Do-it-yourself wood lathe is inexpensive, but effective. DIY wood lathe: manufacturing options How to make a homemade wood lathe

1. Specifications
2. Device
3. Model STD-120M

Manual processing of wood with giving it rounded shapes is a laborious process. Woodworking lathes are more commonly used. They resemble the equipment with which metal products are processed, but there are functional differences. So, in the woodworking machine there is no automatic supply of the cutter to the workpiece, everything must be done manually. The equipment has less power, weight.

Kinds

There are three types of machines:

• Industrial. Designed for mass production, have great functionality, have high performance, power over 1 kW, weigh at least 200 kg.
• For small industries. These are small-sized machines weighing from 40 to 90 kg. Engine power - 500–1000 watts. The functionality is small, but sufficient for use in workshops.
• Desktop, household lathe. Usually it is installed on a workbench, used for the manufacture of single products. Power - no more than 500 W, weight - within 20 kg.

Types of machines by functionality:

• Turning and milling. Suitable for grooving.
• Turning and screw. Used for threading, making products under the cone.
• CNC. These are automatic machines that work according to a given program.

Any of the models performs a basic set of operations: turning, trimming, drilling, grinding, threading. The choice of a woodworking lathe is determined by its power and functionality.

Specifications

The main selection criterion is power. Low-power machines suitable for the home. With frequent manufacture of wooden products, it is better to purchase a unit with a capacity of 0.5–1.0 kW.

The second criterion is the size of the workpiece. Two indicators are taken into account: the distance from the installed part to the bed (25–40.5 cm), center-to-center distance (33–110 cm).

The third characteristic is the spindle speed. Range - 400–3500 rpm. The faster the workpiece rotates, the more precise and cleaner it is.

Device

The main components of the lathe, on which all other parts are installed:

• bed,
• headstock,
• tailstock,
• electric motor.

The frame is made of cast iron. This one-piece product provides vibration reduction equipment.

Headstock - a node with several functions: fastening the workpiece, transmitting torque through the spindle. Rotation is transmitted from the electric motor through installed belts.

The spindle speed is changed by reinstalling the belts on the machine pulleys (see photo) or using electronic equipment.

The workpiece in the spindle is fixed with a driving chuck. To fix the blank, to prevent its vibration, the tailstock and the cartridge inserted into it are used.

The device includes a faceplate. Its purpose is to fasten the blank when turning the ends of the product. In other cases, center-to-center fastening is used. It is important to accurately position the workpiece between centers to reduce runout.

A copier is an element that increases the functionality of the equipment. Used when you need to make several products of complex shape. Usually a cutting tool is installed in it.

Model STD-120M

It is used for a complete set of school and household workshops. It is characterized by an optimal ratio of technical capabilities and price.

Differences from other machines:

• The spindle speed is changed by shifting the V-belt on the double groove pulleys. Two speeds are used: 1100 and 2150 rpm.
• The push-button control unit is located on the headstock.
• Replaceable spindles.
• The working area is equipped with additional protective transparent curtains.

STD-120M operates only from a 380 V mains supply. The electric motor of the device has a power of 0.4 kW.

Workpiece dimensions: length - 45 cm, diameter - no more than 19 cm. Mounting conditions:

• Installation on a steel or concrete base 600–800 mm thick.
• The floor around should not be slippery.
• Fastening is made on an anchor.

Operating conditions

• The wooden blank must be free of knots, with a moisture content not higher than 20%.
• It is recommended to process workpieces of large diameter at low speeds.
• Rotating parts must be lubricated every 500 hours of operation.

Some repairs can be done independently: restore the working capacity of the tailstock and headstock, change the pulley on the shaft, and others. But for this you need to study the instructions that came with the equipment.

There are many types of machines. They are divided by performance into industrial, designed for small industries, and desktop or household. The first two types are used in small and large industries, and the last option is suitable for home use. As a rule, it is installed on a workbench and single products are made on it.

