Giambattista della Porta (ca. 1535-1615) in his books Natural Magic [19] showed an excellent understanding of the reason why many quenchants were effective, and some of the underlying principles:

This machine has been in the works for quite a while. Most of the plates were cut with my Shpinx machine. I have a lot more photos and information to share soon.

Replacing the Electronics and Spindle. Intending to rewire all the buttons and make it into a more modern and easy to use CNC.

A horizontal-router CNC using openbuilds parts geared toward routing out mortise and tenon joinery; or any other end grain work on wood.

A paper by MacKenzie and Graham [29] evaluated the cooling curves of synthetic urine, water, beer, milk, and bovine blood.

“Take clarified honey, fresh urine of a he-goat, alum, borax, olive oil, and salt; mix everything well together and quench therein.”

Example 2B: Calculate the speed and feed for a 1/2″ diameter, 3 flute carbide endmill if peripheral and plunge cutting in aluminum using a CNC milling machine ...

I built this cnc using 2 z axis actuators thinking it would minimize deflection and it seems to be very sturdy. I used 2 1500mm c channels for my x axis, 1 1500mm c channel for my y axis, nema 23 stepper motors, dm556 drivers, 2 24v power supplies, smc5-5-n-n controller, 9mm wide belts, and the Hitachi m12vc router. So far it's working very well with a few hiccups. Programming the controller was a learning experience but I'm very happy with it.

This is the story of me building myOX - my version of the "ideal" OX. I want a machine which can route/mill at least 4' wide and as long as I can feed through (don't be shy, think "infinity") as well as going deep on multiple faces - manual 4th axis. I have loads of ideas to take myOX towards that goal and way beyond. Time will tell. Just follow along through this build and possibly a few others along the way ... Check out my OXCalculator : let your computer figure out your BoM

This machine is controlled by a Mach3 BOB. I USED Nema 34 stepper motors and a 3kw, water cooled spindle. I’m in the process of adding a vacuum table with 4 zones. I have an X-carve so I use Easel to create G-code for the large machine. I’m currently looking for a way to stabilize the Y-axis. It wiggles a little, so I want to add another linear rail high on both sides.

Much of the history of quenching is interlaced with the early production of iron. Probably one of the earliest references to smelting and blacksmithing is from the Old Testament in Genesis 4:22 [1] where Tubal-Cain is mentioned as “an artificer of bronze and iron.”

This is a Kyo Sphinx CNC Router build. Working Area: 350mm X 500mm Link to original design: https://openbuilds.com/builds/c-beam-sphinx.3605/

Prior to heating, the Japanese sword maker applied a closely guarded secret clay mixture (called yakiba-tsuchi), that consisted of stone powder, clay, and charcoal. The stone powder helps prevent the clay from cracking during heating of the blade; the charcoal is burned out during heating, producing a site for initiation of nucleate boiling, depressing the formation of the vapor phase. The thickness of the clay determines the quench rate. The clay is thinnest at the edge of the blade and thickest at the ridge of the blade — opposite the edge. The blade is immersed in water in the water box or mizubune. The edge is quenched with the highest heat-transfer rate and produces martensite, while the ridge experiences a much milder quench and transforms to a mixture of pearlite and ferrite. The interface between the pearlite and martensite is called the hamon.

Focusing on Europe, and specifically early medieval Anglo-Saxon and Viking knife manufacture, several quenchants were identified. Some Icelandic sagas spoke of searching through many kingdoms to find the proper water to harden the sword Ekkisax and weapons that are hardened in blood [17]. Probably the first significant work in medieval Europe was written by Theophilus [18] (1125), a 12th century German Monk. The “Diver Arts” describe several good quenchants. His recommendations for quenchants were very specific:

Pretextat-Lecomte is a French painter and mosaic artist who lived at the end of the 19th century and was invited to Istanbul for the restoration and reconstruction of some historical art pieces. He spent many years in Istanbul, and from his studies of oriental arts, he wrote the “Arts and Crafts of the Orient” in 1902. (Les Arts et Metieres de la Turquie de l’Orient, published in Paris in 1902) [14]. He described the process of quenching a blade:

Image

A CNC machine with an expansive 30x30" work area, supporing a router, laser, simple plotting and work monitoring camera. Control includes a tethered control box, game controller style jog control, and relay controlled AC outlets for all appliances. Accessories include a 3D printed dust shoe, a complete spoilboard and hold down system, an XYZ touch probe and multiple vacuum retention boards to support full profile routing.

