Infinite Monkeys' 2017 Build Diary

We are not quite at the robot building stage yet but I thought people would be interested in the machine that I've been building since Christmas. It is a home built 3 axis CNC machine with a cutting bed of over 900mm square and enough rigidity to handle a spindle motor or plasma cutter.

Attachment 6415Attachment 6413Attachment 6412Attachment 6414

The main frame is 40mm box section and the axis trolleys are 100mm box section with 6 bearings each. Everything yellow is 3D printed and the main controller is an £8 arduino running GRBL.

So we have been tinkering with motors and pulleys this weekend as an alternative to the Ranglebox Saturn-16 gearbox and motor. The reasoning was to see what a family without metalworking equipment could assemble, see if it was useable and give a cost.

So this is this Sunday's build constructed from individual drive components. Total cost was £65.58 plus speed controllers, battery and rx/tx.

After playing around with cheap ESCs, I now buy Turnigy TZ85A at £32 each. Add a Turnigy 5S LIPO @ £18 and we have a fun featherweight robot for less than £150 weaponless and about £200 with an old Dewalt circular saw added.

Does it work? Good enough to have a lot of fun at Insomnia . . .

Attachment 6811

2 x DayPower motor 7.00 14.00 http://www.pollin.de/shop/dt/NzI0OTg...R_1070002.html

1 x 12mm threaded bar 2.25 2.25 http://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-br...m-5-pack/98942

2 x 100mm wheels 2.25 4.50 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2705108228...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

2 x timing belts 5.01 10.02 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

4 x pillow bearing 2.60 10.40 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2 x small pulley 3.02 6.02 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2 x large pulley 5.74 10.48 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

0.5 x aluminium angle 8.22 4.11 https://www.metals4u.co.uk/aluminium...-(2x2x18)/p199

woo, looking cool! I like the saw, good luck with the build

I'm guessing you got the TZ85s from hobbyking, given how cheap they were?

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Originally Posted by Theo

I'm guessing you got the TZ85s from hobbyking, given how cheap they were?

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Yes. I bought a cable with a square end that sits on top of the chip and flashes it really easily. Hardest part was unscrewing the case :-)