Machine better than a chinese 6040 for a beginner?

[d4cnc]

Ah I see.. I had in my mind that I could plan out a machine that one day could be upgraded bit by bit to a machine that could cut stainless.. Basically, building as much as my £1k would take me.. to get a working machine for my needs now. But with an upgrade path.


In my mind I was thinking that I could do the basic structure of the machine say.. without the really good quality bearings/spindle/holder/motors.. but that can easily be exchanged down the line.
However, is this flawed thinking? ie. is the needs for PCB (accuracy), stainless (strength), wood / aluminium (speed?) just too different that switching between the materials is not feasable.


How much more than £1k would I need to say, get me the strong steel frame/rails.. but with basic motors/spindles etc for cutting aluminium at the moment..


The plan B of learning on the 6040 is definitely something I'm leaning towards, but thought I'd just sound out the idea of building the dream machine right of the bat.. !

[JAZZCNC]

In my mind I was thinking that I could do the basic structure of the machine say.. without the really good quality bearings/spindle/holder/motors.. but that can easily be exchanged down the line.

Unfortunatly Not.!! . . . . Like any good high quality structure it all starts at the foundation. Start off with the wrong design or build with the wrong or lower quality building blocks is just a recipey for disaster or expensive future upgrades. Often with CNC machine this isn't viable has the work involved is more than starting over again.
Much better to aim lower and build the best structure with what you have available now, making it the best it can be. Then Use it and make small improvements along the way. When it becomes no longer full filling your needs or limiting you then sell it on and build another with the knowledge you learnt from the first.
Many many first time builders have failed by aiming too high but equally many many builders have gone on to build great machines by aiming low and then working up.!! . . . It's easy to turn £1k into £3k then into £6k etc but it's just has easy to turn it into rotting pile of scrap thrown in the corner so aim low and work up.

[d4cnc]

Ok.. so at this stage then I think I'm better off going with the 6040 (if I can ever get my hands on one) and learning.. then when I have a better understanding of things, go and build something more sturdy..
Thanks for the words of experience!

[CommanderKenyon]

If you get a 6040 make sure you get a good one , I got one 8 months back and Ive had nothing but problems , bearing holder on x axis was machined not square and there was so much slop in the bearings it was rediculous after shiming x axis and replacing bearings in y with good jap bearings I cut few things out of plywood and now there is play in z, I've had to replace all wiring to motors and get new driver to get motion reliable , I would not go down the same route again , the holes that are drilled in the parts are huge and when measuring look like they have been done with a hand drill

i can say it's made me learn something but prolly mostly how not to do something, maybe I got a bad one but who knows

before going with a router I've made a few scratch build 3d printers for myself and friends that work fantastic and am a good modeller , I just lacked the machines to do the job right so started with 6040 , the structure you get with a 6040 is only very basic and could be recreated with getting 4 pieces of 20mm alloy machined by somebody else and some lengths of extrusion

[sinnsvak]

Its easy to say now, that I'd wish I built one from scratch instead of getting a 6040 from china, but I am not sure I would have learnt so much without it. It has plenty of faults, but at least it gets you started, and the real information-dive starts when you have something to machine with.

For a while I was trying to figure out how I could improve my 6040, but its easier to design a new machine with the materials available to you, in my opinion. And since I dont know anyone with a CNC, I have at least the opportunity to make many of the parts I need for my new one.


I would tell my self to wait and get a used one, or convert a mill, if I were able to jump back in time, but tbh they are pretty much nonexistent where I live.

[CommanderKenyon]

I do agree here with sinnsvak , maybe best advice here for newcomers would be buy a 3040 cnc you would learn same for less money , a small Chinese cnc is half the price but same principles

on the other hand can we come up with some plans for parts for newbies to have parts cut , and buy some off shelf materials to come up with basic cnc that users can make there own and learn more for less

[d4cnc]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Really appreciated.
Yes I agree, it's almost like a necessary evil to get me started on my cnc journey.. don't run before I can walk I guess..


Something I've always wondered actually.. when people use a cnc to make a better cnc, which bits are they making? Because presumably the existing cnc isn't strong enough to cut the material that the better machine will be made out of.. ? Or am I too fixated on steel being the material of the machine, and great machines can be made from aluminium..?


Having said that.. CommanderKenyon brings up a tempting point.. would it be viable to buy say some extrusions, and spindle mount / brackets / bearings.. all off the shelf and build essentially the 6040? Or are there some bits that just have to be custom / precision drilled that wouldn't make it viable for someone without a cnc already.


(PS. CommanderKenyon, I noticed on another thread, your CNC took an age to arrive too.. Which seller did you buy from? How long did it take? And was the seller as unhelpful with tracking numbers as mine? ie. a tracking number that shows up nothing on DHL's website)

[Jon J]

Hi Jazz, completely unrelated to this specific thread but you seemed to be the man to ask. In short I need to source some low profile machine bed extrusion ideally the same stuff as used by Hobgoblin on his 3 axis CNC mill Project: http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/4992-...C-Mill-Project



I presume this is stuff is from China? I really need to source some ASAP for a rush prototype project. This stuff would be almost Ideal unless something thinner is available. Is there a manufacturer, or website you could give me a link to?

many thanks

[JAZZCNC]

Hi Jazz, completely unrelated to this specific thread but you seemed to be the man to ask. In short I need to source some low profile machine bed extrusion ideally the same stuff as used by

Try this company they sell 160x16 which is nice sive for bed. Thou I see it's saying Sold out but will probably re-stock soon.!
http://www.motedis.co.uk/shop/Slot-p...91_999993.html

[Jon J]

thanks for the responses guys but as well as the relatively flat slim profile its the nature of the circular voids in this particular exrtusion that I'm most interested in


I have to produce a prototype of some high voltage electronics which will eventually have 4 off 1750mm long bespoke extruded ally cooling units. but before committing to those manufacturing costs we need to prove and test the theory with something similar in ally, and this extrusion with its circular voids would really work well. So do you know the specific supplier of this stuff or does anyone have contact details for Hobgoblin as he doesn't seem to be active on the forum at the moment. You can Email me externally at [email protected] or alternatively pass that address onto Hobgoblin and ask him to get in contact

thanks again guys

Loving that you're up to on this forum by the way.