--- In
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "curt_rxr" <cwrxr@e...> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Stefan and Bengt were interested in my attempts to configure an EDM
> PCB milling machine. Since my machine was built using surplus from my
> lab's research efforts into nano-optical circuits the cost of
> recapitulating it would be out of the range of most experimenters ( ie
> the base is 3/8 inch ground plate, the ways are Thomson linear ball
> bearing slides and the controller is a Philips LPC2138 programmed in
> Pygmy Forth ).
>
> While I will happily buy a digital camera and post pictures of my
> system, I wonder if there would be more interest in a system built
> from the "ground up" out of:
>
> 1) Channel and angle iron available from "Home
> Despot" ( or the like! );
>
> 2) Teflon linear bearing and air hardening
> drill rod for ways, acme threaded rod and nuts ( from Enco );
>
> 3) A3967SLB stepper drivers ( Newark online
> )
>
> 4) ( most of all! ) An old Pentium or 486
> running EMC or the like for a controller.
>
> Such a system would cost under $100 US and not need a lathe or mill to
> construct.
>
> I eagerly await your comments.
>
> Curt
This is the sort of stuff I was hoping to get into when joining this
YGroup! I am very very interested.
I have an NSK product guide as I was looking at their linear ball
bearing slides. I never knew how much they cost. Are those kind of
products affordable at all or are they super expensive? How much
difference do you think they would make on the quality of the finished
product? I know that they have pretensioning mechanisms to get rid of
backlash which seems as if it would make some large differences but
since I have never done anything like that I wouldn't know :)
If we are using an old 486, should try out RTLinux and write some
basic custom software. I do lots of software development and can help
out in this department.
-Mikey