The synthetic urine was a very fast quenchant and greatly exceeded the cooling rate of water. This is caused by the salts precipitating on the surface of the probe, resulting in nucleation sites for nucleate boiling to occur. This cooling curve was like commercial quenchants containing inorganic salts.

In an account of Second Captain Massalski [13], it was indicated the Persians quenched their steel in pre-heated hemp oil. He further indicated that grease and bone marrow were sometimes added to the quenchant:

A Sphinx build to inspire and encourage all those who want to get started with cnc to check out Opensbuilds line of machine bundles and hardware.

Various authors describe other quenchants including: pigeon droppings, flour, honey, olive oil, and milk [20] [21] [22]. Other quenchants, including urine, water and solubilized animal fats and whale oil, are described by Smith [23], Biringuccio [24], Agricola [25], and others:

Apt for machining stainless steel. Uncoated Turning Grades: TTX (HW-P10). Wear-resistant hardmetal for light to medium ...

There was also an understanding of the cause of quench cracking, and the results of quenching in other than water for Porta’s “The Temper for Instruments to let blood”:

Cutting speed,v c​. Indicates the surface speed at which the cutting edge machines the workpiece. Effective or true cutting speed, v e.

I made a mill from first principles because I didn't like any of the ones that were out there, More info can be found on the website RigCNC.com

The basic process is like that practiced by the Europeans in the fifth to sixth century AD. The sharp edge consists of high-carbon steel to retain an edge, and the interior of the blade consists of lower carbon steel for toughness and ductility. However, the Europeans immersed the entire sword in the water, with the entire surface of the sword quenched rapidly. In the Japanese method, controlled quenching is achieved at specific rates at different locations on the blade.

CNC projectsfor beginners

Image

FreeCNC projects

Swords made by the traditional method are manufactured from steel produced by the tatara method. This steel, or tamahagane, is produced from iron sands that have very low phosphorus and sulfur.

The UltiBots CB3030 CNC uses C-Beam, V-Slot and an extruded aluminum T-Slot work table. This allows 6mm T-Nuts, step clamps and blocks to secure materials to the work surface. The all metal design makes the use of a mister possible.

2024128 — I did one simple stackup with it and checked it against my hand calculations and it was wrong. I contacted Dessault (or our VAR maybe?) for help ...

A Sphinx Linear rail build (600mm x 600mm) hence the title Sphinx66. Plates supplied by Chris Laidlaw. Linear rails used MGN15

This is a modified build C-Beam XLarge. 1000mm C-Beam used for X and Y axis, and the Y Axis moves the X bridge, not the material being worked.

There are a lot of hyperbole and myths regarding ancient heat treatment and quenching. Much is simply wrong. While blood was claimed to produce magical properties to a blade, it has been shown to have a very slow cooling curve and not capable of hardening the simple steels available to early blacksmiths. Water and urine are really the only quenchants that would be able to heat treat the simple steels [30] heat treated in early times.

“… Now it was required to quench it in order to give it the necessary strength, and that was the interesting point of the procedure: Europeans quench the steel in water, vegetable oil, or cattle fat, but in the East they were doing it on air. When the craftsmen were done with the processing of the metal, they heated it until totally red and gave it to a cavalry man waiting on his horse, ready for a ride. The cavalry man rode his horse in the wilderness, waving the blade in the air with crazy screams to make his horse ride faster.”

In this project, I show you how I built my DIY CNC machine. All moving parts of the DIY CNC router are running on ball bearings while the structural parts are made with natural materials, namely birch plywood and solid beech wood.

WIDIA Industrial Indexable Inserts ; 10 NEW! Widia Carbide Inserts WOEJ080412SRMM KC520M · $15.00 ; 10 NEW! Widia Carbide Drilling Insert for Periphery Pocket ...

