CNC Router - Revision history

JXX WXXXX: Updated section on feed rates to emphasize lower feed rates to preserve the spindle

2019-10-29T19:54:03Z

Updated section on feed rates to emphasize lower feed rates to preserve the spindle

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:54, 29 October 2019
Line 113:		Line 113:
	''ChipLoad'' * ''CutterDiameter'' * ''NumberOfFlutes'' * ''SpindleSpeed'' = ''FeedRate''		''ChipLoad'' * ''CutterDiameter'' * ''NumberOfFlutes'' * ''SpindleSpeed'' = ''FeedRate''

	For .25" end mills and up chip load of .01 is a good upper limit. For plywood chip load should be between .005 and .01 inches per tooth. A chip load of .01 can be aggressive depending on the material so you may want to play around with a lower chip load if you want to have a cleaner cut. You can reference this ShopBot guide for a list of good speeds and feeds. [http://s3.amazonaws.com/fablab-uc/handbooks/files/000/000/012/original/Feeds_and_Speeds_Chart.pdf?1457118600] Make sure you have your units set correctly. Chip Load should be in inches per tooth, Spindle Speed should be RPM, and feed rate should be in inches per minute. Too high of an RPM and you risk starting a fire, and too low of an RPM may produce a poor cut. 10,000 RPM is slow and 18,000 is pretty fast. I chose 12,000 RPM as a good in between. Too fast of a feed rate can also produce a poor cut. 120 inches per minute is 2 inches per second which is a pretty good clip for plywood. You ~~can run at higher~~ feed ~~rates for softer materials like foam~~ and ~~mdf~~.		For .25" end mills and up chip load of .01 is a good upper limit. For plywood chip load should be between .005 and .01 inches per tooth. A chip load of .01 can be aggressive depending on the material so you may want to play around with a lower chip load if you want to have a cleaner cut. You can reference this ShopBot guide for a list of good speeds and feeds. [http://s3.amazonaws.com/fablab-uc/handbooks/files/000/000/012/original/Feeds_and_Speeds_Chart.pdf?1457118600] Make sure you have your units set correctly. Chip Load should be in inches per tooth, Spindle Speed should be RPM, and feed rate should be in inches per minute. Too high of an RPM and you risk starting a fire, and too low of an RPM may produce a poor cut. 10,000 RPM is slow and 18,000 is pretty fast. I chose 12,000 RPM as a good in between. Too fast of a feed rate can also produce a poor cut, but more critically it can damage the spindle. 120 inches per minute is 2 inches per second which is a pretty good clip for plywood. You shouldn't feed faster than this and you should err on the side of a lower feed rate (assuming it doesn't start producing smoke) to preserve the spindle. The node had to replace a spindle that was damaged to excessive axial load and it was expensive. Please treat the tools kindly.

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!

JXX WXXXX: Added warmup step under Spindle Motor section

2019-10-29T19:49:13Z

Added warmup step under Spindle Motor section

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:49, 29 October 2019
Line 149:		Line 149:
	==The Spindle Motor==		==The Spindle Motor==

			#Ensure you are wearing safety glasses.
	#Apply power, this is the switch on the wall near the blue motor controller		#Apply power, this is the switch on the wall near the blue motor controller
	#Set the speed. The units for speed on the controller are Rotations Per Second NOT Rotations Per Minute. So take your RPM number from the chip load equation and divide by 60.		#Set the speed. The units for speed on the controller are Rotations Per Second NOT Rotations Per Minute. So take your RPM number from the chip load equation and divide by 60.
	~~#Ensure you are wearing safety glasses.~~
	#Make sure the end mill is free and clear of everything, then turn it on.		#Make sure the end mill is free and clear of everything, then turn it on.
			#Warm up the spindle. This is an important step for the life of the bearings in the spindle. You want to run the spindle at 9,000 RPM (150 on the motor controller) for 10 minutes before cutting anything. This allows the spindle to warm up. Once the spindle is ready you can change the speed to whatever you calculated in the chip load equation.

