Small householder CNC Mill #CNC #MILLS
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Kinda depends on which bank you're talking about, doesn't it? ;) https://www.minitech.com/msrp-price-list-2021.html#/ These folks want $12.5K for the base machine, without spindle or controller. And other $2500 for the most basic controller. https://tormach.com/machines/mills/pcnc-440.html#landing_packages This appears to be about the same size as the one in the link above, and the base model, more or less ready to run, is under $6K, with their premium version under $16K https://littlemachineshop.com/products/search.php?tabName=Products&term=CNC+mill LMS has machines and CNC conversion kit and plans. You could build a CNC Mini-Mill for well under $5K, DIY. Honestly, all of those are too much form MY bank! :) LMS sells CNC plans for the mini-mill and mini-lathe, and you could get a set of each for under $125 I've got a very used mini-mill I picked up for $350 about a year ago. I think I still have a couple of computer hulks sitting here, but I'm not all that interested, yet, in CNC. I want to fix the mill, and make it work to the best of it's capability, and use it manually for the things I want. And I keep scheming on how to fit something as capable as a Bridgeport in my shop. Probably not going to work until I can find a larger workshop for much less than is reasonable with today's real estate market. Bill in OKC William R. Meyers, MSgt, USAF(Ret.) A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. LAZARUS LONG (Robert A. Heinlein) On Monday, July 19, 2021, 12:13:17 PM CDT, Michael Gilmet <mgilmet@...> wrote: Are there any decent CNC capable mini-mills that won't break the bank?? I'm pretty sure I'm not willing to spend the time learning how to convert a standard mill, some of you guys have really amazed me with your conversions. Thanks, Michael |
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I think this is a reasonable cost.? There are CNC kits to convert other (desktop) mills to CNC. The advantage of saving money and stepping in? to an existing machine is there wasn't a struggle, but you also don't understand the who/what/where/why/when/how. It is the programming that stops me, not the hardware.? If you give me a good set of plans I can assemble, but I haven't been able to get over the last step of using the software I? WANT TO use for my equipment. I want my CNG Router, CNC lathe, and CNC mill to work wtih one operating system, even if it is Mach 3, and at this point I would spend the money on Mach 4 and pay the fees for tech support. I don't know your experience with using a CNC router, Laser, Mill, Lathe, etc, etc,... there is control software and design software.? The design part is easier for me then the control part. Caution:? Tinkering is a symptom of this process, and once you manage to use the machine in one, you are likely to keep looking for additional tools to accumulate... you may spend less just buying what you want at the beginning.... and spend less time tinkering... I could never move a bridgeport mill - but that seems like the ultimate cool tool... I just need a friend with one locally!?? Tamra |
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Taig and Sherline both make CNC-capable mills, but they're a great deal smaller than even the SIEG mini-mills. The HF mini-mill and its clones weigh about 125lbs. The Sherline, IIRC, is about 25, and the Taig is a bit smaller.? Doesn't mean you couldn't do fine work on them, but they are smaller and lighter so they can only do so much in the way of removing metal at one pass.. It is sort of like comparing the mini-mills to a real benchtop mill in the 500lb range. And those are tiny compared to a Bridgeport.? Last I? looked was some time ago, prices on the Taig & Sherline probably won't be anywhere near what I remember, and I wasn't looking at CNC machines, either.? So depends on your bank AND what you feel the need to do. HTH! Bill in OKC? William R. Meyers, MSgt, USAF(Ret.) A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. LAZARUS LONG (Robert A. Heinlein)
On Monday, July 19, 2021, 10:23:57 PM CDT, Tamra <tamrabrogdon@...> wrote:
I think this is a reasonable cost.? There are CNC kits to convert other (desktop) mills to CNC. The advantage of saving money and stepping in? to an existing machine is there wasn't a struggle, but you also don't understand the who/what/where/why/when/how. It is the programming that stops me, not the hardware.? If you give me a good set of plans I can assemble, but I haven't been able to get over the last step of using the software I? WANT TO use for my equipment. I want my CNG Router, CNC lathe, and CNC mill to work wtih one operating system, even if it is Mach 3, and at this point I would spend the money on Mach 4 and pay the fees for tech support. I don't know your experience with using a CNC router, Laser, Mill, Lathe, etc, etc,... there is control software and design software.? The design part is easier for me then the control part. Caution:? Tinkering is a symptom of this process, and once you manage to use the machine in one, you are likely to keep looking for additional tools to accumulate... you may spend less just buying what you want at the beginning.... and spend less time tinkering... I could never move a bridgeport mill - but that seems like the ultimate cool tool... I just need a friend with one locally!?? Tamra |
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Hello Bill and Tamra and all other forum members.
