MPCNC Finished!

This was a fun, inexpensive, and pretty easy project. The whole project from starting to print the parts to an operational machine was about two weeks. Most of the parts were printed on a very cheap Anet A8 3D printer (I printed the red parts on a cheap and tiny Monoprice Mini). The other hardware parts were bought at Ace and Lowes. The electronics were pretty basic and were purchased on eBay. All of the files are available for free at www.thingiverse.com/thing:724999
Many thanks to Allted for this! Stay tuned in future weeks for lots of projects.

[@cliffchism9187]

I just learned of this machine yesterday. You've done a great job building it. I might have to pick your brain in the future if I'm able to build one. I also have an Anet A8.

[@MLFranklin]

Beautiful. I like how you've laid out the wiring in plain sight. Other designs hide it, but this is much more educational. Very helpful. Thanks!

[@markmatt3751]

Beautiful wire management gong to the terminal blocks, and nice touch with adding the joystick! Just got my mpcnc moving the other day. Funny first thing I did was draw "hello world", I take it you have some programming experience as well. Thanks for sharing, really enjoying your videos!

[@AlcioneBenacchioIFPR]

Oh man! i have the exacly same 3d printer... i'll try to make the mpcnc too! thanks for sharing. best regards.

[@MarcelDiane]

Excellent build Dan.

[@drez20001]

Thanks Marcel. It was a fun project.

[@JerkerMontelius]

Good work. Now build a dust collector and enclosure for the electronics and some cable management system.

[@msdesignru]

Good job!

[@stormchazer6655]

Hey I love The Binford sign in the back ground you must be a Tool Man fan LOL!

[@drez20001]

Indeed. Thanks for noticing and your comments.

[@Dhutch82]

I have followed you form you making the car cb ham radio mount

[@plasmaguy5]

Very cool great job

[@hasger1941]

Thank you for sharing, would be interested in a tutorial for toshiba/mach3 setup on the mpcnc

[@ianide2480]

I purchased a small CNC machine that had a parallel port on it. If you map out the pins the names/functions coincide directly with the output pins on an arduino and you can plug the output pins from the arduino directly into those same lines on the controller. Well actually that is not a controller board, its a stepper motor driver board, the computer is generating all the signals. This alleviates the need for a parallel port. Of course, the option you chose does the same thing with less dicking around but I personally like the controller software that I use for my arduino/grbl based setup because of the probe feature built into it. I use bCNC which drives adruino/grbl flawlessly and, like I said, I use the probe feature (a lot in fact) when engraving metal surfaces. I prefer bCNC over Mach3, in fact I prefer arduino because I find that grbl is easy to modify base settings.

[@james6609]

hello great video also you could use snap cnc to control the cnc it is usb and grbl based i use it on one of the 3020t cnc from china works great without mach3 keep up the great work

[@jimmynoname4089]

I can’t wait to build mine! My printer is busy with a rc plane and one other project after that

[@drez20001]

It's a fun project with a lot of online support. Best of luck.

[@DrDonkeypunch]

It looks nice! I just got all my parts ealier this week, and ive assembled the middle assembly, and tomorrow i plan to start cutting the conduits, and make the table, so i finally can start getting everything mounted and finally start cutting! :D Have you had any problems so far, that one would maybe be prepared to encounter?

[@finster101]

Nice machine. Could you me more information about the electronics you used, (name/model, etc) or possibly a link for purchase? Thanks

[@davemckenzie8386]

love the setup i from jamaica i need a setup like the how much is the cost

[@Dhutch82]

Just started it

[@NeibergerMothership]

Thanks for the video - How big is the working area on this MPCNC?

[@larryedinger2344]

can you make a fast wiring diagram on the hook up of the board? Thanks

[@grahambate3384]

Noice, wot the cut area, cheers Graham

[@axelSixtySix]

Nice work ! What is aproximatively your overall budget for this machine ?

[@krssnoop]

Do you think it would be possible to fit a plasma torch to it for cutting thin sheet metal?

[@davidlingelbach9887]

Do you have a parts list plus how you wired everything

[@Joel-tl9xq]

I did not have idea you can use empty tubes like suport

[@ermanolcay6574]

Hello can you make a playlist Guides from a to z to make this :) thank you

[@1grizzlyrizzo]

I wonder if you could post your settings, I'm trying to get my tb6560 to work with grbl but all it does is make is noise, can't seem to find the right settings to getting my steppers move more than a tiny bit at a time, it like it's held in place, the wire for the coils are correct. Thanks

[@The_Digital_Samurai]

Do you have links to the nema, spindle and other parts you purchased for this project?