			<nowiki>!!!CRUCIAL STEP!!!
			Please warm up the spindle before cutting to preserve the spindle. Spindles are expensive to replace.</nowiki>

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!

P2: Added "How-To" to the CNC router page.

2019-09-13T05:48:29Z

Added "How-To" to the CNC router page.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:48, 13 September 2019
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[File:CNC Router 2.png\|frame\|right\|500px\| The ShopBot CNC Router]]		''This is our updated How-To guide for working with the Node's CNC Router.''[[File:CNC Router 2.png\|frame\|right\|500px\| The ShopBot CNC Router]]
	==Overview==		==Overview==
	''"What is the CNC Router good for?"''		''"What is the CNC Router good for?"''
Line 70:		Line 70:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Make sure your workpiece is securely fastened to the work surface. The CNC Router is incredibly powerful and can send pieces flying across the room.</nowiki>		Make sure your workpiece is securely fastened to the work surface. The CNC Router is incredibly powerful and can send pieces flying across the room.</nowiki>

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Ensure that the fasteners are clear of any tool paths. An end mill hitting a screw is a dangerous situation.</nowiki>		Ensure that the fasteners are clear of any tool paths. An end mill hitting a screw is a dangerous situation.</nowiki>

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Also make sure that you fasten down any relief pieces that may be secure before you cut but will become dislodged during the cut.</nowiki>		Also make sure that you fasten down any relief pieces that may be secure before you cut but will become dislodged during the cut.</nowiki>

	==Aspire==		==Aspire==
Line 98:		Line 98:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Tabs are important to make sure you do not turn your project into a dangerous projectile</nowiki>		Tabs are important to make sure you do not turn your project into a dangerous projectile</nowiki>

	#<li value="16">Choose your tab dimensions. These should be substantial sized tabs to hold the piece. As mentioned above the forces at the end mill are very strong and without substantial support on your piece it will go flying. A good rule of thumb is they should be no thinner than 25% of thickness of your work piece and no shorter than .5” wide.		#<li value="16">Choose your tab dimensions. These should be substantial sized tabs to hold the piece. As mentioned above the forces at the end mill are very strong and without substantial support on your piece it will go flying. A good rule of thumb is they should be no thinner than 25% of thickness of your work piece and no shorter than .5” wide.
Line 116:		Line 116:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	You can cause a fire running at excessive spindle speeds, or having too slow of a feed rate and letting the end mill dwell in one area for too long.</nowiki>		You can cause a fire running at excessive spindle speeds, or having too slow of a feed rate and letting the end mill dwell in one area for too long.</nowiki>
	All of these numbers are based on a step-down of the radius and step-over of the diameter of the end mill. [https://makezine.com/2014/03/21/cnc-routing-basics-toolpaths-and-feeds-n-speeds/]		All of these numbers are based on a step-down of the radius and step-over of the diameter of the end mill. [https://makezine.com/2014/03/21/cnc-routing-basics-toolpaths-and-feeds-n-speeds/]

Line 124:		Line 124:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Ensure that you power off the ShopBot controller when you are done to ensure that you do not overheat the Stepper Motor windings and cause serious damage.</nowiki>		Ensure that you power off the ShopBot controller when you are done to ensure that you do not overheat the Stepper Motor windings and cause serious damage.</nowiki>

	#<li value="2">Click on ShopBot 3 to open the ShopBot software.		#<li value="2">Click on ShopBot 3 to open the ShopBot software.
Line 155:		Line 155:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	It takes approximately 2 minutes for the motor to spin down to a complete stop after power off. Do not touch the end mill during this time.</nowiki>		It takes approximately 2 minutes for the motor to spin down to a complete stop after power off. Do not touch the end mill during this time.</nowiki>

	==Removing Your Pieces==		==Removing Your Pieces==

P2: P2 moved page CNC Router How-To Guide to CNC Router: Simplify naming, shorten linking. The old name redirects.

