Machine tools. Computer numerical control (CNC) machines are especially valued, allowing processing with high accuracy. But all industrial designs have a high cost. The solution is to make a CNC machine out of plywood.

The high price of industrial machines is due to the fact that power elements they are made of metal. This allows them to work with large power loads. But for a home workshop this is not necessary. Therefore, household machines and accessories for them can be made from plywood, which significantly reduces the cost and allows you to make it yourself.

Stages of machine production

When answering the question - how to make a homemade machine, you need to understand that the creation of any equipment begins with the development of drawings. This stage takes the most time, since all the nuances are taken into account when designing future equipment.

After the development of drawings, the stage of purchasing and manufacturing of parts begins. At this stage, plywood processing technology is of key importance. It must be selected in such a way that future parts have the necessary accuracy and do not have internal defects.

The third stage is assembly. It is very important to carefully assemble a homemade machine, without using strong blows, as plywood parts can be destroyed.

The last step is setting up the CNC machine. In this case, the initial position of the head with the tool is calibrated, the machine is checked as written, and amendments are made to the machine settings.

Development of drawings

When developing machine drawings, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• what parts should you make yourself;
• choice of material thickness;
• type of connection of parts to each other.

It is important, even at the design stage, to clearly understand which elements of the future machine to produce independently and which are better to purchase. You need to make parts yourself that do not have complex shape and complex technological processes are not used for their processing:

• beds;
• tables;
• various holders;
• casings;
• calipers, etc.

In some cases, plywood can be used to make pulleys. In order for the machine to work for a long time and not break, it is necessary to choose the right thickness of plywood.

• For the manufacture of tables, frames and supports, plywood with a thickness of 10 mm is usually used.
• If the machine will process large workpieces, then the bed and table can be made of 20 mm plywood.
• For the manufacture of non-critical parts (casings, shields, stoppers, etc.), sheets with a thickness of 6 mm are usually used.

When designing connections for plywood parts, it is necessary to minimize their fastening using bolts and studs. Ideal option is to connect using a tongue and groove. It is strictly forbidden to use nails and screws, as this can lead to cracking of the plywood at the attachment points.

For people who have never made such units, the best option is to find ready-made drawings and make only minor changes to them. This will prevent serious mistakes, which could subsequently lead to a wasted investment of effort and money.

Parts you need to buy

To manufacture a CNC machine, in addition to the parts that will be made from plywood, you will need to purchase the following elements:

• shafts and bearings;
• guides for moving moving parts;
• connecting elements (bolts, nuts, studs, etc.);
• controller;
• power and control cables;
• belts for transmitting rotation from the engine to the tool;
• pulleys, unless they are made of plywood;
• various sensors and limit switches.

You will also need a computer to program the controller. In addition, if the computer does not have the ability to control the unit, you will need a remote control with start and stop buttons.

Manufactured parts

All parts that are not included in the list above must be made from plywood. Therefore the question about correct processing comes first when .

Mechanical restoration plywood has a number of rules that must be strictly followed.

Sheet cutting

When sawing plywood sheet the following rules must be adhered to:

• For material less than 10 mm thick, manual or electric jigsaws, which have a blade with fine teeth.
• Plywood over 10 mm can only be cut circular saws, with high speed.
• The material to be cut must be dried, otherwise delamination may occur.
• The sheet is cut along the fibers of the first layer.
• Transverse cuts must be made with hand tools.
• When using a power tool, the feed should be minimal.
• To prevent chipping, you can use paper tape, which is glued along the cut line.

For making holes in plywood parts, it is best to use drilling machine. In this case, a high rotation speed of the drill and a minimum feed are selected.

It can also be used, which allows you to make a hole of any shape with minimal error, as well as obtain a tongue-and-groove connection.

But if you don’t have a machine, then it’s also suitable for drilling holes. regular drill. The only thing that is necessary is that the runout of the cartridge be minimal, otherwise the error will increase significantly.

Making holes on CNC machines

After cutting and drilling of holes has occurred, the workpiece must be sanded. To do this, use zero sandpaper. Sanding is carried out along the direction of the fibers and starts from the corner. The corner itself is polished at the end.

The holes are sanded with the same wood sandpaper.

After grinding, it is imperative to cover the entire surface of the part with special compounds that will prevent it from unsticking and cracking. In some cases, parts are coated with paint and varnish, but if the unit will not be located outside, then this is not necessary.

