Here are some small pictures of my machine, I have used the Oatley electronics stepper motor drives K142B and K142C combos, these drives work so well... I can't believe how much torque they have at higher speeds. The motors I used are 4V and only 42mm squ. but still have more than enough power to drive the machine. The leadscrews are 1/4WW allthread with 200 step motors that makes the resolution 1/4th per step (one quarter of one thousandth of one inch per step)". The machine is still able to reach excellent speeds despite the fine pitch of the leadscrews, this is because of the Constant Current drives. Most of the bits and pieces, motors, power supplies, mains socket and switch, opto switches were recycled from the German printers that Oatley Electronics once sold (no longer available)". The basic structure of the machine was made with off-cuts of various aluminium extrusions and some recycled linear bearings from some old photo processing equipment". All of that wiring looks a little excessive but this is because the machine was built with 4 opto switches for each axis, 2 limit and 2 home switches, it will function well without any of those switches". I also built the rotary axis shown in these pictures, it's great for engraving pens, rings and bracelets etc.
There is lots of software available, some for free. Among the best are STEPSTER, EMC and Kcam. I use a CAD Program to produce a drawing and/or text, then export the drawing and/or text as a .DXF file". To look after the CAM side of things (control of the machine) I use Kcam, it will import the .DXF file and convert it to Gcode in one operation". Kcam controls speed ramping, linear and circular interpolation, also gives a 3D view of the drawing".
Regards Graeme Matthewson | 