2019-09-13T05:47:27Z

P2 moved page CNC Router How-To Guide to CNC Router: Simplify naming, shorten linking. The old name redirects.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:47, 13 September 2019
(No difference)

JXX WXXXX at 18:03, 2 June 2019

2019-06-02T18:03:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:03, 2 June 2019
Line 3:		Line 3:
	''"What is the CNC Router good for?"''		''"What is the CNC Router good for?"''

	A Computer Numerical ~~Controlled~~ Router can cut wood, plastics, and composites with higher precision than conventional methods (jigsaw, table saw, miter saw). It is not setup to cut metal as it does not have any cooling system. It takes files that you draw in CAD or render to a vector format and cuts along those vectors. When used properly it produces a clean and consistent cut along the cut surface. It is one of the coolest tools the Node has to offer.		A Computer Numerical Control Router can cut wood, plastics, and composites with higher precision than conventional methods (jigsaw, table saw, miter saw). It is not setup to cut metal as it does not have any cooling system. It takes files that you draw in CAD or render to a vector format and cuts along those vectors. When used properly it produces a clean and consistent cut along the cut surface. It is one of the coolest tools the Node has to offer.

	==Technical Details==		==Technical Details==
Line 70:		Line 70:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Make sure your workpiece is securely fastened to the work surface. The CNC Router is incredibly powerful and can send pieces flying across the room.</nowiki>		Make sure your workpiece is securely fastened to the work surface. The CNC Router is incredibly powerful and can send pieces flying across the room.</nowiki>

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Ensure that the fasteners are clear of any tool paths. An end mill hitting a screw is a dangerous situation.</nowiki>		Ensure that the fasteners are clear of any tool paths. An end mill hitting a screw is a dangerous situation.</nowiki>

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Also make sure that you fasten down any relief pieces that may be secure before you cut but will become dislodged during the cut.</nowiki>		Also make sure that you fasten down any relief pieces that may be secure before you cut but will become dislodged during the cut.</nowiki>

	==Aspire==		==Aspire==
Line 98:		Line 98:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Tabs are important to make sure you do not turn your project into a dangerous projectile</nowiki>		Tabs are important to make sure you do not turn your project into a dangerous projectile</nowiki>

	#<li value="16">Choose your tab dimensions. These should be substantial sized tabs to hold the piece. As mentioned above the forces at the end mill are very strong and without substantial support on your piece it will go flying. A good rule of thumb is they should be no thinner than 25% of thickness of your work piece and no shorter than .5” wide.		#<li value="16">Choose your tab dimensions. These should be substantial sized tabs to hold the piece. As mentioned above the forces at the end mill are very strong and without substantial support on your piece it will go flying. A good rule of thumb is they should be no thinner than 25% of thickness of your work piece and no shorter than .5” wide.
Line 116:		Line 116:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	You can cause a fire running at excessive spindle speeds, or having too slow of a feed rate and letting the end mill dwell in one area for too long.</nowiki>		You can cause a fire running at excessive spindle speeds, or having too slow of a feed rate and letting the end mill dwell in one area for too long.</nowiki>
	All of these numbers are based on a step-down of the radius and step-over of the diameter of the end mill. [https://makezine.com/2014/03/21/cnc-routing-basics-toolpaths-and-feeds-n-speeds/]		All of these numbers are based on a step-down of the radius and step-over of the diameter of the end mill. [https://makezine.com/2014/03/21/cnc-routing-basics-toolpaths-and-feeds-n-speeds/]

Line 124:		Line 124:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	Ensure that you power off the ShopBot controller when you are done to ensure that you do not overheat the Stepper Motor windings and cause serious damage.</nowiki>		Ensure that you power off the ShopBot controller when you are done to ensure that you do not overheat the Stepper Motor windings and cause serious damage.</nowiki>

