I mentioned the possibility of doing this in my custom build thread and a few people reached out and asked if I could follow through as it would help them on going down this journey.

for those interest here is my custom pinball thread
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/tube-time-custom-surfing-pin

So here is how I will do this, I will be documenting my build of my CNC set up which in itself is a custom build. I am sure I will come up against a few road blocks to work out and need to take some detours but the goal is to cut my own playfields. I am doing a Word document and will be keeping track of the progress and will update this thread once I finish each section and then I will progress to the next section. I will save this document as a pdf at the end and make it available as a compact manual for others to download if they want to go down the same path for this purpose. And there will be a bit of designing along the way and will share any design files as well.

Please ask questions, give advise if you can see a better way to solve one of my roadblock problems and follow this journey if you are interested.

And take the poll so I can see if people are interested and from what angle.

this is the game plan

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* 1. Reasons for Documenting

I chose to document this project to help others that are keen to get a machine but possibly too nervous of going down an unknown path that may appear a bit daunting. Therefore this project documentation may help others take that first step to head down this avenue of getting their own CNC machine and cutting their own Pinball Projects or for anything for that matter.

I don not have any affiliation with any of the noted companies and this is a documentation of my journey in which I am sure I will have a few challenges along the way and since it is a hybrid build, there is no guarantee that everything will work smoothly until the machine is set, debugged and running. So before jumping in yourself watch / read my build and see the results to then decide that you want to head down the same path. But I take no responsibility for costs and bugs / issues if you choose to jump in while I am still doing the build though I do hope this info helps others to decide what they want to do.

The guys in the US have public accessible hobby centres with machinery that they can access for an affordable fee but for us in Australia that is not an option so this is the next best thing.

no intention of selling, just build my own and play around, dare say there will be issues and the need to "MOD" my machine as well as pinballs.

how did your brothers venture go? What sort of machines?

* 2. The Hobby CNC Options

Due to my desire to make a custom pinball I wanted to get a hobby sized CNC so I can take control over cutting my own pinball playfield (which I will reference as PF from now on). I could send the work to someone else or do it myself and be able to make as many alterations that I wanted or needed as well as use for many other projects.

So in going this direction I weighed up some things before jumping in:

The positives:
- fairly compact (roughly 1000mm by 1500mm)
- fairly affordable (depends on what you go for)
- fairly user friendly (depends on what option you go for)
- affordable options use belt drives for X & Y axis movement, linear and screw drive is the preferred but there a size limitations and are a lot more expensive
machines can be customisable
- more accurate than cutting by hand and repeatable
- can take the same layout file and use towards the art side of the design

The negatives:
- does take up space if you are space poor
- will cut fairly slowly as basically the router used is a trimmer router
- could require some customisation to get the process area that you want and to make dust pickups but that is half the fun of this project

On doing research (November 2017) of the various machine / company options, I found these 6 to be on my short list:
- X-Carve by Inventables (US)
- Shapeoko 3 by Shapeoko (US)
- Stepcraft 2 - 840 by Stepcraft (German)
- OX CNC - makerstore (Australia)
- OX CNC - ooznest (United Kingdom)
- XYZ-Carve - 3DTek.xyz (Australia)

All the above are kit builds and price is a variable based on the time of research and where it has to come from.

* The X-carve is well known for the great support and awesome community of makers and is apparently a great machine and you can really vary your machine with many options and customise it as you go. You would have to upgrade the machine after purchasing so not a straight out of the box kit build as maximum size is 1000 x 1000mm size not process area.

* The Shapeoko is also well known for great support and great community of makers and apparently a great machine with v3 gaining a lot of improvements / upgrades. You would have to upgrade the machine after purchasing so not a straight out of the box kit build as maximum size similar to the X-Carve and the software looked good as well.

* The Stepcraft 2 is a great bit of machinery and is the step between hobby and commercial with a great design but is not customisable so would not do a PF in one go but allows for feed through work. The company was really good via email which is promising but the CNC programming looked a little over complicated especially for a person with zero experience.

* The OX CNC (Aus Option) is a Openbuild design machine that has been around for a few years and has some solid features with a few design floors as well but a good entry level machine. The company is a little slow on answers at the potential purchase stage. The machine design is customisable and it comes in a kit that can do a PF.

