I have made this thread in an effort to save inexperienced builders the trouble of tracking down all the information and files necessary to feel comfortable completing a lower.
*Disclaimer - I myself am completly new to CNC milling and only a novice at 3d printing. I have only gotten as far as assembling the frame and wiring harness. Despite this I hope complete my build soon and consolidate/document all the information to make it more clear to those of us that are new. I will update this guide periodically. If anyone has corrections or useful information please post it here or PM me.
> Acquiring Parts
For the time being the only way to obtain a Flex is to either source the components yourself or track a complete build/kit down from a 3rd party. EEM-LLC the only remaining project dev I am aware of used to sell kits on ebay until they decided to shut him down in May, he has not posted since. (See thread:
https://ggflex.forumotion.com/t77-ebay-kit-sales) For now EEM-LLC's github containing the relevent build info is still available. At some point I will make a few batches of 3d printed parts to sell at cost since my printer is usually idling these days anyway. Hit me up if you are considering a build and I can fasttrack this.
Build materials and assembly instructions:
https://github.com/EEMLLC/GGFlexhttps://mega.nz/file/oFhSyQ4Q#9o0CR1XwLuBN63YGJBHIiONxw8NjERQTSqFeIg5mIZk (git backup)
*3d printable cornerbrackets are now available on the github which can be stronger/more accurate than using aluminum L brackets.
** A couple of M5 screws may be missing from ebay kits (can someone confirm witch?)
*** Basic tools including metric hex wrenches and a square are required.
**** No power supply mentioned in BOM,
- EEM LLC wrote:
- spoiler:
The Uno should be powered directly by the USB cable attached to the PC - just a redundancy that cuts power to the controller if the host is disconnected.
Coil voltage and stepper current curves are an extremely involved science, but the short of it is that they can usually be run on wide range of voltages, usually from around 2x their coil voltage rating to around 8x.
12V and 24V are gonna be the two standards for NEMA17's and machines in the FLEX's form factor.
Higher voltages are arguably more dangerous to people (not realistically a concern on these small electronics though unless you have a pacemaker or an extreme electrical sensitivity), and are more likely to fry 3.3V and 5V electronics if they become shorted for some reason. On the up-side, they are significantly more powerful at a given current, more energy efficient in terms of both the power supply converting wall power and the stepper drivers transmitting the current, and produce less heat at a given current.
12V is a long-held RepRap standard since it is found in most PC power supplies (this was the cheap, old-school method of sourcing a supply... pull one out of an electronics recycling bin or dead computer, even if the thing is 20 years old, the supply architecture won't have changed much!) and is marginally more safe. Five years ago, 12V brick supplies were also way easier to find around here than 24V (which is more of a European standard), but this isn't really the case anymore.
The short of it; basically any 12V, 5A or greater supply will work great. The CNC Shield accepts power through screw terminals, so you're gonna be stripping the ends and inserting them - so the plug or end connector isn't a concern.
To complete the build you will need to 3d print several components or source them from a service that will do it for you. Considering you are here building a cnc mill anyway I would assume you would enjoy having a 3d printer! These days they are very affordable and useful so there is really no excuse to not get one. If you are unsure about what to buy I would reccomend the Creality Ender 3 V2 off Amazon or Ebay, it is very cheap with decent quality and upgradabillity. I have made a guide if you are new to 3d printers here:
https://pastebin.com/siug9E00(or)
https://ghostbin.com/paste/dAigaEEMLLC has reccomended the following settings for PLA:
35-50% infill
195-205 degree hotend
50-65 degree bed
0.4 - 0.5 nozzles (in 0.15-0.25 layer thicknesses)
My Ender 3 V2 slicer profile:
https://mega.nz/file/RBpG1CAK#owEIsnyI2y0gB_n3DiHwnSyTEjK3s9CXJqZuQLhHino(works good for me but print some benchmarks of course first, see 20mm cube on thingiverse.)
> Asemmbly
* This is where the guide starts to become sparse. I will do my best to provide detailed instructions as I figure more out and update the guide.
** Working on some alterative limit switch 3d printable brackets (2/3 done). Will post in coming days.
Following the PDF provided should atleast get your frame built. Assembling the electronic harness is where it gets tricky... Please note that in step 2-3 when following the pdf that you cannot verify ddcut is installed (as far as I am aware) without having the cncsheild plugged in. (grbl nor ddcut will recognise any connections)
> Operation
* Coming soon - but for now here are some useful files:
AR-15 lower tolerances:
https://optimusdefense.com/image/data/docs/Optimus_AR-15_inspection.pdfUseful links:
https://github.com/grbl/grbl/wiki - grbl wiki
https://ghostgunner.net/downloads/ - GG downloads (ddcut/grbl etc)
https://pasteboard.co/Va4bfTL1p5fS.jpg - Useful pic in gg2 manual, axis orientation.
.dd files and models:
PM me.
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