	#<li value="2">Click on ShopBot 3 to open the ShopBot software.		#<li value="2">Click on ShopBot 3 to open the ShopBot software.
Line 155:		Line 155:

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!
	It takes approximately 2 minutes for the motor to spin down to a complete stop after power off. Do not touch the end mill during this time.</nowiki>		It takes approximately 2 minutes for the motor to spin down to a complete stop after power off. Do not touch the end mill during this time.</nowiki>

	==Removing Your Pieces==		==Removing Your Pieces==

JXX WXXXX: Corrected definition of CNC

2019-06-02T18:03:10Z

Corrected definition of CNC

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:03, 2 June 2019
Line 3:		Line 3:
	''"What is the CNC Router good for?"''		''"What is the CNC Router good for?"''

	A Computer ~~Numerically~~ Controlled Router can cut wood, plastics, and composites with higher precision than conventional methods (jigsaw, table saw, miter saw). It is not setup to cut metal as it does not have any cooling system. It takes files that you draw in CAD or render to a vector format and cuts along those vectors. When used properly it produces a clean and consistent cut along the cut surface. It is one of the coolest tools the Node has to offer.		A Computer Numerical Controlled Router can cut wood, plastics, and composites with higher precision than conventional methods (jigsaw, table saw, miter saw). It is not setup to cut metal as it does not have any cooling system. It takes files that you draw in CAD or render to a vector format and cuts along those vectors. When used properly it produces a clean and consistent cut along the cut surface. It is one of the coolest tools the Node has to offer.

	==Technical Details==		==Technical Details==

JXX WXXXX: edited chip load section with recommended values

2019-03-07T18:07:52Z

edited chip load section with recommended values

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:07, 7 March 2019
Line 113:		Line 113:
	''ChipLoad'' * ''CutterDiameter'' * ''NumberOfFlutes'' * ''SpindleSpeed'' = ''FeedRate''		''ChipLoad'' * ''CutterDiameter'' * ''NumberOfFlutes'' * ''SpindleSpeed'' = ''FeedRate''

	For .25" end mills and up chip load of .01 is ok. For plywood chip load should be between .005 and .01 inches per tooth. A chip load of .01 can be aggressive depending on the material so you may want to play around with a lower chip load if you want to have a cleaner cut. You can reference this ShopBot guide for a list of good speeds and feeds. [http://s3.amazonaws.com/fablab-uc/handbooks/files/000/000/012/original/Feeds_and_Speeds_Chart.pdf?1457118600] Make sure you have your units set correctly. Chip Load should be in inches per tooth, Spindle Speed should be RPM, and feed rate should be in inches per minute. Too high of an RPM and you risk starting a fire, and too low of an RPM may produce a poor cut. I chose 12,000 RPM as a good in between.		For .25" end mills and up chip load of .01 is a good upper limit. For plywood chip load should be between .005 and .01 inches per tooth. A chip load of .01 can be aggressive depending on the material so you may want to play around with a lower chip load if you want to have a cleaner cut. You can reference this ShopBot guide for a list of good speeds and feeds. [http://s3.amazonaws.com/fablab-uc/handbooks/files/000/000/012/original/Feeds_and_Speeds_Chart.pdf?1457118600] Make sure you have your units set correctly. Chip Load should be in inches per tooth, Spindle Speed should be RPM, and feed rate should be in inches per minute. Too high of an RPM and you risk starting a fire, and too low of an RPM may produce a poor cut. 10,000 RPM is slow and 18,000 is pretty fast. I chose 12,000 RPM as a good in between. Too fast of a feed rate can also produce a poor cut. 120 inches per minute is 2 inches per second which is a pretty good clip for plywood. You can run at higher feed rates for softer materials like foam and mdf.

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!

