OLD CNC template cutter project
garyg
Posts: 420
Every day lately, my attention is diverted to the boneyard in my computer room.
Back in the 1990's, I built a project for cutting templates to be used in making inlays for tables I was making for
my kids.
Basically it's a DIY CNC type template cutter.
The CNC was fabricated using components and drives from a toy kit called a Neuractor.
The CNC was improved by adding linear bearings.
The computer that drives it is an old Emerson 286 computer running Dos 6
The graphics program that I used to make my drawings was Generic Cadd 5 or 6.
I wrote a program that calculated the XYZ position moves in Qbasic, which I believe is not used by anyone anymore.
I would print my program to the CNC using HPGL code.
Does anyone think it would pay for me to clear out all the junk and hit the start button on the computer?
Back in the 1990's, I built a project for cutting templates to be used in making inlays for tables I was making for
my kids.
Basically it's a DIY CNC type template cutter.
The CNC was fabricated using components and drives from a toy kit called a Neuractor.
The CNC was improved by adding linear bearings.
The computer that drives it is an old Emerson 286 computer running Dos 6
The graphics program that I used to make my drawings was Generic Cadd 5 or 6.
I wrote a program that calculated the XYZ position moves in Qbasic, which I believe is not used by anyone anymore.
I would print my program to the CNC using HPGL code.
Does anyone think it would pay for me to clear out all the junk and hit the start button on the computer?
1024 x 768 - 82K
1024 x 768 - 90K
Comments
Enjoy!
Mike
That was just the nudge I needed to get me started.
It's Alive!
At least the computer
I'm not sure about the CNC because I don't have any flashing LED's etc on it.
The whirring floppy drive and old computer noises brought back memories.
I'll start clearing out the clutter and try moving the z axis.
I continue to use it frequently - even found a way using DOSbox to run it on the new PC's. I used Generic CADD and the Ah Ha Design CNC controller on my CNC. It was a great combination - I wish they were both still in the business.
It works, uses Windows 3.1 and has a 3.5" floppy drive that is still functional.
I'm thinking that the 3.5" floppy will be important if I need to transfer any files from my old 286 machine.
My Generic Cadd is version 6.1- that's when autocad took over the company.