This small desktop machine is built inside a 300mm cube of 20mm extrusion. Work area is 14cm by 14cm. I used 400 step nema17 motors all around.

Some of the things that I have done to my 1510 Workbee Installed Linear rails and bearing blocks with drawings. Installed Ops console Made conversion plates for extruded aluminum to casters Extended z axis travel by a couple inches with steel plates. As of now in the process of installing Lead screws across the 1500mm length.

I designed and made this from scratch. The frame is welded steel filled with sand, and most of the other parts are aluminium. It's controlled with a DIY ESP32 controller running GRBL_ESP32

Blood showed a very unusual cooling curve. There was an initial vapor phase like the other quenchants; however, this was followed by a very long and prolonged stable cooling rate from approximately 750°C to 100°C. Virtually no nucleate boiling occurred. In a typical cooling curve, virtually all the quenchants reached nearly ambient temperature within 60 seconds. Blood on the other hand, at the end of the 60 seconds, the probe was at a temperature of 341°C. It took three minutes for the cooling curve probe to reach 80°C. This is an extremely slow cooling curve. It was thought that quenching cooked the fat and blood insulated the probe, slowing heat transfer. This insulating later drastically slowed the heat-extraction rate.

By learning the ANSI insert nomenclature, users can identify insert shape, clearance angle, tolerance, type, size, thickness, and cutting point among other ...

I wanted a CNC machine that was able to do dovetails and other box joints. I also wanted to have it be able to tilt so it would take up less space when I was working on other projects.

The WorkBee is our latest CNC Machine and is a culmination of all our experience, feedback, and suggestions from selling the OX CNC Machine over the past 2 years. The WorkBee is capable of accurately cutting foams, woods, plastics or aluminum at depths greater than 25mm to 0.2mm accuracy or greater.

The TACIT RONIN CNC is a fully enclosed C-Beam platform intended for flood coolant cutting of Carbon Fiber and G10 composites.

Beer showed a quench rate like a fast-accelerated quench oil, with a similar maximum cooling rate. However, a long-extended vapor phase occurred due to the residual carbonation present in the beer. This acts to stabilize the vapor phase.

On the other hand, “air quenching” was certainly not the only method for making “superior steel” in the Ottoman period. Kemankes (translation is Bowman) Mustafa Aga gives a special formula in his book, The Book of Arrow [15], for making armor-piercing arrowheads and sword blades. His quenching medium consists of:

Used Laguna Swift 4X4 CNC mill with Water-cooled Spindle and RichAuto serial pendant retrofitted with OpenBuilds/Blackbox/Interface

This dramatic image of quenching indicates familiarity with the concept of quenching of steel. But, much of the history of quenching has been shrouded in mystery and magic.

My build is based on many different builds but pieced together into a unit specifically to suit my needs. The footprint, without motors, is around 500mm x 1000mm with a gantry height of around 250mm. I used a combination of C-Beam, for the linear transmission, and V-Slot for the base and gantry supports. Forged angle connectors were used for attachment and I utilized the C-Beam gantry cart kits with anti-backlash blocks for both Y axes, the X axis, and Z axis.

OLD Lead 1010 High Z Mod converted to Newest Lead 1515 with High Z mod, slimmer cbeam motor mounts, thrust bearings etc. Extended by original table out and upgraded my 1.5kw VFD and Spindle to 4kw ER20 Spindle and 7.5kw GT VFD

Quenching in vinegar was poor practice “making it brittle and easy to break” [16]. It seems that quenching in urine was a common practice, with quenching in the urine of five sacrificial animals or the fat of five sacrificial animals. It was given that “such a sword could penetrate 30 layers of armor” [16].

“When a skilled metallurgical worker ‘casts’ [zhu] the material of a Gan Jiang [sword], quench-hardening [cui] its tip with pure water and grinding its edge with a whetstone from Yue, then in the water it can slice water-dragons, and on land it can cut rhinoceros hide as quickly as sweeping and sprinkling or drawing in mud.” — Sheng zhu dexian chen song presented to the Emperor Xuan-di (73 BC to 49 BC) by Wang Bao [16]

Many chemists thought it was an alloy of cobalt, arsenic, iron, and copper – these elements were present as trace contaminants. It was not until 1775 that pure ...

