Three 232-180-DB's getting a little morning Mendocino sun before their long, long flight to Bangalore
Three 232-180-DB's getting a little morning Mendocino sun before their long, long flight to Bangalore.


CNC Retro-Fit Links
Some paths from durge to joy!

Bookmark this site ... it changes often.


A Brief CNC Retro-Fit Overview <> A Little Gallery <> Mail Bag <> Library


You may need to do an extra click on your browser's 'Back' button to return from visiting logged sites. Thank You!

Finally, got a little time to start and open the New Motors & Drives Library
New! 10x microstep feed/speed charts for 5 pitch, 10 pitch, & 20 pitch leadscrews!
Now you can get 0.5 micron and 1.0 micron resolution with 1mm and 2mm ballscrews!
Some notes about motor sizing and electrical inertia by the site author.
So, how the heck did this page get started, anyway?

Stepper Motors

KEY: m=stepper motors; 2=2 phase; 3=3 phase; 5=5phase; d=driver boards/modules; c=driver chips;
v=high vacuum (outer space/submicron machining); s=software

Sanyo Denki America m, 2, 5, v, d, c; makes some 800 plus models.
S.D.A. Internet Distributor (author's new site) 80 of the most popular Step-Syn "H" Hybrid Series motors are now In Stock for immediate delivery. 4.4 oz/in through 2,690 oz/in.
Compumotor m, 2, 5, d, s; has a couple of excellent stepper videos for the asking. Highly recommended, especially for math & science teachers. Makers of the "Zeta" Drive.
Pacific Scientific m, 2, 5, d, s; has Win95 sizing software for download. Excellant!
Oriental Motor m, 2, 5, d;
Empire Magnetics m,v; makes high end steppers for special environments.
Berger Lahr, m, 2, 3, d; Excellent on-line stepper tutorial.
API Portscap m.
Rorze m, 2, 5, d
Warner Electric m.
Japan Servo m, 2, up to 187 oz/in.
Mondo-tronics has peanut size steppers for miniaturized robotics.
M.A.E. m; is located in Italy.
Shinano Kenshi


Kits & Plans!

A new section.

Machine Tool Camp; Scott Scott Kauphusman's licensed CNC Router plans starting at about $90 US. The 4' x 8' quickly .. full info found at his site. Machine Tool Camp home M.T.C.

If you have kits or plans that belong here, write me at cnclinks@mendonet.com. This page got over 28,000 visitors in July and is very global. You don't have to be in the U.S., or even use my steppers (but "nobody beats me in the kitchen" :-). Drop me a line and tell me what yuh got. Someone out there must have a non-lame Bridgeport or mini retro kit. The path to their door will be well trodden.

Driver & Control Products

Alzanti is located in the U.K. Paul and I refer traffic back and forth "Across the Pond".
Anaheim Automation makes bi-level driver products, eliminating RFI problems sometimes associated with the chopper drive. Published prices.
Max N. C. has a nice little package with 3 motors, driver board, and software for under $260. For $1,300, they make (USA) a nice little 8" x 5" x 6" cnc mill! Published prices.
Progressive Logic sells Sherline CNC retro-fits and kits. Published prices.
Ahha! Ahha! yourself! Great site with lots of info, and published prices.
BackTrack Manufacturing sells Sherline CNC retro-fits. Published prices.
Arrick Robotics makes P.C. based motion control systems and robotics. Published prices.
Oatley Electronics, located down under in Australia, offers some low cost driver kits statting at about $AUD16. Published prices.
Servo To Go puts eight axes on one ISA board ... now about that robot ... Published prices.
Super-Tech has a nice site with LOTS of photos. Published prices.
Computerboards makes ISA digital I/O boards from $49. Published prices.
Magna Associates makes RS-232 controllers. Published prices.
AMS Advanced Micro Systems
Intelligent Motion Systems
Lintech makes linear and rotary positioning systems with 200 to 26,000 pound capacity.
Centroid makes 3 different CNC control consoles.
Galil Motion Control has lots of neat stuff for industrial budgets on many board formats.
Netmotion is now the U.S. distributor for Rorze steppers and drivers.
J. R. Kerr makes servo controllers. RS-232/485.
Tech 80 makes two ISA bus controler boards.


Software

W98 OS programs have their priority set at compile time. Set your motion control (or any) program to HighPriority or even RealTime, with Prioset. If your box is burping on getting those step commands out, then give this a try. Free donationware, by Anders Petersson of Sweden. Prioset http://hem.spray.se/anders.peterson/ and also available at download.com.

Blue Collar Linux has LOTS of great Linux stuff.

Linux CNC Org is Home for users of the Enhanced Machine Controller -- EMC

Phil Cobbin has some Linuxware called CNCMILL, 4 axis GCODE compiler and stepper controller, available for free download. Released under the GNU Public License, his version requires an RTLinux kernal. Visit Phil's site at cobbin.com

DAK's Turbo-CNC software Supports 8 axes simultaneously, angular or linear via your parallel port(s), 20 tool offsets, using standard EIA274D G code (DOS). Freeware! C source code is on-line to promote colaboration and porting to Linux.

Pick up a freeware copy of [the late] Kevin Carroll's Stepster and its source code!

The latest iteration of Kevin's "Stepster", by Charles Gallo.

Martin de Roode of the NL has put up his Majopack engraving software, Free for the asking (downloading). Several Home Made CNC engravers examples.

