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Mechanics and Construction => Mechanics and Construction => Topic started by: airman00 on July 24, 2008, 09:23:36 PM

Title: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: airman00 on July 24, 2008, 09:23:36 PM
I've been looking into buying tabletop CNC machines lately ( I know you can make your own)

Have a look at this CNC machine
http://www.taigtools.com/cmill.html

The price tag is ~$2200.

Is that a normal price for it ? or perhaps there is a cheaper CNC with the same amount of accuracy?
Title: Re: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: AndrewM on July 25, 2008, 01:26:27 PM
That's about the normal price for a complete CNC Mill.  A sherline will run you about $300 more, but it is a Sherline.  I always recommend starting with a sherline lathe and building up from there.  The sherline lathe has an attachment that turns it into a mill.  Building up on the system a little bit over time costs a little more but it is easier to shell out $200 here and $100 there, than $2500 all at once.

Of course I still have not switched to CNC, I do everything by hand because it will always be more accurate than CNC.
Title: Re: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: Asellith on July 26, 2008, 09:21:31 AM
By hand more accurate then CNC? I would think it was the other way around. Of course my construction skills suck so that might have something to do with it
Title: Re: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: AndrewM on July 26, 2008, 11:12:15 AM
The steppers from CNC are only accurate to a certain range, where as the handwheels can be more precise.  Working under a 10X maginifying light helps  ;D
Title: Re: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: izua on July 26, 2008, 11:49:31 AM
Doing something by hand means with mechanical tools, not handwheels. There's one step from handwheels to CNCing :P
Title: Re: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: Brandon121233 on July 26, 2008, 02:34:55 PM
We use that exact CNC at work, (its the old and small one now but it still works) and its great for a first time user. We use solidworks and GCAM to run the machine. I don't know if anyone has ever used GCAM, but my mentor Justin Shumaker is the guy who made GCAM.
Title: Re: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: Asellith on July 26, 2008, 02:48:43 PM
Yah I was thinking by hand meant with a hacksaw and a dremmel not a mill with hand wheels. I can see what you mean now.
Title: Re: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: AndrewM on July 26, 2008, 05:55:07 PM
Sorry, hung out with too many machinists in the Navy, if a computer does all the work it is CNC, otherwise it is by hand.  Of course they also considered themselves artists, and seeing their work I could never disagree...
Title: Re: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: pomprocker on July 29, 2008, 06:01:07 PM
how about hacking an acra mill?

http://www.vanda-layindustries.com/html/acra_mill_plus.html (http://www.vanda-layindustries.com/html/acra_mill_plus.html)
Title: Re: Rather cheap CNC?
Post by: airman00 on July 29, 2008, 06:38:09 PM
with a machine like a CNC , I would much rather buy it so that way I can get it serviced and then i get a warranty