I received some dual-pane windows for free and figured I’d build my enclosure using those for horizontal doors on all four side. Here are some details…happy to share more.
The windows were quite a pain (pun intended). They have channels where they slide up/down, so I had to use my router to flatten out the rails. It’s not the prettiest enclosure, but it should be fairly well sealed to keep the noise to a minimum. Once I move I’ll finish it all off nicely by gluing it all up, filling, sanding, and painting.
Software wise, I bought Vectric Desktop. Only bad thing is the 24"x24" limitation. I’ll start small with my project and will upgrade when I’m more ambitious. I’ve been building projects for a few months now and it’s very easy to use. Now we’ll see if I can actually cut out my project successfully! I’m taking leave on Friday so I have a long weekend to play. My first project will be the name plate for my CNC. I’ll post that product to this thread…regardless of how it turns out.
I built it on a KREGS 4’x6’ table.
Plywood table top is 54" wide by 72 inches long. Actual enclosure measurements are W: 52" D: 54" H: 28". I wanted to ensure I had room for the dust boot when I eventually move to a place with more than a single breaker with 15 amps (UGH!).
I tried to use lessons learned from multiple enclosures and table tops I’ve seen. I upgraded the router cord to improve cable management on the X. I have a 18mm x 25mm drag chain I just installed for the router power cord.
I had to move my controller box to the left side because the X and Z cords are very short. ADVICE: buy the longer cables!!! Now I need to go back and order a set because I “assumed” they’d be long enough for my plans.
Tonight I made my spoil board surface paths and I’ll run them tomorrow. I made a 8" x 8" test to use on some MDF before going with the full run. I’m using the Freud 1 1/4" (16-106) mortising bit to surface it. Fingers crossed it all goes well so I can start making things!
Thanks for sharing your plans Bryan. I ordered my 1F a couple weeks ago so I’ve got a few months to get ready. You mentioned an option for longer cords. Did you buy them from Onefinity as I didn’t see that as an option when I ordered mine on Feb 15?
Thanks
Mike
The cables are long enough if you are placing the controller near the rails. For me, I wanted the controller mounted on the front of my machine so the e-stop is right in my face. If you look closely at this picture you’ll see the holes under my touch screen where I had it before realizing I had a problem with the X and Z cables. Y1 and Y2 were fine.
No problem. I ordered them to provide flexibility of design once my machine arrives. To be honest the thought of multiple connections, in any wiring application, bothers me a little - well maybe a lot. So, I have in mind to perhaps disassemble them later, and use one new long cable made with the leftover connecters and new cable (I think some forum members have done this as well). It helps that the pins are not soldered, which I plan to do though in the cables that I will eventually make.
I prefer a very clean look, which is why I planned to put the machine vertically in the middle of the left panel and run all cabling straight down and under the table where I can coil up extra length nicely. Of course keeping data separate from power cords. That birds nest is driving me insane, but it’s just for testing right now.
I will have to disassemble everything in ~8 months when we move to the N. Austin area after I retire from USAF. Hopefully I’ll have a big garage or a nice workshop. Then I can do a final assembly, seal up the edges, install a dust collection system etc.
My plans are to install a dust collection adapter right in the center of the top panel so I’ll have just enough hose in the cabinet to cover the routers full travel. I plan to use a smaller diameter hose. Eventually I’ll upgrade to a spindle after I’ve got many hours of experience and I have 220v circuit.
You’ll have to post your new cable project. I’m not a huge fan of an extension cable adding another connector, so I’ll revisit when I do my final reassembly. I’ll ensure the extension connector is stabilized under the table rather than inside the drag chain to minimize the risk of intermittent disconnections over time.
i love to see the repurposing of items , save on landfill use!!! the enclosure is looking great,the access to all four sides is fantastic. thanks for photos they offer so much clarity.
I’ll have to do a sound test with the “window” open vs. closed to see how much quieter it is. I also used 3/8" window seal stripping to make it as air tight as possible. If it’s still roaring load (I’m in a town house with my neighbors living room on the other side of my 1-car garage) - I’ll get some sound deadening blankets to throw over it.
That makes sense and thanks for sharing the pic of the enclosure, I really like your design. So did you end off buying your extended X and Z cables from OneFinity?
@Houndy - Yes, I just ordered the 4 foot extensions. Once I get those I can put my controller back where I want it and route the cables as I originally planned.
I just finished my first project, a name plate for my OneFinity. It’s named after the main robot protagonist V.I.N.CENT, in first movie I remember seeing in the theaters as a kid…The Black Hole. I added the little nc to his name to make it unique.
Action shot:
And the final product:
I learned a lot while making this. Details matter, but don’t waste time on high-res details it it’ll never even show up on the final product. I spent many hours in VCarve fine tuning lines that I should have just deleted. Take the central TV on his chest for example. It’s comprised of a 23x19 grid of squares and took 13 minutes to cut out. The result, a minor texture is all that remains. And the name plate on his chest…all lost.
I also did not use my calipers to measure the thickness of my MDF. Turns out it is about .8, so my .755 depth of cut out was not quite enough.
Oh - and the enclosure is a huge success in cutting down the noise. I measured it as 82db with the front door open and 60db with it shut. I’m sure my neighbors appreciate that!
Overall I’m exceptionally proud of my first project. I’ll permanently affix this name plate to the right side of my machine.
Looks good Bryan. We just got our machine yesterday and are up and running. Here is a couple pics of our enclosure and cutting the holes in our waste board. Unfortunately we didn’t get the dust boot in the shipment but we couldn’t wait!
