lowen93 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 (edited) Last month I recieved a Stepcraft 420 CNC router and this thread is all about my machine and the RC parts I make on it, although it'll be handy for other small jobs like engraving. Manually marking and cutting out FR4, Carbon and small Aluminium parts was taking up too much time and making small intricate parts was more frustrating than fun. This was a big push to me deciding to buy a machine so that I can accurately cut out my RC parts and some other jobs I find for it. I started racing indoor 1/10th and 1/12th this year and quickly realised improvements or just needed spares, which over time the machine will pay for itself and I can also develop my own cars to suit me or just make fancy parts. Here's some pics of the unpacking and building. Overall it is very well designed and made, what you expect when it takes around 3 weeks to arrive from Germany, very well packed too. For the software I use Mach3 as the machine controller and DolphinCAM to write the programs. The software is very easy to use once you get the hang of it, I've got writing a program for these sorts of parts to under 5 minutes, less time than if I was to mark out the part on some material. The drawback is I have to listen to a Dyson hoover (the dust extractor) whilst it's running. Edited June 13, 2014 by lowen93 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowen93 Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 (edited) Now for some part making! I run Kimbrough servo savers and like most others have broken a few due to the thin plastic. So rather than buying a servo saver saver I thought I may aswell make some, especially as they take less than 3 minutes to cut! A friend owns a Speed Merchant GT3 and wants a narrow chassis making so it can later be used as a 1/12th car. Started with a paper template of the parts and currently part way through making them. Overall less than 30 minutes to make the chassis plate, front suspension plate, rear suspension mounts and the front bumper. When the design is right it will be made in Carbon Fibre. And here's some videos of it moving and machining. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSlTJ9AjCWI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lO8ScbkCmc Next is to test out aluminium and polycarbonate as I want to make a new chassis and parts fro my Mardave. Edited June 13, 2014 by lowen93 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tug Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 And you also want to make me a centre Diff mount for an e-Maxx! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCbutcher Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 That looks great keep updating I bet this is one bit of kit we would all love to have. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex97 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Will it cut carbon fibre? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brushlesspowaaa Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 That's some hard core ish.. Fair plays to ya mate.. I was considering a 3d printed to make plastic parts.. But that's some serious piece of equipment you got there. Good luck with it and if you offer a service of producing parts your gonna clean up mate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shdaxner Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Watching that work is brilliant. What thicknesses can it cut? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrumpy jack Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 That's some hard core ish.. Fair plays to ya mate.. I was considering a 3d printed to make plastic parts.. But that's some serious piece of equipment you got there. Good luck with it and if you offer a service of producing parts your gonna clean up mate. A 3D printer is no good for making any sort of part that requires strength i.e RC parts, as the parts are made up by 'layering' the plastic. Unfortunately there's also not really any money to be made from making parts for people, unless you charge a lot of money. For one off custom parts that you cannot buy you could make a few quid, but making stuff that's readily available then the mass produced items will always be far far cheaper... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brushlesspowaaa Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 A 3D printer is no good for making any sort of part that requires strength i.e RC parts, as the parts are made up by 'layering' the plastic. Unfortunately there's also not really any money to be made from making parts for people, unless you charge a lot of money. For one off custom parts that you cannot buy you could make a few quid, but making stuff that's readily available then the mass produced items will always be far far cheaper... I see, they do have other uses other then rc just like his cnc router. I saw something where a person made a gun with a 3d printer that actually fired.. Not trying to give anyone ideas lol...http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22421185 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrumpy jack Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I see, they do have other uses other then rc just like his cnc router. I saw something where a person made a gun with a 3d printer that actually fired.. Not trying to give anyone ideas lol...http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22421185 They made part of a gun...just the lower frame /grip I believe and possibly the mag...which fired a few times then fell apart All the important stuff was from a real firearm..barrel, firing mechanism etc. The biggest use for 3D printers is to make prototype's so the designers can see how things will look/fit together before they go into mass production. I did a fair bit of research on them, because I was