Many thanks for posting and all interesting to read different points of view reference the CNC fors and againsts. If I can refer you all back to a post and photos I posted March 21 then this may put my own personal prospective on CNC milling. A simple profile milling operation of 2 halves of a lathe steady, simple by CNC standards but a very difficult job if you were to approach this project if by using manual mill techniques. Yes it was some challenge to convert my Weiss mill to full on 4 axis milling, but well worth the effort on the front end to achieve? the results at the end of the project. Personally i feel that any type of mill be it a proffesional Bridgeport or a simple mini bench mill can be convertetd to CNC, it?is just? a matter of where?s there is a will then there is always a way. I was inspired by Richard UK Sieg type mill CNC conversion, a brilliant concept and well thought out. His approach to the Sieg Z axis CNC drive was first class, and I am sure he would assist in answering any forum member questions. A quick add up of cash I needed to convert my mill was about $600, approximate as follows a DDCNC controler ,? $150,? a MPG $50 ,? 4 stepper motors and 4 drivers. 3 power supply boxes $250? and miscelaneous bits and pieces making up the remainder. Naturally I already had a Weiss manual mini mill with a fixed column and X Y Z axis screws.? My initial intention to convert my mill was not based on CNC but to take the drudgery of winding back and forth the X axis when manual milling, so by fitting a power feed to end of the X table, this at least was a start. Then I power fed the Z axis, manually winding the head upwards was always a struggle for me, me being short and the handwheel at the top of the mill and winding up the full weight of the head. This all done, it was a simple case of mounting another stepper to the Y axis, buying a CNC controller and took it from there. I like to use Tamra?s phrase "tinkering" and it?s what us hobbyists do, so yes after 5 months of tinkering I did manage to do the full conversion. Naturally it is necessary to understand CNC machining techniques, CAD/CAM , gcode language, but as we say here Poco Poco ( bit at a time)? and there is good amount of information available from the internet and of course this forum which luckily we have some very good engineers on board. Please note, wherever possible in posts, use the hashtags, if not a relevant one available then ask me or the moderators and we will sort it out. This avoids posts going into the abyss, and keeps things tidy. Many thanks -- John Lindo |
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýOne other thing I would add to Jerry's suggestions.? Stay away from dedicated full CNC hardware solutions.? Once in you are 'in'.? Setting up a separate break out board with individual drivers allows you to make incremental changes rather than scrap an entire board because one driver fails.? It also allows you the choice to switch to other control systems. ? That's why I chose the MESA 7i92H instead of one of the MESA Ethernet c/w terminal strips etc.? If you decide to change from LinuxCNC to something else it's a more expensive operation to scrap things;? essentially you are starting over. ? With the PMDX-126 (way too expensive nowadays IMHO) you can use the Parallel port from a PC running either Windows or Linux for MACH or LCNC or some other CNC software. ?Or plug in an Ethernet Smooth Stepper or the MESA 7i92H for MACH or LCNC.? But you can also get a far east BoB for under $10.? ? In all cases your wiring for motors, switches fans, power supplies stays the same.? Only the source of the parallel port cable changes.? The BoB in the attached photo, with 12V-24V applied even supplies 0V-10V for Spindle Speed control. John ? From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jerry Trantow
Sent: July-20-21 6:23 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [digitalhobbyist] Small householder CNC Mill ? Tamra,? Sounds like you are ok with the CAD portion of the CAD/CAM puzzle.? I mentioned in a previous message not to let the Linux part of LinuxCNC get in the way. Once setup, you can treat?it as a g-code processor and not worry about Linux. The cost is free, so it's always good starting point. If you have a hackerspace nearby, there is probably someone versed in linuxCNC.? ? I run my router, lathe, mill with linuxCNC. I used machineKit/LinuxCNC to run my 3d printer for a short while before rolling back?to Marlin firmware. I have Tormach PathPilot that I intend to try on my lathe. I'm planning to convert a friend's plasma cutter to LinuxCNC this fall/winter and I can run a laser diode on my router. ? There is documentation available and good support(but not organized very well) via? and good but often outdated info on the wiki. ? ? On Mon, Jul 19, 2021 at 10:23 PM Tamra <tamrabrogdon@...> wrote:
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Bill in OKC too
Tamra
John Lindo
