What Small Cnc Mill To Buy?

furpo

furpo

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Nov 26, 2010
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Totally new to CNC
Looking to purchase small CNC Mill possible a bench top model.
Need to work on light aluminum extrusions about 6” square need several hundred pieces continually changing Dim.
What Brands and Models to look at?

Thanks for your input
 
Somewhere on the Internet (in California) is a series 2 Bridgeport for sale for $2900. I dearly wish I could rationalize it, but I can't. It would make a great production machine for your job. Software (how you control the machine) is available or the software with the machine may be able to do what you want.

I can't find the machine now, but it has cropped up several times. I ran one before I retired, it was rock solid (not the flimsy normal Bridgeport that can be turned to any angle) This series has a solid head, no swivel, no pivot. It would easily machine in 3 dimensions.
 
What is your budget?

What is the real work envelope of your work? (6" x ? x ?)

I'd avoid the Taig Mill (too small). You may want to look at the Tormach PCNC 1100. You can retrofit a IH/RF-45/PM-940 class machine and have a decent benchtop machine that may be up to the work. There's also a used Haas TM-1, Fadal 4020, etc. It depends on your budget.
 
Work envelope (6" x 6" x 1" part)
Cutting a pattern into it 1/2" deep
Thanks
 
From experience.... What is the tolerance do we need here? Are we taking to .001 or +/- .003? or even tens? To me, a small hobby mill means: Spending time constantly debugging and checking tram, backlash, finding each part has fluctuations in dimensions because some small setting on Mach3? I know I'm new and the guys here do have small mills dialed in. But I sunk money into something that was not up to much more than being worked on over and over to get consistency to a +/- .002-.004 unless I spend even more to 'get it right'.

Don't let this scare you off. But, consider a real Mill. You'll be much more happy in the end if you want my opinion. After my small CNC mill let down, I bought a 30Taper CNC mill w/ a Centroid CNC11 controller and simply ADORE it. Talk about clean, repeatable and just plain fun......

Enjoy your search. Keep us posted.

PS- The only small CNC mill would be a Tormach in my opinion. Anything else - Get a bridgeport class.
CG.
 
I guess I would do a Craigslist search for a used CNC mill in your area. While the work envelope of your project is not large, a heavier mill is always better. It just depends on your budget and space. Normally I would buy a used larger mill rather than a new smaller one if I had to make the choice.
 
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