[@abhinmajix]

What is the thickness of the Base frame in which the legs are mounted...

[@abhinmajix]

Have you done pcb milling with this. Do you recommend this for milling pcbs

[@ThetaPower]

Really nice! Thanks for sharing. I have 3D printed mounts for my DROs on my lathe using ABS and that was a lot easier than milling on my non-existent mill . I think we will see much more use of 3D printed parts like you are doing as the materials get even stronger. I’m currently enamored with PC CF. Easy to print in an enclosure and extremely rigid and strong - although I would like to test it objectively for strength... It machines and sands nicely.

[@ariellarraburu2418]

Hello, what is the size of the work area ?. I have all the parts printed and I'm thinking of making it 1600mm X, 800Y, 150mmZ with column supports, to cut wood. Do you think it can be too big ?. I plan to use pipes of 25.4mm x 2mm

[@katchupoy01]

@drez, I have been following your channel. Great job. But now since I saw you using the same toshiba board that i use, can you make a video of some of the details you did with toshiba board and arduino? a link for the joystick? Ok i just realized that you are not using arduino for usb connection. How about power supply? how many volts and amps? Thanks again.

[@drez20001]

Thanks for following. The joystick controller is very useful not only in moving the machine around but in sending other commands. I bought it on eBay a while ago for around $35. Here's my video on the controllers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZLZhnejqM6Jj5o The power supply for the Toshiba board came with it when it was purchased years ago. It's a pretty generic 24volt 14 amp supply. The smaller power supply next to it came with the spindle motor and is dedicated to that.

[@sotm6078]

Do you have a parts list for the purchased items?

[@Dave51262]

Dan - That is such a cool project and I love that all those parts were printed on a low cost Anet 3D printer! Great job and thanks for sharing. Would you recommend this CNC over the Solsylva project you were doing? I am considering going bigger with my small CNC and this would be a great project to get into 3D printing too.

[@drez20001]

Hi Dave. Both the Solsylva and the MPCNC were fun projects. I made the MPCNC pretty large and consequently it wasn't real solid and had a fair amount of flex. I also had a little bit of binding with the center unit, which is a pretty cool thing to behold. My 3D printer is a hair off square and due to the numerous parts that go into the center assembly the slight off-ness may have been multiplied causing the issue. The Solsylva is a beefy machine with much less flex. If you keep the MPCNC no larger than about 2'x2' it should be strong enough for hobby projects as well. Quite honestly I built the MPCNC just to see how it all worked.

[@charltonrodda]

+drez20001 do you mean 2'x2' outer dimensions? Or work area?

[@MarkWilder68]

Nice

[@drez20001]

Thanks Markess. Fun project.

[@MegaSoyaMan]

genius

[@FuturefabOrgUk]

Well done! I'm currently 3D printing all the components and I'm very excited about this project. Such a clever idea. The ultimate goal is to mill some parts that will allow me to convert a mini lathe. What was the "hardest" part in your build?

[@drez20001]

Thanks for your comments. It was a fun project. My biggest suggestion would be to keep it on the smaller side, say around 2'x2' max. Mine was a little large and had some flex because of it. The most challenging part of the build was assembling the center hub unit. That part is a piece of art and when it's completed you can really appreciate the engineering behind it. It's a heavy piece. Best of luck to you.

[@FuturefabOrgUk]

Thanks! I was thinking of a small work area around 15" square. I was thinking that it's going to be flex central! Was wondering about filling the tubes with expanding foam to try an increase the stiffness by some marginal amount!

[@drez20001]

A 15" machine should be pretty solid. I wouldn't worry about it too much and the nice thing about the way it's designed is that you can always pull out the rods and change the size, fill them, or swap them out for a different kind of rod.

[@CerebralDad]

Great build. curious what wires you are using to extend the steppers. I built mine and am having an issue with the wires supplied.

[@drez20001]

Thanks. It was a fun project. I just used 22/4 alarm wire from the local hardware store. Best of luck.

[@techdad4727]

what is the model number for the Toshiba board you are using?

