I am looking for used dot matrix printers. If you are in Winnipeg, I will pick them up. If you are kind enough to mail them, contact me (alex@flyinglow.ca) and I'll provide an address.
I have started many projects. Some I have even managed to finish. Some have been put on hold, possibly indefinitely until such time as I figure out how to finish.
A few months ago, I started to build a plotter out of Lego with the NXT Mindstorm as the brains. The goal was to try and avoid a belt drive or screw drive mechanism and see if an articulating arm would be accurate enough. The mechanical engineering process was a learning curve, and the project has seen be cannibalized for other purposes.
This week, I have started building a CNC machine.
I am following the information found on these two sites, and will probably end up with a desk top model similar to the Linux based unit.
http://buildyourcnc.com/default.aspx
http://www.lirtex.com/robotics/diy-cnc-machine/
Progress so far is the cage that holds the router.
I have started many projects. Some I have even managed to finish. Some have been put on hold, possibly indefinitely until such time as I figure out how to finish.
A few months ago, I started to build a plotter out of Lego with the NXT Mindstorm as the brains. The goal was to try and avoid a belt drive or screw drive mechanism and see if an articulating arm would be accurate enough. The mechanical engineering process was a learning curve, and the project has seen be cannibalized for other purposes.
This week, I have started building a CNC machine.
I am following the information found on these two sites, and will probably end up with a desk top model similar to the Linux based unit.
http://buildyourcnc.com/default.aspx
http://www.lirtex.com/robotics/diy-cnc-machine/
Progress so far is the cage that holds the router.
I have mounted a Lego NXT motor to test the threaded rod. Here's a shot looking down - note the white messy plastic where the bolt passes through the lower plate. I used a small torch to heat a nut that was threaded to a bolt and then when the nut was screaming hot, I pressed it into the plexiglass.
Also, plexiglass is great for lining up holes when you aren't very good at measuring things...
Seems to work pretty good!
BTW, I did run a brief test with the roto tool (Dremel - knockoff) resting in the cage, however, the rubber hose that joins the lego shaft to the bolt slipped off.