Milk showed a moderate vapor phase, with a slow overall maximum cooling rate. This is thought to be the result of the butter fat present in the quenchant.

My machine is a combination of the Openbuilds Sphinx 55, MGN12 linear rails knockoffs and custom made plates made by Chris Laidlaw

Double C-beam Y axis 500mm., Double 2080 X axis 600mm. , C-beam Z axis 250mm, TB-6600 drivers, MKS-DLC32v2 GRBL w/wi-fi and blue tooth

The OpenBuilds Team is dedicated helping you to Dream it - Build it - Share it! Collaborate on our forums and be sure to visit the Part Store for all your Maker needs.

This unique and ingenuous method of quenching also produces the characteristic curvature of the blade. As the blade is quenched, the edge contracts, and reverse bending occurs, called gyaku-sori. At the martensite transformation, the sori, or normal bending occurs, due to the volumetric transformation of martensite. Gyaku-sori appears again at the pearlite transformation at the ridge of the blade. Finally, the final curvature or sori appears as the pearlite contracts due to thermal contraction, contributing to strong compressive residual stress at the blade edge. Final tempering of the blade, or aidori, is done in a charcoal fire. This understanding of the quenching process, practiced since the fifth to sixth century, shows the advanced nature of the Japanese metalsmiths.

Customised Lead 1010 making it a 1510. T-Track work area with dual Y limit switches for auto-squaring. Powered by xPro v5 & CNC.js

“As when a man who works as a blacksmith plunges a screaming great axe blade or adze into cold water, treating it for temper, since this is the way steel is made strong, even so Cyclops’ eye sizzled about the beam of the olive ….” Odyssey 9.389-9394, translation by R Lattimore

A small system with a big bite. Design achieves a good balance between machine size vs. build area, rigidity and ease of construction all while keeping build cost as low as possible.

In the first millennium, few technological advances were made in Europe. Some Icelandic sagas spoke of searching through many kingdoms to find the proper water to harden the sword Ekkisax and weapons that are hardened in blood [11]. Predominantly, the advances in metallurgical technology were located in the Arab world, India, China, and Japan. While European armor blacksmiths were improving and gradually perfecting their craft, the Crusaders of the 12th century had no steel that was the equal of Islamic metallurgy. The Japanese sword was even better than the Islamic sword by an even greater margin [12].

Another build based on the original OX design with a cutting area will be about 26" (680mm) x 50" (1300mm) and driven by lead screws.

There is some thought that the idea of quenching was a Han Dynasty innovation [16]. Early Tang texts indicated the Yunnan quench-hardened steel in “the blood of a white horse” [16]. Various texts indicate that different waters were good for quenching, while others were inadequate. The Qingzhand and the Longguan Rivers were noted for being good for quenching [16]:

I’m making a desktop CNC machine based on the C-Beam platform. It will be driven by Tr8 Lead Screws, and initially made from 12mm birch ply plates.

This is a fully loaded Lead 1010 and located in a shed measuring 3 by 2.50 meters. Here i build my guiyats by hand and the help of my Openbuilds friend! Pure for hobby.

“It is quenched in oil, and grows hard, because it is tender and subtle. For should it be quenched in water, it would be wrested and broken.”

I have not too much space and need a portable solution, and tired of cleaning the electronics I decide to put everything inside a box and this is the result.

There have been many myths concerning the quenchants used by ancient blacksmiths in the heat treatment of swords and knives. Various liquids have been cited in the archeometallurgical literature as quenchants. Each of these quenchants is supposed to extend to the knife’s special and even mythical properties. Some possible quenchants used by ancient blacksmiths will be discussed.

I started designing and ordering parts for this build back in Oct 2021. Unfortunately life got in the way and I had to sideline the project to deal with more important projects. I am now back working on this project full time. I originally was building a MPCNC on this torsion box platform I built but quickly realized how difficult it would be to produce anything with good accuracy. So I decided to design my own CNC that would be more robust and accurate.

