Mill 480x500x180 RIGID

[toomast]

Hello all!

I'm writing to you from snowy Estonia. This forum is absolutely brilliant! Totally inspiring to all future machinist!
Like many others I've been reading this forum and sucking up information for DIY CNC machines. Im a production engineer for fine mechanics and all-around handyman in spare time.
I dont have any real purpose for a CNC machine! Am I the only one here with that problem? :)
For sure it could help out with my projects and so on but I don't have any business plan and don't know how the investment will pay off. The goal is to use materials I have and build the best machine possible. Quite original idea...

My first plan was plasma cutter/wood router. But laser and plasma cutting is easily accessible in other companies and also the hassle with big format metal sheets is not for me. And as I kept reading this forum it became clear to me that this cheaply built plasma CNC would really suck at machining wood. So I folded this idea.


Next in line was serious wood router for big format 1250x2500 timber sheets. With possible precise aluminium options. Design came up like this. Aluminium gantry, adjustable bed, eopxy leveling and HIWIN rails.

But could not really see much work for large wood sheets and it would suck at precise aluminium. So folded again.

I have some small stepper motors and availability to get great price thick aluminium plates and steel profiles. So now the idea is to build fixed gantry, super rigid and suitable for at least aluminium/hard materials. Precision is the goal here. I would love the idea of machining steel but its not easily achievable with Chinese WC spindles - I will investigate alternative spindles for that.
Here is the latest version: 4x100x100 steel frame, welded, epoxy leveled X and Y, 20mm aluminium Z-axis, HIWIN 20 rails, 1605 ballscrews all axis, timing belt drives, aluminium bed with fluid collector, 460x500x200mm.

Please dont hold back your comments! Steel frame in the picture is probably 3rd version. Still dont like it. I think its rigid enough but although Im good welder it is still complicated and lacks of adjustment options. I will probably separate the frame to lower and upper part. Mybe someone can point me to genius simple fixed gantry frame designs? ;)
Another issue is with x-bed design. It is designed with aluminium material dimensions that is accessible to me. Fastened with countersunk screws. Could this work or needs more support?

Hope that sharing my project will boost my motivation and also fill my brain with simple and ingenious solutions. I wish this for all readers as well!

PS. All designs here are not complete and lack small details as fasteners, belts and so on...