All the CNC Mill Hardware is In. Need to Put it Together...
Finally, all the hardware needed to control the motors for the CNC is in...
The power supply shown in this picture is only 12v 1.5A, which is really marginal for the requirements of the application (24v 3A is recommended). So such a setup would likely heat up (if not blow a fuse) under strain. I have ordered a bigger power supply (24V 6A) online but the 12V one was the only one I coulde find locally and should be sufficent for initial setup and testing.
To run all of these components, I will need a computer. Since the computer didn't need to be anything really powerfull, I looked at the local recycling shops. But at 200-300$, I thought I could do better (especially since I had a fair number of components around. I went to the local Fry's and got a cheap Case, Mobo and CPU. All the other components I already had. So this CNC controller computer came up to about $120.
As I am writing this, I am essentially installing the operating system and software on the machine. But now this leaves me with a question. How do I fit all the gear into a simple case.
I want to try and have everything inside a single box. So I need to fit 1 CDROM drive, 1 HDD, the motor controller board and the motor power supply. If it weren't for the CDROM/HDD, I could easily knock out the bays for these drives (which is still an option). I will likely start tearing the case appart later today :)