My Build - I blame you lot for this....!

**AdCNC** · 26-08-2010

Hi Steve, just havin a quick look over your build... (unless i missed it), you didnt mention where you get your alloy cutters from?

**HiltonSteve** · 26-08-2010

Been using these people for a while now - http://www.cutweltools.co.uk/home/milling-cutters

Quick delivery and pretty good prices, for general cutting (no good on aluminium) they were doing a deal on the K2 coated cutters a few weeks back, don't know if they are still doing them at the offer prices but worth asking.

For aluminium they do a Alu-power range, had good results with them.

**Jonathan** · 26-08-2010

Originally Posted by HiltonSteve

For aluminium they do a Alu-power range, had good results with them.

Which of the range would you recommend / have you used?

**HiltonSteve** · 26-08-2010

These are the ones I have used - http://www.cutweltools.co.uk/files/w...lu%20power.pdf

2 Flute solid carbide - the cutting angles on these prevent the chips from sticking and blocking the cutter up, also plenty of fluid needed when cutting to wash away the swarf and keep the cutter lubricated.

The more solid the machine the better, if you have any play anywhere in your machine then you will find it when cutting aluminium, also realistic speeds and feeds need to be used to keep the cutter cutting and not just rubbing away the aluminium, too slow a feed rate combined with a not so solid machine and they wont last too long, you have to make them work to get the best results.

**bjamc13** · 14-09-2010

Dear Steve,

Absolutely amazing. Very nice and clean design. I would like to build a similar construction like your. You used 80 x 40 alu extrusion for bed. I have 50x50 extrusion for cheap price. What do you think: bolting together two of them would give the same rigidity like one 80x40? Or it is not the way to go?

**HiltonSteve** · 14-09-2010

Originally Posted by bjamc13

Dear Steve,

Absolutely amazing. Very nice and clean design. I would like to build a similar construction like your. You used 80 x 40 alu extrusion for bed. I have 50x50 extrusion for cheap price. What do you think: bolting together two of them would give the same rigidity like one 80x40? Or it is not the way to go?

Thanks for the comments...

The reason for using 80 x 40 extrusion was so that I had a nice large surface area on the ends to help pull everything square when I bolted it together, and also in the 80 x 40 there are 2 mounting holes in each end which I tapped out M12, this meant I could put some decent size bolts in and really tighten them up to keep everything solid.

I can not see why 50 x 50 will not work on its own but putting 2 together to make 100 x 50 will certainly be better. Whether you need to do it depends on what you are thinking of using the machine for and how solid you want to make it.

Quick tip, obvious maybe, but when you drill the two endplate's that the extrusions are bolted to then clamp them together and drill all the mounting holes at the same time through both plates, it will make life a lot easier when trying to square the bed/machine up.

**bjamc13** · 14-09-2010

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the advices. Of course I will make the drilling as you suggested. I got the 15 m of this 50x50 extrusion for 80 EUR, so I don't have bad feeling using them all to build a solid machine.
I intend to mill wood, plastic and alu, but not the harder metals.
It seems that ZAPP has quite good prices for ballscrews&nuts, it's very likely that I will order from there. I have used ball screws, but they are heavy weight really: 40x12 in three sizes 400mm/10000mm/1080mm. I don't know if I will use them ever, because I don't want to waste so much power to move the gantry with these brutal screws. But if someone has good ideas how to utilize them .....

**irving2008** · 14-09-2010

40mm dia ballscrews are going to really kill your acceleration, were these the ones advertised recently on ebay, ex VMC1010 machining centre?

**routercnc** · 14-09-2010

Would gearing them down 3:1 (giving 4mm per turn instead of 12mm, and helping to turn all that inertia) make them more useable?

**HiltonSteve** · 14-09-2010

The pitch on the screw may not be the only problem, think about the size of the ballnuts. Finding space to fit them in and also making mounts for them could end up more expensive than downgrading to a more usable size like 16mm x 5mm pitch.