Hello all. Is anyone here using a mini CNC mill for cutting in
materials harder than wax? Which of these mills are capable of this
work while maintaining decent tolerances and finishes. Which of
these mills have you discovered are not up to the task? Typical work
would be small pieces in titanium, cut with 1/8" endmills. I’d
appreciate hearing anyone’s experiences. Jeffrey McWhinney
Jeffrey, I’d think any of the small mills wouldsuffice for milling
titanium, but you would need a high speed spindle and some apparatus
to allow for liquid cooling and coolant collection/recirculation
The fisnish is tool dependant , primarily You wouild be much more
successful using a heavy machine, properly equipped
Wayne
Jeffrey, I do all of my work, exclusively in titanium, on a Sherline
converted 4-axis CNC. I have never, and probably never will use
anything nearly as big as an 1/8" endmill, so I have no idea what
your depth of cut per pass is going to have to be. I built the CNC
conversion myself, including the power supply and motor driver board
(this was a kit I assembled). There is no material that the Sherline
machines are incapable of cutting, it is simply a matter of staying
within the bounds of the machines strength. As the material gets
harder to cut, you just take lighter cuts, assuming you have the
correct cutting tools.
My endmills used are always 1.0 mm or less (as small as 250 microns)
in diameter, and these will break long before the machine rigidity
comes into play. Assuming you have the machine setup properly and
you understand how to program it, the precision and accuracy can be
anything that you desire. Remember, this is jewelry, and not
aerospace engineering. You need to be realistic on what tolerance
you need or want.
I assembled my own 4-axis CNC for less than $1500, including
EVERYTHING even the dedicated computer for motion control. Since I
built it, I can also repair ANYTHING that breaks.
Daniel J. Statman, Statman Designs
www.statmandesigns.com
Jeffrey, I do all of my work, exclusively in titanium, on a Sherline
converted 4-axis CNC. I have never, and probably never will use
anything nearly as big as an 1/8" endmill, so I have no idea what
your depth of cut per pass is going to have to be. I built the CNC
conversion myself, including the power supply and motor driver board
(this was a kit I assembled). There is no material that the Sherline
machines are incapable of cutting, it is simply a matter of staying
within the bounds of the machines strength. As the material gets
harder to cut, you just take lighter cuts, assuming you have the
correct cutting tools.
My endmills used are always 1.0 mm or less (as small as 250 microns)
in diameter, and these will break long before the machine rigidity
comes into play. Assuming you have the machine setup properly and
you understand how to program it, the precision and accuracy can be
anything that you desire. Remember, this is jewelry, and not
aerospace engineering. You need to be realistic on what tolerance
you need or want.
I assembled my own 4-axis CNC for less than $1500, including
EVERYTHING even the dedicated computer for motion control. Since I
built it, I can also repair ANYTHING that breaks.
Daniel J. Statman, Statman Designs
www.statmandesigns.com
Jeffrey Homier has a Speed way Mini Mill for 399.99 I have one an am
very satisfied with it. There is a yahoo group called 7x10 mini lathe
and there are several happy owners of them as well as the HF, and
Grizzly, they are all about the same but Homier is selling them
100.00 cheaper than the cheepest of the 3. Take a look at a review of
the 3 at http://www.minilathe.com and click mini mill
http://www.homier.com Clint