Sanding and straightening corners

Assembly

Gather ready product It is necessary to be careful, since plywood is still not metal and can crack. The following recommendations must be followed:

• The tongue-and-groove connection must be glued with PVA along its entire length.
• IN bolted connections use washers and engravers to prevent their self-unwinding due to vibration.
• Lay the cables in PVC corrugation.
• The places where the bearings are installed are covered with covers.
• Beds and tables are installed level.
• The controller is installed either in the control cabinet or placed outside the work area.

Setting up and commissioning

After the machine is assembled, its configuration begins. At the same time, the free movement of all moving parts and the operation of the transmission mechanism are checked, and the position of limit switches and sensors is adjusted.

Setting up a completed machine consists of setting the zero position of the tool, calibrating the precise movement of the support and table along the axes, and also checking the correct processing of information from the sensors.

Software for CNC machines is very difficult to create on your own, so it is purchased from specialists and installed on the unit.

It has long been noticed that many structural parts of machines for various purposes can be successfully replaced with plywood, while the performance of such a machine will not change at all, but the price component can go down sharply. Homemade plywood machines have frames and tables for cutting material, which can easily be made from plywood.

Housings and movable supports are also quite suitable products for plywood, so today we’ll talk about machines and the capabilities of plywood.

Let's decide on the thickness, decide on price issues and methods of working with the material

Plywood, like wood, is a grateful material, but capricious, it requires a special approach and really does not like rough interference in its structure.

It must be remembered that depending on the thickness of the material, the approach to working with it changes, namely:

• Thin plywood up to 2 mm, this is an example for a knife, an ordinary assembly knife, ;
• A puff from 2 to 6 mm is already for a jigsaw, and it does not matter which jigsaw you use, manual or electric, this is its client;
• And everything that is thicker than 6 mm is only circular saws.

Although speaking about the design of machines and the role of plywood in this process, we can immediately discard thin plywood, it is not used in this work.

We will be interested in two main instances:

1. The first is plywood with a thickness of 4 to 6 mm. Here opinions differ, both from specialists and home craftsmen. Some believe that the thicker the plywood, the stronger it is. Others argue that the layered nature of the material already makes it quite strong, and even compare it to welded or cast structures.
   As usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle, so we will assume that in this case the price-quality ratio will help us, especially since we do not need super material that will work under open air or in the water. The machine will work quietly in a home workshop with minimal temperature changes and normal humidity levels.

1. The second is an analogue with a thickness of 10 to 20 mm. In this case, it all depends on what purpose the plywood is used for. For example, a machine for cutting plywood, which is designed to work with a full factory sheet, has a wide base and requires a special strength, in this case a twenty is needed. Homemade machine CNC machined plywood designed for small area fragment, and, therefore, 10 mm plywood will perfectly cope with the task.

A little more about cutting

So, here are the rules to remember when cutting plywood:

• Plywood is a layered material and the main cut should go along the fibers of the first layer of material;

Advice!
Practice shows that it is not always possible to cut exactly along the fibers; it is often necessary to use a cross cut.
And considering modern designs machines, or their parts, then, for example, a CNC machine made from plywood with your own hands requires large quantity not only transverse but also curved cuts.
Often there is a need for combined incisions.
In this case, a knife is used to cut the first layer of plywood according to the patterns; all other layers will pass technical means sawed.

• When cutting, keep in mind that it is much denser than analogues from coniferous species wood (they are looser and therefore softer);
• It also matters which side the cut is made from. So cut with front side carried out hand saw with fine teeth, cut with reverse side carried out with coarser circular saws;
• When working on disk equipment, the disk rotation speed is set to maximum, and the material supply is minimum;
• The saw moves easily until the first, slight kickback (or noticeable resistance of the material), thus you can significantly reduce the likelihood of chips and other defects.

A little practice!
When working with plywood, it is better to avoid blades with large teeth altogether; the puff paste is not intended for them.
And yet, when working with this material, you can stick regular tape.
The result will be without chips or other defects.

Connection and drilling

We have already mentioned that plywood does not like rough mechanical influences on it, so if you decide to connect parts and assemble machines with your own hands from plywood, then you can forget about nails, by the way, and about self-tapping screws too. In this case, there can only be tenons and grooves, while the tenon fits into the groove like a key into a lock, cracks are not allowed, and PVA glue is used for fixing.

