Stinger II 48x48 in motion

[Richard Link]

After a several month wait, a large crate arrived last week containing my new Stinger II 48x48 CNC router from CAMaster. I believe this is the first 48x48 Stinger II off the line, although Keith Outten's 36 x 48 machine was the first one delivered.

Due to some outside commitments, it has taken a week to get things set up. So far, I am extremely happy with the build quality and performance of this machine. It appears to have been well worth the wait, and the guys at CAMaster (and on the forum) have been great so far getting me up to speed.

Today, I attached and surfaced a new spoilboard using a 1.25" end mill. I used Mick Martin's technique. Only a few minor hiccups as I got used to the Mach3 controls. I'm essentially a complete novice when it comes to CNC other than some prior experience using the carvewright. This is quite a different animal....

The table and gantry all appear to be extremely solid (and heavy - weighs almost 1000lb). I originally had some second thoughts about getting the larger model rather than the tabletop version but no longer. It looks a bit squeezed into my small shop but I've got things arranged in a functional way at this point. Having the extra cutting area is going to come in very handy, and it makes a killer assembly table when not in use...

I posted a short video showing the gantry movement and spoilboard surfacing operation, if anyone is curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJnqIPWYWfI.

Looking forward to making some productive chips very soon.

Richard

[Mick A Martin]

Richard,

Congratulation on your new machine I think you needed a bigger delivery truck . Do you have a laser installed in front of your spindle?. Nice U-Tube video and good quality.

Mick

[james mcgrew]

is that a blum hinge boring machine in the back ?

machine looks great, you are gonna enjoy this!

[Keith Outten]

Richard,

Definitely worth the wait!!!

It looks like your machine was ahead of the front panel changes as mine was. They are now putting the stop button and the jack for the Z zero plate on the front panel so you can move the control box underneath the Stinger towards the back.

I made these changes on mine yesterday, i need to talk to Joey about moving the on/off switch.

Pictures are in the works.

Congratulations!
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[Richard Link]

Keith: Yes, I see what you mean about the front panel. As it turns out, because of my space issues, putting it on the front wouldn't be too good for my setup. What I really want is a remote "stop" or "pause" button that I could carry around the shop in my pocket. I might rig up something along those lines.

By the way, have you had any luck using the Z-pad to auto measure tool length? I've not been able to figure out a way to use it with Mach3. Have to keep at it and maybe get some input from Joey or Frank. Can you extend the length of that cord using a headphone extension cord?

Jim: Yup. That is a Blum minipress in the background with a line boring head. I just finished refurbishing it. As I understand, these units cost several thousand dollars new. I got mine for about $150 on CL from a nice guy and rewired it to a VFD for single phase power. All in all, I've got about $350 invested in a machine that would cost upwards of $4k. Its completely overkill for my needs but it was a fun refurbishing project to do while I was waiting for my big yellow monster.

Richard

[Richard Link]

Richard,

Congratulation on your new machine I think you needed a bigger delivery truck . Do you have a laser installed in front of your spindle?. Nice U-Tube video and good quality.

Mick

Thanks Mick. I don't have a laser on the spindle, although I've seen that done before and its a great idea. I was curious if that was what was mounted to the Stinger shown in Joey's spoilboard video. That stinger almost looks like an X2 stinger....Those guys keep innovating.

The spindle is unbelievably tiny but works great. I went with the spindle because of my concerns about noise - which is pretty funny in retrospect. My dust collector is easily 10x louder than the spindle and bit cutting combined!

Richard
Richard

[Nicholas Bukky]

Wow richard,
Your mini press looks great! I thought I got a steal on the one I just bought for $575!! Where and what did you do to refurbish it?

Sorry I know this is a thread about your stinger

Best,
Nick

[Richard Link]

The minipress was not in too bad a shape when I got it. Had some broken plastic parts, including the guard. Didn't come with a 7-spindle boring attachment, which I added (also bought for a steal on CL). Replaced the ram for setting hinges. I replaced the guard and rewired it for single phase 220V power with a VFD. All in all, not too much. $575 still sounds like a pretty sweet price for yours.