* The OX CNC (UK Option) is also a OpenBuild design machine as above but the companies owner has been proactive in identifying & strengthening up and improving the design in some areas and looks like an impressive upgrade of the Australia version. The owner was great in answering questions and helping out and also could ship parts separately to avoid customs charges.

* The XYZ-Carve is a take on the X-carve adopting a lot of the design and apparently improving the design in places though not staying up to date with some of X-carve’s recent design improvements. The company never replied to some questions on a few occasions and though very affordable and probably the best value for money an option that I struck off due to no communication.

yeah that happens and I better not do it as then I will look like a fool publically, lol - but then it will be a document of "What not to do"

* 3. The Decision

I chose to go for the following though was torn between a full X-Carve kit and the OX CNC but the import taxes were too much for the X-Carve:

- OX CNC (UK Option) - as it was more beefed up in design than the Australian option even though it lost some of it's Z Height process area I think it best suits my budget and what I want to do. I liked the little design upgrades and believe (hope) that it is stiffer than the Australian Options and the X-Carve. It was a little more expensive than the Australian options but I am happy with this decision. The frame may be different to the X-Carve but in the end is still a 3 axis bed CNC with dual motors on the gantry, both with some minor design flaws. This machine in the 1000 x 1500mm option is also the perfect size as a kit to cut a full standard width PF - though will not do a wide body playfield which I have not interest in doing.

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- X-Carve Controller - as it then links me to the X-Carve / Inventible community and gives me the upgrades in better power & control of the Nema 23 motors over the OX CNC machine option of controller. It is a slightly dearer way to go but it has some cool features all housed in one plug and play controller box and the Easel software is user friendly for the base entry people new to the CNC world and great for kids which I want to expose my kids to. Also Inventables just released an affordable option of using Easel Pro for 3D machining as a one stop shop approach and will all work running from a Mac and Windows.

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So my machine is now officially known as the OX-Carve (hybrid of the 2)

* 4. The Purchase Costs

I won’t do a cost comparison of the various machines as over time that will change and vary depending where you are purchasing from but all 6 options fall between the $1500 to $5000 AUD.

Below is my cost breakdown of my journey to help you determine if you want to go the same way.
- The OX CNC comes in silver anodised or black anodised, with all the parts to do the build, with NEMA 23 motors as the optional extra which to my surprise came with the wiring back to the controller. It does not come with the Controller, additional wiring, router or waste board.
- The X-Carve Controller can be purchased as a part on it’s own and I did purchase a router bracket to customise to suit the OX and a z probe tool height sensor and 3 homing switches.
- I purchased some parts through makerstore for the build - sensor cable, drag chain, and some t nuts
- I still need to purchase a spindle, waste board, cable for the router through the machine, router bits, and make a table for the CNC to sit on and be able to move around my small shed.

The purchase list will expand but should fall under the $3k - will update in a later post.

Otherwise that is it for the moment - when I get better I will go down to the shed and start assembling the mechanical kit.

Hope you enjoy ......

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the cost breakdown for uk and usd is what I paid and then I converted into Aus dollars in the far column so I can track my spend - it isn't both.

yes I have a 3d printer as well and haven't used it for about a year but sure to use in the near future for some of the custom pinball parts and maybe some temporary brackets for the CNC. They are temperamental and most of the issues for people are the first layer if the level is not perfect or the job releases during the job or the nozzle (blockages).

CNC's are simplier in my opinion, just bigger, louder & messier and operate opposite removing waste instead of building up the design. The main maintenance is keeping the belts clean from dust build up and grease on the lead screw and ensuring your machine is setup square (super critical).

I used to build Aus Made CNC's - Multicams as well as flat bed lasers.

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I was given a beast (not the one in the photo) of a US made tekcel and modded it up with modern gear (robot systems drive gear, motors, full wiring and aluminum vacuum t-slot table top) and silly me sold it (2011) to make room for pinballs and now I need and want a cnc again but want to go for a compact version. Since time is poor I opted for a bench cnc kit, and don't have the same access to machinery as I once did.

sd_tom that is a cool router and watched with interest but they are still way off selling outside the US unfortunately

Linolium nice work on full cnc range, and I too will one day upgrade to linear rails again and the Frozen pinball is cool. We definitely don't have deals like that on ebay or Gumtree (Craigslist equivalent)

vid1900 very cool and though there is a little loss of process area compared to the machine length, the gantry design is a great solution for stopping twisting of the router.

