Reply with QuoteI have never used Meshcam but Mach 3 will be perfect for your mill and is recommended on RockCliff's site. As for Wax blocks I have no idea but you could pick up some blue foam from Lowes or Home Depot and test that out.
New Machine/ Need a little input
Hi guys,
I have been reading the boards for a few months and finally was able to find a used Sieg X1 with a RockCliff CNC kit installed. I was in school for two years for machining and havent touched one in 5-6 years now. I'm sure things will come back quickly but I want to make sure I am doing things correctly.
I'm planning on using MeshCAM and then Mach3. The main reason for buying this is making heatsinks for my small company. While I know this machine is small and it will take time to make them I wont need to crank out a ton each day.
My plans are attached. As you can see the piece is small and will be cut from 6101 T6 aluminum. The finish will not have to great because they will be glass blasted when completed.
My question is will the programs above work fine or is there something else that would be easier. With this being my first CNC build it will be a blast
Where can I purchase wax blocks to test or something like that. I'm afraid wood will chip with the small fins.
Anyways any input would be great!
Thanks in advance!
-Dave
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I have never used Meshcam but Mach 3 will be perfect for your mill and is recommended on RockCliff's site. As for Wax blocks I have no idea but you could pick up some blue foam from Lowes or Home Depot and test that out.
Thanks for the reply.
With using the Mach3 program would I need anything else to say create the part? That is the reason I was asking if I needed MeshCAM also.
-Dave
Yes, Mach 3 will only control the machine. You need CAM software to model your part and create your toolpath code for Mach 3. Meshcam may be great software and might work great for what you need. Just I have never used it. Alot of the guys here use BobCAD/CAM. I use MasterCAM.
How much is BobCAM? I'd rather not give my number and have them call me over and over
For a part as simple as mine is there any very basic programs I could start with then work my way up?
Thanks again for taking the time to answer my Q's.
-Dave
$400 ish I think, but you can download a demo to try it out. http://www.bobcad.com/downloads.html. Also you could check out FreeMILL from the makers of RhinoCAM. http://www.rhino3d.com/resources/dis...e=&listing=412
Do they need that wall around the edge?
It seems like that outer wall will impede the flow of air around these heatsinks, but maybe you have some good reason for them. If not, though, you could speed up the production of them a lot by doing all the fins on a tablesaw, and saving your mill for clearing that central area.
It's going to be a fairly slow process cutting all those grooves with a 1/8" endmill, since you don't want to plunge more than 1/16" at a time, so it's 8 passes to get down to your 1/2" depth. You can find out some things by machining it first in wax, but not if your feeds and speeds are really suitable for aluminum. (One of the biggest problems will be clearing the chips out of those deep grooves). You can get the wax from www.machinablewax.com (a CNCzone advertiser).
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com
eartaker,
Does FreeMILL only allow one type of endmill for a cutting tool and no changes?
Thanks.
FreeMILL will allow more that 1 tool. Here is some more info on it. http://www.mecsoft.com/freemill.shtml
Andrew - Thanks for helping me out with that. The top and bottom will both have a cover made from 3mm aluminum sheeting. The top with the heatsink with have gills cut out. This is for a LED fixture for my fish tank so I would rather not have the fan in the middle and the heatsink showing.
If using a table saw for the fins what type of blade would you recommend for cutting aluminum?
I am working on a vacuum with locline to suck the chips out. I know it wont get them all but if there anything else I could do?
-Dave
I picked the Mill up yesterday. I had to host a dinner for Mothers days so it was just staring me in the eye to get it hooked up. I am just needing a little help.
With Mach3 to get the ports and pins set. I am using a Rockcliff kit. Is there set Pins for the X,Y,Z? I have been watching the videos for Mach3 but still have not gotten this far yet.
Any help will be greatly appreciated
Here's a few photo's
-Dave
[Blasting them out with a heavy flow of flood coolant would probably work better than trying to suck them up through a locline.]Originally Posted by DFason
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com
http://www.mcmaster.com/#machinable-wax/=7170sx
It's not that cheap. For my money, I would go by the local DIY store and look for some PVC pipe caps and such to play around with. Probably get 3 or 4 for what you would spend on shipping a block of wax. Also check for a wax toilet seal. They are beeswax and when you're done, what won't wipe off can be melted off with low heat, or left for it's natural rustproofing properties. I've not tried to machine beeswax, but I use it all the time for tapping and as a cutting fluid diluted with kerosene or mineral oil.
I guess you're trying to be helpful
But I don't see what use it would be to try cutting PVC pipe caps if you're really wanting to cut heatsinks out of aluminum. One nice thing about machinable wax is that it comes in solid rectangular blocks which you can hold onto. Another good thing is that when you're done, you can melt it down into more blocks and try again, which makes it a pretty economical material to experiment with.
As for the wax toilet seals, it sounds like you've never actually installed a toilet or even watched while it was done - they aren't made from beeswax and they are very soft and gooey. That makes for a good seal under the throne, but it's not something you would ever want to try machining unless the temperature in your shop is well below freezing...
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com
Andrew - Thanks again for the reply. I was able to get all the ports and pins configured and everything is working in the right direction now. Its amazing how easy Mach3 is to use!
I am still needing to fine tune the motor speeds and a few little odds and ends but I think I am close. I am going to use a PVC Board ( 1" ) to test out the first few cuts. I'm thinking I can make a mockup of the heatsink with this and make sure everything would work.
This stuff is SO cool. I would have never imagined cutting heatsinks in my own house that I wrote code for!
All I need now is a small vice. Does anyone know a good place to buy one from? I only need one to hold something at largest 3.5"
-Dave
[Sure; go to the Enco site and look for one of their Precision Toolmaker's vises: http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INLMK3?PMK0NO=1123733 ]
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com
