Guru
Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: GermanyPosts: 735
| Posted: 11:33am 28 Feb 2025 |
Hello All!
As every transistor or screw goes off my mouth I love this hobby so much that there is usually some kind of solution. In this case it meant for me to spend time not necessarily money. Have fun
Edited 2025-02-28 21:34 by dddns
Guru
Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United KingdomPosts: 8453
| Posted: 11:45am 28 Feb 2025 |
That's brilliant! It would still have been brilliant at twice the price!
Well done. :)
Guru
Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: GermanyPosts: 735
| Posted: 12:17pm 28 Feb 2025 |
Thank you :)
I posted this because of the spripboard issue ;)
Guru
Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: AustraliaPosts: 1214
| Posted: 01:50pm 28 Feb 2025 |
Well done
I like this sort of thing.You will probably add more to it later, just for fun.
Guru
Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: GermanyPosts: 735
| Posted: 04:05pm 28 Feb 2025 |
I don't want to be intrusive, hope I got you right
Guru
Joined: 25/06/2022
Location: United KingdomPosts: 2716
| Posted: 04:09pm 28 Feb 2025 |
I got 2 anet A8 3d printers and a "dremel". Hmmmmm? could I do that?
does it drill the holes to? Looks tidy, impressed.
what software you using?
Edited 2025-03-01 02:10 by stanleyella
Guru
Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: GermanyPosts: 735
| Posted: 04:18pm 28 Feb 2025 |
yes you can! :))
My first tries were, to pimp my selfmade 3D printer.
I simply mounted a 1,50€ motor with a barring.It works!
Attached is a result done with this solution.
And yes, you can decide from which side, but drilling is essential that it is done
by the mill.
But doing that with Marlin is a pain..
So I decided to have a dedicated mill with GRBL.
Edited 2025-03-01 02:28 by dddns
Guru
Joined: 25/06/2022
Location: United KingdomPosts: 2716
| Posted: 04:42pm 28 Feb 2025 |
I usually use Cura for 3d printing.
I think my 3d printers use Marlin, the "catches fire" version.. it seems 1.9 is availiable which turns on safty to stop thermal runaway but got lots hassle with usb to ttl to pins on controller socket via molex. then reflash new version over version 1 with safety off.
Regular Member
Joined: 02/08/2011
Location: United StatesPosts: 82
| Posted: 02:47pm 01 Mar 2025 |
Beautiful. I have a couple of CNC routers and mills and an LPKF PCB grinder. Your boards actually look better than the LPKF- very good.
Be really careful with the dust from fiberglass cutting- it makes and aerosolizes tiny glass fibers that are terrible for your lungs. Its not the dust that you can see, it is invisible stuff that kills you. The LPKF has a full time vacuum that leads to a very fine HEPA filter.
Nice work. I like that you have bulk and stiffness where required.
Guru
Joined: 25/06/2022
Location: United KingdomPosts: 2716
| Posted: 04:59pm 01 Mar 2025 |
I searched "convert 3d printer to pcb cnc router" and seems not good idea.
milling routers are not cheap, laser ones are cheaper and seem to "route" pcb.
what you think about laser routers?
Guru
Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: GermanyPosts: 735
| Posted: 05:19pm 01 Mar 2025 |
AFAIK it's not possible at home, to evaporate copper. Very high energy consumption and very difficult to fulfill requirements.
Guru
Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: GermanyPosts: 735
| Posted: 05:21pm 01 Mar 2025 |
Thank you for the hint! Never paid attention to..
Apropos vacuum :) I plan to build a small vacuum tension plate with help of my vacuum cleaner :))
Guru
Joined: 03/07/2020
Location: United StatesPosts: 405
| Posted: 04:43pm 02 Mar 2025 |
Brilliant!
I have a real machinist's mill (and metal lathe) so I won't be building this but I do admire it. I have yet to try milling a PCB with my mill but it's an interesting idea.
-Bill
Guru
Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: GermanyPosts: 735
| Posted: 05:17pm 02 Mar 2025 |
Thanks.This was build in my single room apartment. If I would have the opportunity I really would like to build it at least out of Aluminum and the frame out of steel.
I searched the market, but there is nothing under 1000€ which is worth to buy. You can buy, but it will be garbage for like 300€.
Guru
Joined: 25/06/2022
Location: United KingdomPosts: 2716
| Posted: 06:52pm 02 Mar 2025 |
@dddns it was a stimulating post, got me thinking lots. don't think my mains dremel would fit to 3d printer even if I made a bracket, too heavy.
I did have a Mach 3 board and software. all new so investigating.
Guru
Joined: 11/02/2018
Location: AustraliaPosts: 2936
| Posted: 08:35pm 02 Mar 2025 |
For home laser engravers the usual method is to coat the PCB with a thin film of black spray paint** then engrave that. Etch the PCB in the usual way.
** First scrub it perfectly clean or the later etching may be patchy.
Edited 2025-03-03 06:36 by phil99
Guru
Joined: 05/03/2018
Location: NetherlandsPosts: 5616
| Posted: 08:08am 03 Mar 2025 |
Phil,
Have you actually tried that (make it work with paint?). Maybe I had the wrong paint, but in my case the paint that was hit with laser changed into hard coal, and could not easily be removed. For me the laser engraver was a waste of money (though it was fun to build), and upgrade to better accuracy.
And I think it is not rigid enough to change it into an engraver.
Volhout
P.S. It also tried the laser printer transfer method, and also failed. Hence I am making sea of holes PCB's manually. And since through hole is vanishing, I think JLC is my only left option.
Edited 2025-03-03 18:13 by Volhout
Guru
Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: GermanyPosts: 735
| Posted: 08:33am 03 Mar 2025 |
I think it is possible, to do the exposition with a laser and then develop and etch.
One big advantage of milling is to drill the wholes in the same clamping.
Some hundred wholes are no fun to drill by hand and hard to align and center.
Guru
Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United KingdomPosts: 8453
| Posted: 08:40am 03 Mar 2025 |
I love this mill. :)
Edited 2025-03-03 18:42 by Mixtel90
Guru
Joined: 11/02/2018
Location: AustraliaPosts: 2936
| Posted: 11:51am 03 Mar 2025 |
No, I don't have a laser engraver. Silicon Chip did an article about it a couple of years ago. The paint they used gave good results. Maybe the paint needs to be one that uses dye for colour rather than metal oxide pigment.
Or perhaps the speed needs to be low enough to to burn the paint away completely.
On the Instructables website they used a latex based ink.