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Still waiting for the GX20 connector to arrive in the mail for the VFD pass through connection and need to 3d print the wire cover for the inside to tidy it up a bit more. But over all it is pretty much done and it is working like a dream. Setup is .8KW water cooled VFD spindle with 3d printed mount (milling aluminum mounts this week) Mill is run by a Planet CNC MK3 board with Leadshine DM442 DSP drivers (4) all controlled from a Win 7 E4300 Core 2 Duo laptop. Managed to get all the cooling tubes and VFD power into a custom designed and 3d printed cable chain on the gantry along with the X and Z motor cables without pulse interference from the VFD.
Still a few more details to go but everything is coming together great and the first aluminum item off the X Carve and VFD mill used to take over 9hrs to mill on the Shapeoko with a 400W 48v spindle, it only took 1hr 12mins today and that counts the 7 tool changes needed to finish it.
I will put up a photo here shortly of the first job I did on it. I am working on a separate post now for a much larger job which will be more detailed on CAM and toolpaths and such. Also as far as I know i am the only person running a PLanet CNC MK3 controller board and Leadshine DSP drivers. Want to highlight some of the reason I went that direction over the stock shield and the TinyG. Will post a link here when I have it up. Still going to be a multi-hour mill cycle so might be a day or two before it is up and ready to view.
Man alive! You are a bunch of talented guys! I was really looking forward to taking a weekend and building a killer station in the loft of my shop for my x-carve… So much inspiration in this thread…
Then I walked into the local Home Depot and saw a very sturdy steel frame adjustable height table for 200$. It was only 2ft deep, but after checking out the display model I realized if I bought 2 I could do a slight modification and make a perfectly sized 4x6 table for my x-carve… Saving me about 5 hours of time…
Here’s the result–(I know you DIYers are cringing)
I picked up a Kreg table very similar to what you’re using there, it saved me a lot of time (but doesn’t look as fancy as a lot of the DIY’ers tables). I think the fact that you went with two smaller ones and thus have bracing in the middle is going to serve you well.
Here is the power lift base I added casters to that will be the base for my machine. The top will tilt to take up less room when not in use. Also here is my machine sitting on the rails that will be attached to the base on my table saw for tests.
Fantastic, looking perfect. But your Garage floor is looking better. (Go ahead and replace your Stock spindle with more decent one, before start pulling your hair)
I have been looking at allot of great workstations, I just thought I would throw mine into the mix. I wish I would have seen those folding designs before I started to build my table. My table is nothing special, just built like a tank. Torsion box top, peg board on the side for organizing stuff, storage underneath for various components and supply’s. The really cool thing is the casters. Each caster has a leveling foot, making it a breeze to level out the table on a really not so level floor. As for controlling the X-carve, my plan is to wirelessly control my computer with my iPad using the splashtop app, the computer (in another room) wood be hard wired with a usb ethernet extender to the machine. I’ll mainly be using easel for now.
Looks great! I have two questions, where did you find un-treated 4x4. It’s basically impossible to find them here in Canada (well atleast Saskatchewan)! And second, I love those casters, where did you find them/what are they called?
Actually those corner posts are made of two 2x4’s glued together, then cut and planed down to 3"x3" actual. The casters are woodriver leveling casters, I found them on Amazon from caster connection. I was very excited to find them, my house was built in the 1940’s and the basement floors all sloop to the drains in the floor. I have another set of these on a work bench really like how solid they are. Highly recomend them!
Awesome, I might need to rebuild mine soon (and steal some of your design!). I really like how clean and simple it is! Mine got put together in a bit of a rush, it works but I’m not entirely happy with it. Is your torsion top made with 1/2" top and bottom and 3/4" vertical?
The torsion box has a ⅜" skins top and bottom. The outside edge of the box is ¾", and the inside ribs are ⅜". I did 3/8" because I have a 3/8" box jiont table saw blade. With that blade and a jig I made that allowed me to cut evenly spaced slots at 3-3/4" o.c. The inside peices are half lapped together, then filled with expanding foam. After the foam cured I sliced it flush with the top. I felt the foam might dampen some of the transferred noise that the machine might give off. I didn’t what the torsion box acting like a drum. Everything was assembled with glue and brad nails. I am very pleased with the results, very solid and flat.