Also, the machines differ in functionality. There are the following varieties:

1. Turning and copying allows you to create several identical parts. To operate a lathe with a copier, a stencil is needed, according to which an exact copy of it is created.
2. Turning and milling has additional features for boring grooves.
3. Turning screw is able to cut threads and sharpen products under a cone.
4. Face-turning is used for the manufacture of objects on a wide flat base - bas-reliefs, high reliefs, three-dimensional paintings.
5. Round stick gives any workpiece a round cross-sectional shape. It is widely used for the production of ax handles, cuttings for gardening tools, handles for hand tools - chisels, knives, mops. The workpiece itself in a round-stick lathe is stationary, only the wood cutters rotate.

According to the degree of automation, they are divided into manual, semi-automatic and CNC machines, in which the turner only sets the workpiece and turns on the specified program.

Lathe device

A typical wood lathe consists of several main parts: an electric motor, a bed, a handpiece, a front and rear headstock.

The bed is the basis of the machine, all other mechanisms are fixed on it. As a rule, it is cast iron. The large weight of the monolithic bed allows you to significantly reduce the vibration of the equipment, which adversely affects the life of the machine.

The headstock performs several functions. A workpiece is attached to it and rotation is transmitted from the electric motor through the spindle mounted on it using a belt drive.

The speed of rotation of the part is changed by moving the belt onto pulleys of the desired diameter. This arrangement is similar to how the gears on a modern multi-speed bicycle work.

The workpiece in the spindle is held at one end by a driving chuck, at the other end by a turning chuck for wood on the tailstock.

The functionality of a wood lathe can be expanded with a faceplate. A part is attached to it, if you need to grind its ends, which were clamped by cartridges.

Also, machines are equipped with copiers, which allow you to make several identical parts with great accuracy.

Brief description and characteristics of the STD 120M lathe

The machine has a simple and reliable design, proven over the years. It is put in school workshops, vocational schools, in the shops of enterprises, used at home. With its help, the following turning works on wood are performed:

• drilling;
• stencil turning;
• sharpening of rotating parts of different profiles;
• facing, rounding and cutting off parts at different angles;
• processing of flat surfaces using a faceplate.

The device of the machine has its own characteristics:

• the change in rotation speed is changed by moving the belt onto pulleys of different diameters;
• the control unit is located on the headstock for maximum convenience during operation;
• the set of equipment includes several nozzles of the spindle type, which allows you to fix workpieces with any type of ends;
• for the safety of the worker, the machine is equipped with a casing and curtains with transparent windows;
• to remove chips, a cleaning unit is additionally connected.

The unit is connected to a three-phase electrical network with a voltage of 380 V and mandatory grounding.

How to make a simple lathe from a drill

As you can see, the device of this unit is quite simple, and everyone can make a homemade wood lathe. The most elementary device for turning workpieces is obtained from a conventional drill. It will allow you to carry out simple turning work at home and save on the purchase of special equipment. The drill in this case replaces the headstock and rotation drive.

Instead of a cast-iron bed, a workbench is used. Wooden stops are fixed on it for attaching a drill and a tailstock. The back stop is made of bars and an adjustable screw, the end of which is sharpened into a cone. Turning cutters for wood are various attachments for a drill, which are attached instead of a drill.

On such a simple device, handles for tools and doors, simple decorative items, balusters and much more are turned.

DIY wood lathe

This design is a little more complicated, but it also has more possibilities. It is based on a home-made bed, welded from metal corners and mounted on a workbench or on its legs. The reliability of the bed is given special attention so that the machine vibrates as little as possible during operation. The design of the frame provides for the presence of a longitudinal guide for moving individual elements.

The cutting tool rests on the handpiece. The bracket for it must not only move in a horizontal plane, but also rotate along the mounting axis. The support plane of the tool rest must coincide with the axis of rotation of the part in processing.

Any serviceable electric motor of any household appliance of sufficient power can serve as a drive. The easiest way is to mount the spindle directly on the shaft without transmission devices.

This method is cheaper and saves space on the frame. But it also has its drawbacks - it is impossible to regulate the speed of rotation and uneven wear of bearings that are not designed for longitudinal load.

Therefore, it is worth providing a separate node for the spindle. The torque will be supplied by belt driven pulleys.

The spindle is a part that fixes the workpiece by transmitting torque to it. It may look like an anti-slip stop or have screw clamps. The version with clamps is called a faceplate.

The tailstock holds the part on the axis of rotation. The easiest option is a bolt sharpened on a cone. The emphasis is more complicated made of a support bearing.

