Yes, if you want a laser on the machine, I would highly suggest that the laser be mounted on a separate gantry, similar to the following image:
https://buildyourcnc.com/images/machineConfigurations/greenBullV2_size_04x08_angle_flat_f1_no4thaxis_f2_wilasergantry_f3_nolaser_f4_wilaserready_.png

You would need to develop the gantry structure, but you can use this thread to work out the design with my guidance.

You will need a laser tube, laser power supply, laser controller, mirrors, mirror mounts, lens and nozzle. You will also need some mechanical parts and some motors, drivers and power supplies for the drivers and the controller.

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Yes, if you want a laser on the machine, I would highly suggest that the laser be mounted on a separate gantry, similar to the following image:
https://buildyourcnc.com/images/machineConfigurations/greenBullV2_size_04x08_angle_flat_f1_no4thaxis_f2_wilasergantry_f3_nolaser_f4_wilaserready_.png

You would need to develop the gantry structure, but you can use this thread to work out the design with my guidance.

You will need a laser tube, laser power supply, laser controller, mirrors, mirror mounts, lens and nozzle. You will also need some mechanical parts and some motors, drivers and power supplies for the drivers and the controller.

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I'm interested in getting the CO2 laser & Spindle for my Blackfoot - I currently have just the router mount. Do you sell complete kits or can you advise on what I need? Thank you

Yes, if you want a laser on the machine, I would highly suggest that the laser be mounted on a separate gantry, similar to the following image:
https://buildyourcnc.com/images/machineConfigurations/greenBullV2_size_04x08_angle_flat_f1_no4thaxis_f2_wilasergantry_f3_nolaser_f4_wilaserready_.png

You would need to develop the gantry structure, but you can use this thread to work out the design with my guidance.

You will need a laser tube, laser power supply, laser controller, mirrors, mirror mounts, lens, and nozzle. You will also need some mechanical parts and some motors, drivers, and power supplies for the drivers and the controller.

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I'm interested in getting the CO2 laser & Spindle for my Blackfoot - I currently have just the router mount. Do you sell complete kits or can you advise on what I need? Thank you

The USB interface that we sell only works with planet-cnc software. We will be developing our own USB board and plug-in that will work with Mach4 very soon.

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does the mach3 usb interface board work with mach4?

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Can I use your USB interface board and Mach4 on my 3 axis CNC router?

Planet-CNC is the control software. If you decide to use the USB controller, you will need to use the planet-CNC software as the control software. You will be able to use any of the CAM software applications with the planet-CNC control software.

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Can I use your USB interface board and Mach3 on my 3 axis CNC router?

The breakout board has a relay installed and uses the terminals labeled S, O and P. The following link explains the operation of this relay and how to connect the terminals:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-parallel-breakout-relay#prettyPhoto/8/

You will run your power cord (use an extension cord rather than the actual power cord of the router) through the relay using the S, O and P. The P is a general connection and the S is normally closed (S and P is connected when the relay is not engaged) and O is normally open (O and p are not connected until the relay is engaged).

There are three wires in the power cord: neutral (white), live (black) and earth ground (green). You will run your neutral wire (white wire) through this terminal. At some point in the power cord, remove the outer insulator and expose the three wires within. Cut your neutral wire and strip both ends of the cut. Then insert one end in P and the other end in O (normally open), so Mach3 or other control software you are using will engage the relay and the router will turn on.

You will need to setup your control software to turn on the relay using Pin #16 as this is the digital signal pin that controls the relay.

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What do I need to do to my breakout board to turn the router motor on at the beginning of the program and off at the end?

Yes, we can make a redLeaf system that has all 6A drivers for use with the 651 oz-in motors. We can also wire the electronics in a way that two of the drivers will use the pins of the same axis so that axis will drive two drivers and motors.

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I am building a cnc router with twin ball screws on the long axis and I will have a rotary axis as well. I need a 5 axis breaker board using only 4 axis total. Can you help me?

If you are using a router that will not fit into the router mount, it is best to have the mount requested from us. The mounts were designed with the appropriate thickness of material for structural purposes and to maintain this structure under load.

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Can I make the router mount larger so my router fits?

When trying to use two motors on a single axis, there is a multitude of methods to get them to work together.
First: There should always be a slave option in the CNC control software(mach 3/ planet-cnc/emc2/etc.), this will be the easiest way to make the dual motor configuration work. However some adjusting might be necessary due to the orientation of the motor when mounting it on the opposite side of the CNC machine.(Mach3/config/slaveaxis, planet-cnc/file/settings/axes).

Secondly: Dealing with our interface boards(maybe third-party as well), you can have two drivers going to the same axis on the interface board. Which then will have one motor per driver, this will use the same motion and control from the (ex.) x-axis to driver two motors. However some adjusting might be necessary due to the orientation of the motor when mounting it on the opposite side of the CNC machine.

