Pen Plotter for CNC

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Joe Jones
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by Joe Jones »

SegoMan DeSigns wrote: Thu May 05, 2022 8:45 pm Plotters are yet another tool in the arsenal, I use my vinyl cutter with a felt tip pen to make mock ups out of poster board. this allows tweaks to the file prior to the expensive metal being cut.

Nice design as always Tom!
Swap out the poster board with a large white dry marker board. Use dry markers to draw designs. Erase portions where you want to make changes, and redraw the lines.

These plotter pen holders have given us a CNC controlled ETCH-A-SKETCH!

Joe



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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by acourtjester »

Well if you want one I have redrawn the files here is what they look like. This will only work with the round type of fat marker.
fat top new type.JPG
fat top new type.JPG (30.38 KiB) Viewed 1394 times
fot bottom new type.JPG
fot bottom new type.JPG (30.11 KiB) Viewed 1394 times
torch center new type.JPG
torch center new type.JPG (30.16 KiB) Viewed 1394 times
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by Joe Jones »

Hmmm... that is not what I envision.

A two inch (?) vertical 90-degree angle with a flat backing plate to mount to a carriage .... and some sort of retainer (Two springs, or ???) to hold the round pen/marking implement tightly nested into the V to prevent tipping in any direction.

Joe
PEN HOLDER JPG.jpg
PEN HOLDER 2 JPG.jpg
Last edited by Joe Jones on Sun May 08, 2022 12:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by Joe Jones »

acourtjester wrote: Sun May 08, 2022 10:38 am Well if you want one I have redrawn the files here is what they look like. This will only work with the round type of fat marker.
fat top new type.JPG
fot bottom new type.JPG
torch center new type.JPG
What software did you use to draw that? I have SOLIDWORKS, and I would PAY someone to train me on how to use it!

Joe
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by Joe Jones »

$%^& ... I am going to have to buy a 3D printer soon ...

Joe



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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by Joe Jones »

This design would hold a wide assortment of pen diameters equally.

Joe
PEN HOLDER 3 JPG.jpg
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by acourtjester »

I use Turbo cad 2018 for the 2-D drawing and the 123DDesign for the formation of the STL files. I have done all I am going to with this.
No time like the present for a 3-D printer for you, many to choose from.
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by adbuch »

I like Fusion 360 for solid modeling. I think the user interface is simpler and easier to use than SolidWorks - which is what I used to use. As far as 3D printers - for entry level I recommend the Monoprice Voxel MP3 - under $500 and gives very nice prints. I use this one a lot. For those with a larger budget, then I like the FlashForge Creator 3 (around $3300) which gets a lot of use here in the shop as well. This one is larger, and has dual independent extruders - so it will print two parts at a time, or the second extruder can be used with PVA filament (water soluble) for easy removal of supports after printing.
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by HankAz »

I'll take one for a sharpie Onefingerhank@gmail.com.
Thanks Hank
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by Joe Jones »

I received mine, and although I have not YET set the time aside to mount it and play with it, I KNOW it will work great! It is well designed, and just awesome!

It made me want to go out and buy a 3D printer!

Joe


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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by Joe Jones »

acourtjester wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:35 am Pen plotter for CNC use either a standard ink pen or sharpie pen (your choice) $30. shipped to the lower US.
Flat metal mounting attachment point for you to drill mounting holes or simple clamp in place.
This video shows pen mounted to the torch, Different mounting attachment than flat mount.

DSCN5055.JPG
DSCN5054.JPG
I am curious about one thing. You designed it with a free floating pressure spring that seems ... irrelevant until the carriage lowers enough for the spring to apply additional pressure. So I am wondering why the spring is there at all. :roll: It seems that the pen holder will drop the tip of a Sharpie onto material and draw by virtue of its weight alone.

Can you explain the purpose for the spring? Maybe it will become obvious when I actually mount and use this nifty device, but thinking through it, I cannot see the need for the spring at all, except MAYBE to increase the slide-down speed when drawing over corrugated material, and such.

Joe


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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by adbuch »

These work better with the spring. I use a spring in the one I offer as well. The pressure can be adjusted.
David
sharpie pen holder.jpg
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by acourtjester »

Hi Joe
the spring is to hold constant contact with the paper surface. I move the pen down to contact the surface and 0.010" more then zero out the Z DRO. the G-code adds another 0.010" down from the Z. It is a light pressure and will not damage the tip of the pen on sharpie.
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by Joe Jones »

The pen contacts the surface long before the spring ever comes into play. Are we supposed to lower the Z to the point where the spring begins to compress?

Joe
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by acourtjester »

yes sir You can back the pen up in the holder to if you want.
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Re: Pen Plotter for CNC

Post by adbuch »

I purchased one of Tom's "Pen Plotter" mounts several months ago and I can tell you it works great! There is much to be said for applying some minimal down force with a spring as opposed to having the sharpie floating in the holder.

The first pen holder I made back when I got my first cnc plasma table (about 5 years ago) I used for drawing the cut paths (instead of cutting) when I was learning to use the table and software. I had a simple tube with cap on one end with a hole in it and the sharpie was just floating being held down by gravity (no spring). It worked pretty well, but sometimes would skip a spot due to lack of downward pressure.

So in my personal experience, a spring applying light pressure is the way to go.

David
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