For normal operation of the machine, the centers of both headstocks and the plane of the handpiece must match perfectly.

As a result, a homemade wood lathe should look something like this:

Particular attention should be paid to the stability of the entire structure so that a strong lateral force does not tip the machine over. If the motor is running, this may cause injury. To eliminate the most common failures when working with a homemade unit, consider the following subtleties:

• the workpiece must rotate on the turner;
• before processing the workpiece with cutters, give it a cylindrical shape (if possible);
• the cutter should be pressed against the workpiece at an acute angle;
• final grinding is done with fine sandpaper, this operation is carried out with gloves so as not to burn your hands from friction;
• the harder the wood, the higher the rotational speed of the shaft should be.

When working on a wood lathe, do not forget about safety precautions. The worker must use protective equipment - special glasses, gloves, if necessary, a respirator.

The capabilities of a home-made lathe are expanded by equipping with additional nozzles and fixtures - they apply paint to a rotating part, machine identical parts using a copier, and even wind transformers.

A simple homemade wood lathe - video

A specialized wood lathe makes it possible to obtain various products and their copies from wood, provided that a copier is available. A woodworking lathe is lighter than a metalworking lathe and also uses less powerful electric motors. If we are talking about industrial applications, then CNC models are relevant here, and the faceplate serves as a workpiece clamp.

All machines on the market can be divided into three groups.

1. Industrial. These are mainly CNC models, the weight of which is about 100-200 kg on average. The power of the used electric motors is 1 kW. Distinctive features are increased productivity, wide functionality and the ability to put production on stream. Retainer - faceplate or headstock.
2. Semi-professional or designed for small production. The weight of the units varies from 40 to 100 kg. Power ranges from 500 to 900 kW. Technical characteristics allow the use of a semi-professional type woodworking machine for a small production or workshop.
3. Household. They are desktop. A similar woodworking machine weighs no more than 40 kg. The bulk of such units usually weighs 20-25 kg. Differ in compactness, mobility, but not productivity. They serve only to obtain single products, although they can be equipped with a CNC module.

Depending on the functionality, turning units can be:

• Combined. Their specialization is the performance of a wide range of operations on a single machine. At the same time, the price of such machines is high, and their processing quality does not always correspond to the expectations and invested funds;
• Specialized. Specialized machines allow you to make various crafts, wood-based products, working according to certain limited patterns.

It is important to note that specialized devices are divided into three subtypes:

1. Turning and milling. With their help, you can make, process and bore grooves.
2. Turning screw. Such a woodworking type of specialized machine is used to work with cone-shaped products, threading.
3. CNC. Multifunctional devices that perform a whole cycle of woodworking operations. An important feature of the CNC module is that it automatically performs all the work. Operator involvement is minimal. Its task is to set the desired program from the CNC list.

At the same time, any woodworking unit is capable of:

• crop;
• Turn;
• Drill;
• Make grooves;
• Cut thread;
• Make holes;
• Turn the ends;
• Sanding;
• Make openings.

Specifications

Many craftsmen make a wood lathe with their own hands, while others prefer to purchase ready-made devices. When there are such models on the market as STD 120m, Corvette 74, STD 1000, Holzstar db1100, no chisels or planers are needed.

Experts advise focusing on the following parameters.

1. Motor power. Electric motors determine the processing capabilities of the machine, but at the same time affect energy consumption. Industrial models use engines with a power of 1-2 kW. And for domestic needs choose 300-500 watts.
2. Workpiece sizes. Here you should pay attention to the center-to-center distances and to the machine bed.
3. Spindle head rotation speed. This is the main working tool capable of rotating at a frequency of 400 to 35,000 revolutions per minute. The quality of processing products directly depends on this parameter.
4. manufacturer and warranty. Many experts recommend choosing brands like Corvette, STD and Holzstar.

The choice on the presented versions of devices is not limited, but they are well-deservedly popular.

Design features

Let us study the general principle of the design of such equipment.

