First Mill, Want to CNC

[DRock]

Hey everyone,

I am a recent graduate of a BMET program and I want to purchase my first mill so that I can make the parts I draw up in Solidworks. I have minimal experience on a mill, probably 20 hours of actual machining time, but I can make simple components...haven't done anything with a rotary table, don't know how to do chamfers or cut on angles too well. I have a decent amount of experience on a Prototrak CNC designing parts in Solidworks and then generating tool paths with CAMWorks.

I want to buy an X3 from Grizzly and then get it setup correctly and that is where I get into uncharted territory. Any machine I have used previously was taken care of and maintained by a shop professor so I have no idea how to do any of that stuff. Nor do I know how to tell if it is setup right when I get it and how to tram the mill if it isn't. I think I remember seeing someone using an instrument that kind of looks like a dial indicator but I am not sure.

I have realized that going straight to a CNC setup is probably not the smartest idea and plan on using it as a manual mill for a little while so I can learn everything about converting one.

Meanwhile, I have been putting together a budget and I am trying to get a good estimated cost of this project when I do finally convert it. This is what I have come up with so far when I was planning on using an X1.

Grizzly:

$674 X2 Mini Mill


Mach:

$225 Mach 3 + Addons


CNC Fusion:

$579 Kit
$33 X 3 = $99 Pre-Loaded Ballnut Service
$24 X 3 = $72 Heli-Cal Couplings
________________________________________
$750


Keling:

$235 Gecko Diver G540 4 Axis Driver
$55 X 3 = $165 NEMA 23 Stepper Motor: KL23H2100-50-4B
_____________________________________________________
$400


Total: $2049

Does that seem reasonable? I am planning on upgrading that to the X3 and I may go with the Keling digital drivers instead of the Gecko G540 so it might look more like $3,000 by the time it is done.

I am hoping you guys can help me out with the questions I will undoubtedly have. I need to know how to properly set this mill up once it arrives so that it is cutting as precise and accurate as possible. I don't need specifics but just letting me know what I need to do is fine and then I can research how.

Thank you guys for reading this long post but hopefully with help I can end up with a dependable little CNC machine that will last me for years to come!

[UUU]

You'll need to budget quite a lot for the miscellaneous bits and pieces.

How are you going to hold the work on the mill table - you'll need a vice and/or clamping kit.

You'll need the milling cutters and (I'm not familiar with that mill) whatever the mill uses to hold the cutters - perhaps collet holder and collet set.

You mentioned tramming - yes, you'll need a dial indicator or similar to measure for squareness - and whatever you're going to use to hold it (potentially it might fit in one of the spindle toolholders, or you may want to use a magnetically clamed arm. You might want someother measuring kit also

Do you want to control spindle speed from your Mach3, or manually? You might need more kit if you want to automate this.

[DRock]

I would want a vice, collet set, flat end mills, angled chamfer mill and curved fillet mill if they make them, and I would like to control the spindle through Mach3 depending on how much extra it will cost.

I need to get a better idea of what the overall budget is going to be so I can save accordingly. If this thing lasts me 10 years the cost/yr ratio won't be that bad hopefully.

I stumbled on the Haas website today and wow do they make some sexy mini mills!

[awerby]

of mounting the stepper motors. Those mills were designed to be manual mills, not CNC machines. The X and Y motors aren't too hard, but the Z axis, which is set up differently, is more challenging. Also, the spindle was set up for intermittent cutting, and uses plastic gears that don't hold up well to long continuous use; many people end up converting them to belt drive.

I'm not sure what you'll learn using this as a manual mill that will help you do anything but the simplest jobs once you've got a CNC mill. If that's what you want, it would be a lot easier to get something that's ready to have steppers mounted to it than to try retrofitting one of these manual Chinese machines. The Taig Taig Tools - Desktop Milling Machines and Lathes., for instance, is bigger than the X2 (which Grizzly calls the 8689: G8689 Mini Milling Machine ), has a belt-drive spindle that goes 4 times faster, and (optionally) comes "CNC-ready", which means the steppers can be added immediately with mounts that are supplied. Plus it's made in the USA, so you can get parts and support in English. One of those would get you a lot closer, a lot faster, without costing a whole lot more.

