Newbie- need assistance finding a CNC for my uses.

[superD]

for starters, i am new here, so i hope i have this in the right area; if not, feel free to let the lashings begin. after you help me.

so over the past two weeks i have been searching for a CNC machine that will fit my needs, i've looked at tons of benchtops from Taig, Sherline and Townlabs. none of them seem to be really capable enough for what i want to mill however.

then i jumped up to the Drill Mills, which seem to be capable enough for what i want, but finding information on which is best for a CNC conversion is making my eyes bleed.

i plan on working with aluminum 90% of the time, in reasonably small sizes. for example this is the first part i designed with dimensions of about 9X4X1 this part would need to be milled from a solid chunk of aluminum. so what mill/CNC would work best for this application and future applications that would involve a pocket about 4X5 and one inch deep in aluminum as well.

this is the part, and if you cannot tell my mind is in one hundred different places with this CNC stuff and i just need some direction on the best way to build a solid machine for under ~4K

again, thank you for your assistance. this site came up non stop in my searches and provided plethora of useful information.

[austin.mn]

That is a lot of machining to make that part from bar stock. Why not weld tabs onto the flat plate?

[superD]

Originally Posted by austin.mn That is a lot of machining to make that part from bar stock. Why not weld tabs onto the flat plate?

(the part is not totally complete) and it's just an example, future projects will require heavy machining.

[austin.mn]

Have you looked for a used bridgeport in your area? It may be worth looking into.

[superD]

Originally Posted by austin.mn Have you looked for a used bridgeport in your area? It may be worth looking into.

been looking, and that would be the ideal choice. but it seems like you can spend 4K just converting a bridgeport to CNC. so that kind of blows the budget. but IF that really is the best option, i'll do that and just save up for slightly longer.

[austin.mn]

Find an older Bridgeport Boss Machine. It is already cnc'd and they can usually be had pretty cheap, usually not working. Drives burnt out, or just outdated controls. Then rewire it with some modern motor drives and run it with Mach3 or EMC2. You should have a very nice machine for under 2K.

I was able to buy my Boss 3 machine for $500 then bought motor drives off ebay and was up and running for under a grand.

A word of warning though, the boss machine is a bit heavier than the standard bridgeport.

[Al_The_Man]

Another good machine to look at is the Excello or XLO ram mill, these are considered a bit more rigid than the BP even.
These can also be found with older CNC controls that are tired or obsolete.
Al.

[underthetire]

How much shop space and power (3pahse) do you have? I might just know where two used machining centers are ( a Mori Seiki and an Okuma) that would probably fit your budget and the amount of material your trying to remove. Both run, both in ok shape.

[envco]

Nice piece! Well funny enough I've been researching as well.

You can make this from plate and have it come out looking like milled alloy, cheap. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dip_soldering

This is used on all the lightweight box assemblies in aerospace. It takes parts that snap together, then fill the voids with solder.

I delve into a lot of strange stuff researching how to avoid buying a machine!

Me I preferential to the robot arm. It is outside your budget (10,000 USD) but offers a small shop diversity.

The other option is to make 1, 2.2% larger, (shrinkage) and have them cast in alloy. part could cost 5.00 and your milling needs will decrease by 80%.

Hope it helps buddy!

[superD]

Originally Posted by underthetire How much shop space and power (3pahse) do you have? I might just know where two used machining centers are ( a Mori Seiki and an Okuma) that would probably fit your budget and the amount of material your trying to remove. Both run, both in ok shape.

1,600 square foot shop, so i have plenty of room. i have another space about the size of a single car garage i could devote to milling operations if needed as well.

don't have three phase power yet, so i can find a converter to suit the machine.

are these located in the southwest?

[superD]

is this any good?

Table Size:………… 9” x 42” with an additional cutting coolant trough, and partial enclosure to keep chips, and fluid from spilling into the surrounding area. The Front Doors slide out, and can be removed, if needed. X-Travel:………….. 36” Y-Travel:…………...12” Z-Travel:……………5” Spindle speed:………4,000 RPMs, variable speeds with a high, and low gear. Collect capacity: …...Its uses Moris Taper 30, and comes with 8 of these collets Knee travel:………...14” manual Floor space:………...64” x 58” Height:……………...84” Comes with are recycling cutting coolant system, reduces the need for extra coolant. Equipped with an air brake The three axis are controlled via 3 stepper motors. Which have been calibrated to this system, and has limit switches which will prevent it from going too far. Easy to reset your home position to where you wish to place it, and work. This machine has been retrofitted with a Ah-HA CNC control from the original Bridge port components. System uses a basic easy to use coordinate system. Comes with a working computer to run the mill loaded with the Artisan CNC software

for 2K.

[austin.mn]

Looks like a Series 2, I have never used the AH-HA controls before so I can't comment on that. But, yeah. It looks to be a decent deal. And, I see it comes with some collets. I only have two for mine, they can get expensive. Luckily with CNC you can get by on just a few pretty easy if you have to.