Taig Mill Capabilities

[ericwh86]

I am a mech. engineer with a few ideas of things I'd like to make for myself and maybe to sell to others. Interested in taking some cnc programming classes and/or learning from books etc. I am trying to figure out what specs I need in a starter machine and, beyond travel, have a hard time determining the capability of a machine.

Most important parts I want to make are described below. I'd be running this on weekends and/or evenings and I'd also want to make similar parts from aluminum.



First part is ~12" long (would shorten for tool diameter but use max X travel on the Taig). Made from 5/8" x 2" Brass 360 Bar with ~50% material removal. I would like to use 5/8" x 4" bar and make 2 at a time.

Second part is also brass 360 ~ 3/8" x 1.25" x 3" with ~30% material removal. I'd like to use 3/8" x 2.5" bar, maybe 10" long and make 6 at a time.

Are these parts something the Taig can handle?
How long would each take (not counting tool changes and flipping the parts) and how dependent on machine is this?
Do I need coolant? I am not interested in building an enclosure, I could set up compressed air. If I need coolant for those parts then I would want to step up to something that comes with coolant and an enclosure.



The next options up that I'm aware of are below. The first 3 have slow spindle speed since they are converted manual machines (my understanding) but I like the travel and the price point. Do I need a faster spindle and why? What are the limitations of a slow spindle and could they be overcome by running a lower feed rate for finishing pass?

Procutcnc PM-728VT - slow spindle
Procutcnc PM-30MV - slow spindle
Grizzly G0875 - slow spindle
Tormach 770m - I do not think I need the rapid travel or accuracy improvements of servo motors on the 770mx. This machine gets expensive with adding enclosures, auto-lubers, coolant, tool-changer... etc.
Used Haas Mini Mill

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[awerby]

I don't foresee any particular problems in the parts you're talking about, if they fit in the Taig's work envelope with enough room left over to get the tool where it needs to be. Cutting brass certainly isn't going to be a problem for it. It's not possible to estimate the time they would take, though, without knowing what size tool you're using and what the cut configuration would be. Usually your CAM program will give you an estimate, once you've generated a toolpath and specified tools and feedrates.

Coolant/lubricant can be helpful, although it's not strictly necessary with brass. For aluminum, it's more crucial, since it tends to stick to the cutter. But you don't need a fancy system; people often do this with squirts of WD-40 and a brush. Removing chips from the cut is important, though; recutting them is not advisable. Compressed air should only be used on them if you've provided an enclosure, since those needle-sharp chips can do a lot of damage when they fly around. But enclosures aren't that hard to build.

If you're using small cutters, then higher spindle speeds save a lot of time. The faster the spindle, the more material you can remove in a minute, assuming the machine has enough torque to spin it without bogging down. You'll need to slow the feed rate if the spindle isn't going fast enough to remove material at an optimal rate, but obviously this isn't going to make anything go faster. But if your parts don't require small cutters, then you can take heavier cuts with large ones and save some time that way. It sounds like the Taig would be a good starter machine for you if you're trying to produce small, highly detailed parts, but if you want to make larger, simpler ones, then one of those converted manual machines might work. I offer discounts on all the Taig tools, so let me know if you're serious about wanting to buy one.