2 Axis CNC Demo Pens

[BRobbins629]

A few weeks ago, Jim Zorn posted a few pens and pictures of his home-made 2 axis CNC pen lathe. You can see the post here:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/new-pen-lathe-155359/


Jim did a demo of this for our Penturners club and was scheduled for a repeat at the Richmond Woodturners club meeting in July. His vacation is interfering with that so I threw together some spare parts and came up with a version a little different but functionally the same to fill in for him. These run on an Arduino with free software. All you need is some simple GCode commands and these machines can do anything a Beall Pen Wizard does and more for a fraction of the cost.


Gisi style pens and Celtic knot are carved and filled with polymer clay. Cross hatch and faceted cap are just carved and finished.

 

[mark james]

Great set up and excellent pens. Looks like you have been having fun.

 

[Charlie_W]

I am not sure which I am more impressed with....the pens or the CNC!!!
All are so cool....neat idea to use Poly Clay as the fill....did you bake or let it air dry?
At least we know what you have been doing lately Bruce!

 

[Dalecamino]

Very nice Bruce! I like your little machine set up.

 

[dogcatcher]

Time for more details about the CNC set up.

 

[BRobbins629]

I am not sure which I am more impressed with....the pens or the CNC!!!
All are so cool....neat idea to use Poly Clay as the fill....did you bake or let it air dry?
At least we know what you have been doing lately Bruce!

Thanks Charlie. Always bake clay. Been using it for things like this for years.

 

[BRobbins629]

Time for more details about the CNC set up.

Anything is particular you want to know?

 

[dogcatcher]

Time for more details about the CNC set up.

Anything is particular you want to know?

Not so much the CNC part, at my age I am not into trying to learn that. But about the build, it interests me, but on a hand operated basis. I found it odd, because yesterday I sent Jim Zorn an idea about using the CNC rails and a T8 lead screw kit to build a tower like a milling machine to do similar work.

Look at the pictures on this link, it shows a mill idea.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/350mm-400m...var=512249117071&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

 

[BRobbins629]

Time for more details about the CNC set up.

Anything is particular you want to know?

Not so much the CNC part, at my age I am not into trying to learn that. But about the build, it interests me, but on a hand operated basis. I found it odd, because yesterday I sent Jim Zorn an idea about using the CNC rails and a T8 lead screw kit to build a tower like a milling machine to do similar work.

Look at the pictures on this link, it shows a mill idea.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/350mm-400m...var=512249117071&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

That would work. Very similar to what I am using for the X-axis

 

[magpens]

Please, I would be interested in the details of the stepping motor (# of steps per rev, torque) and the gearing between the motor and the threaded drive shaft. . Thanks.

 

[BRobbins629]

Please, I would be interested in the details of the stepping motor (# of steps per rev, torque) and the gearing between the motor and the threaded drive shaft. . Thanks.

The steppers are 24 kg-cm and likely more than enough for this. Just happened to be what I had available. They are 200 steps per revolution but I am able to increase that with microsteps on the driver to 6400 steps. Not really needed for the x-axis, but I have calibrated the rotary which is a direct drive to degrees and the micro steps really help the resolution. Lead screw for x axis is 10TPI. Even with 200 steps, this gives .0005" per step which is plenty for the application.
Hope that helps.

 

[magpens]

Thank you, Bruce !