need some suggestion to DIY a drilling machine.

[DreamCat]

I often make single side pcb to test and learn some circuit for myself, but two much hole need to drilling, I only have a small hand-held electric drill and can't get vertical hole. so I think diy a cheapest drilling machine, use the PCB EDA software export these holes coordinate to implement automatic drilling.

how can I select the material can get low cost ?

the maximum diameter is 1.6~1.8mm.

[Redhouse]

I have nothing to do with this guy, but I've seen his machine and it works well for PCB drilling.

He calls himself Bluumax, and possibly has the least expensive alternative to a full-on CNC routing/drilling machine:

http://www.bluumax.com/PCB_Drill.html

he also runs a Yahoo support group on it so you can go there and see what other people are saying about these machines:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bluumax/

[DreamCat]

I want make a little machine and place it on my desk.
and I decide use synchronous wheel and belt, I don't know how to call them in english.
here is a picture for it:

[oldvan]

I've always referred to them as "Cogged Belts" and "Cogged pulleys."

[Ichan]

I called them Timing Belt and Timing Pulley.

Online store in here https://sdp-si.com/eStore/

-ichan

[DreamCat]

Timing Belt and Timing Pulley , thanks

does it can use on my machine?

[oldvan]

does it can use on my machine?

Such pulleys are often used for just that purpose.
I'll be ordering 3 sets of these for the machine I'm working up:


It'll be a monster, the X and Y will be a larger one of these:

Weighs in at over 200 pounds.  I've got it disassembled and soaking in kerosene
right now to remove many years' worth of buildup of grease and grime.  It has just
a few patches of rust, I plan to remove them electrolytically when I'm done
de-greasing it.

Gantry and Z axis will be I beam and 1.5" linear rods/bearings.

Spindle will be interchangeable between router, rotozip type tool, electric engraver,
and slower sturdier, depending if cutting, engraving or drilling and the material to be
worked: wood, plastic, aluminum or steel.

Why so crazy heavy and awkward?  Money is record slow right now so I'm using the
parts I have accumulated over the years.  When completed it should be rock solid,
accurate, repeatable but slow.

As I get pictures and progress on this build, I'll start a thread here and share my
experiences.

[sphinx]

i made a simple sketch where yoou use two V shaped profiles where the drillhead is placed that is connected to square tubes that fit within each other that are used as a movable connection from drillmotor to drillhead, you can allso put
drilling machine where drillhead is so no need for any type of tubing, as sliding on v shaped profiles u can use either plastic or smaller ball bearings, this type i have seen on some of the diy cnc machines seen here on forum

regards

[DreamCat]

I mean to use Timing Belt and Timing Pulley build X and Y axis drive, I am worried that its accuracy. I saw the ink-printer using it, so I think it should be able to meet my requirements.

btw, to drill a 1.8mm hole on pcb, which kind of motor I should select?

I searched a good article:
http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/automation/publications/papers/amv.pdf

[Cortex]

My pcb printer has a motor of 60000 RPM , however while drilling the wholes the speed drop to 25000 rpm . You Z Axys need to be very slow to not break the drilling tool

[oldvan]

Most commonly for axis drive a stepper motor is connected to a lead screw.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadscrew

or a ball screw.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballscrew

For directly moving the axis, a belt will stretch under tension and result in poor repeatability.

[DreamCat]

but Leadscrew or Ball screw is expensive, if I use them, nearly to make a CNC.

[sphinx]

it also depends on how accurate you want your machine to be, you can substitude it for a threaded bar
and a bolt, you can allways look for old machine parts where you can find all kinds of stuff you could be able to use, just use your imagination there are allways solutions for you, in the end it depends on how accurate
and what finish you want from you object youre making. you might find what you look for where you least expect it

regards

[oldvan]

Flatbed scanners and dot matrix printers often have precision rods and brass bushings in them,
also a decent source for stepper motors, power supply transformers, etc.

Some of the old heavy duty duty printers had ball screws to move the carriage.

There are some bargains on eBay for lead screws with nut.

[MoarK]

Dreamcat - I wasn't a member to reply when you wrote this post so I'm a little late to reply.

Threaded rod from the hardware store will easily  resolve 1/1000 of an inch. The accumulated error on 1/2 inch threaded rod is +- .007 inch over 12 inches (according to the man at Taig, who makes mills and lathes - but he uses precision threaded rod in his mills, which are very very good desktop mills)

Also, adjusting for backlash is very easy to do on a threaded rod. One common way is to split the nut and set a screw so it can be clamped tighter as it wears.

There is no more economical way to solve your problem than threaded rod, imo.

Posted on: July 14, 2010, 09:30:44 09:30 - Automerged
Also - you might consider using a cordless drill for the spindle and chuck. All the voltages are in logic supply region.
On my lathe or mill, the Jacobsen speed-chuck - well, I can't measure the runout so it's less than .001 on the end of @ 1 inch bit. I use it with .005 drill bits and that's not how I break them all - I do that by dropping a coffee cup on the desktop or something and destroying a dozen at once...

[ktek]

I have found much usefull this

http://www.cncitalia.net/forum/