JXX WXXXX at 18:00, 7 March 2019

2019-03-07T18:00:12Z

Show changes

JXX WXXXX: /* The Chip Load Equation */

2019-02-26T18:40:53Z

The Chip Load Equation

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:40, 26 February 2019
Line 111:		Line 111:
	''ChipLoad'' * ''CutterDiameter'' * ''NumberOfFlutes'' * ''SpindleSpeed'' = ''FeedRate''		''ChipLoad'' * ''CutterDiameter'' * ''NumberOfFlutes'' * ''SpindleSpeed'' = ''FeedRate''

	For .25" end mills and up chip load of .01 is ok. For plywood chip load should be between .005 and .01 inches per tooth. A chip load of .01 can be aggressive depending on the material so you may want to play around with a lower chip load if you want to have a cleaner cut. You can reference this ShopBot guide for a list of good speeds and feeds. [http://s3.amazonaws.com/fablab-uc/handbooks/files/000/000/012/original/Feeds_and_Speeds_Chart.pdf?1457118600] Make sure you have your units ~~are~~ set correctly. Chip Load should be in inches per tooth ~~and~~ Spindle Speed should be RPM. Too high of an RPM and you risk starting a fire, and too low of an RPM may produce a poor cut. I chose 12,000 RPM as a good in between.		For .25" end mills and up chip load of .01 is ok. For plywood chip load should be between .005 and .01 inches per tooth. A chip load of .01 can be aggressive depending on the material so you may want to play around with a lower chip load if you want to have a cleaner cut. You can reference this ShopBot guide for a list of good speeds and feeds. [http://s3.amazonaws.com/fablab-uc/handbooks/files/000/000/012/original/Feeds_and_Speeds_Chart.pdf?1457118600] Make sure you have your units set correctly. Chip Load should be in inches per tooth, Spindle Speed should be RPM, and feed rate should be in inches per minute. Too high of an RPM and you risk starting a fire, and too low of an RPM may produce a poor cut. I chose 12,000 RPM as a good in between.

	<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!		<nowiki>!!!SAFETY NOTE!!!

JXX WXXXX at 02:17, 26 February 2019

2019-02-26T02:17:10Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:17, 26 February 2019
Line 163:		Line 163:
	*You manually move the gantry.		*You manually move the gantry.

	Hitting pause in the Shopbot software will stop the feed of the router, lift the end mill out of the piece, but allow the end mill to continue to spin. This allows you to pause the cut and resume the cut later.		Hitting pause in the Shopbot software will stop the feed of the router, lift the end mill out of the piece, but allow the end mill to continue to spin. This allows you to pause the cut and resume the cut later. Th
			is is also what should do should a piece become loose or you see fire. In such a situation you should hit pause to stop the feed and then shut off power to the spindle motor. Hitting the E-stop button, the big red one on the table, will cut power to the XY gantry motors, but the end mill will continue to spin. You should not regularly use this as leaving the end mill down into the material when a piece is loose increases the risk of sending it flying, and in general pieces should not become loose because you have added a sufficient number of tabs of sufficient size.
	Hitting the E-stop button, the big red one on the table, will cut power to the XY gantry motors, but the end mill will continue to spin. You should not regularly use this.

	If you damage one of the end mills while using it, please replace it. You can purchase end mills through industrial supply companies like [https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/?searchAheadTerm=end+mills&searchAhead=true&hdrsrh=true&typahddsp=Square+End+Mills&navid=12106240&tg=Matching+Categories MSC], [https://www.grainger.com/category/machining/milling/end-mills/square-end-mills Grainger], or [https://www.mcmaster.com/end-mills McMaster Carr].		If you damage one of the end mills while using it, please replace it. You can purchase end mills through industrial supply companies like [https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/?searchAheadTerm=end+mills&searchAhead=true&hdrsrh=true&typahddsp=Square+End+Mills&navid=12106240&tg=Matching+Categories MSC], [https://www.grainger.com/category/machining/milling/end-mills/square-end-mills Grainger], or [https://www.mcmaster.com/end-mills McMaster Carr].