Andrew Werby
ComputerSculpture.com — Home Page for Discount Hardware & Software

[UUU]

Google on "corner rounding end mills" for your fillet cutter.

You can also make your own - I've made a single flute one by holding a small piece of bar in the lathe off-centre and cutting a groove with a round nosed tool, then file off half.

[amyers]

Look into the g0704. It's an awesome mill that can cut circles around any of the mills mentioned so far. there are many threads here especially hoss's g0704 full of great things you can do with this mill. there are do-it-yourself and bolt on cnc kits for it too. the BEST bang for your buck if you ask me.
am

[Winnfield]

Get yourself a G0704 from Grizzly or a BF20 and learn to use it manually well enough to convert it to CNC a bit later, which you could do yourself with your new mill.

[DRock]

The G0704 looks like a great fit, better than the G0463 and cheaper too!

Does CNC Fusion sell a kit that bolts on to this mill? It doesn't seem to be modeled after the X2 or X3.

Thanks for all the replies so far!

[awetmore]

You said that you wanted an X3, then priced it out with an X2.

My first piece of advice is to avoid the X2. If you want a machine in that size just spend a little more money and get the Taig. It is a much better machine, trivial to CNC if you get the CNC-ready version, and is very capable within it's work envelope (about 12" x 6" X/Y). I've owned both and the Taig is a lot more enjoyable to use.

If you need larger I think the G0704 is probably the way to go, but I don't have any personal experience with it. In some ways the Taig still looks like a better machine unless you need the work envelope of the G0704. The Taig has a much higher speed spindle (really nice for working with small cutters like 3/16" or 1/4" in aluminum), has a quieter spindle, uses nuts that make it easy to get the backlash down below most ball screws, and it is easy to get replacement parts for should you do something like run a cutter into the table. I personally like that it is made in the US.

[hoss2006]

The G0704 looks like a great fit, better than the G0463 and cheaper too!

Does CNC Fusion sell a kit that bolts on to this mill? It doesn't seem to be modeled after the X2 or X3.

Thanks for all the replies so far!

They have a kit nearly ready as they've been saying for a while.
The G0704 is nothing like the X2 or X3, it's a much better design.
There are other kits available from Ebay and others as you can see on my main page under CNC Kits and Plans menu.
If you don't want to be limited to little cutters going slow then this might be for you.
Hogging
High Speed Milling
Hoss

[DRock]

I said in my first post that I priced it out for an X2 but was planning to upgrade to the X3 and maybe Keling drivers which will bring it up closer to $3,000.

If I decide to get the Taig MicroMill DSLS 3000 System with Mach 3 does that come 100% ready to CNC out of the box? I am not sure what the difference is between that and their $2500 version.

[awetmore]

I said in my first post that I priced it out for an X2 but was planning to upgrade to the X3 and maybe Keling drivers which will bring it up closer to $3,000.

If I decide to get the Taig MicroMill DSLS 3000 System with Mach 3 does that come 100% ready to CNC out of the box? I am not sure what the difference is between that and their $2500 version.

Yes, but you can go cheaper. Get the 2019CR (about $1100), add 3 steppers, a G540 and a 48V power supply and you are ready to go for about $1700. The 3000 and 2000 are complete systems, the 2019CR is just the mill, but it comes with the stepper mounts instead of manual mill handles.

Deepgroove1.com will sell you a kit with the 2019CR, the steppers, and a G540 based control box. He gets some negative reviews for quality and wiring though, so it might be better to just buy the parts and assemble it yourself for about the same price.

There is also the 2018CR for a little less money if you can live with reduced X travel.