Millright Power Route

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ttabbal

H-M Supporter - Gold Member
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https://millrightcnc.com/product/millright-cnc-power-route-kit-bundle/

I'm considering giving a CNC router a try. I'm leaning towards this one, but thought I'd see if anyone here has tried it or has a different suggestion. I like that it looks more rigid than the cheap imports and has good manufacturer support in the US.

I'm aware it's not a mill. I'm planning to use it mostly for wood, plastic, and fiberglass once I get dust collection sorted out. I'll probably push it and do some aluminum as well.
 
I have no experience with these 80/20 routers but this one looks pretty solid as these routers go. I would go with the higher HP and RPM Dewalt spindle. For engraving and small diameter cutters, high RPM is generally a good thing. I did not see any specifications for backlash or positional accuracy so don't expect the precision that you can get with a Milling machine but that might not be an issue for what you want to do with it and it sound like you are aware of these type of limitations. I am sure you can cut some aluminum if you just take shallow cuts and get your feeds and speeds correct and again what you want to make does not require .001 accuracy (and many things don't). It was interesting that there the motion controller that they supply does not interface with Mach3. This may not be a problem but it also could be that their motion controller is very limited. It sort of sounds like you send it the G-Code and it takes off. With a more robust controller like Mach3 you have a lot of options that help in many ways such as real time feed speed control and the ability to pause and resume and much more. It might be worth looking into that aspect a little more. Many people are using Fusion 360 for both CAD and CAM and like they say, it is free for hobbyist. Be sure to ask if they have and provide the post-processor for Fusion360. Looking forward to hearing your experiences as you move forward with this.
 
Thanks for the thoughts. I asked about accuracy, they claim ~0.003". And of course with aluminum slow feeds. I didn't ask about backlash, I thought it wasn't an issue with ballscrews. Am I wrong there?

It uses the same controller as the Shapeoko, GRBL. Fusion360 comes with a post processor for it.

So you send it gcode directly like a 3D printer. That does seem to have pros and cons. I think some of the features like pause and live speed changes are possible depending on the gcode sender program. That seems to be the case with printing setups. But there could be limitations compared to something like Mach3. The control electronics are pretty open, so I could probably replace it with a different board should I need to.

II'll be sure to post about my experience with it if I get one.
 
Missed that this uses ball screws. I agree that will minimize backlash and .003 sounds good for a gantry system. Changing out the control electronics also should not be a issue other that it will be an additional cost with the amount depending on what you can re-use. Hopefully you will not find it necessary.
 
Just to update on this. I received the kit and assembled it. Nothing too difficult, the hardest part is just getting used to how one builds these extrusion kits as it's the first time I've worked with them. The instructions were pretty detailed, and complete. The company is US based so no broken english from Google Translate and they are very willing to help with questions.

Other than basic hand tools, loctite, and some form of thread cutting lubricant (WD40 will do), everything needed was included. Including an endmill for the first cuts. Nice touch.

Rigidity is better than I expected from a gantry type machine. So far in wood and plastic the machine is very accurate and fast, I'm nowhere near the limits as of yet. But it is just plywood and plastic so far. I'm still dialing things in and getting used to the machine and software, so I'm not prepared to do real accuracy testing. Quick checks with a digital caliper are well within the specs.

So far, I'm satisfied with the control electronics. Everything moves as it should and where it should. I'm new enough at it that I suspect I won't hit any limitations for a while. The steppers are driven with standalone driver boxes, so switching would just be wiring the signal lines to the new controller board. Fusion 360 works well with it, and I've done a few simple custom parts in it and they cut well. My biggest source of issues at the moment is just learning the CAM settings better. Thankfully it has a good simulator so I can see what it will do before I run the cutter.
 
I'm looking into getting the same machine you have. May I ask how it's been running? I'll be cutting carbon fiber, plastics, and wood with it.
 
I've been very happy with the machine. Parts come out on size, and I'm probably not even pushing the machine hard yet. The only bad parts have been mistakes I made with setup, CAM, etc.. I've mostly done decorative woodworking. I did some functional parts in wood and plastic as well. For carbon, make sure that you set up a very good dust collection system. I'd probably build a full enclosure for carbon or fiberglass as breathing the dust from either is bad news.

Here's a couple pictures of the work.

296232

296233

296234
 
ttabbal said:
Yup! My kids and I are Zelda game fans and my youngest asked for a shield. I adapted a design from Thingiverse.com to cut decently. The wife did the painting, I'm no good beyond simple stuff.
Click to expand...

It is fantastic to instill in them at a young age that things can be made!
Get them out of the consumerism mindset and into the maker mindset.
Well done.
-brino
 
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