check this link out Zitt

https://discuss.inventables.com/t/auto-tool-changer-works-great/22518

made a start today, and ooznest does a great job of supplying everything in separate packaging / bags along with a nice glossy assembly manual, which is easy to follow

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I got the gantry together today and all set, instructions were pretty good though lacked in one small minor area (which you release later but you have to strip and rebuild part of the head) which I will capture in the pdf document at the end. Took about 4-5 hours just cruising listing to pinball podcasts - did a big catchup on "Pinball Profile" and a massive "Head2Head" episode

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The drag chain (20 x 25mm) came in from the Aus supplier yesterday so was able to tinker and now need to design some brackets that I will temporarily 3d print and will make the files (for free) and parts available on Shapeways once they are proven.
- 2 brackets for the X Axis drag chain
- 1 bracket for the X axis limit switch

these parts will help others go down the purchase and assemble path unlike my design and make then assemble path.

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overall the design is great for a belt and roller design, with no backlash or twist (yet)

been a bit caught up with being sick, doing site maps for work at home and then have to do one project to help another.

project 1 - re-arrange the shed to make way for a cnc table
project 2 - make a flip up cnc table
project 3 - complete the cnc

dam doubt I will be cutting a playfield in the next 2 weeks but got a week off soon and hope to be close to having the cnc at least running by new years and then back to work.

my workshop is small so need to make a drop down cnc table so if ever the car needs to go in it can as well as wheel games etc around.

the long section of workbench is already in place, just need to make the left hand side small one for the computer and cnc controls
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cnc bench will tilt up out of the way and front legs removed
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cnc / bench tilted out of the way with a white board underside for sketching ideas
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also have purchased a router and ordered a mount bracket and dust pickup which hopefully have by Christmas

I designed some 3d printed brackets for the X axis drag chain and X axis gantry stop - so will post photos and update the build manual when these come in

yeah the shaper origin is cool but restricted to the US at the moment.

I seen the kooky idea machine before - good for some things but not playfields etc.

my flip up when not it use will use a 2 x 4 ft foot print and when in use will use 4 x 5 ft foot print so a good compromise - just have to ensure there is no twist when in laying down position...

the oz cnc is quite a rigid little machine coupled with a 4" thick table frame - and when the machining state will have 6 points of support, it should be fine.

when it is in the down position I will be cutting everything over a few weeks and then tilt out of the way - that's the theory anyway

still a very clever idea - make sure to post some results after using it here in this thread, very curious..

- got the shed 90% re-arranged and will start on the cnc bench hopefully this weekend.
- got the router / spindle
- the router mount came from a guy in the US - really nice work
- the x-carve controller kit arrived yesterday as well
- and my shapeways drag chain custom brackets arrived as well - one needs a slight tweak in the design but is usable.

so most parts are here though sure I need some more drag chain and wiring

got a bit of time today to build the frame for the addition bench (lhs) and the flip up cnc table top - so far it is pretty sturdy and happy with it, once the sheeting goes on it will stiffen up and brace nicely then I can finish the cnc assembly

cnc bench down
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cnc bench up
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pretty sure it isn't Shark Island as the lip is normally as thick as what the tube is high. I surfed Shark Island in the late 80's and scared the crap out me - very heavy wave

photo isn't me but typical of the island
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body boarders love, but this is insane and breaks onto about 2-3ft of water over a rock platform
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got the bench tops on, handle, locking mech and a few other bits, setup the computer etc and then continued on with the cnc. I placed a whirlwind playfield on the cnc bed to check that it will cut a playfield - and then checked the router limits and max length that it will cut is 1295mm (close to 51 inches) in length and will do a standard and wide body playfield as 90's Ballys are 46 inches long.

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yes, got 5 inches to spare - so 2.5 inches at each end, bummer it misses by 15mm for the sides of a cabinet, but I will do a 2 stage cut

arhhh, there is going to be a whiteboard when the table is up so will do in the top corner lol

In the past when I had a beast 8x4' cnc I often used 1/4 ones and didn't break many - maybe your settings are too fast for the cutting

once the bench space is cleared a bit I will have a heap of room either side.

they are cool and was interested but they are not selling overseas

that happens, I remember when I had a big cnc my first cut was a nice big slot into the vacuum bed - it happens lol.

