I’ve been meaning to do something like this for months- I finally got around to it. I wanted to be able to easily add new gantry/spindle hardware and also be able to easily swap between my Dewalt router and a 2W laser and, as crazy as it sounds, a mounted microscope.
Anyways, check it out.
It has one 120V outlet, one USB port, one banana plug recepticle, and three 4-pin aviator connector sockets.
I shortened the Dewalt power cable to about 8 inches so that it could connect to the convenience panel cleanly but also easily be removed and used as a regular trim router with an extension cord (if I felt like it).
The banana plug recepticle is for a PCB autoprobing aligator clip. I was tired of having a long clumsy wire dragging across my wasteboard, dangling off my desk.
The USB port is theoretically for one of those small webcams some people have integrated into their dust shoes.
The first aviator connector is the hot line for a 2W laser, +12V for the cooling fan, and DC common.
The second aviator connector is for + and - tachometer leads, for when I eventually get a SuperPID.
The third aviator connector has three spare wires and a DC common. I was thinking of getting a laser thermal sensor and integrating it into the dust shoe my lasy butt is eventually going to design. That way I could refine my spindle speed and feed rates around minimizing bit temperature, and maybe integrate a bit overtemperature shutdown alarm.
I used two shielded 22 AWG 6 wire cables, a two conductor 14AWG cable for 120V, and a shielded single conductor instrument cable for the probe. I terminated everything to a couple blocks.
I used a dremel to carve out this pattern to mount the panel to the gantry. A clever man would mill this with his CNC before taking it apart and carrying it to his living room. Because I have the Nema17s, the two threaded 5mm holes in the gantry body were available.
I cut a verticle notch to pass the Z axis motor cables and limit switch through.