Z axis for CNC mini mill

myminifactory

This is a model for making a Z axis for a CNC mini mill. I saw a mini CNC mill in a milling table, Dremel, and CNC shield that were lying around. To make a Z axis, I used square steel tube (20x20mm). The tubes are connected with 3D printed parts of ABS. The spindles and guiding rod are M8. Using the model "Nema 17 bracket for milling table," I connected the steppers to the milling table. For these brackets, please see https://www.myminifactory.com/object/52855. So, with these components, I made this mini Mill. The table can only move 80 by 80 mm, so it's not very big. If you use a bigger table, you can make the X and Y axis bigger. I used an Arduino Uno as my controller and a CNC shield with DRV8825 drivers and GRLB python script found on GitHub (https://github.com/grbl/grbl). I also used Universal Gcode sender for sending the Gcode. The Gcode and paths are created using Inkscape (https://inkscape.org/en/). My first test was on a MDF plate, but it didn't work well because I don't have the right milling bit for my Arduino. My second test was on an acrylic plate, but the milling bit did more melting than milling. I suppose I had to use cooling liquid. My third test was on an aluminum plate and that worked better except that my mini Dremel bit flexed a bit during milling. The fourth test was milling a PCB and it worked, but I have to improve my Gcode. So the mini mill works very well. My motors didn't skip any steps due to EMF frequencies coming from the Dremel brushed motor. I used a DIY mains filter for it. If you are interested in this mains filter feel free to ask. As a backup, I even had a 1:1 1KVA transformer ready, but I didn't need it. I didn't use end switches because they can cause EMF issues. Also, I didn't shield anything so less is more. For micro stepping, I had to settle on 4 micro steps for the X and Y motor avoiding. If you have any questions feel free to ask.