1. The basis is the bed, the quality of which determines the accuracy of woodworking and the stability of the turning equipment itself. All elements and mechanisms are located directly on the frame. The best option for manufacturing the bed is cast iron and solid casting.
2. Workpieces are mounted in driving chucks, which are located on a rotating spindle. A faceplate or tailstock with a rear chuck allows you to fix the product from two sides at once.
3. Depending on the length of the cutter, the thrust bearing moves. The cutter partially rests on it during the processing of workpieces.
4. Workpieces can be fixed in two ways. For the first, the centers of two cartridges are used, and for the second, a faceplate. If you prefer to make yourself a homemade wood lathe, you will need a faceplate when turning the ends. The peculiarity is that the faceplate provides for fastening products with bolts, and not with points. The faceplate is preferable because it fixes the product more securely.
5. The most important design difference between turning units for processing metal and wood is that the woodworking option provides for the manual supply of the cutter to the product.

Popular Models

Working on a wood lathe is a fairly common event in home workshops and industries. If you need a unit for personal purposes, drawings, photo and video instructions will allow you to make an excellent unit with your own hands.

Or pick up the chisels and get to work. Chisels are an outdated alternative to woodworking machines. So chisels, planers and other hand tools will not allow you to achieve the same result as automated chisels, that is, machines. With CNC they will be or without a CNC module, you decide.

The list of popular models includes such modern "chisels":

• Corvette 74;
• STD 1000;
• STD 120m;
• Holzstar db1100.

Let's consider them separately.

1. The Corvette 74 is a 550W floor standing unit. The processing diameter and width are 300 and 845 mm, respectively. Corvette 74 weighs 85 kg. The range of spindle speeds on the Corvette 74 machine is from 500 to 2000 rpm. The current cost is 30 thousand rubles.
2. STD 1000. Drive unit 22.9 kg. The maximum processing diameter of the model is 350 mm. The power of the unit is 400 W, and the rotational speed is from 810 to 2480 rpm. The price of STD 1000 is about 11 thousand rubles.
3. STD 120m weighs 100 kg and runs on 380 V. Power is 0.4 kW. The machining diameter is up to 190 mm, and the spindle speed STD 120m is from 1100 to 2150 rpm. The price is about 45 thousand rubles.
4. The Holzstar db1100 is a 92kg German machine with 10 speeds and a maximum working diameter of 358mm. The unit is powered by a 220 V network. Estimated price is 55-60 thousand rubles.

Do you need a CNC model, a heavy-duty faceplate, and a wide range of adjustments if you're going to be doing regular small crafts? No. CNC and faceplate are the prerogative of modern, powerful devices with high functionality. If you want to make ordinary crafts, you can try to assemble the machine yourself.

If large-scale production is planned, work with large products, the faceplate as a latch will become indispensable, and the CNC module will simplify the work.

From this article you can learn how to make a wood milling machine with your own hands at home to perform basic operations with workpieces. The text outlines a step-by-step technology for creating a tool: an analysis of the design features of the device and all the components necessary for its installation, drawings with dimensions and detailed descriptions that will help you create each of these elements and put them together.

Wood milling machines can have various purposes. Some devices are designed to perform only one operation, others are multifunctional. Buying a professional tool is an expensive pleasure, so many craftsmen resort to making a woodworking machine with their own hands. Most often, such a router is used in small furniture workshops.

Milling cutters are usually used to process wood along a straight or curved contour. The cutting head, which performs rotational movements, acts as a working element in the design. In most cases, this part is located vertically. There are many varieties of milling cutters, each of which has its own design features.

The most popular types of devices:

• standard single-spindle (the spindle is located vertically);
• single-spindle designs, where the spindle or homemade milling table tilts;
• copy milling machines with a spindle having an upper placement;
• copy structures with a spindle having a horizontal placement (the tool is designed for processing propellers made of wood).

Note! In all of the listed designs, except for the last one, the material is fed manually.

Milling machine device: single-spindle designs

The design of a single-spindle machine includes a horizontal table with a pair of tongue-and-groove sockets designed to fix the guide rulers. It is mounted on a cast iron frame. Under the table there are sleds that move along the guides. They have a spindle on a thrust bearing and a pair of bearings. At the top of this element is another spindle - plug-in. It is designed for mounting cutting parts.

The slide with the spindle can be raised if necessary. For this, a bevel gear with a handwheel or a screw is used. The belt drive allows the spindle to be driven. Moreover, a counter-drive, motor or motor shaft can be used for this.

