Epic PC Cases CNC! Update: Its up and running!

[bogrolls]

Gday guys,

Thinking outside the box...

Just wondering if you'd consider manufacturing pinball machine plastics/plates at all ?

I have recently been reading about a place in germany that will accept a 1:1 scan of pinball plastics and steel plates and will cut them up on their cnc for customers.

You could practise by doing a few terminator 2 pinball machine plastics for me , if you cut a few sets i'm very sure you could sell them easily, or I could help you sell them.

This kind of thing.. some look really simple, others looks a bit fiddly - they're relatively small so you might just be able to do them out of offcuts and scrap.





Cheers,
Bogrolls/Mat.

PS anyone else reading this with access to CNC that's interested, let me know.. if nothing else you could feel warm and fuzzy that you'd be helping the australian pinball scene get some nicely cut plastics I'd love access to one of those machines (and maybe some skills to use it!)

[gloonk]

We get all our router bits from Leitz Tooling. They aren't cheap, well they do have some cheaper bits that are commonly used and last about 3/4 of the time bits double the price do. They are great to deal with and the guys know what feed speeds, rpm etc. to run them for different materials and thicknesses.

[DNX]

Nice, i can see Murdermod style faceplates for the new Silverstone FT02B in the future

[EpicPcCases]

Originally Posted by DNX

Nice, i can see Murdermod style faceplates for the new Silverstone FT02B in the future

Quite possible, I was looking at using the CNC on pre-built cases and doing mod jobs that way. Plenty more efficient to work like that.



New video is up, did up the transformer logo for silentlighting.

[PapaRubbery]

Hey mate,

Firstly - AWESOME Log, I think I speak for everyone here when I say I admire your passion and creativity.

Secondly, I actually a have CNC myself which is sitting unused. I couldn't get Mach3 to recognise Software limits at all. Really infuriating program, not intuitive at all! I was wondering what program you use, and if you are running software limits or hardware limits. My travel area is only small - 600x500x100 so I'm trying to find an option that doesn't force me to put limit switches at the ends of travel, and lose 50mm of travel in the process. I was going to give GibbsCAM a whirl, after seeing good things about it on YouTube, but whatever you are running seems to be doing good things.

Also have you thought about running an aircompressor and aiming it at the tool to both clear debris and cool the cutting bit?

Cheers,

Alex

[Chop92per]

Originally Posted by EpicPcCases

Quite possible, I was looking at using the CNC on pre-built cases and doing mod jobs that way. Plenty more efficient to work like that.



New video is up, did up the transformer logo for silentlighting.

image

:O same as whats on my phats

[Imperitos]

haha, a shame about your hand dude. that looks awesome. btw you need a bigger drink fridge

[sammy_b0i]

Mmmmm. Stones Ginger Beer *droooooool*

[Ch4iS]

Originally Posted by PapaRubbery

Hey mate,

Firstly - AWESOME Log, I think I speak for everyone here when I say I admire your passion and creativity.

Secondly, I actually a have CNC myself which is sitting unused. I couldn't get Mach3 to recognise Software limits at all. Really infuriating program, not intuitive at all! I was wondering what program you use, and if you are running software limits or hardware limits. My travel area is only small - 600x500x100 so I'm trying to find an option that doesn't force me to put limit switches at the ends of travel, and lose 50mm of travel in the process. I was going to give GibbsCAM a whirl, after seeing good things about it on YouTube, but whatever you are running seems to be doing good things.

Also have you thought about running an aircompressor and aiming it at the tool to both clear debris and cool the cutting bit?

Cheers,

Alex

Mach 3 is a sinch to use and is very capable. Did you build the machine yourself or buy it from china.



BTW you need to take a flame to that perspex to make it smoooooooooooooth

[EpicPcCases]

Originally Posted by sammy_b0i

Mmmmm. Stones Ginger Beer *droooooool*

Good stuff hey My mate introduced me to it and never looked back since!

Originally Posted by PapaRubbery

Hey mate,

Firstly - AWESOME Log, I think I speak for everyone here when I say I admire your passion and creativity.

