[BLOG] DIY hardware store CNC Router, Part 4
There has been material change in my cnc build along with some design changes. The biggest change is that’ll I’ll be using a lot more steel. In fact, the machine now will be made nearly entirely of steel instead of Aluminum. The reasons for the switch from aluminum to steel has been price, the lack of local availability, and to live out the goal of making this a hardware store cnc.
Aluminum is a joy to work with. It drills and cuts easily, has a great finish, and is a light material to handle. Steel is heavier, harder to drill, cut, and just all in all is a messy metal to work with. The only good thing about steel is its strength. I don’t regret the switch, it was from necessity, but it would have been nice to had stayed with aluminum.
On to some good news.
I’ve been able to get the table portion of my cnc build nearly done. All that is left on it is to drill out some aluminum angle for support. The table is really the heart of the build. Everything sprouts from it and is either reinforced by it or reinforces it. With over 120 holes drilled in the making, it is a big relief to get it out the way. Everything else now seems very doable.
In constructing the table, I first started with the idea of stacking all my steel plates and drilling them at once. If you look closely below in the pictures, you’ll notice some odd holes, which, is the results of trying to stack and drill without adequate clamp placement. Luckily, I only needed to learn that lesson while drilling one hole. Unfortunately, that one hole went through 4 plates of steel.( Insert palm and forehead collision here.) I’ll be using some liquid metal to fill them in. So it’s not a total loss and is not something that’ll significantly change the outcome of the build.
I didn’t take any pictures during the making of the table. I was just so focused on getting it done. Hopefully, in my next update I’ll talk more about drilling and cutting and get some pictures of the work in progress.
Aluminum is a joy to work with. It drills and cuts easily, has a great finish, and is a light material to handle. Steel is heavier, harder to drill, cut, and just all in all is a messy metal to work with. The only good thing about steel is its strength. I don’t regret the switch, it was from necessity, but it would have been nice to had stayed with aluminum.
On to some good news.
I’ve been able to get the table portion of my cnc build nearly done. All that is left on it is to drill out some aluminum angle for support. The table is really the heart of the build. Everything sprouts from it and is either reinforced by it or reinforces it. With over 120 holes drilled in the making, it is a big relief to get it out the way. Everything else now seems very doable.
In constructing the table, I first started with the idea of stacking all my steel plates and drilling them at once. If you look closely below in the pictures, you’ll notice some odd holes, which, is the results of trying to stack and drill without adequate clamp placement. Luckily, I only needed to learn that lesson while drilling one hole. Unfortunately, that one hole went through 4 plates of steel.( Insert palm and forehead collision here.) I’ll be using some liquid metal to fill them in. So it’s not a total loss and is not something that’ll significantly change the outcome of the build.
I didn’t take any pictures during the making of the table. I was just so focused on getting it done. Hopefully, in my next update I’ll talk more about drilling and cutting and get some pictures of the work in progress.
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I have to say, right now the sucker feels pretty solid. In the redesign that I'm working on now, it is is looking like the new leggs and the Y axis will add to the tables strength. Hopefully I'll know by the end of this upcoming weekend if it works out or not.