A CNC GANTRY with Some Travel

摘要

It was fall in North Dakota and I needed a project to get me through the winter. Being a novice in the world of CNC, I quickly discovered that the big machines operated on the same software as the small machines. I really wanted a large machine; however, my first goal was to get my feet wet by obtaining a small mill and getting it up and running. I found a Sherline on eBay that was mostly intact. The electronics that came with it were rather ancient, so I replaced them with a PMDX controller. After rewiring the steppers, I got things up and running (Photo 1). I must say, I spent most of the month learning design software, G-code generation, and understanding the control software. With a basic understanding, it was time to move on.