I've been reading and absorbing as much as possible (including great threads like http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22211 and http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40353)

Here's my position & question: I live in an NYC apartment. Space is a premium! Call me crazy, but I'm stuck here for a few more years and I want to make this happen. As a hobbyist, I don't have stringent requirements. I am also fortunate enough to have a generous budget - about $5,000.

I love Jl123's Grizzly conversion, but don't have enough other equipment (or space) for that unit. I *think* my best option will be the Taig Mill. I'd like to go CNC, but would like to take the amatuer-approach with the conversion and it sounds like people are fans of the CNC-ready version that Nick has on cartertools.com.

My debate with CNC-ready or CNC-complete is that I really don't know what I'm getting into. By forcing myself to go through the conversion, I'm hoping I'll learn a ton (something nearly everyone on the forum seems to agree with). My hesitation, however, is that I don't really know what I'm getting into!

While I know there is a plethora of information about conversion on the forum, I would really like to know if, given my budget ($5,000), desire to learn, and space-constraints (NYC apartment) - is the Taig CNC-ready from Nick the best or one-of-the-best options?

Thanks!

Nicks system is always a great way to go, but remember that since the Taig is built CNC-ready out of the box, there is really no "conversion" necessary in the traditional sense like with most mills. You shouldn't be afraid of putting one together yourself if you are interested in doing so, at least with the Taig.
You just need to basically assemble the two parts it comes shipped as, attach motors, run cabling to the driver, and buy or build your driver box (power supply, breakout, driver card), and configure Mach or whatever you are using to control it. No machining or fancy tools required, no new parts or conversion "kits", but it can still be a bit of a learning project for a first-timer. Up to you if you want to take that on, but with the Taig it is actually pretty easy to set up if you don't go with a pre-configured kit. In either case you can talk to Nick for setup advice even if you just get the basic Taig unit from him.

Thanks, Stepper Monkey.

You raise a good point - one that I did not articulate in my first post. Given my lack of experience, I don't want to do a true-conversion (as you mention) but rather gain the extra know-how from "finishing" a ready-built system. Still looks like the Taig is the best bet!

Can't wait to get started!

At least that's what I've read from other peoples posts, never having actually built one myself.
You will learn more actually building it yourself than just assembling one.

Tikka,

Seeing as you are in an apartment, I'd just make sure the spindle motor you get is a quiet one, it'll save your ears and your neighbors will never know what you've got running in the spare room. I've seen some motors on Taigs and similar small mills that are far too loud and annoying to be near for any length of time.

I don't know how loud the motor is on the Taig that Nick is selling, but I'd ask.

millingjeweler - Thanks. I'll make sure to factor in noise.

The other dilemma I'll have to solve is an enclosure. This will 1) allow me to use coolant and 2) keep chips off the floor. This thing will be in by bedroom. Luckily I'm a bachelor.

I think the enclosure will be a very important factor for you to consider. Something that is very secure, leak proof and will keep the machine quiet.

Chips tend to fly everywhere! and can get into everything!

Consider building something elaborate if it is going to be in your bedroom! Meaning it should have built in drawers to hold all of your tooling, extra metal/plastic for cutting. Not sure if you are looking for something off the shelf to purchase or thinking of building one on your own, also not sure what tools you have at your disposal for what type of enclosure you could build..meaning wood, plastic, metal etc.

MDF will be a good sound barrier material. You could also look for shower pans from one of the box stores to use as well. If you use any wood be sure to line it with something like a pond liner which you can cut to length at home depot.
I dont really know much about the taig machines but for light work I hear they are ok. They are probably an ideal apartment cnc mill for sure. I guess you are wanting to make odd parts here and there and have cnc as another hobby to your list?

Bingo - it's mostly a hobby. I'm actually part of a small start-up company that has used 3rd party engineers and machine shops. We've spent quite a bit of money to date on both - and will continue to (namely because I have no formal training) - but my goal with the Taig/desktop cnc is to become more versed in the terms & use and - after a while of tinkering - be able to make sample parts that our engineer has designed.

