Cost of tooling.

[l u k e]

What might I expect to spend in tooling to set up my CNC mill. (Tool Room Mill, likly #40 taper). I know it all depends on what I want to do and sort of thing, I'm just looking for a rough estimate.

In the past few years I've setup a nice manual mill with lots of tooling. The mill ran about $4000 and I've spent somewhere around $10,000-$15,000 in tooling, vices, holders, drill chucks etc. So, I won't be setting up a shop from scratch, but I know that the CNC will require it's own vices, tool holders, chucks etc.

I also know that buying tools for the shop is an endless situation and that cost of machining tools very greatly. Really I just want a estimate of what to expect.

[DareBee]

2 tool sets like this http://www.royalprod.com/product.cfm?catID=25&ID=78
1 Kurt vise
1 front thru bolt mount 8" chuck
buy the rest as you need it.

[l u k e]

Are CNC edge finders specific to the machine you're using?

[DareBee]

My "CNC" edge finder is the same one I have used in dozens of machines in 5 different shops - about $40 from Starrett 18 years ago

[l u k e]

I have "conventional" edge finder sets and an electronic edge finder, but I don't see how these can be used on a CNC machine. It wouldn't make sense to jog the machine by hand to line up the part. (?)

I guess I just figured that a height offset and edge finder would be standard equipment (or at least optional) with the mill.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by l u k e I have "conventional" edge finder sets and an electronic edge finder, but I don't see how these can be used on a CNC machine. It wouldn't make sense to jog the machine by hand to line up the part. (?) I guess I just figured that a height offset and edge finder would be standard equipment (or at least optional) with the mill.

"It wouldn't make sense to jog the machine by hand to line up the part. (?)"

Why? My edge finder consists of a tool wrong way round in a holder and a piece of paper. Jog your edge up until the paper is just gripped, move the edge finder out of the way and jog 0.002 for the paper thickness and whatever the radius of the edge finder is to put the spindle centerline on the edge.

For locating on existing holes I find it impossible to beat using a coaxial indicator. Blake Indicator in the Los Angeles area make a very nice one. On most of our fixtures we interpolate a reference hole somewhere and just make a note in the program where to the locate the work zero with reference to this.

[l u k e]

I guess I just thought that CNC would be more sophisticated than that, but I don't know that's why I'm asking.

[lerman]

Originally Posted by Geof "It wouldn't make sense to jog the machine by hand to line up the part. (?)" Why? My edge finder consists of a tool wrong way round in a holder and a piece of paper. Jog your edge up until the paper is just gripped, move the edge finder out of the way and jog 0.002 for the paper thickness and whatever the radius of the edge finder is to put the spindle centerline on the edge. For locating on existing holes I find it impossible to beat using a coaxial indicator. Blake Indicator in the Los Angeles area make a very nice one. On most of our fixtures we interpolate a reference hole somewhere and just make a note in the program where to the locate the work zero with reference to this.

It seems to me that an electronic probe would be much easier. Position it somewhere inside the hole and "tell it" to find the center. Or position it near the edge and tell it to find the edge.

Does anyone here who has tried both methods care to comment?

Ken

[Geof]

Ken you are correct and if you want to spend a few extra thousand you can get probing. If you are doing frequent setups, one offs and things like that I think it is almost certain this would be the best option. When you are doing semi-production work and setup time is a miniscule fraction of the total batch time the benefit of probing is not as great. Also if you make an 'oops' with your probe it can be an expensive oops; if you make an oops with my upside down tool it doesn't cost anything. With the coaxial indicator an oops generally means you need a new tip which is just a few dollars.

[DareBee]

even with 1 offs my vise, my chuck, my fourth axis etc each have their own fixture offset on the machine and post in my CAM. 90% of the time I have no setup other than tools, the other 10% of the time an edge finder is quick.
The probing sounds good but you still need to jog it near to a start position and then run a program (not much faster IMO) I know way to many people that have an oops with there probe and then cough up another $500 for a new tip.

[l u k e]

I've seen video on setting up work on a CNC machine, now I know what I was seeing, they were indeed using a probing tool. That is why I was a little confused when you stated you just use a standard edge finder.

All that is fine with me because it means less money I need to spend to go CNC.

[Geof]

Nobody so far has actually suggested an amount of money you should budget for tooling. Although I don't think you need any suggestions because your manual machine figure it about correct. My number is around $15,000 with about half of that spent in the first few weeks and the balance over the first year.

One thing I just noticed in your first post; Toolroom mill .... No enclosure?? Do you really like taking a shower in coolant while you run the machine? It depends what you are machining and how fast you are going but I can't imagine being without high volume flood coolant and this makes an incredible mess without an adequate enclosure.