Need Help!! Cnc Conversion G0619vs Cnc Engraver

[Usmcdevildog]

Ok everyone I need help here on a decision! My buddy bought one of these 500-600 cnc engravers, he is also a gunsmith like me, he uses it for Nfa engravings on lowers and doing different things on slides and lowers. I have to say after seeing some of the stuff he's done in actually kind of impressed, I Hane a large Bridgeport mill, and a Logan 6565 14x50 lathe and I also have a bench too grizzly g0619 milling machine that I strictly use as a drill press it works great for that. For awhile I've thought about converting it to do stuff like what I explained above, however I've seen how much guys dump into some of these conversions and you can get a nice used cnc machine for some of the prices I've seen guys talk about spending. I'm posting a pic of the unit he actually is using and the mill I have to convert. With that said I would love everyone's opinion on what I should do here.

 

[planeflyer21]

I have researched it quite a bit. The CNC conversion kits out there vary quite a bit in what you get for the price.

At this point my goal is to get a dedicated CNC machine in the future.

 

[derf]

The cnc engraver may sound like a better deal, BUT......by the time you get the rest of the stuff it needs to operate, like a computer, operating software and engraving software, it will be very expensive.
The lower cost alternative is a panto-graph engraver with a rotary cutter. It has the advantage of engraving over rounded surfaces like barrels.