Product Description

Text provides step-by-step, illustrated directions for designing, constructing, and testing a fully functional computer numerical control (CNC) robot. Includes time-saving tips, tricks, and pictoral help along the way. Softcover.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #487363 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 311 pages

From the Back Cover
YOUR OWN WORKSHOP ROBOT--AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE

Nothing improves efficiency in a wood- or metalworking shop--or almost any small manufacturing concern--like a CNC (computer numerical control) robot. But if you've priced one, you know the cost is a whopping $7,500 or more. Even plans on the Internet are expensive -- and you can't tell if they suit your needs until you've forked over hundreds of dollars.

NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU CAN GET COMPLETE DIRECTIONS FOR BUILDING A CNC WORKSHOP BOT FOR A TOTAL COST OF AROUND $1,500!

CNC Robotics gives you step-by-step, illustrated directions for designing, constructing, and testing a fully functional CNC robot that saves you 80 percent of the price of an off-the-shelf bot--and that can be customized to suit your purposes exactly, because you designed it. Written by an accomplished workshop bot designer/builder, this book gives you:

* Start-to-finish illustrated instructions
* Guidance on installing easy-to-understand Windows software for controlling your bot
* Plenty of time-saving tips, tricks, and pictorial help along the way
* Scaling and customizing instructions for building just the robot that you want
* Sources for easily obtained parts
* A complete course in workshop bot design and construction, perfect for courses or industry

BUILD YOUR OWN WORKSHOP BOT AND BRING SPEED, PRECISION, AND AUTOMATION TO YOUR WORKBENCH OR ENTERPRISE.

About the Author
Geoff Williams is a woodworking enthusiast who owns and operates an athletic flooring company in Ontario, Canada. Also a professional photographer, he has extensive experience troubleshooting and repairing printed circuit boards.

Customer Reviews

Much less than promised...
I waited anxiously for this book to become available, and even paid $15 for overnight delivery when Amazon finally had it in stock.

The pre-pub blurbs say it shows you how to build the equivelent of a $7500 workshop bot (an intentional play on the name ShopBot I guess) for $1500, and the cover front and rear are full of promises not delivered inside...

"Great for use... on the industrial floor" NOT!

"Provides step-by-step instructions for building your own CNC machine"... "Scaling and customizing instructions for building just the robot you want"... "Sources for easily obtained parts"

There is no discussion of design rationale, bearing loads, etc. He just jumps in and, in a 12 page Chapter 1 (three of which are used for showing the explosion views of the $3000? NuArc copy camera he scrounged the entire Y-axis carriage and rails from and telling you he made the Z axis from a TV shelf slide), tells you what he used. Nothing about the pros and cons and accuracy implications of different linear motion components, ballscrews vs acme, etc. Less text in the chapter than someone would use in a web forum post breifly describing their homebuilt CNC machine.

Chapter 2 uses 51 of its 62 pages to reprint the manufacturer's documentation (probably available online) for the L297 and L298 chips he uses in his stepper motor driver... Chapter 3 is 20 pages showing how to photo etch his printed cicuit board... Chapter 4 is 13 pages showing how to drill the board and solder the components on. This information may be of use to some, but with proven 3-axis stepper driver boards readily available for $100-150, I think I'd skip the electronic components gathing, and the gloves, eye protection, respirator, and the carefully monitored heated baking dish full of of ferric chloride solution giving off "nasty and dangerous fumes."

Chapter 5 shows you how to install KellyWare KCam software and test your drives... he barely mentions that he used three PC power supplies to power the three axii (he left them out on the "Materials Needed" list that starts the chapter); no discussion at all about power supply selection issues if you happen to have stepper motors different from the surplus ones he found.

The next few chapters show how he drilled and bolted the frame and gantry, and made pillow blocks... how he crudely supported the 3/4" linear shafting on free-standing bolts (he doesn't say, but I guess he bought the shafting pre-tapped, which nearly triples the price). I just love this... "In order to assemble the Y-axis, you will need the following tools and materials: Guide rails... Slide from NuArc copy camera...". The shaft support bolts are used to "straighten" the precision rails to a constant height from the square tubing that supports them (??).

After a decent chapter on motor and leadscrew mounting (no comment on probable whipping of the very long skinny X-axis leadscrew), more about KCam, some crude router mounting, and some examples of some things he's routed, the book ends with a list of addresses and phone numbers of corporate headquarters of linear motion components manufacturers, etc.

This book isn't real impressive with its lack of technical info. Most of it is like the web pages individuals put up showing pictures of the CNC router they built, often with scrounged/E-bayed parts that the next guy may or may not be able to find. Like those websites, it's always interesting to "see how someone else did it", but don't burn your $35 on this book expecting much more. If nothing else, I suppose you can vicariously "build" your first machine in your mind by reading this book, then build your first real machine better after more web research and questions to others online who seem to be more informed on design issues than this author.

okay book - useful for ideas
This is an okay book. It's good for getting ideas on how to cobble things together from surplus store and scrapyard pickings, as the author has largely done. I like the improvised use of parts, like the home depot TV tray for the z-axis, or an electrical junction box and clamps used to hold the pen for running the initial plotting tests.

I have some complaints as well:

1) A good 50 pages are reprint of stepper driver datasheet/application notes that you could probably find on the web.

2) Chapter 3 describes making a printed circuit board, which fine, but many would not want to hassle with the chemicals involved. The author doesn't list perfboards with solder pads as an alternative to making your own PCBs.

3) The author describes how he lifted the linear bearings from some surplus store find that he made. That's great, but what about some parts lists or even just rough specifications for those of us who didn't make that great find in the junkheap somewhere?

4) No mention of what material he used for the guide rails (looks like it could be drill rod or blower shaft to me), or how he drilled and tapped the perfectly parallel holes for fastening it to the frame.

The best thing about this book is that it shows you one way to do things from beginning to end with relatively modest tools, that the author was able to achieve some results with. Overall I found it useful and enjoyable.

Disappointed - Many details left out.
I was very disappointed that many important details were left out. Anyone who does a little research on the internet and has seen a CNC router knows the basics of what makes up a machine. What the book promised were the details of how to build your own. The details and parts lists were left out. Those are the critical items. Your money would be much better spent buying a good set of plans from the internet. There are many bulletin boards and web sites that have good information. Research them.