going to buy one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowen93 Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 (edited) I think we all want high tech toys equipment in our sheds and workshops. This one is classed as hobby grade, not as substantial as a proper mill, but nowhere near the cost either. It weighs around 11kg plus a computer. But for the cost you get a good quality machine and I've got some good software that makes it easy to use. It does need enclosing so that the high pitch cutter noise can be reduced to a sensible noise limit. Yes it'll cut carbon fibre, fibreglass, aluminium, wood, plastics. Steel I'm going to try as a slow feedrate and some coolant should make it possible as I'm using what seem good quality cutters. The travel is 300mm wide, 420mm long and 80mm deep and the bed is longer so can fit 600mm long sheets on. It'll fit 25mm material but the depth of a cut is limited to the cutters having a 1/8" shaft so 3mm is the biggest cutter. 12mm is the most I'd do but would need to be done with several 2mm deep cuts. The chassis is 3.2mm FR4 and goes through that quite happily but fibreglass is quite easy to cut. I wouldn't try more than 3mm deep cuts as it'd put too much strain on the cutter and make too much noise for the neighbours. I've found out the hard way about 3D printing and had parts made which turned out to be useless. As Scrumpy has said, the material isn't bonded as well as a solid piece that is machined and currently is less accurate and more costy than machining blanks. 3D printing does have plenty of other uses where not structural, at work we're getting some castings made which are a low volume, wax prints of the 3D model are made, dipped in ceramic to create a mold, wax melted away and aluminium poured in. Hey presto, low volume and low cost casting. The machine manufacturers sell a kit for around 450euros to use the frame as an abs printer so may get it at a later date but I like machined things . I was going to buy one til I had some test pieces made, glad I didn't now! A plastic gun machined would probably still be made quicker than a printed gun, but it does show it's possible. Most 3D printing displays at shows I've seen have alsways been things like Yoda heads, I think that's quite a fun use! Edited June 13, 2014 by lowen93 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrumpy jack Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 A CNC /milling/routing machine is far more useful than a 3D printer for the stuff we want as you can cut things in a variety of materials, and the 'consumer' stuff is getting cheaper all the time...hopefully soon 6 axis machines will become affordable(ish) for plebs like myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowen93 Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 I was shocked by the fact that they are affordable now, laser cutters are still waaaay out of my range but a router is a good start! Another optional extra was a 4th axis module. It's a little chuck with a stepper motor, obviously I've got that so I can mill driveshaft pin slots and drill holes in the centres of round things. Motors and frames are all that make these hobby grade machines so 5 and more axis is easily achievable. The main frame is made of laser cut and extruded aluminium. There's a 5axis Hurco CNC sat at work and this small machine has helped get me used to using it so is a good training tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrumpy jack Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Fascinating stuff lowen93 I have looked at these kits a few times and it's interesting to find out what they are really like to use ln the real world and how they perform. Please keep updating the thread about how your getting on with it and let us know the good and bad points. By the sounds of it the noise of a Dyson sucking away and screaming of cutting bits is not a good point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowen93 Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 (edited) This is their website https://www.stepcraft-systems.com/en/ I've heard the frames of the Chinese ones are built fairly well, it's just the electronics that let them down. I figured can't go wrong with German made and that if there is a problem I have a company to contact. You can contact them for any spare and they'll sort out selling it to you. Cheap cutters are definitely a no go as they aren't worth it. I have some CNC understanding but it is very easy to pick up if machining is your thing and you have some patience for computers. If the neighbours complain, the dogs keep dropping hair on the carpets A few years back when I was at school they had some routers from Denford which are more expensive but are enclosed in a box so the sound wasn't too high. A box around it is definitely the way to go Edited June 13, 2014 by lowen93 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrumpy jack Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 yeah cheap bits are bad...I stupidly once brought some cheap B&Q dremel bits sounds like you have a pretty amazing job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peakey29 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 (edited) I was shocked by the fact that they are affordable now, laser cutters are still waaaay out of my range but a router is a good start! Another optional extra was a 4th axis module. It's a little chuck with a stepper motor, obviously I've got that so I can mill driveshaft pin slots and drill holes in the centres of round things. Now firstly id like to say WOW i want one but if I did my mrs would firstly throw me out the house closely followed by that. Secondly if you can put small holes in the centre of round things ie a slipper shaft for a 1/10 then me and you are going to be friends Edited June 13, 2014 by Peakey29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowen93 Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share Posted June 16, 2014 (edited) Carbide cutters are good wearing and cut nicely, I've found just leaving the router speed on max at 20,000rpm I don't have any issues with material cutting rough or cutters going wrong. Exactly the reason I bought it now whilst I still have my freedom! I'm still working on getting my other half to have a go at Mardave racing (and teach her to stop hitting walls) . I'm sure I can put various shaped holes in many things providing they aren't steel I had a go this evening cutting some stainless steel and that's a no go. The frame vibrates too much and just chews through cutters within a few minutes because of the vibration. Aluminium cuts quite nicely, ran at 120mm/min, 1mm cut depth and 20,000rpm which left a decent finish without burring up on the top edge plus also didn't make lots of noise, yay! The stainless was ran at 60mm/min, 0.5mm cut depth and 20,000rpm. I also freehanded some plastic parts such as wheels and a Mardave battery holder which was quite successful as it cuts quite easily feeding material in by hand. With these results I'll be having a go at making some Polycarbonate parts later in the week once I've got drawings made of Mardave suspension arms and motor blocks, just something about carbon weaving and see through parts we all like! I got the Speed Merchant GT3 chassis finished off including countersunk holes, so hopefully I'll have some feedback in a few weeks about how it performs. If you look closely at the front suspension plate and bumper you may notice my attempt at engraving with a 0.5mm tip cutter to leave my mark on the project. Also made a new front plate to convert a Mardave V12 to GT10 wheelbase and width. The wheel that has been cut was done by dropping the router down 2mm each time I'd removed all the material, I held it firmly under the cutter and moved it along by hand till it was 19mm wide from 25mm and had the centre removed. I'm glad to say that I still have all my fingers! It did catch a few times as you can see from the marks on the side... And a selection of servo saver savers I tried being clever and using a piece of FR4 that had previously been tested on went to make a bumper for my GT10 sized Mardave, unfortunately my luck ran out and I negated where the previous hole had been made. Atleast if it breaks it's still going in the bin and if it works then I've saved some material! More time needs to be spend CAD'ding before I have anything else to make Edited June 16, 2014 by lowen93 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J450n Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Hi lowen93, Great setup you got there Can I ask what is the thickest aluminium it will cut? Cheers Jace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowen93 Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 Thank you. It's probably down to the cutters, I'd realistically say it can do 15mm maximum cutting depth which would be 15passes at 1mm. But material can be turned over and the other side cut. I'm probably never going to exceed 20mm thickness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksprogis Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 If you don't mind me asking, What do you do for work dude? I work for a large PCD Tooling supplier.. I'll be keeping a eye on this, Might invest in one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex97 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I'll be keeping a eye on this, Might invest in one!ive been thinking the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J450n Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Cheers lowen93, Thats double what I was looking for! Jace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowen93 Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 As of 3 months ago I build and design engines, before that I was merely a fabrication apprentice. Engineering is my speciality It's been worthwhile for me already but I had it's use already lined up. What did do you have on your mind J450n? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowen93 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 Got myself a new employee in my workshop to be in charge of health and safety. I chose one of these for the characterful look, but also because unlike a dyson it runs at 600w or 1200w so is nice and quiet at 600w but plenty powerful as a dust extractor. For my Mardave GT10 conversion I need to make a first set of wheels before thinking about getting some lightweight ones moulded. So why not mill some out! It was also a good chance to learn how to use z profiling in DolphinCAM to make more than just flat sides. I was cutting Nytralon bar which hapoily melted with heat so was tricky stopping it from melting when cutting. Roughing out was done on 240mm/min with a 3mm end mill and the profile was done at 480mm/min with a 3mm ball end mill and 0.5mm deviance from my profile line. You can change the profile resolution to improve cutting speed or the surface finish so I chose speed for my first set. Also for my Mardave I bought some 10mm polycarbonate to see if I could cut clear edges. So I decided to make some front a arms / wishbones. They came out quite well with minor burred edges in places and was cut at 240mm/min and 50% overlap on the top face. I rubbed the sides with 800 wet and dry to give a frosted look as I didn't want to spend hours polishing them. I've been playing around cutting gentler cuts but faster which seems better than slower big cuts. Overlapping the toolpath seems to give good results too. Here's some more videos.http://youtu.be/jELgj-9zWCYhttp://youtu.be/Yc2kMT66oAghttp://youtu.be/eJvaEso4w1chttp://youtu.be/z8v-NX9O3tc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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