Using Open Source and CNC? 50
blueZ3 asks: "I am thinking about purchasing a CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) milling machine to build small parts to support my hobbies. I'm looking at a machine from Tormach or CNC Masters. These are small, hobby-class CNC mills. Even though I've picked low-cost machines that look interesting, they all require software that adds significantly to the cost of the machine. I've worked with proprietary CAD software before (TurboCAD, AutoCAD) so drawing parts isn't a big deal. But I'd like to avoid spending huge amounts of money on software, when I'm already breaking the bank for the mill. Does anyone out there have experience using Open Source software for CAD that has a relatively 'normal' GUI/interface? Is there a 'mature' CAM conversion software for same? Does anyone want to comment on the intersection of Open Source and CNC?"
The department name scares me on this one (Score:2)
Um, I think I will keep my "cumputing" as far away from the milling machine as possible....
At least you can save the price of the OS (Score:3, Informative)
Re:At least you can save the price of the OS (Score:4, Informative)
Re:At least you can save the price of the OS (Score:1)
Build Your Own (Score:4, Informative)
It's a great little community.
By going this way you can save cash on the machine to buy the software, but they also mention software you can use that is either cheap or free.
Re:Build Your Own (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't know of any specifically. But the only part you'd really need to make would be something to turn 3D models (which you could always make in Blender or some such) into the G-Code file to feed the machine.
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
The guy is doing it right - buy a real machine, if you expect anything out of it.
He'll still have his software problem, but only one problem, and even thats fixable by money. By building his own CNC machine, he'll end up with both a software AND a hardware problem.
Re:Build Your Own (Score:3, Insightful)
Um, no. The point of CNC machining is to turn out parts cheaper than it can be done by hand. Vast quantities of CNC'ed parts are *not* accurate to a tenth. Often times +/-.001 to
Specifying overly tight tolerances results in overly expensive parts and assembly problems
Re:Build Your Own (Score:1)
Correct.
Which is why, given that the original poster says he wants the machine for making small parts for his hobbies, he might be getter served by spending his money on a better quality manual machine. He will probably find it more flexible, and he will be able to use any change to buy a good range of accessories.
Re:Build Your Own (Score:1)
As to things being cheaper, my uncle is a professional machinist. He does mainly one-offs for specialized agricultural equipment, and makes the occasional 10 bhp steam engine. He has both CNC and manual machines, and often uses goes with
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
All told I think he's spent about 3 grand (over several years, so it's not that bad).
The only short coming he's had with it is that it's a small mill, so your not going to milling yourself a 430 Chevy big block with it...
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
Anyway, same is true for cutting anything other than straight lines. e.g. a hypotenuse or any other angled cuts.
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
Yup. It's easy if you use the right tool. In the case of a circle, you want a lathe, or a fourth axis in the form of a turntable.
For complex curves though, you're right. CNC is the way to go unless you have some specialty machine. Personally, I've always wanted an eliptical lathe. I'm not sure what I'd use it for; probably only one or two odd jobs over the course of the next few decades. But they're cool,
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
People were cutting perfect circles for 100 years before CNC machines became available. It and straight lines are probably the simplest things to cut.
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
Re:Build Your Own (Score:2)
Re:Build Your Own (Score:5, Informative)
That's just not true. I do a lot of CNC at 0.005" or coarser tolerances. CNC is also great for turning out lots of repetitive work (drilling and tapping thousands of holes for optical breadboards, turning out dozens of widgets). CNC is also good for complex curves. On the other hand, if I'm machinging rectalinear or circular surfaces and want 0.00001" tolerances, I can do as well by hand with a good solid machine. That way, I can set up compound slides to give me good precision and measure between each cut.
Just because some CNC machines are good for some high-precision work doesn't mean either that CNC is the best way to do any precision job or that CNC is only valuable for doing precision work. CNC can be hugely useful for some loose-tolerance work and some high-tolerance work is better done manually. It's often a question of whether it's faster to create and check the routing code or to cut manually.
heh. (Score:2, Funny)
"No, seriously honey, that RealDoll is my CNC's version of Hello, World!"
Re:heh. (Score:2)
Just buy the software (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Just buy the software (Score:5, Interesting)
How about worrying about your freedom?
Re:Just buy the software (Score:2)
Re:Just buy the software (Score:1)
Re:Just buy the software (Score:2)
For one, a hobbyist might see a novel need or use that a corporation would overlook. A hobbyist can extend the code or add compatibility. A hobbyist might want to design a custom cutting machine and need custom software to operate it. There is some extensible and modifiable commercial stuff out there, but that is often designed and price
CNC mills includes software (Score:2)
Re:Just buy the software (Score:1)
$400 for GOOD CAD/CAM software? Show me now. I'll buy ten copies to start with. MasterCAM costs well into the 5-digit range, and it's worth every penny, at least when one workstation with about $20,000 of hardware/software can do all the design and progr
I've been wishing (Score:2)
BRL-CAD? (Score:5, Informative)
I don't know if it will export IGES but it might. If not Turbocad is pretty cheap.
http://www.linuxcnc.org/ (Score:4, Informative)
http://www.linuxcnc.org/ [linuxcnc.org]
http://www.opencascade.org/ (Score:2, Informative)
Ugh.. CNC "standards" (Score:2)
I would be truly surprised if someone went through the effort of covering all types of cont
AutoCAD (Score:3, Funny)
GPL CAD/CAM (Score:2, Informative)
You might want to check out QCad, it is GPL'd CAD/CAM software with g-code support and it only costs a few hundred dollars.
http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html [ribbonsoft.com]
(no affiliation)
Re:GPL CAD/CAM (Score:2)
I don't know about pricing... maybe that's for support, as qcad is GPLed.
$ rpm -qi qcad (edited to get around slashdot's lame lameness filter)
Name : qcad
Version : 2.0.4.0
Build Host: extras64.linux.duke.edu
Source RPM: qcad-2.0.4.0-2.src.rpm
License: GPL
URL : http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html [ribbonsoft.com]
Summary : A simple 2D CAD program
Description
QCad is an application for computer aided drafting in two
dimensions. With QCad you can create technical drawings such as plans
for buildings, interiors
Write your own (Score:2)
Options (Score:2, Informative)
Regarding CAM, there are simple converters from vector art to G-Code such as ACE Converter (http://www.dakeng.com/ace.html [dakeng.com]).
For CAD you got the ad supported version of alibre (alibre.com)
And my last recommendation, goto: cnczone.c
Found after googling for a couple of minutes (Score:1)
I think the links listed here to linux installable CAD oriënted development projects is worth following.
http://www.tech-edv.co.at/lunix/CADlinks.html [tech-edv.co.at]
I have the perfect solution! (Score:3, Informative)
It's also probably the simplest script language known to man. Learn how to use it yourself instead of spending several thousand dollars on a CAD/CAM program.
Here's an example of your typical part program for a CNC machine:
G72G81G90G91
G0T1M06
S1200M03
X0Y0Z.1M08
G83X0Z.5Z.1Z.1
G0Z3.0
G0M22
That program just drilled a hole
Re:I have the perfect solution! (Score:3, Informative)