[@Budster48309]

Which firmware are you using? I'm wiring mine now and I picked up the pendant you're using. It says it works with any board. But Ryan at V1 says that Marlin isn't really set up to use with a pendant. He suggested something else for wireless control using my phone and Octoprint for control. But I don't want to screw around with that. That quick and simple USB plug n play looks perfect. My RAMBo 1.4 came loaded with Marlin, but flashing new firmware is no big deal and MUCH easier than messing with trying to control it with my phone.

[@MP-mu1kw]

Excellent video! I recently aquired a dismantled MPCNC (24in x 24in) and although I have re-assembled it and got it working. I am looking for advice on how to calibrate it. I seem to be having an error of of about 1.5mm smaller on the Y-axis. I have measured up diagonally and the height of the 4 corner posts and everything appears to be correct.

[@drez20001]

Thank you for you comments. Very appreciated. I actually haven't really tested it on a hot day or for any real length of time. Life gets busy.

[@1kingyehuda1]

hey man! awesome build! can this cnc cut aluminum? or the nema 17 arent strong enough?

[@drez20001]

It's pretty beefy. Strong enough to do this (not my video)....kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGTQZHyGj56ZgNU

[@mikelaurie3850]

What firmware and software did you use

[@randyscorner9434]

I've been considering two designs, this one or the Root3 CNC. I think your video pushed me over the edge in favor of the MPCNC. The only remaining question is regarding the NEMA17 instead of NEMA23. Since you have had this for a few months now, have you seen any indication that you'd prefer the larger steppers? I'll mostly be cutting wood, but also some aluminum for some rocketry projects.

[@drez20001]

Hi Randy. The MPCNC is very cool design. It goes together very well and is just fun to watch. I haven't had any experience with the Root3 so unfortunately I can't offer any real thoughts on it other than it's a more traditional CNC design. The MPCNC I built is on the large side with a cutting area of about 20" x 30". I did notice some flex on harder woods and had to slow it down. Other folks that have built it to a smaller size haven't had any real flexing issues that I know of. Regarding the stepper motor sizes; the 17s are very strong, stronger than I thought they would be. My experience with building other CNC machines was always with NEMA 23s. I'm in the process of doing a CNC build with some MPCNC parts and some Solsylva CNC design parts. Here's the video on that combination. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGG4mn2Ar8aWj8U Best of luck to you.

[@xyzebruh1083]

I'm going with a $54 660 Dewalt

[@the-bu3lb]

what size conduit did you use in the usa ?

[@tcvesim1948]

bravooooo

[@ChristKrew-Rev1.8]

Any chance you could do a parts list for electronics? Also do you have a build video or thread? Love the video. Nice clean work.

[@drez20001]

Thanks for your comments. I don't have a full parts list, but for a quick run down: TB6560 is the controller board; UC100 is the interface from the board to the old laptop; the spindle is a 500 watt unit bought on Amazon that included the speed controller; the stepper motors are NEMA 17s bought in bulk on eBay; and the remote controller is here: www.ebay.com/itm/Mach3-6Axis-USB-Joystick-Handheld-Electronic-Handwheel-CNC-Carving-Machine-US-/252792642562?hash=item3adb9d9c02:g:TGQAAOSwblZZMht3 The machine parts were all printed from free files at: www.thingiverse.com/thing:724999

[@ChristKrew-Rev1.8]

Thank you. Yea I am unsure as to all that you have mounted on the board. I believe two power supplies, one for the board and one for the spindle? Thanks again.

[@drez20001]

Yes, exactly.

[@ChristKrew-Rev1.8]

another question... what are the black wiring brackets in the first line and why did you wire it this way? Looking to duplicate your machine and hope you do not mind. Hoping to have this as a winter project. Thank you again for all the help.

[@ChristKrew-Rev1.8]

took a little time but found it and it is called a bus bar. Love it!

[@excessnet]

Did you try it yet? I'm wondering how it compete with the Solsylva and if the 24x36" build area is sturdy or not :)

[@drez20001]

I cut out two square windows on the sides of the enclosure I built for it (kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYasppyYrLulabc) but I haven't cut anything else yet. The gantry and router mount on the MPCNC has less play than the Solsylva. That may be because on the Solsylva I built out a face plate and the router is mounted out farther than in the plans. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll get to cutting out some parts on the MPCNC. Thanks for your comments.

