A hobby is supposed to be relaxing. It calms us and fills our dead time. I have a hobby that frustrates the crap out of me. I'm into CNC machines. Computer controlled metal mills and wood routers. At the moment I'm taking a break. There are put-the-hammer-down moments and a balky computer is begging for a new life. I'll get er done somehow though. Heh, CNC as a hobby. You spend a LOT of time learning and doing research. Anyone can program them. It's babbling easy to do. My Hobby takes me so much further though.
Thu motors are special and their name is "stepper motor." They don't spin when you power them up. Nope there are 200 magnetic poles that act as detents and the motor spins by progressively energizing four electromagnetic fields. This pulsed turn method (200 pulses a revolution) of motion make them ideal for open loop control of machines. In order to make them move they need a small fist-full of electronic components and knowledge how to put them together. Thank goodness there are Hobby stores that sell the things completed already.
I'm finishing up my first built from the ground up CNC wood router. It's called a JGRO and Youtube has tons of examples if you're curious what they look like. On top of learning G-code, electronics (and how to solder little things into little spaces) you get to also learn how to be mechanical. Then there is learning to be a woodworker too. Gosh,I'm just full of fun. LOL
I'm close on to bringing the router to life. Just having a problem loading a Linux operating system to an old Dell. I ran into a GRUB error so switching out the hard drive. Did I mention building and trouble shooting computers on the list? Anyhow, I finished the control box electrics and electronics, and have the motors mounted and hooked up. I'll spare this hard-drive's life, but it is getting sent to the corner.
I think I'll explain someday why I'm bald and other things.
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4 comments:
What a consuming hobby. I like to mess with mechanical stuff, computers, boy toys, too, but nothing like that. I fixed my hair clippers the other day - bad power cord.
That was very interesting, huck. Thanks for sharing such detail. I'm not exactly sure of everything you said, but when you explained the motors, I couldn't help but equate it to the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) in France. That huge thing is run on alternating magnetic power.
I baked some Italian Brat buns and made homemade spaghetti sauce yesterday, which I chalked up to edible hobby. Looks kind of pale next to your accomplishments.
Next time something is broken, I think I know who to call... :)
Huck: I suspect your talking about a four pole permanent magnet motor? The company I worked for so long got into the four pole motor business probably 10 years ago, and honestly had fits trying to make them efficiently. Perhaps you should look into patenting your idea, and ultimately marketing your machines for the REALLY devout woodworker etc.
I wish. I am a straggler behind the herd. It's a booming hobby for nerds of all persuasions. I've been sitting designing an oval air cylinder for an auto draw bar. It will fit much better than anything designed to date. If it works, cool, share the design. If it don't, I learned some. One of my sweetest memories of the Wx is her exclamation, "Oh god, not another expensive hobby!" Hopefully this one will pay for itself over time.
If you want to wander through a candy store of hobby interests, go hit CNCZone.com. All sorts of flavors.
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