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OpenBuilds OX CNC Machine

Discussion in 'CNC Mills/Routers' started by Mark Carew, Dec 15, 2013.

  1. Ben Hartland

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    So new board ordered then if the A axis driver is toast. Poo...
     
  2. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    Instead of another under powered xpro, why not get the DQ542MA drivers, they cost about the same. The current xpro you have may be able to drive them if just the on-board driver is fried. The xpro can be used to control external drivers. If you find the board is completely shot, then just buy a $20 Arduino to control the DQ542MA drivers.
     
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  3. DarkPenguin

    DarkPenguin Well-Known
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    That's why I went with the gradus m1 pro. I could replace the drivers if I fried them. They fried pretty easily but were easy to replace.
     
  4. Ben Hartland

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    I have a laser build I intend to start within a month or so, so I'll consider it for that.
    Reading the xpro troubleshooting wiki, I've also ordered replacement pots in case it's that. I did mess with them after all.
    Thanks guys.
     
  5. RayDann

    RayDann New
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    Mark,

    has anyone gone thru and completely update the OX machine with all the new drives and spindles out there?
     
  6. Scott Watson

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    RayDann
    What exactly do you mean by new drives, I have an OX that I have enlarged, changed the drive system from belt to complete lead screw with nema 23 steppers. And getting ready to upgrade the z axis to be able to support a 2.2kw spindle. The Ox base platform is an outstanding platform to to start from and expand easily. Wish Mark would sponsor my next build LMAO!!! Any questions let me know I will be glad to answer them.

    Scott
     
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  7. RayDann

    RayDann New
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    Scott, looking for maybe nema 34 motors, yes 2.2 spindle, i'm looking at building one of these in a 4' x 12', i want to cut alum sheet metal panels. looking at the upgraded steppers just because i really would like to do some aluminium parts other than sheet metal also, stuff like the side plates, etc. was just wondering if anyone had added the best of the best to the OX build, there are so many new components out there, just hard to sort thru them all. Thanks, Ray
     
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  8. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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    The Ox is a hobby grade system and won't even come close to what you seek. You need to be looking at a proper system. You should also expect to drop $10k to get there.
     
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  9. RayDann

    RayDann New
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    Scott/Rick, Thanks for the input. Another question, is the standard OX system capable of cutting small aluminium parts, say 1/2" thick 4" x 6" misc holes and slots, etc? (assuming you changed the router)... the big machine is was talking about would only need to cut .060 sheets of aluminium, i was just trying to combine both machines into one. is it realistic to assume that the OX would cut the .060 aluminium if it was beefed up making it more ridged & changed out the router?
     
  10. Scott Watson

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    Yeah getting into a system that big is gonna need some heavy duty equipment. Look at 8020.net I believe that is the site. You can find much larger t-slot equipment for a much sturdier setup. The small stuff the ox has just isn’t gonna get it done for what you want to do.
     
  11. Scott Watson

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    Yes the ox is capable of doing small stuff with pretty decent accuracy.
     
  12. RayDann

    RayDann New
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    Thanks for the Input !!
     
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  13. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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    For small parts I would suggest either the OpenBuilds MiniMill or the OpenBuilds Sphinx 55 (20" x 20"). The minimill has a work area of approx. 5"x5" but is easily upgraded to 5"x10". The Sphinx offers a 12"x13" working area.

    As far as a beefed up Ox, you'll want to increase the gantry beam to at least a C-beam but you'll still probably want to add a second gantry rail for additional stiffness. Next on the Ox is the issue of propulsion. A belted system is fairly coarse when it comes to resolution (which is not good when cutting aluminum) so you'll probably want to include some form of speed reduction to improve resolution. The other issue is belt stretch which over a 12' run may be fairly substantial. Using a dual belted system is probably a good idea.
     
