We use cookies to personalize content, interact with our analytics companies, advertising networks and cooperatives, and demographic companies, provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. Our social media, advertising and analytics partners may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Learn more.
Its not common to drill things with the xcarve because of the spindle speed (learned that one right here on the forum). However I have found a way to drill them. I grabbed some bits from some PCB drilling that I was doing at one point. I thought they might work because I used them to drill the PCB at about 10K RPM on a dremel drillpress.
Is the guys page. You can get 5 packs of bits or 10 packs (larger combo sets as well). He has new(ish) and resharpened bits. They are from military pcb drilling. So they cycle through them quicker because of the need for higher quality cuts and tighter tolerances not to mention mess ups are expensive.
Here are some holes I drilled at 20in/min probably 7ish on the speed dial on the dewalt.
I will eventually get one of his 100 bit sets again. I used to have one but I sent it on with a friend when they moved and took the PCB drilling equipment with them.
Awesome! I had started a build thread a while ago here (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=69919.msg1687782#msg1687782), but I haven’t made much progress on it since. I was waiting for my X-Carve to make it in, but know I’ve been caught up in other projects.
I was debating going for a 60% board, but thought i might try my hand at something crazy!
How are you making you switch plate? I just skimmed though you geekhack post, so sorry if it was in there. Also good choice on the Gaetron Blues! I bought some during the group buy as well as some browns. Unfortunately I actually wanted Cherry MX Clears, so I’m hoping to trade my 70 Gateron Browns straight across for some MX Clears, not usre if that’s a reasonable deal though.
Unfortunately I purchased my plate through a group buy ran by Leandren. If you could order the correct thickness plate it should be easy enough to cut on an xcarve technically. It’s only supposed to be about .06" thick according to the MX datasheet. I was working on a separate case for a bit that I will eventually go back to. Its another 60% but its a case hollowed out from the bottom and then would just have a bottom plate to cover the cavity. I would then just handwire the board to a teensy. This was going to be for a work keyboard. I didn’t want to invest too much because I work in a steel mill which means everything is dirty all the time. Plus the handwiring will allow me to replace switches and blow out dirt much easier. The MX only has the clasps on two sides. This means that you could just mill channels in the wood on the bottom so that the channels make the top wood .06" thick and the rest can be whatever size you want. This provides stability and allows the switches to click into place.
You may be able to find someone to trade. Possibly add money to make it a deal. I just know that the gaterons can be a bit cheaper than MX’s so thats where it might end up getting you. You could always sell them and then just outright buy some clears.
If I was going to machine the plate on the X-Carve I was thinking of using aluminium, probably a bit thicker and then milling pokects so that the place where the switch clips in it woul be the correct thickness.
Ya, I was wasn’t sure what the value of the Gaterons went too after the group buy, I though I saw them at about the same price as Cherrys, but that was a while ago.