Modified C-beam Machine. Taller (30 cm) C-beam uprights in gantry, and longer 750 mm frame in Y direction. XL gantry plate on X (and Z?). Y will have additional 700 mm SBR16 rails as extra support and slightly raised bed to fit above stepper motor. Approx. machinable area of 370 x 370 mm.

CNC routerproject files

“If you quench red hot iron in distilled vinegar, it will grow hard. The same will happen, if you do it into distilled urine, by reason of the salt it contains in it. If you temper it with dew, that in the month of May is found on vetches leaves, it will grow most hard. For what is collected above them, is salt, as I taught elsewhere out of Theophrastus. Vinegar, in which Salt Ammoniac is dissolved, will make a most strong temper. But if you temper Iron with Salt of Urine and saltpeter dissolved in water, it will be very hard. Or if you powder Saltpeter and Salt Ammoniac, and shut them up in a glass vessel with a long neck, in dung, or moist places, till they resolve into water, and quench the red hot Iron in the water, you shall do better. Also iron dipped into a Liquor of Quicklime, and Salt of Soda purified with a Sponge, will become extreme hard. All these are excellent things, and will do the work.”

It is hoped that this work on possible quenchants used by ancient blacksmiths can further the understanding of the technological and cultural contribution of the first metallurgists.

One of the earliest myths perpetrated regarding quenching ancient steel was the idea that slaves or virgins were used as a quenching medium. The idea being that the hot sword or knife plunged into the body of a slave would impart special properties. Slaves as a quenching medium was first presented with a tongue-in-cheek reference by Douglas Fisher [8]. This was previously noted by John Sullivan [9]. From a practical perspective, it is not likely that slaves or virgins were used as a quenching medium. The physical force required to plunge a blade while hot would likely cause the blade to deflect and warp due to Euler Column Theory [10]. Further, it is likely that the slaves would tend to writhe about, causing distortion to the blade. Lastly, slaves and virgins are not renewable. Any large production would certainly exceed the available supply.

CNC projectsfor students

It is not known when steel was first created, or who first created steel. It is suggested from tradition (Herodotus, Xenophon, and Strabo) and archaeological evidence [2] [3] that ironworking developed in the Middle East, in Turkey, near the plateau of Anatolia in 1400–1200 BC by the Hittites [4] [5]. Iron smelting was well known by the second millennium, and described by Homeric poems (880 BC), the History of Herodotus (446 BC), and Aristotle [6] (350BC). Because of ore variation, and the skill of the individual craftsman, the production of steel was often poor quality and limited in production [7].

“If it is a dagger, it is held flat; if it is a sabre, it is quenched little by little, beginning by the end of the cutting edge, holding the latter toward the bath. This manoeuvre is repeated until the oil stops smoking, which proves that the blade has cooled. After quenching, the blade is always soiled with burnt oil. This dirt is removed by heating it enough to set light to a piece of wood and by rubbing with a rag from a bedsheet.” — English Translation by Graham Cross.

Cutting Diameter: 3/8" • Cutting Height: 1-1/4" • Shank Diameter: 3/8" • Overall Length: 3" • Flutes: 3 Down cut endmills shear in a downward direction causing ...

2020818 — It's easy to follow even I'm a beginner in this are. Mark the location of the square's center on the wood sheet with a pencil. Place the framing sq.

There are a lot of hyperbole and myths regarding ancient heat treatment and quenching with much simply being wrong; however, this article looks at the works of possible quenchants used by ancient blacksmiths and how they may further the understanding of the technological and cultural contribution of the first metallurgists.

This machine is a heavy duty, moving gantry style CNC router. It uses Teknic ClearPath servo motors driving ballscrews and linear rails. The machine has 36" x 48" x 19" of travel with about 7" of clearance below the gantry.

OpenBuilds OX CNC Machine. A strong easy to build shop CNC router that can be sized to suit your needs. Many new features have been incorporated into the OX to make it a great router that is sure to inspire!

