New fag to /diy/ searched and couldn't find anything in the catalogue related to machining, cnc, cad, milling, or lathe.
Looking for some info on building my own CNC mill and lathe.
3 axis minimum for the mill is a must.
Workspace needed is 1m-1m-0.3m / 36"-36"-12' maximum
I'm looking to work with aluminum and wood, occasionally small steel parts, but it doesn't need to run fast.
I'd like to do this as cheap as reasonably possible to achieve 0.005" / 0.127mm accuracy.
I'm happy to splurge a bit on ball screws but want to keep costs down as much as possible.
Any decent resources or pointers and advice from experience? I'd buy one but I don't really want to drop $7k on a mill, can't afford it and can't justify it.
>>1012559
1.) What is your current tooling like? Do you already have a workshop reasonably full of tools, or are you stuck with a handful of manual equipment and a jigsaw?
2.) What is your budget? "Cheap as possible" is relative; the one I built has similar-ish work volume to what you want and was much cheaper than a commercial equivalent, but it still ended up totaling around $2000.
Everything looks reasonable at least, and Chinese ballscrews should be able to manage around 0.1mm or better in terms of accuracy.
Only real advice I can give is holy shit, plan like you've never planned before. I kept rushing ahead of myself in my build, figuring "this will be fine as a stopgap for now and I'll do it properly later". Almost invariably, this came back to bite me in the ass and cause more work than if I'd just done it right in the first place.
>>1012559
If you need a workspace that large on a budget, you might want to look at routers over mills, should cut wood and ally, but steel you will need a proper mill for.
>>1012576
Current tooling is literally nothing.
I've got a decent set of basic mechanic tools from when I had worked as a dealership mechanic before getting back into IT, so some air tools, cordless ryobishit drill, hand tools.
I do have access to my father in laws tools, one of which is a jigsaw, but his is mostly carpentry stuff and painter stuff.
Budget would be preferably under $3k
I'm not going to be ready soon, I've got a year to save for it at least, most likely a year and a half. But if I hit $3k I'd like to be able to hit a 5 axis setup.
I definitely won't be rushing it as at the least it's not an option due to how far ahead I'm trying to plan this.
>>1012583
Just out of curiosity, what is the main difference for the actual tool holder side of things, is it that the router directly holds the tool while the mill utilizes an isolates tool holder and a variable speed motor with gearing to isolate the motor?
I'd like the idea of getting a separate motor, variable speed, and a separate tool-holder supported with decent bearings.
>>1012605
>Current tooling is literally nothing.
>I've got a decent set of basic mechanic tools from when I had worked as a dealership mechanic before getting back into IT, so some air tools, cordless ryobishit drill, hand tools.
You gonna have a bad time. You at least need a drill press; you're going to struggle drilling accurate holes without one. Most of the mechanic stuff is going to be useless; you need fabrication tools, not repair tools.
Beyond that, what are you hoping to make this out of? Wood, metal, or epoxy granite (polymer concrete)?
3k should be doable for any of those, depending on a number of factors. 5 axes is an unrealistic expectation unless you're meaning an A/B attachment you can set on the table to mill (very) small complex geometries. Nevermind the issues you're going to have finding software to run it. All of the current 5-axis CAM suites are either industry-tailored software with price tags reaching into quintuple digits, or marginally-supported open-source efforts that work...to an extent. While the situation there is improving, a 5-axis machine isn't really something to try your hand as a first project.
>>1012605
>Just out of curiosity, what is the main difference
The difference between a "mill" and "router" is somewhat vague. "Router" generally refers to a mill that sacrifices rigidity (and often Z height) in exchange for a much larger work area. They're usually made for 2/2.5D profiling work in softer materials, though you can often work tougher stuff by backing way off on your feed/speed and taking light cuts.
"Mills" tend to be much bulkier, heavier, and more sturdily-built, which allows some significant advantages, including higher material removal rate, accuracy, and surface finish.
What kind of tool head it has doesn't make a difference; either machine can have a direct or belt-driven tool.
>>1012629
Pretty sure he's got a drill press if not I'll buy one because I'll need one anyways.
I'd be building it out of steel most likely, welding it together with my father in law's mig, or I'd make a scratch start stick welder out of an old Lincoln tombstone and just pound off the slag. Doesn't need to be pretty, just really strong and rigid.
I've at least got a pneumatic cutoff tool for steel.
Likely I'll sit tight on the 5 axis idea until the open source software gets better or something, I was thinking of a table attachment for A & B axes. If doing 4 axis isn't unrealistic I may add a spindle for axial rotation of barrels for fluting and such, but most likely I'm going to just have to start with 3 axis.
And I'd definitely prefer a mill in that case as I'd be doing cnc p&p head jobs and making receivers for firearms for myself and they'll need a decent amount of accuracy, and finish (for engine work).
I think the hardest part will be figuring out which would be better for my needs
An old manual 3 axis mill converted to CNC or buying all of the components to hand build it myself and just buying the actual mill portion (I'm guessing it's the turret/arm/motor/spindle/chuck portion being structured more sturdily that makes it a mill, so biggest part would be the motor and chuck?)
>>1012559
There is a guy who has a series of books about making your own workshop. This is the second one, I am guessing that you would need to read the first one.
>>1012629
I figured the difference between mill and roiter was a mill moves the work while a router moved the cutter
>>1012668
No, it's in reference to the intended work. A mill is made for milling operations, and a router is made for routing operations. But determining whether a machine does one or the other is not always immediately obvious. Yes, there's no mistaking a knee mill for a router any more than there is mistaking the light, spindly rails of a Shapeoko for a mill. But there are also of plenty of large, heavy machines designed specifically for cabinetmakers and the like, same as there are some small gantry routers that will cut through titanium without issue.
If it looks big, heavy, and slow, it's probably a mill. If it looks light, flat, and fast, it's probably a router. If it looks somewhere in between, use whatever term you like; nobody's gonna call you on it unless they're the one who bought it and knows for sure already.
>>1012668
That's moving table vs moving gantry
>>1012653
Definitely going to get them cause I've seen a bunch of engineers and machinists with them in their book collection
>>1012678
That makes sense, and I'm looking to build a decently sized work area one with a moving gantry, eventually incorporating at least an A axis if not eventually a B axis
