|
Mechanical Design |
|
| The mechanical design of the
machine was
based on a survey of CNC machine websites and on the availability of
used and surplus parts. A y-axis gantry style was selected..
Initially, I spent a large amount of time on eBay! looking for linear slides, bearings or anything else that could be useful. Luckily, I stumbled across three sets of 17" linear slides and bearings for a very reasonable $35. Most of the other parts used in this project were bought from local surplus dealer here in the TwinCites called Tom's Tool and Tinker. I got some great deals on lead screws and stepper motors. The 1/2" to 3/8" couplings used on the x and y axes were purchased from McMaster-Carr for about $20 each and are probably the most expensive single parts of the machine. A majority of the metal stock used in the construction is standard 4" aluminum channel iron. In the TwinCites, try Discount Aluminum & Steel Company, for some good deals on a wide variety of metals. |