This equally applies to plywood cutting machines, a CNC plywood machine, and all other units where plywood will be used. This is due to the fact that both moving and stationary parts experience vibration and can fall apart at the most inopportune moment if other types of fastenings are used.

And a few words about drilling - a sharp wood drill bit will do.

For your information!
When drilling plywood at the drill exit level, chips of the outer veneer level are possible.
In order to avoid this, it is necessary to place another piece of plywood under the plywood; it is possible to use waste from sawing the material.

Finishing parts

Any instruction will tell you that at the final stage the plywood is sanded, primed, and finished. Particular attention is paid to edge processing.

Whether there is a need specifically for painting plywood products, the question remains open, for the reason that the machine and its components experience quite pronounced mechanical, vibration, temperature effects, and even various cooling often fail to cope with the task.

Cooling liquids are not used for plywood units, and air cooling It works on the principle that something like this is better than nothing at all.

Therefore, in principle, we can limit ourselves to the following set of actions:

• Sand the entire structure with fine-grained sandpaper, or zero sandpaper. The process starts from the corners along the grain;
• The corners are sanded separately; if necessary, they can be sharpened and then sanded;
  
• In principle, a primer with a special composition will not do any harm, since many workshops do not have heating, and plywood is a material prone to delamination, extra protection will not be superfluous.

Finally

Plywood - quite suitable material for the production of machines for home use. The video in this article is also ready to cover the topic.

Similar materials

And so, as part of this instructional article, I want you, together with the author of the project, a 21-year-old mechanic and designer, to make your own. The narration will be conducted in the first person, but know that, to my great regret, I am not sharing my experience, but only freely retelling the author of this project.

There will be quite a lot of drawings in this article., notes to them are made on English language, but I’m sure that a real techie will understand everything without further ado. For ease of understanding, I will break the story into “steps”.

Preface from the author

Already at the age of 12, I dreamed of building a machine that would be capable of creating various things. A machine that will give me the ability to make any household item. Two years later I came across the phrase CNC or to be more precise, the phrase "CNC milling machine". After I found out that there are people who can make such a machine on their own for their own needs, in their own garage, I realized that I could do it too. I must do it! For three months I tried to collect suitable parts, but did not budge. So my obsession gradually faded.

In August 2013, the idea of ​​​​building a CNC milling machine captured me again. I just finished my undergraduate degree at university industrial design, so I was quite confident in my capabilities. Now I clearly understood the difference between me today and me five years ago. I learned how to work with metal, mastered techniques for working with manual metalworking machines, but most importantly, I learned how to use development tools. I hope this tutorial inspires you to build your own CNC machine!

Step 1: Design and CAD model

It all starts with thoughtful design. I made several sketches to get a better feel for the size and shape of the future machine. After that I created a CAD model using SolidWorks. After I modeled all the parts and components of the machine, I prepared technical drawings. I used these drawings to make parts on manual metalworking machines: and.

Frankly speaking, I love good, convenient tools. That is why I tried to make sure that the operations maintenance and adjustment of the machine were carried out as simply as possible. I placed the bearings in special blocks in order to be able to quickly replace. The guides are accessible for maintenance, so my car will always be clean when the work is completed.

Files for downloading “Step 1”

dimensions

Step 2: Bed

The bed provides the machine with the necessary rigidity. A movable portal, stepper motors, a Z axis and a spindle, and later a working surface will be installed on it. To create the supporting frame I used two aluminum profiles Maytec with a cross section of 40x80 mm and two end plates made of aluminum 10 mm thick. I connected all the elements together using aluminum corners. To strengthen the structure inside the main frame, I made an additional square frame from profiles of a smaller section.

In order to avoid dust getting on the guides in the future, I installed protective aluminum corners. The angle is mounted using T-nuts, which are installed in one of the profile grooves.

Both end plates have bearing blocks for mounting the drive screw.

Support frame assembly

Corners for protecting guides

Files for downloading “Step 2”

Drawings of the main elements of the frame

Step 3: Portal

The movable portal is the executive element of your machine; it moves along the X axis and carries the milling spindle and Z axis support. The higher the portal, the thicker the workpiece that you can process. However, a high portal is less resistant to the loads that arise during processing. High side racks portals act as levers relative to linear rolling bearings.

