Greetings Guys : )
I am new to this forum and CNC Milling, so please forgive me for my rather beginner question.
Having developed an interest in Maker culture and a taste for producing random items, I decided to look into buying an entry level CNC milling machine for hobby purposes.
My objectives for the machine are as follows:
Capable of milling plastics such as PVC and PEEK efficiently
Capable of milling moderately hard wood such as teak efficiently
Capable of milling soft metals such as Aluminium to at least some extent, even if not well.
Capable of being controlled by common software whose textbooks are widely available.
[There aren't really many textbooks about CNC control software. Each company that makes it provides their own documentation, but that can range from well-written PDF manuals to sketchy bits of badly translated info on websites.]
Since I am planning to use this for hobby purpose, high throughput or large working area is not a high priority.
Question 1
One of the more promising suppliers has offered me two options which I am strongly considering [1]. The price difference between the two are significant, USD 2300 and USD 4950,
[That sounds cheap for new American machines; are these ones supposed to ship from Jinan China? Be warned; there are lots of problems you'll encounter if you attempt to import a machine from there. Shipping and tariffs add a lot of cost and unpredictability, to say nothing of fake software, unreliable electronics and workmanship issues - and that's if the thing shows up at all. Check the "Chinese Machines" section of this site for various people's long sad stories. But some people seem happy with what they got. ]
with the main differences as far as I can see being as follows:
1) The cheaper machine uses linear ball bearing on chrome smooth rod, whereas the more expensive machine uses linear guide rail
[The linear rails will work a lot better if you're cutting aluminum.]
2) The structure of the cheaper machine uses Aluminium, whereas the more expensive machine uses steel construction.
[Steel is considerably stiffer, all things being equal.]
Do these two factors affect CNC operation that significantly? Is the cheaper machine likely to be able to fulfill all of my objectives noted above? Which of the two devices would a more experienced CNC operator such as yourselves recommend?
[Without being able to see the machines you mention, it's hard to say. Can you provide links to each of them? There are lots of factors to consider besides the ones you brought up.]
Question 2
This machine comes with the option for an additional two axis over what seems like the most conventional 3 Axis setup for a CNC mill. I have decided to take this option since the increase in cost is very modest. Is it realistic for me to expect these two axis to actually work in practice? Am I correct in understanding that milling in 5 axis greatly increase the difficulty of CNC milling operations compared to 3 axis?
[Yes, and the CAM software's a lot more expensive too.]
Question 3
Am I correct in understanding a 2.2kW spindle is generally better than a 1.5kW spindle with no significant downsides?
[If you've got the power for it, then yes.]
Question 4
If anyone feels that these machines would not suit my objectives, I would be grateful for their advice. Please understand though that my objective is purely hobby level of fabrication, so I am not exactly looking for an industrial grade Haas machine. If possible I would like to maintain a hard price cap of at most USD 8000
[1]
https://www.dropbox.com/transfer/AAA...muSDUtd-IE8SM0