CNC router
This is a quick dump of the progression of my CNC router that started my journey in home manufacturing.
The Beginning
It started with a variation on the Rockcliff CNC router design that has become so prevalent with the moving bed and fixed gantry. I built it with a bench top drill press and a table saw that took circular saw blades. Literally every mechanical part of this machine was from Lowes, from the Nylon wing nuts for lead nuts to the chrome plated “linear” rods haha. But it worked started an obsession.
Fair warning If you click the videos - Audio warning- ITS LOUD. I had no idea what I was doing then haha.
The Next Gen
Next I used that little guy to make my next machine, well as many parts as I could.
These are the pictures I could find from the first rev of the machine. Even through this build process it got re-imagined as I found issues with my designs. But this was the first functional version.
Next I found that my gantry was not stiff enough to get the surface finish I wanted on my side walls with acrylic and aluminum so I beefed up the uprights and the bridge
Curret rev
The machine as it sits today is fairly unchanged structurally. I have updated the spindle to a 2.2kw brushless spindle, added a tool probe, Touch screen and generally just made it more useful. I’ve debated on rebuilding it for years but its hard to start a new project when this one has become a tool.
