Opportunities for CnC induction? (2016)

Teams Metalworking
1

Hiya guys,

Thanks for the help thus far. I was wondering if I might ask for some guidance with regards to induction and usage of the CnC mills available to the space. My google-fu is weak, my ability to remember faces and names more so.

AFAIK there are4 machines

  • @Sven2 's MDF cutter in craft punk
  • Larger freestanding one in back-middle of metalworking shop
  • “Gigantic” one freestanding near the lathes
  • VMC 5 ton machine donated last year.

I’m not sure who to talk to to work out if I could/should use the machines to mill some aluminium brackets for a new printer. Based on (but to be simplified from) http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:811271/#files

Specifically, I suppose I would need some of the following information.

  1. Material suitability and sourcing.
  • I would like to make light aluminium brackets to go on 2020 frame to hole motors and rods on bearings
  • Are there suggestions as to where to get cheap aluminium blanks? There are various pieces sitting around
  1. Machine choice
  • Which of the machines are suitable for lower experienced members, for 3D aluminium milling?
  1. End-mill supply
  • having chosen a machine, what size collet and what type of end-mill, and where to buy?
  1. G-code generation software to choose
  • what settings, g-code particularities?
  • what feedrates? (After mill and material and machine choice)

I have some experience with small <2kva mills and aluminium running headless with GRBL interpreters. I have used cambam g-code generator for 2.5d stuff, but no real 3D subtractive experience.

I would olso be interested in manually milling if people think that’s applicable.

Shout out to @Sven2, @Svenska and @rut4ger who seem to have been active on these?

2 Likes
2

Sven is to blame for the Craft Punk machine. Unlike Sven, who owns the small one in metalworking.

(usernames deleted for hilarity’s sake)

3

I’d also be super keen to get an induction of some sort, although I have far less experience with CnC and will be away until June.

I have a few wood projects id love to get done with a CnC milling machine, as I’ve previously just spent hours using a dremel for the same purpose and ended up with innacuracies all over the place

4

@davidstevens93, I believe that sven’s craft punk and sven’s metalwork ones would be appropriate for that; the two bigger ones might get fouled with dust.

(The smaller ones will too, but I’ve seen a dust boot on the mid-sized machine which is an essential)

You can put together a 3-axis manual bed with drawer sliders if that may help.