I think most machinist want a cnc but for good reason and myth they are scared

I think the fear goes the other way in a hobby setting. It is related to the concept of Workmanship of Risk. Many people go with CNC because they are afraid of losing a part. They don't want to go through the jigsaw puzzle of manual setups. Building jigs, and fixtures. Some complicated projects could take weeks to build parts for and then to trash the part from some mistake?

It also is a question of the focus of the activity: The product or the process.
 
markknx said:
Thank you steve. I just whatched the first video. You make it look so easy so I am sure I can at least figure it out if I try. Is there a way to have CNC and crank the handles?
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many would just use the MPG to crank whichever axis needs to move. Though with the MDI the MPG is really just to zero out the part. you could have handles on each axis instead, a few people do that, IMO it's only good for when the machine is powered down.
 
I have both a manual mill and a CNC mill and use whichever floats my boat that day. I have designed parts in CAD, generated the Gcode, uploaded that to a thumb drive and then walked out to the shop and built the part on my manual mill For me it's all just a hobby though and I really enjoy the learning as much or more than the making.

Shawn
 
Bill Gruby said:
I read the last post with a little chuckle. It makes it sound like you really have to have these things to live, you don't. I still don't own a cell phone. What I have to say to someone can wait till I get home. I only have this computer because it was given to me. Yes, it has improved my life. I don't need a CNC machine either. I don't need one. Someone also said that time is important, it isn't. The person that told him. as a hobby machinist time doesn't mean anything was RIGHT, not wrong. If you need something made by me and you tell me when you need it by, I will promptly tell you to take it somewhere else. I no longer punch a clock.

I am not against technology, I just don't need a lot of the new things. Yes, as far as CNC goes for me, I am a naysayer. But that is using it for me, it has it's place. That place just isn't here in my shop and that's the way it is, period.

"Billy G"
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To be clear, I don't think there is anything wrong with not owning a cellphone, computer or staying with all manual machines. That's a personal choice, if it works for you, thats great. However, I don't assume to know everyones needs. You say "It makes it sound like you really have to have these things to live, you don't" While that may technically true, I think it moot as one can argue away 'what is really necessary to live' all the way back to the stone age. I do need those things, to conduct my livelihood and support the lifestyle that is my personal choice. Remember, the whole point of machines is to reduce human effort and make life easier.
 
You made my point. No one person can say what is right for another. The only thing gained by this entire thread is to let everyone speak their mind.

"Billy G"
 
Once again into the fray....
Just some support for Bill since he seems to be holding the line much on his own. :)

I have nothing agains technology, I work with computors and I use to assemble them out of 'components' when I was younger.also I do own a cell phone but will often forget it at home unless the wife comes down on me since she couldn't call me when something comes up. Still, nothing against cell phones I do use them and have found they are useful...sometimes. I even text (whoopie) more than I make voice calls.

Evenso, like Bill, I have no need of a CNC machine. I have always prided myself on the success or often failure of a machined project because either one of those outcomes is from me. It is my success or failure and my skill not a computors. Jim Dawson has a good point, time is involved in machining complex one off parts. But that's part of it and like Bill, when I'm machining (in most cases) time is not the critical factor. There is the challenge of setting up and machining all those 'blended arcs' and getting them correct on my own in my own time frame. Might even involve some 'hand work'.
Do I hate CNC, no not at all, it has it's place and have seen the meticulous/beautiful work y'all have turned out and I even envy it...sometimes. More power to ya! Have at it and enjoy what you do however you do it but...I have no need of a CNC driven machine. It takes me longer but if I'm meticulous myself and pay attention to my precision, I'll make the parts
 
markknx said:
Thank you steve. I just whatched the first video. You make it look so easy so I am sure I can at least figure it out if I try. Is there a way to have CNC and crank the handles?
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Sorry I didn't get right back e-mail shut down again I think, yesterday it worked great...
Yes you can have motors with duel shafts but a pendent makes it easier. To use the cranks you would have to turn the power off to the motors and then you would loose the ability to use the screen as a dro.
Maybe if I have time I'll make a video showing something being made using the mill without a drawing, just using lines and circles and the pendent. I'll see if the next thing I make is interesting enough to video. you don't have to know everything about cad and cam to start using the machine.
Steve
 
jumps4 said:
Sorry I didn't get right back e-mail shut down again I think, yesterday it worked great...
Yes you can have motors with duel shafts but a pendent makes it easier. To use the cranks you would have to turn the power off to the motors and then you would loose the ability to use the screen as a dro.
Maybe if I have time I'll make a video showing something being made using the mill without a drawing, just using lines and circles and the pendent. I'll see if the next thing I make is interesting enough to video. you don't have to know everything about cad and cam to start using the machine.
Steve
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in Linuxcnc I can press the stop button and the motors will be off but it will continue to read the encoders.
 
most steppers don't have encoders but some of the newer ones now do.
my motors are braking when the power is on so turning them would not show up as motion on the screen.
steve
 
Whether you can use a CNC machine manually also depends on what kind of drive it has. If you have a ball screw, most likely the pitch of the screw will make manual operations pretty useless except for just moving to a general area.

In general though, the more things change, the more they remain the same. The people that do hand work vs. the people that use machines. Shapers vs. Milling machines. Hand turning on a lathe vs screw guided tooling. Manual vs CNC. We get a process that will create a product with the tools we are used to using. A new way comes along to to the same part and we can chose to use the new way or stay with what we know works. If both ways work, then it amounts merely to preference.
 
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