- I try and do most cuts with 1/4" cutter unless the radius is smaller bigger than 1/8" then I will switch to a 1/8" cutter
- where possible on smaller bits add a tab if possible, a little more cleanup but saves the cutters
- also check and control the final outer or inner cut direction (clockwise / anticlockwise) as this helps avoid the release of loose parts away from the cutter

I assembled the Inventables X-Controller which firstly I was unaware that it cam in pieces but it was a simple build though the on-line is better as a reference to assemble over the pdf download.

the parts before assembly
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comes with a e-stop
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usb plug in, start, pause and restart controllers on the controller
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opposite end has X, 2 x Y's and Z connection, along with 3 homing switches, tool height probe and a few others things that might be handy down the track
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because the drag chain and brackets comes as a optional extra I chose not to purchase as was not the cheapest and there were no photos of what it looked like or how to it fitted so I chose to get my own drag chain and designed a few 3D printed brackets (orange parts) which do the part and a lot cheaper. I will document where they fit and the settings in the document and not bore you here.
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the machine coming along and close to anchoring to the table this weekend all going well though going to be insanely hot this weekend so will see if I can be bothered. My router mount came in and is fitted to the front of the z axis
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Have a great new years mate as well too all pinsiders, pinheads (& surfers) and family

got the angle brackets and ground the ridges off
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these are to secure the table down the cnc frame to the bench top so I can flip up the table top - 13 in total (only bummer is that my hinge point is not out fair enough and when flipped up the z axis motor just rest against the wall, so needs another 50mm. For the moment it will stay down but will either make a stop to stop it from touching or move the hinge point but that is a bigger job now and too keen to get this running.
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got a sheet of clean knot free ply for the waste board cut to size - just need to drill the holes to then secure to the frame and fit a heap of tee nuts for clamp points
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also test fitted the router and vacuum pickup
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lastly finished all the brackets for the homing switches, drag chain mounts and clamps and waiting on those to be made
https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?q=swinksoxcnc&sort=newest

also need to buy some 2 and 4 core shielded wire as the wire supplied is too short and shielded is a safe way to avoid glitches down the track and the supplied wires were too short and not shielded

getting there, though a little more effort than original thought but fun

on top of that the drivers are apparently a little more beefed up as well and correct about running GRBL and fan cooling in a neat robust package.

that's one I haven't heard of and an interesting approach and in a way better than hitting your cut on top side bolts / clamps

interesting approach and thanks for the link....

not a fan of mdf and once you machine the top, mdf will absorb moisture at a much faster rate and expand alot, so can be a bigger headache and the glues used are cancerous so staying away from mdf

I agree with you as is good to machine but after some exposure and minor respiratory problems for a little while I vowed not to go near it nor promote it but thanks for giving it a little more info.

Though in relation to plywood, if you get "clear" plywood you will not get knots and most of the time if you slow your feed down a little and have the right bit you will get good cuts from ply. As a alternative compressed styrofoam is a good waste board, stable and leveled easily and won't burr up.

some more parts have arrived so hope to get a bit more done this week and documenting as I go which slows me down a little but hoping that it will help others alot, here is the new index with more sections now added. I intend to show cable lengths, wiring details so someone with no experience can follow the walk through.
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Update of stupidity 1 - do not buy 10 x 20mm internally measured drag chain. I purchased cable yesterday (original cable was too short) and though a tad larger in diameter than hoped but had limited choice and cut all my cables today was ready to go and "not gunna fit man" need 15 x 25 minimum but can get 15 x 30mm internally measured drag chain off ebay - so a slight delay and will muck up one my mounts to the machine but can adapt for the mean time.

But the good thing is you and I can learn through my mistakes and you spend less $ than me

This project has slowed up alot but only due to waiting on parts from the US that got lost in the post the day after they were dispatched and I had to wait 3 weeks to ensure they hadn't made it to me. I re-ordered the other day, and now be a few more weeks until the remainder of the wiring can be completed. New drag chain is in and fitted and so much better and brackets simplified and more affordable.

The goal at the end of this project is to list the kits and then the individual parts in individual lists from each supplier so anyone that wants to build this machine can do it cutting down multiple orders and wasted money.

chat in a few weeks time

completed the wiring today and went to test and had a few small issues and then realised that I had a few motor wires the wrong way around as I am merging 2 different machines so no guidelines so was guessing. After some thinking and solving I made the corrections and machine was able to home in the correct direction on all 3 axis's.