To make such a wood router with your own hands, you need to take into account some of the nuances. In some cases, you can not do without additional reinforcement of the spindle. Such a need arises if it is necessary to process workpieces of great height or serious loads act on the part. To do this, you need to install and fix the upper stop on the machine table. This element is fixed on the bracket. To control the movement of the workpiece during the milling process, it is desirable to use a guide ring or ruler.

Machines in which the spindle or table tilts allow you to do a wider range of woodwork with your own hands. In addition to standard operations, such designs allow you to get a higher quality of processing, obtaining a clean and uniform surface. This result can be achieved by cutting the wood at an angle, using cutters with a very small diameter. An instrument with a tilting spindle is much safer and more convenient.

The device of a home-made copier for wood with an upper spindle

These devices are used to perform copying work. It does not require high power. Such designs allow milling and drilling to create openwork products.

The copier is able to replace three tools at once:

1. Frazier.
2. Drilling machine.
3. Jigsaw.

Wood processing is carried out using cutting mills. The spindle develops a large number of revolutions, so that the machined surface is very clean.

Homemade woodworking machine can be used for various purposes:

• boss calibration;
• production of openwork frames;
• elaboration of the walls of the ribs, etc.

As a basis for this design, a bed made of cast iron is used. Its upper part is curved in the shape of a sickle. This area is used for mounting the electric motor.

Note! The bed performs the function of a link on which all the elements of a home-made wood milling machine are installed. The stronger and more reliable its design, the better.

The engine is mounted on rails. Due to the system of levers, it can move up and down these elements. This section is set in motion by pressing the pedal, which is equipped with a special stopper. The rotor shaft of the engine is connected to the spindle, where the chuck with the tool is fixed. This cartridge can be self-centering or American.

In the lower zone of the frame, a table is mounted on a movable bracket. This design can move along the guides vertically using a handwheel. There are other options for making a homemade wood milling machine with your own hands, a drawing of this design involves the vertical movement of the table also in the process of work by pressing the pedal. In such models, the electric motor and spindle remain stationary.

How to make a wood lathe with your own hands: drawings and technology

The easiest way to make a tool yourself at home is to construct a lathe or milling machine from a drill or an electric motor taken from another tool. This process is not so complicated, so every master is able to cope with its implementation. This will require an electric motor, the power of which does not exceed 500 W, and improvised materials. A drill can also be used as a drive. Of course, some skills are required to make a lathe.

The following elements are required for the construction of the machine:

• metal frame;
• electric motor;
• handyman;
• back grandma.

It does not hurt to get a drawing that will help you navigate in size and correctly manufacture all structural elements for its subsequent assembly.

How to make a homemade drilling machine with your own hands with a motor

First you need to prepare the shaft of the electric motor. To do this, a faceplate is installed on it, and a threaded steel center is also suitable. The installation of the second center is carried out in the tailstock tube. For the manufacture of the bed, you will need a pair of corners measuring 5x3 cm, their length is 15 cm. The motor is attached to the bed using a bolted connection.

Note! The central part of the tailstock must necessarily coincide with the middle of the motor shaft.

At the next stage in the manufacture of a home-made machine with your own hands, the headstock is assembled. This element is formed from a pair of horizontal and a pair of vertical corners. A pipe is attached to it, designed for the spindle. You need to insert a bolt into it, the diameter of which is 1.2 cm. Previously, its head is sharpened at a right angle. Thus, the central part of the spindle is indicated. After that, the headstock is installed on the bed. On the top rack, which is connected to the horizontal corners, it is necessary to fix the tube by welding.

To make a handpiece, you need to take a steel rod with a chamfer. Also, this element must have a hole that will be used to secure the reference ruler. It is necessary to vertically weld the tube with the locking screw to the long angle. Then the handpiece rod is inserted into it.

The motor rotor, on which the faceplate is fixed, will be used as the headstock spindle. It needs to make several holes. A fork will be inserted in the central part. The holes along the edges are designed to fix the part with screws.

How to make a wood lathe from a drill with your own hands

Instructions for use. Accessories. Recommendations for the choice of designs and an overview of the best models.

