Colinbus CNC Profiler GRBL Conversion. Simple Arduino CNC.

Here's another video which is probably only of real interest to anyone else who happens to be converting one of these machines.
Or, possibly, to anyone who can tolerate a random hairy guy ranting away for 25 minutes!
I finally got the old Colinbus profiler set up with some new stepper drivers and a GRBL control board. All running on open source software and hardware.
The GRBL board is a standard shield for the Arduino Uno, they are very cheap on Ebay.
Here's a link to the GRBL firmware:
github.com/gnea/grbl/releases...
Here's a link to the Universal Gcode Sender software I used to talk to the board:
winder.github.io/ugs_website/
Here's a handy guide to the GRBL settings which can be adjusted via a serial terminal:
www.diymachining.com/download...
I can send a copy of my particular configuration files to anyone else who is converting a similar machine.

[@maximusironthumper]

I don't think I could have resisted the urge to make the first test cut shape something rude!

[@spungletrumpet]

Those sort of shapes are a bit more tricky to design in CAD!

[@maximusironthumper]

Well that's a big improvement!

[@spungletrumpet]

I was thinking of doing some nice, inlaid wooden dashboard panels for one of the Landies!

[@carlhobson1578]

Your range of knowledge and experience is amazing from organs to land rovers, CNC machines and machine code!! Fascinating

[@spungletrumpet]

Thanks! Really appreciated! 😊

[@twoflower8264]

Looking gooood Cant wait to see you back on project awesome

[@spungletrumpet]

We've been getting back into it. Should be some interesting news to share soon, but it's been a case of getting back to where we were before the lockdowns!

[@remog38]

Thanks Mark as expected entertaining and interesting , never predictable , once again thanks for the time and effort you have put in,

[@spungletrumpet]

Thanks! I do tend to waffle on a bit, and this project was largely made up as I went along. But they are the best kinds of projects! :)

[@JimBiddle.]

Very interesting, watching this in the hope that some of the clever, rubs off on me.

[@spungletrumpet]

I think the real clever stuff is learning how to use the CNC kit once you've got it working! It's still a bit of a mystery to me!

[@dustymiller7758]

Great vid, looking forward to see you and Maximus continuing with projects.

[@spungletrumpet]

I'm working with Max a lot over the next couple of weeks. He's been an unusually busy chap recently, but we've got lots of Winter plans!

[@bigunone]

When you jumped up and started running the vacuum cleaner I thought you were trying to make sure the machine was cutting in the right spot at first! 🤣🤣 Great recycling something that someone else had given up on

[@spungletrumpet]

It's a well built machine. Hopefully it'll get more use now.

[@bigbraincontent]

G A U D E T E

[@normandagger7542]

Nice to see the tools being used

[@spungletrumpet]

Yep, I think we could have some fun with this. Just need to find some workshop space for it!

[@growingknowledge]

Nice to see you posting again. Always fun projects and well executed. All the best to you and yours !

[@spungletrumpet]

Thanks! All the best to you as well! :)

[@Tom89678]

Great video, really well structured.

[@MartsGarage]

That's pretty clever stuff. Way beyond my skill set. Interesting to watch though. Thanks for sharing. Mart.

[@spungletrumpet]

It's strange, but there is so much good cheap electronics around now that playing with this sort of stuff is easier than it's ever been. A lot of very clever people have already written the software and designed the electronics. It's just a case of wiring it together! I like to think of it as a grown-up version of Lego!

[@thesprucegosling9574]

Great to see a vid from you, always enjoyable and informative and inspires me to produce some more stuff myself. Sadly mine will be further rambling nonsense but I am trying to make it better!

[@spungletrumpet]

I actually enjoy watching rambling nonsense. ;)

[@thesprucegosling9574]

@@spungletrumpet thanks for the sub, always appreciated but especially when you are down below 100. Hopefully will produce some material to justify it…

[@spungletrumpet]

@@thesprucegosling9574 Well, when I saw that you are building an actual aeroplane in your workshop, I couldn't do anything but subscribe! Can't wait to see how that project works out. It's epic!

[@thesprucegosling9574]

@@spungletrumpet it’s going to be a while before anything flies but active interest really helps to keep me going. House renovation, young kids and a craft beer habit do slow things down a bit. 45 mins flying I the motor glider today really helps to keep the dream alive though!

[@ade9685]

I can only echo Carls comment, amazing it’s probably more what can’t you do! Cheers

[@Petey_TV]

Nicely done! I recon your British Doc Brown :)

[@johnsavage248]

Brilliant - I'm in awe

[@PhilEvansOnline]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. 👍

[@spungletrumpet]

Thanks! :)

[@hammyh1165]

I have a small desktop CNC lathe that was designed to run off of a BBC B computer , I really should bring it up to date with some new drivers etc. It's never ran all the time I've had it and it was free , so I can't break it any more than it is. It looks a lot simpler to sort than I thought it would be to do.

