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CNC Mini Mill Build

Discussion in 'CNC Mills/Routers' started by Lindsey Lewis, Jan 16, 2018.

  1. Lindsey Lewis

    Builder

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    Lindsey Lewis published a new build:

    Read more about this build...
     
  2. MaryD

    MaryD OpenBuilds Team

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    Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to see what you make with it!
     
  3. Lindsey Lewis

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    I'm thinking wooden clock. But who knows:)
     
  4. Scotty Orr

    Scotty Orr Journeyman
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    Nice build Lindsey! Nice mods!

    Couple of things:
    1. Don't forget to change your build to "Build complete" before the end of February so you will qualify for the current contest...;)
    2. Some of your questions have been asked before. (1) I think has been recommended against due to flexing that can result. (2) has been reported by several people. Mine was the same, but the screws are holding well. (3) Not sure about this one. I suspect it might not provide enough stability (or enough connection points). The X-axis is thrown around pretty quickly sometimes. Shouldn't hurt to try, but....
    3. Since you are already thinking about a bigger machine, you might take a look at the conversion I did to my MiniMill (for the same reason): https://openbuilds.com/builds/mmxl-a-minimill-conversion.5813/ (One nice thing is that it uses almost all of the parts from the MiniMill.)
     
  5. Lindsey Lewis

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    Hi
    Hi Scotty,

    Thanks for the kind words, I am always looking to learn more. I'll also check out your conversion as well, thanks for sharing:)
     
    Scotty Orr likes this.
  6. Andreas Bockert

    Andreas Bockert Well-Known
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    Hi

    The DRV8825s are surprisingly capable as long as they’re adequately cooled. Still running my CNC with them.

    What software are you using on the PI with the touchscreen?

    I’m currently using bCNC on the PI in combination with Vnc on the laptop. It works but not the slickest solution.
     
  7. Lindsey Lewis

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    Hello Andreas,

    For remote use - I've tried Chilipepper (I like its features), which probably works great with GRBL 0.9, but I was using the GRBL 1.1 but it seems flakey with that version (could be the JSON server version I have on the system), the jogs work, but run positions don't update all the time and often the gcode won't run.

    So I am leaning towards using CNCJS which runs as a web server under NODE.JS and seems to be quite reliable (so far). I just updated to v1.9.12 on the Raspberry PI and it seems reliable. I probably should circle back and see about updates to the Chilipepper JSON Server and see what happens then.

    Locally on the Touch screen - I like bCNC at the screens max resolution of 800 x 480, which has to be configured in the startup config settings rather than the UI system settings app. I've been thinking about writing a touch screen controller that is specifically made for touch screens, maybe in Python or C. I used to do that sort of coding a long time ago in a galaxy far away:)
     
  8. Lindsey Lewis

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    Here is the link to the CNCJS upgrade instructions for RaspBerry PI.
    Setup Guide: Raspberry Pi | Maintaining your Software Stack w Updates & Upgrades · cncjs/cncjs Wiki · GitHub

    Be advised that depending on what has already been installed on the Raspberry PI image - it may not have PM2 installed so would need to do that last step prior to the step that calls for updating CNCJS.
     
  9. Lindsey Lewis

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    Ok, Just updated Chilipepper JSON server to the latest 1.9.5 and it definitely seems to work better with the Chilipepper.com UI.
    screenshot_Tue_Jan_16_15.29.19.png
    So I will continue to try it.
     
  10. Andreas Bockert

    Andreas Bockert Well-Known
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    Perhaps extending bCNC with a touch specific “tab” or UI would be a way to go. It seems feature rich but I wouldn’t want to navigate on a small screen.

    Not sure if the code is easy to modify.

    Initially I tried chillipeppr but it didn’t work great. Also, I would prefer something that doesn’t require a stable network.
     
  11. rahul waghmare

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    what type of spindle we can use for brass milling?
    and how much depth per pass?
    i m thinking of 500W brushless AC motor.
    is it sufficient for milling brass?
     

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