The design of the milling cutter consists of the following elements:

• countertops;
• beds;
• spindle
• parallel stop;
• feed sled;
• vacuum cleaner.

Useful advice! The recommended motor power for the machine is 2 kW or more. A tool with lower performance will not be able to process hardwood blanks.

Selection of materials for the manufacture of a woodworking machine with your own hands

In order for the bed to be able to withstand high dynamic loads, it is desirable to use metal as a material for its manufacture. The most suitable option is a pipe with a square or rectangular section. It is allowed to use a massive metal corner.

The choice of such materials allows you to create a design without using a welding machine. All elements are connected by bolts. The design is collapsible, which facilitates its transfer and transportation. In addition, using the appropriate drawing of the milling table, you can create adjustable legs with your own hands. Movable supports allow you to adjust the machine horizontally.

For the manufacture of countertops, the following materials are suitable:

• multilayer plywood sheets;
• planed board;
• MDF, OSB or chipboard.

The tabletop must have a smooth surface. Any irregularities will affect the quality of work. In addition, it is necessary to exclude all factors that can cause scratches during processing of workpieces.

When making a table for a router with your own hands, a flat surface can be achieved in several ways:

• finishing with plastic;
• careful adjustment and grinding of planed boards;
• metal finishing.

To make a router with your own hands, you can use an asynchronous or commutator motor. The first option is quite unpretentious in operation and does not impose restrictions on the size of the cutters used. Among the disadvantages is the high noise level. The commutator motor is more accessible, but its brushes wear out faster.

How to make do-it-yourself router bits

Homemade wood cutters are able to effectively process wood, however, when in contact with hard materials, the cutting elements quickly become dull. Therefore, the range of application of such parts is significantly limited.

To make a wood cutter with your own hands, you need to take a cylindrical blank and cut off half of its diameter in the area where the cutting zone will be located. After that, it is necessary to smooth out the resulting transition. From the cut part of the workpiece, you need to remove another 1/4 of the diameter and perform a similar operation. Then you should give the processed section of the cutter a rectangular shape. To do this, cut off its lower part. The thickness of the resulting working area should be 2-5 mm.

Useful advice! To cut a metal workpiece for a cutter, you can use a drill or grinder, adapting this tool to perform this task. The cutting edge can be made with .

1. It is desirable to sharpen the cutting part at an angle of 7-10 °. A sharper edge will cut much worse and quickly lose sharpness.
2. Using an angle grinder equipped with metal discs, you can give the cutting part of the cutter the necessary configuration. For these purposes, diamond-coated needle files are also suitable.
3. If the cutter has a complex configuration, you can flatten or bend it.

How to make a milling machine with your own hands

The simplest milling machine can be made in the same way as the turning tool described earlier. There are several ways to design the leading center of the structure.

In the first case, a steel tube with thin walls is mounted on the shaft. This method is considered the simplest, but it is not without drawbacks. The operator will not be able to process workpieces whose diameter is smaller than the internal section of the pipe. In addition, such a structure cannot be quickly dismantled if necessary.

In the second case, the workpiece will be attached to the faceplate. To do this, you can use screws, for which you first need to make holes. This method also has disadvantages. The diameter of the processed workpieces is limited by the size of the faceplate. To simplify this process, you can make a special cartridge, although in this case it will not be possible to avoid some restrictions.

The back center, which will be used to hold long workpieces, must be installed on the tailstock. The electric motor is mounted on the frame. In general, the simplest designs of turning and milling tools are similar in many ways. If you want to get a more functional device, you can make a CNC milling machine with your own hands, but this will require additional technical knowledge.

Do-it-yourself table manufacturing technology for a router with drawings

There are several design options that can be used to install a desktop CNC router. Tables can be fixed or portable. In addition, there is also an aggregate variety. This design allows you to expand the surface of the table for the use of a router.

Most often, craftsmen prefer stationary structures with a metal frame. Dutch plywood is suitable as a material for the countertop.

Note! When making a table for a manual router with your own hands, you must definitely take into account the height of the person who will work on it.

