Prototyping jig for coil building

[Charles (Upstate NY)]

Finally finished the cnc mill and I think my first project is going to be a kind of electronic prototyping board for winding/testing different sized coils. The computerized mill can drill a zillion hole patterns with a high degree of accuracy, thinking about one prototyping board for double D and one for concentric with hole patterns from maybe 5 to 18 inches. Anyway thought I would share some pics of this beast.

[Carl-NC]

Re: Prototyping jig for coil building




Very nice, Charles! What CNC conversion kit & software did you end up getting? My dad has a nice Enco mill I think I can talk him out of, would be nice to convert it to CNC, though I have no idea what I would use it for. It would also be a long-term project... heck I can't even get a vacuum former built, all the material for it has been sitting in my basement since last fall.

--Carl

[Charles (Upstate NY)]

Re: Prototyping jig for coil building

Quite a few places make kits for those Enco mills. I purchased mine from www.industrialhobbies.com but its for a dovetale column mill, the enco you have is a round column. IH is developing a kit for the round columns though so you might want to send them an email if you decide to pursue it.

LOL on the vacuum forming machine, mine is stacked in a pile of parts in the garage also. I have abandoned it at the moment in favor of machining coils on my cnc mill.

The current vision is, machine an inner coil disk with slots for the windings. Wind the coil right on the disk and leave it there, sheild and secure this in an outer machined coil shell.

The cnc mill and CAD/CAM software offers the accuracy to do something like this. It eliminates quite a few steps and problems from the vacuum formed shell method. The CAD/CAM software is awesome, I can draft a coil in a fraction of the time it used to take me by hand.

I purchased two software packages, OneCNC CAD/CAM software (does 3D solids and surfacing) and Mach2, that controls the mill. OneCNC to design the part and generate the G-code file, Mach2 runs the G-code file and mill. Mach2 is like a software version of the mill control panel (buttons, knobs, etc) that you see on a big cnc mill like a Hass.

There are lots of options for CAD/CAM software, from $300 to $30,000. You get what you pay for, my particular budget limited me to OneCNC which goes for about $4,500 but I got a special deal for $1,800. Still a huge dent in the wallet. Mach2 is only $150.

[FJ]

Re: Prototyping jig for coil building

I built a CNC router mostly from pieces and parts I bought off of Ebay. I draw my parts in Autocad, save as a DXF, and use Mach2 to convert to Gcode. Don't know if you have had a chance to play with Mach2 but it is very nice software. I used several different versions of competing software and Mach2 beat them by far, and the price is right. I got support while setting it up from the author and he was very responsive and helpful. Can't say enought about my satisfaction with the product...probably because of all the frustration I had until I found that software. I have used my cnc router to make panels for my detectors out of aluminum and tow fish parts out of PVC sheets. Didn't think about making a coil with it. Good luck and take care,
FJ

[RICH CHRISTENSEN]

Re: Prototyping jig for coil building

I'D LIKE TO HEAR HOW YOU GOT ONECNC FOR 1800.00?
WHAT VERSION????? POOR MAN WITH BIG IDEAS.....