The main task that I planned to solve on my milling machine CNC is the processing of aluminum parts. Since the maximum thickness of aluminum blanks suitable for me is 60 mm, I decided to make the portal clearance (distance from work surface to the upper transverse beam) equal to 125 mm. I converted all my measurements into a model and technical drawings in SolidWorks. Due to the complexity of the parts, I processed them on an industrial CNC machining center; this additionally allowed me to process chamfers, which would be very difficult to do on a manual metal milling machine.

Files for downloading “Step 3”

Step 4: Z Axis Caliper

For the Z axis design, I used a front panel that attaches to the Y axis motion bearings, two plates to reinforce the assembly, a plate to mount the stepper motor, and a mounting panel milling spindle. On the front panel I installed two profile guides along which the spindle will move along the Z axis. Please note that the Z axis screw does not have a counter support at the bottom.

Downloads “Step 4”

Step 5: Guides

Guides provide the ability to move in all directions, ensuring smooth and precise movements. Any play in one direction can cause inaccuracy in the processing of your products. I chose the most expensive option - profiled hardened steel rails. This will allow the structure to withstand high loads and provide the positioning accuracy I need. To ensure the guides were parallel, I used a special indicator while installing them. The maximum deviation relative to each other was no more than 0.01 mm.

Step 6: Screws and Pulleys

Screws convert rotary motion from stepper motors into linear motion. When designing your machine, you can choose several options for this unit: A screw-nut pair or ball screw(ball screw). The screw-nut, as a rule, is subjected to more frictional forces during operation, and is also less accurate relative to the ball screw. If you need increased accuracy, then you definitely need to opt for a ball screw. But you should know that ball screws are quite expensive.

Why plywood?

1)Definition

Originally the word "plywood" comes from the French fournir (to impose). This one is unique wood material consists of several sheets of peeled veneer placed on top of each other and glued together. In this case, each sheet of veneer is positioned so that the wood fibers lie perpendicular to the previous sheet. This is why plywood has such high strength and holds its shape more stably compared to ordinary wood. When gluing sheets, resin adhesive based on phenol-formaldehyde is used, which ensures high strength and a high degree of moisture resistance.

The tensile strength of FSF plywood along the fibers of the outer layers is at least 40 MPa. The tensile strength of FSF plywood during static bending along the fibers of the outer layers is not less than 60 MPa

Plywood is used mainly when it is necessary to combine good strength and low weight of the material in one solution. This is why plywood is so often used in construction, mechanical engineering and other areas of production, where much depends on the strength of the materials used.

2) examples

On the Internet you will find many examples of homemade CNC machines made from plywood; ease of processing combined with high strength makes this material the most popular among homemade CNC machines. Italian CNC specialists have launched the production of kits for assembling CNC machines from plywood, these are BABY CNC KIT and ROTOR CNC KIT http://www.forumcnc.com/cnc-forum/viewforum.php?f=70

In Russia, the GRAF modeler's machine is very popular http://forum.rcdesign.ru/f111/thread147309.html

And here the Upgrade is described, an aluminum counterpart is made on a plywood machine! The side posts were milled - Al 16 mm (single-pass 8 mm milling cutter). http://forum.rcdesign.ru/f111/thread260157.html. The first version was made of 18 mm plywood - it worked for a year without serious damage in production.

Covering the most modern and comfortable sailing and motor yachts consists of plywood - only plywood can give such a vessel excellent technical indicators and lightness.

In the USSR, the production of plywood pipelines for transporting hydrocarbons in the oil and gas industry was established.

Plywood is an indispensable material in the manufacture of hockey sticks.

Plywood is used as an anti-friction self-lubricating material for bushings and bearing shells, gear wheels and elements of machine parts.

Milling cutting is a material processing that allows you to obtain parts with exact size and smooth edges. This type of cutting is consistent with smooth lines and all the details. Every day woodworking machines become more functional and sophisticated.

But not everyone can afford to purchase such a machine. Some portable models are quite compact and take up little space. Simple and quick operation makes it possible to cut plywood products yourself.

1 CNC cutting equipment

Thanks to computer numerical control (CNC) technology, the cutting process is fully automated. The output is a finished product, which does not require additional interventions and processing. The machines are used for cutting the following types:

• laser;
• milling;
• waterjet;
• plasma.

