DIY mill...

[irving2008]

I hope to build a cnc'd mill soon, think i'm going to use ali and start from scratch. i'v been working on a design in cad but i have now desided to use ali not mdf so its a remodel now. One that will keep the costs down to.

The main issue with a mill for metalworking is rigidity otherwise you wont be able to take any reasonable sort of cut. Which is why I was interested in Kip's ally casting and the potential move to cast iron. His view is ally is too springy for this sort of work, at least for headstocks/quill supports but again it all depends on the design. I'm not convinced a flying gantry design would be rigid enough so I'm considering basing my design around a modified pillar drill...

I just picked this 36" drill with a cast iron foot/head and 9" sq table up of ebay for £15...



I know it doesnt look much now, but I think it will serve as a basis once I've done work on the bearings and sorted out a way to preload them. Then maybe shorten the pillar and modify the table