New Black Diamond CNC Cabinet

[RSO1091]

Hi Guys,

I finally got around to building my enclosed CNC cabinet after getting my Shark for Christmas. The photo shows it in the open position, but it is fairly airtight when lowered and does a great job of keeping the sawdust limited to one spot, instead of my whole shop. The lid is constructed of 3/4" oak veneered plywood and 1/8" acrylic. I also installed LED lighting and the dust port goes out the back, through the shop wall and into the garage where the collector is located. I lined all of the edges with rubber weather stripping to further enhance the vacuum process. The lower portion of the cabinet contains many of my woodworking tools as well as the CNC Control Box which is connected to my laptop computer further down the workbench. None of the electronic equipment is exposed to sawdust. I also extended the emergency shut off switch through the cabinet door so I wouldn't have to open anything to have immediate access in a pinch.

Having a great time so far experimenting...

Henry

[Bob]

Henry,
Real nice cabinet.
And, you must have the cleanest shop in the world!
Now go make some sawdust.
Bob

[4DThinker]

Clearly a profession quality job you've done there. I'm also curious what you cook on that Shark as it appears to be in a nice kitchen.

[Glug]

Very nice!

I wonder if you could tuck some hatchback style cylinders along the edge to neutralize the weight? Of course that isn't very far from some actuator cylinders to open it by push button. Especially if you have shop air.

[Bob]

Very nice!

I wonder if you could tuck some hatchback style cylinders along the edge to neutralize the weight? Of course that isn't very far from some actuator cylinders to open it by push button. Especially if you have shop air.

I used my Jeep rear window lifters to open my enclosure door. They work very well.
Bob

[RSO1091]

Very nice!

I wonder if you could tuck some hatchback style cylinders along the edge to neutralize the weight? Of course that isn't very far from some actuator cylinders to open it by push button. Especially if you have shop air.

Good thought guys. I actually went low-tech and have a hook/latch attached to the upper cabinet that holds the door up securely. And thanks for the compliments on the shop. I will be the first to admit that I'm pretty anal about organization and cleanliness in my work areas (one of the best gifts I ever got was a label maker, what's that tell you?). And believe it or not, I do make quite the mess when I get into a project, but I can't seem to shake the habit of cleaning everything up (including the machinery) before turning the lights off. I built all of my cabinetry to meet specific needs, as is the case with the CNC as well. That space used to be occupied by a large radial arm saw which now resides in a neighbor's garage. I do love the process though...

Here's one more shot.

Henry

[McBuster]

You may want to watch the "wigglieness" factor. Your cabinet is on wheels, that lock. But if the gantry is going hither and yon, you may want to watch how much the whole thing may wiggle. It will affect accuracy.

[RSO1091]

Thanks Jon. The entire unit is very heavy and is nearly wedged between the adjoining cabinets limiting the possibility for movement. But I will watch for that nonetheless and appreciate the tip.

Henry

[McBuster]

Henry

Would be interesting to see some "Action Images" of the amount of chips/dust it makes when really in production. Also, because the dust is rather confined, was any form of explosion ever considered?

Jon ...

[RSO1091]

The dust/chips are sucked out of the rear of the enclosure using my Grizzly dust collector. I don't think it would still pose any risk would it?

Henry