[@obviouslytwo4u]

I've always said the British are clever

[@chriswills9530]

The trouble is that even the title of this has me understanding one thing; CNC, yep, I know what that is...other than that? Nah. I fully appreciate you and your skill-set(s) and would defend to the death your right to share it, but my brain hurts. Beer, that's the solution; Cheers, mate.

[@spungletrumpet]

Beer is always the solution... And wiring this sort of stuff together nowadays just requires a lot of wiring diagrams from the Internet and a bit of persistence! The main skill required is pure bloody-mindedness! ;)

[@TheMrWoodsman]

I would love to own a CNC milling machine.

[@spungletrumpet]

I'd really like a big one to do some proper metalwork with. Little profilers and other hobby 3-axis machines have got quite reasonably priced in recent years though. Even more so if you can find a broken one for free.

[@SVG1982]

is it only 2d milling ? Can it 3d milling and is there an option for future to get 4th axis rotation module ? Thanks for sharing this video

[@vapoureyes]

I really enjoyed y our video , I have a Chinese 3040 cnc router which came with the Mach3 parallel port board, I have replaced the board with the Arduino uno plus the shield, the stepper motors have four wires . on the Mach 3 board the connectors coming from it to the drivers have three wire connectors to each driver and a four wire connector to the control output port which the machine cable plugs into . The arduous shield has a four wired connector for each driver so how do I connect the three wired connector to it . I know it will be hard to understand so I wonder could I email you some photos of my control box so you will understand better as I am desperate to get it going. Many thanks Ernest

[@edgeeffect]

Yeah.... a lump of MDF... that's a proper breadboard circuit.

[@spungletrumpet]

Somebody dumped a load of MDF here a few years ago. I tend to use it for everything!

[@edgeeffect]

@@spungletrumpet One man's rubbish dump is another man's materials store. :)

[@john-oy5hx]

Hi, Just wondering what s/w you use to convert drawings or projects to gbrl? I'm looking for a simple app that I can use to cut some 20mm holes in perspex at a depth of 2mm. thanks a lot...

[@spungletrumpet]

For simple stuff like that I tend to use an online tool called 'Easel'. easel.inventables.com/ You need to pay a subscription to use all the features, but if you are happy to hack around it a bit then you can get it to generate GRBL friendly Gcode. Once you've done your design, click 'machine' from the top menu. Then select 'General Settings'. From there you can download the Gcode for your design. I find that this is compatible with GRBL 1.1 You are limited to a small number of tool options, and the V-carving functions are disabled, but if you really need those sorts of functions then it's either worth paying the $24 per month subscription, or considering looking at other software options. But for milling different depth holes and cutting out basic shapes (and engraving cool text on stuff), the free version of Easel should do everything you need. Let me know how you get on! :)

[@daan.v4556]

Hey i just watched this video and i was wondering if Anyone has a link for the Power Supply

[@spungletrumpet]

It's the sort of power supply you'll find if you type "24v 10a Power Supply" into Amazon or ebay. Just substitute the voltage and current in your search for whatever your requirements are. There are loads of power supplies available which look like the one in the video and I'm never too fussy which ones I use.

[@daan.v4556]

@@spungletrumpet yes i will do this, we have to do the Exact same conversion as a final school project to graduate so Let's Hope we get it to work

[@halfpinthero912]

I know you were speaking English even though I only understood 60% of what you said and 0% of the important bits. Nevertheless a very entertaining watch!

[@danielwilson5102]

The real question is, why was there a piece of cardboard with the word fridge! written on it?

[@spungletrumpet]

Ha ha! I'd completely failed to notice that when I was editing! Sometimes, the compressor on the fridge-freezer makes such an awful noise it comes out on the recordings. When that happens I switch it off, so I have to leave an obvious note to remind me to switch it on again. Taping it to the kitchen door seems to be the best approach. So far I have avoided any catastrophic defrosting incidents!

[@HT-io1eg]

Mark, what is it you actually do? Electrical engineering? Computer engineer? Marine diesel engineer? Programmer? Church organs?

[@davidhaywood8029]

I believe Mark's official job title is Total Engineering Legend...

[@spungletrumpet]

lol. I'm very much at the 'bodge it until it works' end of engineering. In answer to the original question - I do all sorts of things to a semi-competent level. My first proper job when I left school was a pipe organ builder, I then trained as an English teacher for a bit, played in rock bands, freelance electronic design work, and lots of work on events doing technical and AV support (which I still do now). In fact, I'm not really sure I know what I actually do most of the time! ;)