Homebrew PCBs

Thanks Steve!

I've spent a lot of time tinkering and refining
those small machines, and I think I've about got it
down pretty good...:)

Here's one all painted up with an extended Z on it....
intended for someone who'll put one of those rep-rap
type extruder heads on it...just to see if it will work...;)

http://www.microcarve.com/personal/johng/jg-015.jpg

Lots of pictures there....

http://www.microcarve.com/personal/

:)
John





--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "AlienRelics" <alienrelics@...> wrote:
>
> Nice looking machine! Good to see you back, John.
> 
> Steve Greenfield AE7HD
> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "kz1927" <kz1927@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi All,
> > 
> > First thing...my apologies to anyone Not interested.
> > (I know there are many....;)
> > 
> > I used to make the Fireball CNC machines. That actually
> > began here on this group back in 2006. Many small desktop
> > machines were made, but demand was for more cutting space
> > and larger machines.
> > 
> > The larger a machine became, the more of a "general purpose"
> > machine it also became.....in order to stay as inexpensive
> > as possible.
> > 
> > "General purpose" meaning that even the slightest flexibilty
> > or play in a machine will often translate to limits of what
> > can be done with the tiny little (brittle) carbide bits often
> > used for PCB work.
> > 
> > Demand was pretty good for the Fireball V90 machine. It's
> > capable of doing some very good PCB work and there are many
> > examples of them on the internet. Demand was enough that I
> > wasn't able to keep up...as a one person maker of them...so
> > Fireballcnc was sold to someone better able to produce them.
> > Probotix.com
> > 
> > But, I was still intensely interested in the small machine that
> > could do extremely fine work. My purposes were for making jewelry
> > parts with very, very fine detail in them...I didn't and still
> > don't use them for PCB work. It's a thing I just never had time for.
> > But I did need as fine of detail as I could possibly get from
> > any cnc machine...that'd be anywhere near affordable for me.
> > 
> > I always have liked the smaller, more compact machine sizes and
> > I find them more practical. So, I'm back to making something as
> > close to a CNC "PCB machine" as I can get.
> > 
> > Smaller machines aren't as popular as larger ones, so it works
> > out well enough that I can put more time and attention in each
> > of the machines I'm making now.
> > 
> > My new machine...called "A4" due to it's cutting area being near the
> > size of a common sheet of printer paper has very high potential
> > for very fine trace PCB work with a design intended for rigidity and
> > strength.
> > 
> > Metal elements are incorporated throughout, but it still keeps
> > the MDF basic frame, which is very beneficial for damping vibrations
> > and resonances that can be problematic in all-metal designs....I have
> > made/tried all-metal machines repeatedly over the years.
> > 
> > A more rigid Z axis is also used. It's capable of handling any trim
> > router as well as the finer spindles for super fine work such as
> > the Paul Jones and the Wolfgang Engineering spindles.
> > 
> > As far as an affordable machine that may be excellent for PCB milling
> > and also handling heavier duty tasks like enclosure work, I believe
> > it's as good of a machine as can be found. The goal in it's making
> > has been as fine of work as can be coaxed from any inexpensive
> > solution for very fine milling.
> > 
> > I will add that it's not an automatic or easy thing to do. It takes
> > a lot of practice to learn software, feed rates, spindle speeds,
> > how to choose a "right" cutting bit. But with patience and determination,
> > the machine can do as fine of milling of many materials as I'm able
> > to get them to do.
> > 
> > Fireballcnc began right here at Homebrew_PCBs. It's turned out to
> > be a genuine success. I myself have no more part of it, but I still
> > love making the smaller...though less popular...machines. I've always
> > thought they were better suited for the finer work I needed from
> > a cnc machine. So, I'm starting something new and beginning to
> > produce some of these machines now that a design has been tested
> > for a while and "finalized". The machine is called "Microcarve A4"
> > 
> > Anyone interested can see it's progression...a very long thread...
> > at cnczone....
> > 
> > http://www.cnczone.com/forums/diy-cnc_router_table_machines/109390-my_newest_desktop_machine.html
> > 
> > Also beginning a Yahoo group for the machines...
> > 
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/microcarve/
> > 
> > Once again, I apologize to those who aren't interested.
> > Thanks for your patience....
> > 
> > :)
> > John Hansford
> >
>