Category Archives: Tools

The Motion Controller

Posted on February 4, 2016 by dave49

I have purchased the motion controller and stepper driver for my engraver. The two boards are KFLOP and KSTEP from dynomotion.com. They communicate together by a 26 line ribbon cable, and controller KFLOP talks to a PC console by USB. … Continue reading →

Posted in CNC, Engraving/Marking | Leave a comment

X-Y Table

Posted on January 11, 2016 by dave49

This is the next step toward a CNC engraver, a complete X-Y table. The structure here is three sheets of 1/2 inch thick MIC-6: 6×6, 6×12, and 12×12 inches. They provide a 6×6 work surface with motion of nearly 6 … Continue reading →

Posted in CNC, Engraving/Marking | 5 Comments

Y Axis Life Test

Posted on November 29, 2015 by dave49

For the engraver Y axis, I have made a temporary limit switch bracket of wood, and wired a relay to change the travel direction at each limit. As initially assembled, the NEMA 17 stepper would move the table smoothly at … Continue reading →

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Y Axis

Posted on November 12, 2015 by dave49

Now I have mounted the linear actuator on the slide, and have a working Y axis for my CNC engraver. Driving the motor here is a board based on the Toshiba TB6560 IC. Like any stepper driver, it requires logic … Continue reading →

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Linear Actuator

Posted on November 9, 2015 by dave49

For positioning my CNC engraver, I have chosen acme screws. I am using 3/8-12 standard acme rod; I do not think that a precision acme is need for engraving, as long as the nut is an anti-backlash design. 3/8 inch … Continue reading →

Posted in CNC, Engraving/Marking | 3 Comments

Linear Slide

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dave49

I would like to engrave lettering and artwork on my reels. The engraving done at jewelry stores is not satisfactory; I want deeper cuts. My artistic talents are not sufficient to allow hand engraving, so CNC seems to be the … Continue reading →

Posted in CNC, Engraving/Marking | 2 Comments

Ferrule Tool Article

Posted on August 6, 2015 by dave49

This article appears in the July/Aug 2015 issue of the newsletter The Planing Form. The originator of the newsletter, Ron Barch, has retired but the newsletter continues under Kirk Brumels. Ferrule Shrinking At the Grayrock 2014 gathering, I was quizzing … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Ferrules, Forming, Tools | 1 Comment

Screwless Vises

Posted on May 24, 2015 by dave49

I do not know why these are called “screwless” because clearly there is a screw that pulls the jaws together. I believe that this is a good design because the angled screw pulls the held object down flat onto the … Continue reading →

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Custom Jaws

Posted on May 17, 2015 by dave49

For my current line of bronze frame reels, the starting point for the front end ring, and for the rear end plate, is a disk sawn from the end of a 3 inch diameter bronze rod. This disk must be … Continue reading →

Posted in Work Holding | 1 Comment

Mill Alignment

Posted on May 14, 2015 by dave49

A feature of my new “HiTorque Mini Mill” is that the column (supporting the head) CANNOT be tilted to allow drilling at an angle. This lack of tilt is a positive feature because it means that there should be no … Continue reading →

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