Harbor Freight Mill into x-y axis CNC

[MPaulHolmes]

Hi, I've been using a harbor freight mill with about a 19"x7" x-y travel to etch PCB for an open source electric car motor controller project (details available on ecomodder.com). It is really easy to lose count. Right now it goes something like this:

4.5 cranks right
2 cranks down
4.5 cranks right
5.5 cranks up...

Well, yesterday my mother in law came in and started talking to me, and I lost count, and messed up the whole dang thing! AAHH! Is it hard to change the mill to an basic CNC? I really just need the x and y axis automated. It woudl make my life so much easier. How do I do that?

[lumberjack_jeff]

Have you seen this thread
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75921

Is that the model of your mill?

Also, something else that occurred to me is that (for your current purposes) perhaps you don't need cnc... maybe you just need a Digital Read Out on the table?

I've seen threads here where people have hacked them together using mouse guts as encoders and PC's as coordinate displays.

[MPaulHolmes]

Thanks Jeff! Here's my harbor freight mill:

Item Number 42827 (It wouldn't let me do a direct link).

I'm going to read that thread you suggested. I think you are right. I probably don't need a full CNC right now. It would be way easier not to have to keep count.

[lumberjack_jeff]

http://www.shumatech.com/products/dro-350/index.htm

Have you seen this? Connect two harbor freight digital calipers to x and y. Still have to crank, but at least you don't need to count them.

Someone sells a complete kit for about $150.

[cnczoner]

I have the same mill, and CNC'ed. Someone else did the original conversion, and I recently started re-converting to ballscrews. It is relatively easy. PM me an email address and I'll send you some pics.