[@das250250]

I am trying to assertain the strength of a gantry style versus this style of cnc .. I like that the X and Y are floating rather than a gantry style , it would seem , keeping the spindle steady .. Will this do any soft metal?

[@drez20001]

For light metal cutting I'd drop the size down to about 12"x12" or 1' square. It's a great design and a lot of fun to make and use but the larger it gets the more flex is introduced. Check out the MPCNC forum at: www.v1engineering.com/forum/

[@djstreamtme]

Классная штука ! Good! ))

[@drez20001]

Thanks!

[@gandsnut]

I checked around your website - is there a bundle available for purchase that is everything (excepting, say, hookup wire & conduit) for a complete build? Thanks.

[@drez20001]

The designer of the CNC sells kits - www.vicious1.com/ www.thingiverse.com/thing:724999

[@sotm6078]

What software? Mach 3?

[@lemanxr]

Hi Mate. How much You will take for making parts?

[@jeremyjeremy2574]

Nema17?

[@woodknack1]

So what is the amp rating that you have yours set at? I am using tb6600 drivers and I have them set at 1.0 Current amp 1.2 PK current. my steppers get very warm. I have run a few jobs that last awhile and the steppers get very warm to the touch. im thinking too warm (can't leave your hand on them). Think I should drop down to the lowest amp setting on these drivers? which is 0.5 to 0.7?

[@drez20001]

Congrats on building your machine, it was a fun build here. I don't have mine set up at the moment and don't recall the setting but if they are too hot then they should be dropped back. The PLA will deform, slip, and cause other problems if the motors are too hot to touch. I'd definitely play around with the current pull. Best of luck.

[@My1936]

you said you bought the steppers on ebay could you tell me the vendor and specifications on the steppers

[@HarryBrentonMusic]

My1936 look like standard NEMA17 to me.

[@theancientones3755]

where are the limit switches

[@drez20001]

I've never used limit switches - I prefer soft stops either in the software or just knowing where the cut area is during dry runs before cutting. Many have installed limit switches on their MPCNCs though.

[@danielwdunn]

Are the blue pieces too large for the build volume of the Monoprice Mini?

[@drez20001]

Unfortunately the center pieces were too big for the Monoprice Mini but many of the other pieces could fit on the Mini's bed. I think you can order some of the larger parts from Vicious1 if needed. Thanks for your question.

[@danielwdunn]

Thank you! For anyone else wondering, the only part the Monoprice Mini cannot print is the "XYZ T8". I recommend getting a friend or makerspace to print two of these if you only own a mini or similarly small sized 3d printer.

[@nicewhenearnedrudemostlyel489]

Wow. A "maker" that can't figure out basic questions.

[@jimmynoname4089]

NiceWhenEarned RudeMostlyElse bit rude.

[@Gripsstudios]

Two questions, what spindle is that? And What is the cutting area?

[@drez20001]

The spindle was a 500 watt air cooled unit from Amazon. www.amazon.com/Spindle-Cooled-Milling-Converter-Engraving/dp/B01LNBOCDA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1540667956&sr=8-2&keywords=500+watt+spindle+cnc And the cutting area was around 2'x3' which was a bit large for this CNC. There was a lot of flex at that size when using the spindle. For use as a vinyl cutter the flex was a non issue. Best of luck.

[@ugpfpv361]

Looks very nice. Using the conduit, is there much flex?, seams like long runs for hollow pipes. Hope some cut videos are coming soon also could you put links to the things you used...?

[@drez20001]

Thanks. I am really surprised how little flex this has. It's very solid. Some people have built this CNC with long corner posts and those machines have a lot of flex. I kept to the plans and kept the legs short. This set up still offers around 4" of Z travel. This is the revised machine; the first MPCNC had a different center assembly that was supposed to have a lot of instability and flex. This assembly is a real chunk and simply does not give much. Per the plans any runs of 3 meters or so should have a center support. I'm pushing it a little with one axis at 4' but it feels very tight. If it does flex I'll add in some supports. The 6560 Toshiba board: www.ebay.com/itm/3-Axis-CNC-3-5A-Router-TB6560-Stepper-Motor-Driver-Board-Controller-USA-Shipping-/191882523718?hash=item2cad16f446:g:DrgAAOSwFGNWSUoM The UC100 (not needed if you have a desktop computer with a parallel port) www.ebay.com/itm/CNC-USB-CONTROLLER-UC100-for-Mach3-CNC-Controller-USB-to-Parallel-/271300225770?hash=item3f2ac0eaea:g:LngAAOSwZ8ZW-u0v The rest of the stuff is just hardware.

