Thinking of jumping into CNC milling. How to start ?

**Clive S** · 26-12-2016

Originally Posted by SparkyLabs

Well I spoke to jazzcnc today and done some quick thinking.

I think I will just add digital readouts to my crappy Clarke CMD10 to make life simpler and save for the cc-f1200 HS with 7500 rpm.

Sent from my phone so mind the autocorrect.

Have you read the specs. ( re-adjustable free of play trapezoid screws in all axes ) no ball screws and only max 600mm/min rapids

edit I see that they are optional extra for about £1000

**SparkyLabs** · 26-12-2016

OK, no not re-read it since I spoke to jazzcnc but yes ball screws are a must. I'll stick with the manual machine and look into the CNC later.

Sent from my phone so mind the autocorrect.

**Davek0974** · 26-12-2016

Sent you a PM sparkylabs, may be of interest ;)

**SparkyLabs** · 26-12-2016

Is that the one you sent this morning yes read it. Else it's Tapatalk playing up.

Sent from my phone so mind the autocorrect.

**Davek0974** · 26-12-2016

Yep, just the one ;)

**SparkyLabs** · 26-12-2016

OK. Well I'm still not sure which way to go and had a good chat with jazzcnc this morning which was most helpful. I think if I put DRO's on my current manual mill it will make it useable for prototyping while I learn more about machining and CNC and save up and then buy something decent if it makes sense for light manufacturing.

Sent from my phone so mind the autocorrect.

**magicniner** · 26-12-2016

Longer spent evaluating and planning is rarely lost time.
There's a huge range of things that a decent DRO with multiple zeros renders relatively simple on a manual mill.

**SparkyLabs** · 26-12-2016

Well my whole looking into a CNC mill started with my frustration over the manual machine I use. I looked at DRO's but it became apparent that for some you can start spending hundreds of pounds although I'm a bit confused about the claims of you been able to cut an arc or circle with one of these, typically the ones on eBay have this claim.

So I didn't want to spend lots of money on the current machine knowing that I will outgrow it and started looking at just getting a CNC. A work colleague found me the proxxon unit however this has turned out to be a bit of a Schrodinger's cat as while the mill exists or apparently exists I will never know if the CNC version exists until I try to order one and see if it actually turns up. My first attempt at getting a quote got me a quote for a manual machine twice in fact this happened. And from this discussion it is clear that there is far more to this than I had realised so I should probably learn about what the hell I am doing and the equipment before buying something that turns out to be no good. I can only but spend the money once.