I envisioned using it for some hinges and for drilling shelf pin holes on projects that I don't make on the CNC. Its also nice to have a variable speed, pneumatically actuated boring machine for repetitive jobs (at least in theory). Just fun to mess with and hard to say no to a $4500 machine for $150 + some parts. It was also a good opportunity to delve into the VFD electrical world.

Richard

[Mick A Martin]

The spindle is unbelievably tiny but works great. I went with the spindle because of my concerns about noise - which is pretty funny in retrospect. My dust collector is easily 10x louder than the spindle and bit cutting combined!

Richard
Richard

I was told by others that the dust collection would make more noise than the router, I am in the process of extending my workshop. I am in a 3 car garage using one bay that is 16 feet wide by 36 feet deep. I am going to use the back section of the second bay just for the CNC's Stinger and Cobra X3. I intend to place the DC in a small enclosed area.

[Keith Outten]

Keith: Yes, I see what you mean about the front panel. As it turns out, because of my space issues, putting it on the front wouldn't be too good for my setup. What I really want is a remote "stop" or "pause" button that I could carry around the shop in my pocket. I might rig up something along those lines.

By the way, have you had any luck using the Z-pad to auto measure tool length? I've not been able to figure out a way to use it with Mach3. Have to keep at it and maybe get some input from Joey or Frank. Can you extend the length of that cord using a headphone extension cord?

Richard

Richard,

I have no idea how you could use the Z zero plate to measure tool length. I figured it was just capable to setting the Z height to the top of material.

Here is a picture of the emergancy stop button and the Z jack connector on the front panel.

[james mcgrew]

the "pad" (in wincnc) will measure two things,

1) lowbound z limit, this sets the low parameter for when the bit knows to go no lower (usually -.2 into spoilboard or so)

2) "touchtop" sets z at a set limit above the pad or "z"0, mine touches the pad when on top of work piece or spoil board (depending on my toolpath stategy) then retracts to .75 (or whatever it is set at) in wincnc this is known as soft limits and touch top is in macros,

discalimer do not change any of this in your ini files without some oversight

i have seen joey do this in mach yet i have little experience with it

ps richard you do not see a lot of minipresses in a garage, that is one industrial piece !

[Richard Link]

ps richard you do not see a lot of minipresses in a garage, that is one industrial piece !

Jim, clearly you recognize that I have some tool issues....LOL

Glad to hear about the z-pad. I got the option for that reason. I'm having few minor second thoughts about not springing for the WinCNC option, only because it seems to be the platform that the majority is using. Custom control screens for CAmaster, etc. Much of the message traffic is also on that platform. I do feel a bit "out in the wilderness" with Mach3. Perhaps we shall see some more info as more Stingers with Mach3 get into the wild. I realize that there are tons of users out there with Mach3 - just not so many Camheads...

Richard

[Mick A Martin]

Here is a picture of the emergancy stop button and the Z jack connector on the front panel.

Keith,

Nice modification for your Stinger II, make more sense to have the Z-touch plate where you work, along with the E-Stop.

The terms used in WinCNC:
Measure T1 = Place your Z-touch plate on top of the spoilerboard with your bit installed. As Jim stated this is your lowbound z limit, this is set and should stop your bit plunging into the spoilerboard.

Touch TOP = Place your work piece on top of the spoilerboard then place the Z-touch plate on top of your work. WinCNC knows the thickness of your touch plate (mine was .505" thick) then WinCNC will calculate 0 (zero) which then sets 0 (zero) top of your work piece.

Initialize = This set you X, Y and Z limits, every time I start my machine (the start of the day) I press this button to set my limits.

Use the buttons in the following order.

1. Initialize (only needed when you start your machine or if you ever have a problem like running your bit into the spoilerboard or you hit your limits)
2. Measure T1
3. Touch TOP

Mick

[Keith Outten]

I misinterpreted the tool length comment I guess if the idea is to be able to measure from the spoilboard to the top of the project material.
.

[Mick A Martin]

I misinterpreted the tool length comment I guess if the idea is to be able to measure from the spoilboard to the top of the project material.
.

Keith,

I don't know if I would call it measure, Touch Top only tells WinCNC to set the top of your project material to 0 (zero). This is the same idea as you posted a while back in "Super ZZero Jig" http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=125798 except the super Zzero can located a corner, which I think is a good idea.

Mick