Secondly, I actually a have CNC myself which is sitting unused. I couldn't get Mach3 to recognise Software limits at all. Really infuriating program, not intuitive at all! I was wondering what program you use, and if you are running software limits or hardware limits. My travel area is only small - 600x500x100 so I'm trying to find an option that doesn't force me to put limit switches at the ends of travel, and lose 50mm of travel in the process. I was going to give GibbsCAM a whirl, after seeing good things about it on YouTube, but whatever you are running seems to be doing good things.

Also have you thought about running an aircompressor and aiming it at the tool to both clear debris and cool the cutting bit?

Cheers,

Alex

Cheers mate!

1. Im using vectric software (cut2d and cut3d) to create G-code from autocad files and vectors. The software limits the travel of the x and y so you can calculate how much room you have. The machine is also self limited, it wont fall off the rails.

2. If you have a DSP, you can operate the machine via USB gcode. You dont need Mach3. Just load up your gcode into the USB and then set the xyz zero's on the material. Press run and if you did your tool paths right, everything should turn out well.

Originally Posted by Ch4iS

Mach 3 is a sinch to use and is very capable. Did you build the machine yourself or buy it from china.



BTW you need to take a flame to that perspex to make it smoooooooooooooth

The protective film looks rugged but the actual acrylic is smooth. Also im sure customers wouldnt want me to remove the protective film before it gets to them.

But yes, flame polishing is full of win I dont really need it since I can just get the cutting bit to triple pass the material until its smooth.

[PapaRubbery]

Originally Posted by Ch4iS

Mach 3 is a sinch to use and is very capable. Did you build the machine yourself or buy it from china.

Haha, China mate! I couldn't build something of that level of complexity. Ran into some money from work I didn't see coming, thought I'd put it towards that rather than a new comp.

I just can't get my head around how the program is laid out. I mean, I've gone through the guide online, got myself manual control, but can't define Home or Limits. There aren't any guides I could find either.

@Epic - I'm running it off a parallel port on an old AMD dual core I had lying around. Feeding it info through Gcode and having me manually zero the machine sounds like a good way to work it. I hate to be a pain but could you provide some links so I can try running it that way?

Thanks so much for your help, and that of Ch4is, and sorry for the threadjack. I'm seriously in awe of your potential with that machine and would like to try to recreate a more modest set up for myself using my el-cheapo!

Cheers,

Alex

[EpicPcCases]

Originally Posted by PapaRubbery

Haha, China mate! I couldn't build something of that level of complexity. Ran into some money from work I didn't see coming, thought I'd put it towards that rather than a new comp.

I just can't get my head around how the program is laid out. I mean, I've gone through the guide online, got myself manual control, but can't define Home or Limits. There aren't any guides I could find either.

@Epic - I'm running it off a parallel port on an old AMD dual core I had lying around. Feeding it info through Gcode and having me manually zero the machine sounds like a good way to work it. I hate to be a pain but could you provide some links so I can try running it that way?

Thanks so much for your help, and that of Ch4is, and sorry for the threadjack. I'm seriously in awe of your potential with that machine and would like to try to recreate a more modest set up for myself using my el-cheapo!

Cheers,

Alex

When I got a bit of time I will create a step by step video on how to control the CNC via USB. There isnt much info out there and if someone had put out such a video it would have saved me hours, litterally.

Has your machine got a usb port or dsp?

[Ch4iS]

Originally Posted by EpicPcCases

The protective film looks rugged but the actual acrylic is smooth. Also im sure customers wouldnt want me to remove the protective film before it gets to them.

But yes, flame polishing is full of win I dont really need it since I can just get the cutting bit to triple pass the material until its smooth.

Sorry my mistake, just looked at the picture and thought that is a bit rough, as I have cut perspex manually before I've always left a bad finish because it heats up, looks good some very fine work there and it turned out great.


Papa it might be best to take a picture of the electronics ect. to see what you actually have, start a new thread here and ill take a look and offer my somewhat limited help. I have set up an old machine of mine I built a few times, manually setting up the motors and limit switches. Right now I ripped out the DSP of my machine and will be running off a Parallel Port with mach 3.

[Madchimp]

I have so much work I would love to get done, but I live in tassie

[ak-efekt]

didnt stop him making the case for Chemical he lives down here as do i lol