I have a full woodshop in Ohio (where I grew up & parents still live) but nothing in NYC. Literally all I have in my apartment is a drill and small hand tools. So if the enclosure isn't pre-fab, i'll have to get creative by building in Ohio then shipping it to NYC. Because of the inevitable tweaks, changes, problems, etc, I think this is likely a futile strategy. I've got a decent budget, so would prefer pre-fab

I would agree with the spindle and enclosure advice. The new Taig motors are much quieter than the older ones, very much so actually. Mine came with a Franklin, and I know some ship with Marathon motors installed on them too. Eventually I went with a 1/2 HP DC brushless, but for speed control and not the noise.
The Taig spindle itself is nearly silent, and it is belt driven so no gear noise like my Grizzly or bearing noise like the engraver. It is the only mill I have in the house as it is the only one that can run quietly enough not to wake the wife or little one. I have it on my desktop in the living room next to my computer if that gives you any idea. The rest have to go in the garage, in the workshop for the big one.

Depending on what you cut, the enclosure will be very necessary for catching chips, coolant as well. I like the idea of a plastic shower pan or similar. I used to use an auction find - an acrylic cake/pastry/donut display case thing with the shelves removed until I fractured the plastic beyond repair. Now I'm looking around at surplus again. Have my eye on an old coin-op "claw" machine case I can have if I haul it off, but its heavy and I worry about throwing something off into the glass panels. Scrounge around, you'll find something. Its NYC, Strangeness abounds!

I have a mill in my 1st floor apartment - the enclosure is essential IMHO - the main source of noise from my X-1 is the crappy plastic spindle gears, closely followed by the steppers themselves. I also find that flood cooling helps greatly with noise reduction - I can't actually tell if it's drilling when the floods on, and without it there's a high pitched shriek from the drilling. I have measured it during milling - I got about 80+dB inside the enclosure, ~57dB one meter away with the doors closed. You also need to worry about vibration - my apartment has solid concrete floors, and I could feel the vibrations through my feet before I added some vibration absorbing material under the enclosure.

The shower pan idea is a good one, but I found all the piping to the sump kept getting filled with curly drill chips, despite my best efforts to keep them out!

And lastly, if space is your premium concern, have you looked at moving spindle rather than moving table designs? I don't know if they're any good, but Flashcut seem to make some small machines with inbuilt enclosures...

Hope that helps.

How Digits -

Did you DIY the enclosure or purchase? Either way - any chance you can post some pictures? What kind of mill is it?

Thanks for the recommendation on Flashcut. Looks like quite a nice package. While I've got a decent budget (for a hobbyist), it looks like the 7300 series is ~$22,000USD; won't be able to swing that! (link: http://www.flashcutcnc.com/html/mach_8000.html)

I think you could manage building an enclosure with the tools you have. Most hardware stores and plastic suppliers will cut plywood/plastic sheet for a fee. A sign shop would be able to supply waterproof ply as well.

The rest of it you could get by with a drill and a hacksaw. A bunch of aluminum angle, some piano hinge, shower pan, pool liner etc. All hardware store stuff.

This thread had some interesting info on PVC panels used in an enclosure.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40127&page=2

There's plenty of other info around the forum too, it's a popular topic.

If training for the real-thing is your only purpose i would suggest a x1(or whatever happens to be available) and some cheapo steppers(servos would be better but oremore complicated).Begin by tearing the mill apart and once you understand the mechanics wich shouldn't take to long get steppers ,drivers and software running.

that way you saved about 3500/4000 bucks that you might put to good use when going into production.

you can learn just as much from "my" setup as from the "taigway" except the dedicated controls found on commercialmachines will be a challenge unless you convert a bigger machine at that time you should only have to change your "mach"parameters and continue .

PLS i'm no Xfan AT ALL but and a taig will probably make better parts from the box .making good parts also takes a good machinist though.

what i m trying to say is that if your just learning keep it cheap and if you are making parts get the taig.