“Take varnish, dragon’s blood, horn scrapings, half as much salt, juice made from earthworms, radish juice, tallow, and vervain and quench therein. It is also very advantageous in hardening if a piece that is to be hardened is first thoroughly cleaned and well-polished.”

A 1500x1200mm, 20mm rail and 1610 ballscrew, heavy-duty, four-axis gantry machine. As high speed as spindle power MRR will allow for. Approx 4 x 3 x 1ft travels, intermediate size between benchtop and floor-scale units. Aiming at $10-15k machine in the $3k region.

My main goal for my build is to have a machine that is capable of profiling and help me in my designs, for the manufacture of custom automotive headlights.

Image

The earliest known Chinese word for quench-hardening is cui [16] and is still used in the modern term for quenching cuihuo [16]. Water was predominately the preferred quenchant:

A beefed up minimill, ready to gnaw on some aluminum! HG15 linear rails, a thick heavy column, bellows and easy fixturing and tramming.

A tribute build based on Kyo's wonderful CBeam Sphinx. My hope is to improve on that build slightly, but to be honest, I'll probably just screw it up. I'll use this build to publicly document my failures.

I have a two car garage NOT devoted to 3d printing or CNC. I have set aside a space for my 3d printer and a place to store my portable CNC table. The reason it’s portable is so that I wheel and can use my Lead 1010 outside where it won’t make a mess in the garage. The table is self contained. It houses a vac system as well as my CNC tools and supplies.

The metallurgical state-of-the-art was very advanced in Japan. The science and craftsmanship of the Japanese sword is still revered today for being beautiful and effective, capable of maintaining a sharp edge and the unique curve of the blade.

Overview of a 700mm x 1000mm machine based on the LEAD design and with the High Z mod from the start. Will have a parts list you can use to build yourself if you like the formfactor

CNC router projectsfor beginners

1500x1000, additional frame stiffening from laser cut Stainless steel bracing plates, Nema 34 motor upgrade and Hiwin 16mm ballscrew additions on the way. Ethernet Smooth stepper control, 2.2kw Water cooled spindle. Schneider atv320 variable speed drive. SICK inductive limit switches, Leadshine Em882S stepper drivers ,1kw 62V supply for Stepper drives

This is going to be a Sphinx 1050 build. Starting off as a stock kit build using industrial electronics and opensource control software. Mods and upgrades to follow.

There was also an understanding of the effects of different quenchants and the effect on performance. In 6 AD, the blacksmith Qiwu Huaiwen used animal urine and animal grease to affect different quench rates. The characters used differentiated like this: Cui was denoting quenching in animal grease, while yu was designated for quenching in urine. Song Yingxing discusses quenching in oil, which provides a softer quench, “since the strength of steel lies in quenching.” Further, it was noted that barbarians quench in di son, the “urine of the earth,” a kind of oil not produced in China [16]. This perhaps is the first possible mention of quenching in petroleum-based oils.

Much of the early history of quenching is unknown prior to 1500 AD because it wasn’t written down. There have been some texts written throughout the past that hinted at quenchants used, but very few detailed the process.

CNC router projectsthat sell

The C-Beam Prefab Untitled is designed as the cartesian compliment to the C-Beam XL. With the exception of requiring a couple more 1000mm C-Beams and lead screws, the build requires a minimum of additional parts. The primary intention of the build is to maximize the cutting envelope while still staying within the sweet spot for C-beam rigidity. This design can easily be modified and allows for further custom structural components to be cut with the initial build platform.

Building the OB Lead 1515 was straight forward. The on-line OpenBuilds assembly videos were extremely clear and easy to follow. Initial build of this machine is with OpenBuilds BlackBox which simplified getting the electronics to work the first time. OpenBuilds staff are friendly and helpful.

The Ooznest OX CNC Machine Kit is based on the OX CNC Machine designed by Mark Carew, and it incorporates many upgrades from this community. The plate designs in our kit are based on the originals. However we have added our own touches to increase the performance and design of the machine. To complement Mark's build videos, we have made a complete written instruction manual, with IKEA'eske assembly diagrams.

C type inserts are specifically designed with an 80° diamond shape, which may not be ideal for certain turning applications or specific workpiece geometries. In ...