Adjusting of the driver or motor wires, can be done separate from the control software with the use of a hex inverter, that can be used and to switch the signal (ex. takes a low signal and brings it high, and takes a high signal and brings it low) of one of the motors, to run the same as the other motor.
There is also another method of inverting the orientation of the motors movement without the use of a hex inverter. This method you will have to wire the coil's of the motors oppositely of what is recommended for one of the motors. Example, you will wire our Nema 24 as follows(recommended): A+ - red/blue, A- - yellow/black, B+ - white/brown, B- - green/orange. However to run another motor with with it you will have to switch the A/B connections to: A+ - white/brown, A- - green/orange, B+ - red/blue, B- - yellow/black.

These method's are usually needed/used when trying to control two motors and setting it up without the help of the CNC control software, and also due to the mounting orientation of the second motor, the inverting the direction of motion will be necessary so they work together instead of working against each other.

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From the BOB how can I reverse one of my steppers - i'm running 2 on my Y Axis

You can find the datasheets to our motors be going to the the stepping motor category page https://www.buildyourcnc.com/category/nema and selecting the motor. This will bring you to the product page for the motor and all of the motor information will be found there.

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I would like to design my own CNC router around one of your electronics bundles, either the 3 Axis - Heavy Gantry or 3 Axis - All Large Motors. Do you have the data sheets for the motors so that I can use the dimensions in my model?

To add CO2 laser functionality to your existing CNC machine, you will need everything listed on this page: https://www.buildyourcnc.com/LaserComponents.aspx

The number of mirrors and mirror mounts will depend where and at what orientation the laser tube will be mounted in the machine. There is already a mirror mount in the head/nozzle unit, so keep that in mind.

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I am looking at using a laser on my 6X6 3 axis table what do i need?

I looked at a YouTube video and figured out the configuration for the motor mounts.

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Still working on GreenBull 5x10 assembly. Putting together the Z axis my motor mounts don't like the video, so I don't know which one goes where and in what orientation?

The largest CNC machine we make at this time (12/04/2015) is the GreenBull 6'x12' model. This model has 2 options for Z-axis travel.

The short-z option has a total Z travel of 5.75 inches. From that you would subtract the length of the end mill used and the thickness of the spoil board to determine the maximum material thickness. (Example: If the end mill extends 1.25" from the collet and the spoil board is .75", then the material could be up to 5.75 - 1.25 - 0.75 = 3.75 inches in thickness). This is good for most sheet-type materials.

The long-z option, used mainly for large 3D carvings, requires a custom frame and allows for up to 36" of travel.

The tolerance of our machines, like any machine, depends on several variables. The major variables include the manufacturing tolerance, the type of machine control used, the precision of assembly, the thoroughness of maintenance, and the initial and ongoing calibration of the machine. Because we sell kits only most of these variables are outside our control. Therefore, we are hesitant to guarantee a certain level of tolerance for an end user. However, in our experience, tolerances of .001" are readily achievable with our machines.

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What tolerance can I expect from your largest cnc machine and the laser cutter? Also, what depth can I get on the z axis?

You can find the datasheets to our motors be going to the the stepping motor category page https://www.buildyourcnc.com/category/nema and selecting the motor. This will bring you to the product page for the motor and all of the motor information will be found there.

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Do you have the data sheets for the motors so that I can use the dimensions in my model?

You can call us, send an email, or pose the specific question on this customer service live that pertains to the issue that you are having.

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Im having software setup problems with my backtooth (mach3) and i seem not to find a solution in the forum. what can i do?

We don't have a laser kit to retrofit another CNC router other than ours, but we can create one. Some things that may help:

- You are located close to use so we can work closely with you to implement to retrofit,
- or you can provide very detailed drawings or measurements so we can use them to create the necessary parts for the kit.

Other things that you need to understand:

- A laser has a number of parts that will bulk up the head of the CNC router causing a bit more inertia which may require lowering the acceleration for smooth ramping up and down of the velocity

- The bulk of the parts required for the laser may restrict the travel of the x and/or y axes.

- The nozzle of the laser will be offset from the end mill of the spindle.

Can you tell me the brand of the CNC router that you would like to stick a laser on? (you can answer by submitting additional information.

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Can I put a laser on my cnc router that I didn't purchase from buildyourcnc?

Yes, a 5v relay board can be connected to a spindle. Relays generally have terminals labeled S, O and P and you will want to pass one of your main wires "through" the P and S terminals or the P and O terminals depending if you want normally closed or normally open function.

Refer to Step #8 on this page to get the full instructions on how to use a relay to control the spindle or router.

https://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-parallel-breakout-relay#prettyPhoto

User response:
I have the USB board. I was thinking of wiring a 5v relay board to the breakout board labeled (spindle) using the GND and (arrow) which i think is 5vdc. I will need this relay board to operate my router. Thanks

Buildyourcnc response:
Yes, those terminals are to control the relay (engage the relay). On the switch part of the relay, the router main poser wire (say, the live, black, wire) would pass through this switch portion of the relay.

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Can I wire in a 5vdc relay board to the spindle relay for my router. Gnd would be negative and the arrow would be positive right?

Sounds like a wire may have worked itself loose. Did this just start happening? If so, check for loose terminals with the motor wiring. Did you solder the motor wires to the extended wires that lead to the driver? If not, I strongly suggest these wires be soldered and a heat shrink tubing cover the soldered connection to eliminate the possibility of shorting.

