hacking a PCB milling machine to become a boot strap Dear all, as I am currently in China I think about buying this PCB milling machine and modify it to become a boot strap machine. [item.taobao.com] I plan to keep the 4 pol stepper motors, but replace the complete electronics and also add the opto end stops. Of course I would also need the extruder, but mechanical fixation seems to be easy to realize. What I am affraid of are the needed software adjustments for machine calibration. Could such a spindle drive with shaft joints be accurately controlled by the software? I probably would need add some code and compile it again, right? Please just help me to give a general estimation of feasability. Thanks in advance! Grettings from the middle kingdom, Peter https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,52616#msg-52616 Thu, 16 Jul 2026 22:46:11 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,75392#msg-75392 Re: hacking a PCB milling machine to become a boot strap https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,75392#msg-75392 Cynic General Mon, 28 Feb 2011 06:58:56 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,75295#msg-75295 Re: hacking a PCB milling machine to become a boot strap https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,75295#msg-75295
check out my just started blog (photo album): http://tangsob.blogspot.com/]]> tangsob General Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:59:28 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,52734#msg-52734 Re: hacking a PCB milling machine to become a boot strap https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,52734#msg-52734 -------------------------------------------------------
> Peter, where in china?
I am located close to Shanghai in Nanjing.

> Asia RepRap User Groups
>
> A few other questions:
> 1: What's the vertical clearance of that machine?
75mm. Maybe 65 mm with endstops. Should be enough for all mendel parts, right?

> 2: Are you buying anything from our Official
> RepRap-China Supplier™
I also saw this offer, but decided to save some money. ;)

> 3: What are the fastest traverses you can get with
> that machine?
Good question. Haven't thought about this. After online research for typical machines like this I would say up to 15mm/s. But I will check with the persons who sells the milling machine and give a more accurate value later. What is the minimum usable axis speed for printing? Is the quality increasing or decreasing with slower speeds? I am also worried that the complete different acceleration and deceleration characteristics might cause problems.

> 4: Have you thought about a WolfStrap?
Yes! If it is not possible to hack the milling machine, I would probably go for a solution like that.

> 5: Does it use unipolar or bipolar stepper motors?
The motor controller shows 4pins. So they are bipolar.]]> tangsob General Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:15:57 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,52729#msg-52729 Re: hacking a PCB milling machine to become a boot strap https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,52729#msg-52729 Asia RepRap User Groups

A few other questions:
1: What's the vertical clearance of that machine?
2: Are you buying anything from our Official RepRap-China Supplier™
3: What are the fastest traverses you can get with that machine?
4: Have you thought about a WolfStrap?
5: Does it use unipolar or bipolar stepper motors?]]> SebastienBailard General Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:08:15 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,52636#msg-52636 Re: hacking a PCB milling machine to become a boot strap https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,52636#msg-52636
Quote

I plan to keep the 4 pol stepper motors, but replace the complete electronics and also add the opto end stops.

Sounds like a good plan. You might want to keep the Stepper Motor Drivers as well and replace the central computing unit only.

Quote

What I am affraid of are the needed software adjustments for machine calibration. Could such a spindle drive with shaft joints be accurately controlled by the software? I probably would need add some code and compile it again, right?

Yes, you'd have to adjust firmware settings for your mechanics. A step RepRap's firmware is well prepared for. (Re-)compilation is also a commodity, as there doesn't even exist a binary distribution. Everybody is compiling, and it's only a matter of installing the Arduino IDE plus code download plus a few clicks: [reprap.org]]]> Traumflug General Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:42:08 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,52616#msg-52616 hacking a PCB milling machine to become a boot strap https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,52616,52616#msg-52616
as I am currently in China I think about buying this PCB milling machine and modify it to become a boot strap machine.

[item.taobao.com]

I plan to keep the 4 pol stepper motors, but replace the complete electronics and also add the opto end stops. Of course I would also need the extruder, but mechanical fixation seems to be easy to realize.

What I am affraid of are the needed software adjustments for machine calibration. Could such a spindle drive with shaft joints be accurately controlled by the software? I probably would need add some code and compile it again, right?

Please just help me to give a general estimation of feasability.

Thanks in advance! Grettings from the middle kingdom,
Peter]]> tangsob General Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:15:25 -0400