[@fx1c333]

could you use chains and cogs instead of belts great vids and very informative by the way.

[@drez20001]

Thanks for your comments. It's a pretty light machine, chains and cogs would be overpowering unless it was really beefed up. The belts work very well.

[@fx1c333]

@@drez20001 thanks for the reply I'll keep this in mind. Although I was thinking more on the lines of pushbike chain and the small wheels on the gear change.

[@sven5183]

Hi do you use for your CNC steel or stainless steel pipes ?

[@drez20001]

The pipes were just standard plumbing pipes from the local hardware store. Not stainless steel. Best of luck.

[@max_wacker]

Which cnc control would you buy for nema 23 4 axes? greetings max

[@drez20001]

Hi Max. For a true and "proper' 4 axis machine the controller really should be built with dedicated connections for four motors. I'm fudging it here with this board and using five motors. Because the NEMA 17s don't draw a lot, especially at 25% current I'm getting away with it. A very good controller with 4 axis is made by Xylotex xylotex.netfirms.com/OSCommerce/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=111 I haven't used their products but know many that have and it's good stuff. It's plug and play too. Best of luck.

[@max_wacker]

Thank you, but at the moment they do not sell the control board individually. And I just want to buy a board without the motors. For Nema 23 and 4 axes it is not easy to find a god control board. If someone knows a good cnc driver board I'm glad for every suggestion :D

[@elsunshine9976]

would it be able to cut aluminium at all?

[@drez20001]

I haven't tried yet but yes, it should with the right end mill and correct feed rate. It would be a slow cut though.

[@garysnell4890]

Would you consider making and selling the parts made on your 3D printer as a kit thanks

[@Scheisdendreck]

You can buy the printed parts already at www.vicious1.com. He is the guy who developed the machine, too.

[@skaltura]

what toshiba driver board is that?

[@drez20001]

I think this is the newer version of basically the same board. www.amazon.com/SainSmart-TB6560-Axis-Stepper-Motor/dp/B009A5246O/ref=asc_df_B009A5246O/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309806158787&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8523287973258067719&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007689&hvtargid=pla-649421755432&psc=1

[@abhinmajix]

What is your workable Z height...

[@drez20001]

For this build is was around four inches or so.

[@abhinmajix]

WHICH MODEL NO OF NEMA 17 MOTORS ARE YOU USING

[@drez20001]

I purchased a bunch of these NEMA 17 motors on eBay - they were the 76oz/in units. Plenty strong for CNCs of this size. Best of luck.

[@abhinmajix]

OK THATS GOOD. WHAT ABOUT THE WORKABLE AREA. I HAVE SEEN YOU MENTIONED AS 20" x 30", BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE,DO YOU MEAN INCHES. WHAT ABOUT THE ACCURACY...

[@grumpydude1598]

is it just normal galavnised waterpipes?

[@martinkorwald8098]

yes

[@drez20001]

Yes. It can be a little crunchy for a while until it smooths out.

[@grumpydude1598]

thank you, are you still using it?

[@drez20001]

I enjoyed building the MPCNC, it's a really cool design and can do a lot of fantastic projects. For my usage I wanted a CNC that was a little more beefy so I used some of the MPCNC 3d printed parts and designed my own CNC. The CNC that I built is definitely on the odd side but works well. Here's the FrankenCNC I built: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqGwdpSVqbeeo8k

[@sanket834]

Ok I fucked up extremely nicely . NONE Of my steppers are working. I have a 24v supply with 4.25A . I have mach 3 with tb6560 and nothing is working

[@klemenpetrovcic3737]

What dimensions did you use? Looks very nice.

[@drez20001]

Thank you. The cutting area was approximately 2'x3'. For rigidity though I'd recommend making it smaller.

[@klemenpetrovcic3737]

I'm attempting to build a simmilar setup like yours. According to the video, the DIP switches are set to 25% for the current setting, 25% for decay mode, and 1/2 microstep setting. Is this correct or did you found out that something works better, if set differently? Thanks.

[@drez20001]

Yes, that's where I had mine set. It worked pretty well for the projects I was making. Every machine has it's own feel though so you may want to tinker around a bit to see what works best for you. Thanks for your comments.