  14. Scott Watson

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    A 12’ run is a long run for a belt system at all. You could do a chain drive system especially if your gonna use nema 34 steppers, and it would be a whole lot cheaper than trying to use lead screws. The c-beam is a good choice as long as you use another beam to the rear of it as Rick has mentioned. It could all be done, I would seriously be questioning the accuracy level it could produce. I think this would be an awesome project for openbuilds to test and try to market if at all successful. Seeing as they have all the resources at hand to tackle a project this size. Could be a decent money maker if successful!!!
     
  15. papergeek

    papergeek New
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    I've been buying parts a little bit at a time to build a 1000 x 1500mm (about 40" x 60") OX for CNC and laser etching (I already have my laser working and have the enclosure).

    Now I'm ready to get the parts for the mechanical build. I'd like to get a kit rather than going through a long list and buying everything separately. makerstore.cc has a slightly modified OX that seems to have good build documentation but I don't know where they ship from or what their reputation is. There's an openbuilds parts store but no OX mechanical kit. Of course there are a number of eBay sellers.

    Any suggestions from experience?
     
  16. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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    Really no good answers here. I was going to suggest SMW3D out of Houston as they had a really good Ox kit with well documented instructions but they don't seem to be around anymore. Ooznest in the UK could probably put one together for you but shipping would get out of hand. As far as makerstore.cc, they don't appear to be offering genuine OpenBuilds parts so there is no guarantee what you'll get in the way of quality. Same goes for all of the ebay Ox kit sellers. About all that leaves is ordering it by the list method and getting the plates from Chris on ebay. Before going that route though I would suggest you take a look at the 1000 x 1500mm Workbee. It's an evolutionary upgrade to the Ox and a much more robust machine.
     
  17. papergeek

    papergeek New
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    Thanks, that's quite helpful. It looks like list might be my best option.
    I'm comparing Workbee to Ox and it seems like the main difference is the use of dual leadscrews for Y rather than belts. I'm assuming that accounts for the higher cost and probably also avoids belt tension and other issues.
    Are there any other major differences between OX and Workbee?
     
  18. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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    Actually the OpenBuilds Workbee 1510 (60" x 40") is a belted system, that's why it is less expensive than the smaller Workbee 1010. And in being belted it allows for a true apples-to-apples comparison to the Ox. The key difference is stiffness and better stiffness means cleaner cuts. The Workbee gantry is a 40x80mm C-beam which is considerably stiffer than the double 20x60 beam of the Ox. Even when the 20x60s of the Ox were bonded together the lack of stiffness really began to show when the length of the gantry beam got beyond 600mm with a normal weight router. The other area of stiffness improvement would be the side rails. Again, the 40x80 C-beam side rails are stiffer than the 20x80 side rails and across a 1500mm length this can have a noticeable impact.

    All this being said, there are a couple of things that can be done to the original Ox design that can bring it up to fairly similar to the Workbee design. The first is simply upgrading the gantry beam to a C-beam (which as luck would have it is also less expensive than 2-20x60s). This change however requires a change in the gantry plates. It appears @Chris Laidlaw offers them but it would be best to confer with him as to which set is most appropriate. The other change would be to run your spoiler board support framing crosswise rather than lengthwise. By anchoring the cross member framing to the side rails and then screwing the spoils board to all the cross members this will prevent any lateral sway in the system.

    Whichever way you go, keep us updated. We'd like to see what you come up with.
     
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  19. papergeek

    papergeek New
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    I have another question about spindles. I have a fairly hefty handheld router (Craftsman 1hp variable speed plunge router) which very neatly comes out of the handle / plunge assembly and the rack gear removes with two screws. It's rated at 11A at 115V and is fairly heavy (about 2kg). I'm wondering if it may be a bit too heavy and/or overpowered for the Ox, or is that fairly normal? I think it's one of those things that will become evident when I run my first cuts in relatively hard wood where the router will want to run away (my experience with handheld router work is that it's a function of bit size, bit sharpness, RPM, and wood).

    I was planning to run the router through a 10A relay so I can turn it on and off (with a separate relay for vacuum). Eventually I might upgrade to something with speed control if I end up doing a lot of woodwork.

