12. Machine Design & Building

1. Positioning the Guide Rod in Mitter SAW

The smooth steel must be really tight as it can slip when cutting.

2. Cutting the Lead Screws with a Hacksaw

A hacksaw and a bench vise were used to hold the pieces while cutting the threaded rod without stripping the thread pitch.

1. Laser Cutting

This was used to cut the precise holes for the bed panels. It's general measurements were 346mm x 346mm. The parameters used for cutting were: Power at 70-60% and 25 mm/s. While the engraving parameters were 30-20% at 200 mm/s.

2. Table Saw Cuts

The layer of triplay was cut to size using the table saw. The general measurements were 310 mm x 310 mm. After the pieces were cut, they were sanded and assembled together.

1.Sketches & Concept

These first step to design the enclosure involved hand-drawn sketches that explore the overall shape, proportions, and layout. Thinking about the functional requirements and user experience was key in shaping the initial concepts. And led to the final concept which was: A enclosure with a lift-up front door for easy CNC access, a bottom drawer for tool storage, and acrylic windows on the sides and top for visibility during operation.

2.3D Model in Fusion 360

After the concept was finalized, I created a hybrid design in Fusion 360, allowing me to model composite parts and assemble them simultaneously. Which helps to achieve precise joinery and accurate cut layouts.

3. DXF Export VCarve Configuration

I exported the DXF and made workarea rectangles acording to the material I had. Then I loaded them into VCarve to configure toolpaths, depths, and profiling passes following week 7 workflow. The tool parameter were: 0.25 inch end mill, with a pass depth of 0.1 in, and a stepover of 40%. The spindle speed was set to 18000 r.p.m, a feed rate of 450 inch/min, and a plunge rate of 23.62 inch/min.

4. CNC Router Cutting

Most of the pieces were CNC cutted, especially because the windows had pockets for the acrilycs. The pieces that were not CNC cut were hand-cut with a panel saw

5. Panel Saw Cutting

The simplier geometries like rectangles and straight lines were cut using a panel saw.

6. Belt Sander

After cutting, all edges were sanded smooth with a belt sander, just in the necessary areas, because if you sand too much, you can damage the material or affect the fit.

6.2 Surface Prep

Some panels were addinionally sanded with 120-grit paper to remove machine marks and clean joint skins. For example, the edges of the acrylic windows were sanded to ensure a smooth finish before bonding.

7. Acrylic Windows

The laser parameters for 3mm acrylic were 70-60% at 25 mm/s. The cuted pieces were sanded afterwards because the fit was too tight.

8. Gluing Acrylic Panels

After the acrylic panels were trimmed and test-fit they were glued with clear epoxic adhesive. I used the JB WELD, clear weld one, it takes about 5 minutes to set.

9. Base Assembly

The base box was assembled using corner clamps to hold panels square and then fastened with #6 wood screws.

10. Tool Storage Drawer Box

The tool storage drawer box was assembled separately, with the front, back, sides, and bottom glued and clamped together.

11. Drawer Slides Installation

After the base part composites were complited, drawer slides (rails) were installed on the inside of the base cabinet and on the drawer box, ensuring smooth and aligned operation.

11.2 Drawer Slides Installation

40 cm bottom-mount roller slides were used, installed along the bottom center of each drawer with a self-closing mechanism.

12. Hinge Installation

Then hinges were installed along the idth of the lift-up front door, providing even support and smooth operation across the door's span.

13. Internal Mounting Platform

Lastly, an internal mounting platform was built and installed inside the enclosure to seat the CNC machine at the correct height.

Here is the final result of the enclosure assembly with the CNC machine installed