Engraving an aluminum micrometer dial
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:44 am
For the first real test of my new harmonic drive 4th axis (see http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=5372), I used it to engrave an aluminum micrometer dial on my Shark HD. I had a few difficulties along the way but I think it came out pretty good.
More details and videos are at http://BrainRight.com/Projects/CNC/MicrometerDial. I published two videos of this project; the first video is a start-to-finish tutorial on using Fusion 360 to create a CAD model and generate the toolpaths. It could have been done just as easily, or maybe more easily, in VCarve or Aspire but I'm using Fusion 360 for everything now. The second video shows the machining using the 4th axis on the CNC Shark. I am using the CNC controller that I built (http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5358) but it could have been done with the standard Shark controller. I drove my 4th axis from the X axis output so it only really needs 3 axes and 3-axis controller would work, if one mechanically locked the X axis to keep it from moving. In my case I had another stepper driver output so I just connected the X axis to that in order to hold it in place.
More details and videos are at http://BrainRight.com/Projects/CNC/MicrometerDial. I published two videos of this project; the first video is a start-to-finish tutorial on using Fusion 360 to create a CAD model and generate the toolpaths. It could have been done just as easily, or maybe more easily, in VCarve or Aspire but I'm using Fusion 360 for everything now. The second video shows the machining using the 4th axis on the CNC Shark. I am using the CNC controller that I built (http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5358) but it could have been done with the standard Shark controller. I drove my 4th axis from the X axis output so it only really needs 3 axes and 3-axis controller would work, if one mechanically locked the X axis to keep it from moving. In my case I had another stepper driver output so I just connected the X axis to that in order to hold it in place.