I did a test job in the air and it homed past the sensor so still have to solve that and check all my calibration settings in all axis's to determine accuracy but reached a stage that I am very happy to reach

I will now update my manual to help others along the way if they choose to do the same, and I do have to make some minor changes to my homing brackets on Shapeways

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it has been a while, been flat out with work, too many projects helping people with parts etc, sick kids and life in general BUT currently in the calibration stage and have been developing a document (manual) at the same time capturing all the steps as things are a little different because it is a hybrid type of machine so a few differences in calibration which has led to trial and error. Good thing it will be documented and a easy process for anyone else wanting to go this path in the future.

It has been driving around and doing air cuts though z axis still has a weird calibration / timing issue but reckon I am close to fine tuning.

well, finally solved my calibration issues as was on my own island for a bit due to building a hybrid machine but got it sorted, Z axis now running smooth and happy with it. this week at nights I will design a waste board file to drill all the t-nut holes and hopefully cut next week.

got a heap of screen shots for the manual which I will start to fill up this week

so it is still moving and soon be ready for insert hole trials and then bigger stuff.

and also got a heap of really nice cutters of all different styles to trial and use for specific jobs from a Aussie Guy that is into bench cnc's and tests everything and is super helpful and the info grabbed (shown below) is from his site which I will plug into the manual. Hope the info is helpful and interesting. It has been a big and interesting learning curve.

http://endmill.com.au/router-mills/

Pine/ Hardwood/ MDF - a sharp up cut is more than fine to use and are the more economical option. Up cut does create a bit of a burr so it's ok to use when that is not an issue. A compression (up/down cut) bit is a great alternative when you are cutting all the way through or a down cut when you want to cut into your material or are not too fussed about a bottom finish.

Plywood and Aluminium Composite - the go to for these materials are a compression or down cut bit. A compression bit cuts up through the material for the first 4mm and the rest is a down cut. A down cut does an equally great job by pushing the layers down rather than ripping up. Another great go to for plywood is a straight cut. These do not pull up or down and leave a great finish.

Cast Acrylic - A sharp 1 flute or 2 flute up cut spiral bit ejects the chips well and are the go to.

Aluminium - Stick to the End Mill section with an uncoated carbide bit.

HDPE/ 2 ply colour ABS - for assured results a straight flute is recommended as well as an up cut. Just make sure your material is well secured when using an up cut bit.

3D profiling - you have a choice of ball nose cutters with a long cutting length or tapered end mills

Most of the mentioned mills are available in 1/8" (3.175mm), 4mm and 6mm shanks and range in sizes from 0.5mm up to 6mm and 3mm in length up to 32mm.

It has been a while and the cnc is and has been up and running for a couple of weeks but life gets busy and holiday time:

job 1 - router out it's own table top t-nut holes to fasten work down and opted to fasten a 600mm (24inch) square as my home point and also couples as calibration & squareness checker and holds my material square and at the home point.
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job 2 - daughter and I made a sign for her cubs group to get her Engineers badge
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everything is done and working well, and will get on to the manual so if anyone else wanted to venture down this path - hope to upload in the next 1-2 weeks

Thanks Gorgonzola

I have almost narrowed down my project list and will update a how to manual soon, sorry to those wanting on my promises...

When I first looked in to it, x-carve was my main focus because of the great support forum, but then came across the Ox CNC and found this company in Aus

https://www.makerstore.com.au/product-category/kits/

who had a good price but when comparing it to the Ooznest Ox CNC I preferred Ooznest because they had some upgrades that made it a little more rigid. Plus the owner was super helpful and saw places to upgrade the design instead of just selling a net available design. This is what it cost me, which for the extra $86 I was happy to get it from the UK. He was great in sending in a number of parcels to avoid the once $1000AUD import tax / gst. That might be an extra factor to consider. The workbee was still in development and finalisation when I got mine but that would be a good one to go for. I will try to get the manual finished soon and mine was the X-carve controller so I still can drive and operate like a x-carve and get the forum help other than a few minor programming setup inputs which I have documented.

Hope that helps

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only advice is though I did my own drag chain and brackets etc, in hindsight I should of just got the kit from Ooznest, that was my main lesson learnt, send me a pm if you need more info

I was checking out the maker store latest ox and it has v4 plates which is similar to the UK one so that is a good option now

https://www.makerstore.com.au/product/ox-cnc-mechanical-kit-large/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpdC9r7vO3wIVB6mWCh0EhAEeEAAYASAAEgLYh_D_BwE