The list of necessary tools and materials includes:

• metal parts for the frame (pipe or corner);
• aluminum guides;
• axis for fixing the router;
• putty, as well as priming and coloring compositions;
• self-tapping screws;
• furniture bolts (60x6 mm);
• hex adjusting bolts with nuts (4 pcs.);
• Finnish laminated plywood with moisture resistant properties (sheet thickness 1.8 cm);
• material for the manufacture of a parallel stop (plywood or boards);
• drill and a set of drills;
• screwdriver and electric jigsaw;
• welding machine;
• accessories (brushes, rags, spatula).

Having everything you need, you can easily make the design of the milling table with your own hands, video reviews of the technology, of which there are many on the net, will help you visually familiarize yourself with this process.

Do-it-yourself CNC machine manufacturing technology: drawings and assembly

A CNC milling cutter differs from a conventional tool by the presence of a program that controls its operation. In many videos, home-made machines are made on the basis of a beam with a rectangular section, which is fixed on rails. The CNC router is no exception. During the installation of the supporting structure, it is advisable not to use welded joints, it is better to fix it with bolts.

The fact is that the welds are vulnerable to vibration, due to which, over time, the frame will undergo gradual destruction. As a result of changing the geometric dimensions, the equipment will lose its accuracy and quality of processing. It is desirable that the drawing of the table provides for the possibility of moving the tool vertically. For these purposes, a screw drive is suitable. The rotational movement will be transmitted by means of a toothed belt.

The vertical axis is the most important structural element. For its manufacture, you can use an aluminum plate. At the same time, it is very important that the dimensional parameters of the axis correspond to the dimensions of the future machine.

Useful advice! Using a muffle furnace, it is possible to cast a vertical axis from aluminum, taking into account the dimensions indicated in the drawing.

The assembly of the machine should begin with the installation of two stepper type electric motors. They are installed behind the vertical axis directly on the body. One motor will control the horizontal movement of the milling head, the other will control the vertical movement. Then you need to proceed to the installation of the remaining components of the structure.

The rotational movement will be transmitted to the key elements of the tool using belt drives. Before connecting software control to the finished router, it is imperative to check its performance and, if there are shortcomings, eliminate them. Many craftsmen use video reviews to assemble the machine with their own hands, where this process is discussed in detail.

Equipment for creating a CNC milling machine for wood with your own hands

To create a CNC milling machine at home, it is imperative to use stepper motors. They provide the ability to move the tool in 3 planes. To create a homemade machine, the electric motors present in a dot matrix printer are ideal. It is necessary to ensure that the motors have sufficient power. In addition to engines, steel rods will be required.

A dot matrix printer has only a couple of motors, but three are required to create a router. Therefore, several old printing devices will be required. It is desirable that the motors have 5 control wires. This increases the functionality of the tool.

Other engine parameters are also important:

• degree of rotation per step;
• winding resistance;
• voltage level.

To assemble the drive, you will need a stud and nut. The size of these parts is selected according to the drawing. To fix the motor shaft and the stud, you can use a thick rubber winding from an electrical cable. A nylon sleeve is suitable as a retainer, a screw should be inserted into it. As an auxiliary tool, you can use a drill and a file.

The instrument will be controlled by the software. An obligatory element of the machine is the LPT port, which provides the connection of the control system to the router through electric motors. The quality of the components used to assemble the machine determines its service life and the quality of the technological operations performed. Therefore, the choice of details should be approached thoroughly. When all the electronic components of the machine are installed and connected, all that remains is to download the drivers and software.

How much will it cost to buy a CNC milling machine: tool prices

If almost any craftsman can handle the manufacture of a manual router and a stationary table, then assembling a CNC machine will seem an impossible task for many. Moreover, home-made designs do not have the capabilities that a factory-made tool can offer.

Useful advice! If you plan to use a router for complex woodworking, it is better to give preference to factory designs that are accurately calibrated and have many functions.

Prices for them vary depending on the functionality, table size, power, manufacturer and other parameters.

Average prices for factory-made CNC milling machines:

Assembling a machine with software is a rather complicated process that requires certain skills and knowledge. This work cannot be done without a suitable drawing and the necessary details. Items such as signal cables, stepper motors, and microprocessor boards can be removed from legacy equipment or purchased online. Many online stores offer ready-made kits for assembling milling machines for home workshops.

Making a wood milling machine with your own hands: video instruction