Finishing up

The first big announcement is the success of the subtractive tool. Using Fusion 360, I made some GCode files, and machined some shapes out of balsa wood. The parts turned out really well, mostly limited by my knowledge of CAM. Currently I am just using the battery on my dremel, but I have the parts to power and control it from the printer. It is certainly no high end CNC machine, but it works well. I set it to use very slow feeds, because the spindle is relatively slow, and the frame is not rigid at all. This is a great proof of concept, and I'm very excited about this.

I have also completed the second version of my tool rack. The new rack is modular. Two rows of holes allow for holders to be attached along the length. Using the narrower V2 tools, it can easily fit all three tools I have, and probably up to 5. The modular design is also great because it can be printed in smaller parts, and can be changed without reprinting the whole thing. The parts have nuts inserted during the print, and so they can be attached and removed easily and repeatedly, without the holes wearing. Another big success.

I have also made progress with software. I regularly have to modify gcode files manually for various reasons. Using the tool changing requires extensive modifications, which can fortunately be semi-automated. I have started a tool I call GBang, which will allow for "smarter" GCode. GBang is an extension of GCode, in which python can be inserted. I named it GBang, because the inline python is noted with an exclamation point, or bang. I am still working on it, but my goal is that I can insert a block at the beginning of exported gcode files to implement tool changing, and perform other changes at a higher level than raw GCode.
Overall this project is nearing completion for the semester. The final time will be committed to cleaning up, and making a demonstration project.