Hi Everyone

[Peter Griffin]

Hello Everybody I found your (Our) site about a week a go and have just registered. I am looking to build a cnc mill capable of machining Ali/Brass:wave:

[audioandy]

Welcome Peter

When you start your build don't forget the photo's :beer:

Andy

[Kn8]

Hello Peter, welcome.:wave:

Ivan

[irving2008]

Hello Everybody I found your (Our) site about a week a go and have just registered. I am looking to build a cnc mill capable of machining Ali/Brass:wave:Welcome Peter.
Can you be clearer about your goal?

Sorry if you know all this already, but here are some thoughts you might find useful.

Do you mean a router, or a true mill? Generally with a router the cutting head moves in X/Y/Z and the workpiece remains stationary, which is good for large wood/plastic/foam items. In a mill the cutter moves in Z, but the workpiece moves in X & Y, whcih is better for smaller items, particularly metal ones. Obviously there are cross-overs between these.

For cutting metal (with any reasonable speed or depth of cut and accuracy) you need rigidity which is generally hard to achieve with a router arrangement without incurring a lot of hassle and cost. A true mill is characteristed by a lot of mass in a big casting to give the rigidity, and therefore most CNC milling is done by converting a conventional off-the-shelf mill rather than building from scratch (although I have seen some ground-up builds based on a lump of steel girder). This is likely to be the cheaper route overall as well.

[Peter Griffin]

Thanks all for the warm welcome, In reply to irving2008 I hope to build a gantry type milling M/C based on a welded steel chassis (X750, Y500, Z125) I have got a fair idea of how it will look,but still in the drawing stage.

[Lee Roberts]

Hi Peter, good luck and welcome mate !