The Dark Satanic Mill

I thought it might be best to start a thread on my project here and try and keep my ramblings in one spot (easier for people to avoid) :-)

Anyway as some of you know I'm trying to get a machine to cut out brooch shapes in a 1-2mm thick sheet of copper to help my wifes jewellery making efforts.

I was hoping to get away with a cost of around £1500 so I seem to be limited in what I can get.
Decent off the shelf machines seem to go for a fair bit more than that so short of finding a half built project that someone is bored with (you know who you are) I am going to need to build something myself.

There seems to be a trap with self build as it is almost as if you need a workshop with a Mill to make your Mill !! If anyone near Great Yarmouth is out there please speak up :-)
So I'm thinking I need to buy something in almost a kit form that needs only a small amount of home workshopping.

I have had a number of emails and phone conversations with Gary at Zapp who has been very helpful and also one forum member is being driven to distraction behind the scenes - Big thanks due.

In a day or so I will put up a list of the kit I'm proposing to get so you guys can rip it to pieces :-)

Chris

Do not worry about lack of mills etc. I have a router screwed under the bench, a hobby bench drill and a sliding mitre saw. You may need a bit more ingenuity and help from the forum but it can be done.

Bruce

This whole thing is turning into a nightmare.

I only wanted to help my wife make a brooch !!

Now Im sucked in :-)

lol, too late now... you should've taken the Blue pill! :-)

Wait until you start lusting after a T shirt with the logo "There's no place like G74" !
:-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mocha

lol, too late now... you should've taken the Blue pill! :-)

Wait until you start lusting after a T shirt with the logo "There's no place like G74" !
:-)

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I'm not that sad...........................am I ? Maybe a cap then. :-)

Shouldn't that be G28 ?
Unless you live inside a drilling or tapping machine ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John S

Shouldn't that be G28 ?
Unless you live inside a drilling or tapping machine ?

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I did think it should have been G28, but according to NC Programming as per ISO (DIN 66025) and RS274,http://www.machinemate.com/FullListCodes.htm it said 74... Is the difference because of "dialect" or is there another reason???

God almighty that's an old list, half those codes won't run on a modern machine/.
No G28, no G30
G76 screwcutting has been allocated to something else.?

Now I am confused because Power Automation GmbH, the company that makes or sells the machines that those codes relate to seem to still be in business I think... Well, they are scheduled to be at a trade show in July...

Do you know of an up to date list of G-codes?

Why not take the list that Mach uses ?
No good insisting that 'THIS' is the standard if your machine can't handle it.

Good book and really a bible is CNC Programming Handbook by Smid.
Bit pricey in 3rd edition but 2nd editions can be picked up cheaply and not a lot of difference in them.

Just checked and G74 is left hand threading on mills and drilling cycle on lathes.