Build your own Digital Readouts! DRO 4.0 software is free! Thanks Steve!
Another freebie, this web page allows you to type in a text, choose a font and get the resulting NC code mailed back to you!
Master5 CNC works in windows in real time with constant velocity ramping. $100.
Dan-Cam is shareware just begging to be ported into Linux.
Ability Systems makes Indexer LPT - software for CNC and robotic motion control. Published prices.
Deskam has Free Downloads of DeskEngrave, and four other CNC/DFX/G-Code software products ranging from $75 to $175.
Bob-Cad-Cam time tested now in both Win95 and DOS. $495.
Win PCNC from Bestsoft (Windows) $995.
A.S.M.E. Engineering and Software Database
Mastercam
WinCCI
P.C. Stepper Motor Robot Control Software
Engineering Software many disiplines.
Other Software Links


Encoders

U.S. Digital is home of the $39 shaft encoder.
The Encoder Installed

Plating

Caswell Plating has lots of kits for the hobbiest/small shop plater. Lots of info ... well worth the visit.
Stellar Solutions makes environmentally friendly citric acid based products for the passivation of stainless steel and is covered under ASTM A-967 for replacement of nitric acid methods used under the now obsolete QQ-P-35.
Anodize
Clarksonlab
metal-finishing.com
PCB Processing
Zipperling

Acme Lead Screws & Ball Screws

Kerk Motion <> Nook Industries <> Rockford <> Dynacorp <> Ball Screws & Actuators <> Warner
Thomson <> THK <> Fafnir <> Wedin <> NSK <> Star Linear <> Gortiflex Ball Screw Covers

Fasteners

Barnhill Warehouse has an extensive array, including .500/10p AISI 1018 acme.

Surplus

Texonics
Hi-tech Surplus

Mechanical Components

8020/Inc. <> Stock Drive Parts <> Pic Design <> MSC <> W. W. Grainger <> McMaster-Carr <> W. M. Berg
Martin Sprocket & Gear <> Boston Gear <> Lots of Links <> Metal Mart

Technical Information

How to make a Simple CNC Machine
Printer Port Basics
More Printer Port Interface Stuff
Port Access Software has lots of free and shareware i/o dll's etc. for interfacing cpu with port.
From Soft Circuits, a free win95io.dll for VB/32 text download (2k)
Lakeview Research
Units Converter Requires Java
Tutorial by Douglas Jones
Tutorial by Steve Jennings
Tutorial by Tony Mercer Bowden's Hobby Circuits Lots of Stuff!
Power Supply Page Lots more Stuff!

New Machines & Parts

South Bend Lathe has parts for your South Bend; still makes their venerable 10" Lathe.
Clausing Industrial carries parts for your Atlas and Craftsman Commercial lathes.
Jet Equipment and Tools
Logan has repair parts and accessories for Logan Lathes and Wards Lathes.
Sears Craftsman Parts1-800-366-PART (1-800-366-7278)
Harbor Freight <--> (DAK's Lathe Retro)
Unimat
Shop Task
Grizzly Industrial
Sherline Products
Monarch Machine Tool
Hardinge Brothers
Ingersoll
Digital Systems

Used Machinery

Meridian Machinery
Paramount Machinery's current inventory list.
Anchor Machinery

Drive & Control Chips

Who's makin' em
Allegro <> Performance Motion Devices <> National <> Fairchild <> Harris <> Ericsson <> Motorola
Unitrode <> Sanyo Denki <> SGS-Thomson <> International Rectifier <> E-Lab <> MicroChip <> Micrel
Phillips/Signetics <> Texas Instruments

Distributors & Locators
Allied Electronics <> Digikey <> Nu Horizons <> Arrow <> Mouser <> Newark <> MCM Electronics
JDR Microdevices <> Jameco <> Avnet <> Pioneer-Standard
PIK Power <> Marlin P. Jones <> Sterling/S.I.E. <> Allcorp <> BG Micro <> Debco <> Questlink

Art & Inspiration


"Sunwater" by Bruce Shapiro, CNC Engraving On Aluminum



Marty Harper's Jesus done in Marble


Links, Message Boards, News Groups

Boon Dog Automation
rec.crafts.metalworking
alt.machines.cnc
dejanews
Wahoo's CNC Machining & CAM site
Stepper Motor Message Board.
Home Machinist Message Board.
Machinists Employment Network
CAD/CAM World
Nuts & Volts
Toolcenter Message Board.
Modern Machine Shop On-line.
Metalworking FAQ
The Home Shop Machinist On-line
Simtel ftp site
Mr. Bills (brushed servo advocate) cnc links.
Village Press On-line.
metalworking.com
Metal Web News
EIO Stepper Forum
An excellant Stepper Motor tutorial at Berger Lahr.

Another excellant stepper motor tutorial by Douglas W. Jones.
Animated Stepper

How this page got started!

This was a bare bones page which started out as my personal bookmark page for several cnc retro-fit projects on legacy machines. I cleaned it up and put it on my server as an aid to other folks interested in doing similar projects. This simple page can save you hundreds of hours and dollars. As a consumer I saw a glaring void that made getting the parts for a project way too much of a hassell.

I figured I could do better. I hooked up with Sanyo Denki and marketed drives to fulfill that need. I have not removed any links from above (except for the drive store) as this is still a public service page. Actually, keeping the links in place to what might now be loosely described as "competitors" keeps the page honest, and that works just fine for all the right reasons. Please feel free to send your Comments and Suggestions for additional links to resources pertinent to these endeavors.

Thanks for visiting ... and good luck with your project!




I hate banners ... thanks for dropping down! If you need some motors
and/or want to vastly simplify getting 0.0001 resolution, please visit my
S.D.A. and microstepping Sites. Lots of info, even has prices!




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