Machine better than a chinese 6040 for a beginner?

[d4cnc]

Ah well skillwise I'm very basic.. but with a mountain of patience.. so that normally gets me out of trouble.. However I've never built anything that needed μm of precision before and think I'd struggle sqauring and aligning everything.


So my pipe dream of building a machine strong enough that someday I can change the spindle, add a flood system and be able to cut 1.5mm steel is not happening you think?


If that's the case, I wonder if I'd be better buying a 6040 (from a different seller) for my first machine and as you say, forget steel. Just wondering if there's any advantage to me trying to better a machine that seems to be capable of doing everything I need as is. (3mm aluminium & PCBs) Apart from the fact I'd absolutely love doing it.

[JAZZCNC]

So my pipe dream of building a machine strong enough that someday I can change the spindle, add a flood system and be able to cut 1.5mm steel is not happening you think?

No not at all and like I say it's very do-able but not for £1k.!

Just wondering if there's any advantage to me trying to better a machine that seems to be capable of doing everything I need as is. (3mm aluminium & PCBs) Apart from the fact I'd absolutely love doing it.

Yes because while they may well do it that doesn't mean they do it well.!! . . . . They are very easily bettered by just using a different design or even similair design just done better and use higher spec components which you can just about do with £1K(no electrics as per your first post)

If your just wanting a cheap entry level machine to learn with then I'd say buy the cheapest chinese machine you can find and run it until you pops.!! Don't waste a penny on trying to improve it. This is were they shine IMO has a learning machine so long has it's realised can't make silk purse out of sows ear and don't waste penny tring to do so.

Then build your own machine when you have a much better idea of what you require and have saved up some funds for your dream machine.!

[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.

[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