would also recommend GT2 9mm belts and pulleys.

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Will try to get 269oz ones. Amazon has only 3 pack.

How about this drag chain? Would it work?
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Plastic-Chain-Carrier-Router/dp/B01LXZAULV

Thanks for the comment Phil. Steppersonline doesnt have US stock. Ship from China takes 3 to 4 weeks.

Amazon has only 3 pack. i could order that and one 184oz.would that work?

Also Phil, i didnt understand the shield you used for the Arduino. What does it do? i was thinking to directly wire from Arduino to drivers. would that work?

The idea of DIY x-controller came from your topic.

Thanks.

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It will work without just fine, the board is however a conveniant place to add completmentary circuitry for limit switches etc. But it is not a requirement.

Perfect…I just cancelled my stepper motor order. I’ll order the 269oz 3 pack. and one stock motor for z-axis. I am going to call inventables sales today for pulley and belt.

I definitely need to research on the noise filtering.I’ll start with direct connection and add the filter if needed.

Thanks for your help Phil, Haldor, Marc, Justin.

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Called the folks at inventables. They confirmed Pulley needs to be bought separately. Ordered the 1/4" bore pulleys. Hope they are the right size for the 269oz steppers.

The confirmed the stepper mounting hardware and belt are part of core component kit.

Thanks.

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Why not ask Inventables to suggest what to get with the money you have. I am sure they will sell you just what you need to get going.

Hi Phil,

Went thru your post on the homing noise. Understood what the noise is about and also what the screw shield is.

I plan to use the magnetic reed switches as limit switches (just because I have a bunch of them) and I have used them in the past with ESP8266 to automate my garage door. Didnt see any noise with them.

I see the value in using a screw shield for arduino. Found this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ENEXREA

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