    Are there good resources for "first cuts" with recommendations on wood, bits, rotational speeds, feed rates, etc on DIY CNC router builds?

    Of course I mainly want to do laser etching but I'm also looking forward to trying to do some artistic woodwork...
     
  20. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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    I'm sensing a conflict in the specs provided. 11A is generally up in the 1-3/4 to 2 HP range which would generally be upwards of 10 pounds. A 1HP would be 5-6A and around 5 pounds. The latter is fine, the former is too heavy. The best question would be what is the diameter of the motor housing?
     
  21. papergeek

    papergeek New
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    I don't have it in front of me but I probably underestimated the weight, and had I bothered to look at the cover of the manual when I took it out of the bag this morning I would remember the rating. 1 3/4 hp sounds about right. The cylindrical motor housing is around 5 inches.

    Sounds like I need something (quite) a bit lighter, and can probably get something with wired PWM speed control.
     
  22. gibson

    gibson Well-Known
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    ? On this build could i update to a wider size timing belt to make it little more stronger... Try to cut alluminum 1/4"
     
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  23. Tom Sanders

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    What is the best way to stiffen up the OX CNC? here is my setup.
     

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  24. GrayUK

    GrayUK Openbuilds Team Elder
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    Wow! Your "Y" axis must be waving side to side there. Has it not got any support along its length? I can't see any.
    First thing, you need to get some brackets fixing the Y axis down to the worktop. Say every 30cm or less.
    As far as the "X" axis goes, I'd fix, with bolts, 2 extra cross members, top and bottom of the existing extrusion.
    That should help a bit. More pictures would help to suggest anything else.
     
    Mark Carew likes this.
  25. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    Have you tried cutting aluminum? Use the speeds and feeds from the resource to try. It may work how it is. If you want to beef it up, replace the two 60 mm beams with two 80 mm beams. Then, convert to lead screws like this, Custom Ox Mods or this, OX-Metal CNC Router Mill or the OG in the Ox upgrade to lead screw and his mods The Frog CNC Router The frog is what lead me to design my own beefed up Ox version with plates I cut and drilled by hand. Lead Screw Driven Ox Derivative (850x1500)
     
    #3565 Giarc, Feb 10, 2019
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2019
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  26. Tom Sanders

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    Thanks for the quick reply!!
    No it doesn't have support :( I need to take care of that. Help me understand what you mean on strengthening the x axis! And what can I do with my z axis?
     

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  27. Gary Caruso

    Gary Caruso OpenBuilds Volunteer
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    Dual belting is even better than going with bigger belts.
     
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  28. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    For the Y axis you have an extremely long span with no support. This can lead to flexing side to side. I have a 1500 mm 20x80 vslot beam like you, but mine is supported the entire length of the beam vertically, and it is tied down to the table top the machine is on so there is no side to side movement.
    [​IMG]
    Picture of it under construction:
    [​IMG]

    To strengthen my X axis, I had a friend print me some of these to help with alignment then I bolted two 20x80 vslot beams together.
    [​IMG]

    I used a c-beam for my z axis and have 8 wheels on it. However, I also build my spoilboard up by adding layers so my z has to drop less for most things I cut. This helps to minimize flex in the X/Z Axis. If I need the full depth of cut, I can remove some of these "layers." This is especially helpful for aluminum work. Another thing that helps me reduce flex is that my x axis is only about 845 mm. My goal was to be able to cut cabinet sides if I wanted, which meant I needed 26" width. I can cut 26.5" x 49+" on mine. Some people like the longer X axis of 1000mm. I didn't see the point for me because the negatives outweighed the few times I would ever put a 32' wide piece of stock on it. And since I have built mine, I have never had a reason to cut something that large.
     
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  29. gibson

    gibson Well-Known
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    i just double belted my machine and what a differense i can now cut circle befor they were ovel now iam looking to do new plates so i can but c-beam on it just looks stronger...
     
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  30. kam

    kam New
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    I have a ox 1000 x 750. put on a new sparks xpro v4 driver. Where can I find the parameters to fit my machine or which open build is close
     

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