The presented types have their pros and cons, but with their help, you can quickly and accurately process almost any sheet material.

1.1 Types of tools

Specialized stores provide a huge assortment hand tools, which allow milling wooden parts at home.

Types of CNC routers for cutting plywood:

1. Vertical submersible.
2. Kromočny.
3. Combined.

The first type is the most functional and common than other models. It has a collet clamp for cutters of various diameters.

An edge router has less power and size. It is used to give the side plane of the plywood sheet a neat appearance, and to figure cutting made of wood and MDF.

The design of combined routers is a vertical base. Dismantling the device helps to obtain a compact edging tool.

A milling machine will not only make wood processing easier, but will also help perform quite complex operations, for example: creating a tenon to connect two wooden parts; cutting out parts from plywood complex configuration; creating a beautiful pattern on the surface of the material.

With this equipment you can:

• profile cornices, trim, skirting boards, glazing beads;
• cut wood along a curved contour;
• create grooves, shaped recesses;
• decorate the surface;
• drill holes.

Thanks to the cutting depth settings, the process occurs automatically; you only need to manually set the movement path.

The milling machine can have a power of 600-2300 W, the most powerful models allow processing of some types of plastic.

2 CNC plywood milling

Let's look at the main distinctive features milling cutting from laser.

1. Milling plywood requires a clean, smooth edge at the end of the cutting process. The laser chars the edges and the edge turns out burnt. The ends need additional processing.
2. Milling cutting can work with material up to ten centimeters thick. Laser machine processes material up to 1 cm.
3. Milling allows you not only to cut material curved, but also to create three-dimensional products and panels.
4. Figure, end, radius and shaped cutters allow you to chamfer, round, mill grooves and perform other operations that cannot be performed with laser equipment. If you use specialized cutters for cutting plywood, you can completely avoid lint and other defects on the cut.
5. The laser allows you to create small parts and thin fragile elements. Laser cutting does not exert any mechanical load on the workpiece.

2.1 How to properly prepare a CNC machine for work?

Before starting work, it is necessary to prepare the machine for the intended work program. This also includes instructing the machine operator on the peculiarities of processing certain parts.

The complex of such work is called adjustment. According to the overlay, tool blocks and individual tools must undergo installation:

• secure the base and fastening devices to the faceplate;
• warm up the machine mechanisms for stable operation;
• run the control program at idle speed.

In addition, the adjuster checks:

• system elements for cleanliness;
• blanks for compliance with drawings;
• containers for coolant and lubricant.

The installer must supervise the processing of the first plywood. At the end of the operation he assists the operator with checking the received dimensions details. If malfunctions are noticed in the operation, the adjuster makes additional corrections.

2.2 Plywood cutting sequence

The first thing to do is install the mortises in the cartridge. Then you need to tighten the cartridge and tighten the nut using a wrench.

The next step is to adjust the penetration depth of the cutter. This parameter can be easily adjusted thanks to the limiter knob. By selecting suitable parameter, testing the router on an unnecessary piece of plywood.

Conduct adjustment key parameters milling work: at what speed it will rotate, and in what direction the movements are carried out. For cutter large diameter set low speed. The optimal speed can be found in the instructions for the equipment.

The tool movements should be opposite to the movements of the shape cutter. Otherwise, the cutters may slip.

2.3 Process cutting plywood on a CNC milling machine (video)

2.4 Safety precautions when working with a CNC machine

The milling cutter has significant power and high speed, so improper operation equipment and failure to comply with safety regulations can cost a lot.

Primary requirements:

• During operation, the router must be held securely in your hands, otherwise the device may slip out. It is important to remember that when the cutters come into contact with the surface of the material, a strong response shock occurs;
• When stopping or at the end of work, the plug must be removed from the socket. Careless behavior and touching may cause the tool to operate. This may damage the workpiece material and cause physical harm to others;
• protection of vision and respiratory tract. Modern models machines are equipped special devices that allow you to remove dust. At home, a vacuum cleaner will help with this. For more safe work It is advisable to use a respirator, safety glasses and thick clothing.

Using a router You can get the most complex parts in a fairly short time.

Affordable cost of equipment and big choice, allow you to purchase a model that best suits customer needs.