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I am just now starting to work with the machine. Was on vacation. It has never moved smoothly on the X. Was hoping to get some phone time with you or Juan tomorrow. All the connections are solid as far as I can tell. Nothing is interfering. I'm wondering if the rail spacing is off. It moves fine when I manually move it.

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If it moves smoothly when manually moving it, but the stepper motor runs rough, then it is definitely a motor wire connection. Also, check to make sure the driver is set to 1/16 microstepping and the motor amps is around 5.

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What gauge wire did you use for the motor to driver connection?

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It was the black wire that was included. Pretty sure it's 18. I was worried it couldn't take it. Some of the 18 I have seen is only rated for 2A. I can rewire with that 4-lead cable you included If you think I should. The connections seem solid so that might make sense.

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It was the black wire that was included. Pretty sure it's 18. I was worried it couldn't take it. Some of the 18 I have seen is only rated for 2A. I can rewire with that 4-lead cable you included If you think I should. The connections seem solid so that might make sense.

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18 gauge is more than sufficient for this stepper motor wiring. We use 20 gauge stranded wires in the 4 conductor motor cable.

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Sometimes wires can get chaffed, or there is a conductivity issue in some wires.I'm wondering if it would be goo to do a test rewiring the motor to the driver, but not putting it into the cable carrier, just to make sure that is the problem.

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What do you suggest I do? Just go over the wiring? The 18 is fine for 5.5A? All the switches look right. Set at 1/16. What are the natural steps on this motor?

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I’ll check the conductivity on the wires. I can just re-run it with that four conductor. That cable works fine for you guys?

Additional Information:
The 4 conductor cable is the only cable we use for these stepper motors. It's a special cable used for motion applications.

Here is a link to that cable that we sell just to confirm the cable we are discussing:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-cable-wire-20awg-wrcon


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Yeah, that’s it. However, I ran the stock File on the laser cutter, the duck, it seems to run fine it’s just when you make the small adjustments with the arrow keys that it’s so rough. The other problem is that the speed on the stock file is way too fast.

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Ah, the jogging speed. I did not consider this. You definitely need to reduce the speed when you press the arrow keys.

The speed when running a job (the file) can be modified in LaserCad.

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So, I’ll look into that. Everything is done besides for Putting the tube on and adjusting the mirrors. When are you guys available for a quick phone call?

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In LaserCAD, go to the options -> system options -> User parameters. Make sure to click the read button to bring the parameters from the laser controller to the software. Our Key_Move_Speed is 100 and our X/Y_Home_Speed is also 100. I wouldn't go any faster than that. Curious, what are your values for these parameters?

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Key speed was set to 200 and XY was at 50. On the duck file on the machine, it says the speed is at 200. How can I import that file to change it?

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Much smoother after that change. File is still too fast, though.

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In the file, the speed is built into the geometry. You will need to open the file in LaserCAD, select the geometry and modify the speed. Make sure to change the intensity as well to compensate.

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Patrick, I am having issues with the x axis on the vlxl..very rough movement. What should I adjust? Check the rail spacing or can I modify anything in the software?

Actual table dimension: 4'x8' is 56.078"x 121.50" (the overhang in the illustrations should be 3/4" thick)
To determine the frame dimensions, first consider using the frame height shown of almost 3' (2.86'). The width of the frame should be 4" narrower than the dimension from rail edge to rail edge (6X rail to rail is 80.078"). This will provide a 2" overhang on both sides (4X frame width should be 56.078").
The length of the frame should be 4" shorter than the desired length of the rails to provide a 2" overhang on both ends. The travel length will be 20" shorter than the rail length due to the space occupied by the gantry sides.
Two long pieces of 3/4" material will need to be placed on top of the frame with the 2" overhang on the sides and the end. These long strips of material will receive the rails and the chain mounts on the ends.


Link:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/Item/cnc-machine-greenBull-v4-4X

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What are the table dimensions for the greenBull so I can build it.

The best way to determine the cutting speed is to determine this with respect to the edge quality you desire. This recommendation generally comes from the major end mill manufacturers.

The feedrate (travel speed) should be determined by the chip load of the end mill, the number of flutes, material of the end mill (Solid Carbide, HSS - High Speed Steel, Cobalt, etc.) and the RPM of the spindle. You will need to see the manufacturer's specifications of the end mill to determine this information.

Formula:
Chip Load = (feed rate IPM)/(Spindle RPM x Number of Flutes)

or

Feed Rate IPM = Chip Load x Spindle RPM x Number of Flutes

Once you find this information, apply this to the material at the full depth of the end mill. If you find that your edge condition is aberrant, pull back on either the speed, or the depth per pass. If the edge condition is acceptable, then push the speed higher until the edge condition starts to deteriorate in quality and then pull back to the accepted level.

Using this method, you will be able to reduce the wear on the end mil which will be the most expensive consumable on the machine.

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If I am cutting 18mm MDF with 6mm cutting bit (so 6mm pass), what can be the maximum speed rate of cutting and spindle speed of router?