If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2023 3:12 pm
by EastMemphis
I'm looking to acquire a mill and convert it into a cnc mill. I looking for a machine that can mill an 8" cube as a size reference and am open as to the make and country of origin.
Any ideas?
Re: If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2023 7:39 pm
by WesM
Kinda depends on what you want to do with the machine. What kind of tolerances do you need to hold? Will it be running all the time, or just light hobby use?
Precision Mathews has a few models and is a popular hobby level machine.
Re: If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 10:50 am
by EastMemphis
WesM wrote: ↑Mon Nov 27, 2023 7:39 pm
Kinda depends on what you want to do with the machine. What kind of tolerances do you need to hold? Will it be running all the time, or just light hobby use?
Precision Mathews has a few models and is a popular hobby level machine.
A bit more than hobby use, a lot less than commercial. Don't need extraordinary precision.
Re: If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 1:40 pm
by tblough
I went with a Bridgeport because I sometimes have long work, or work that has holes in the end that I can hang off the side of the table. The ability to tilt the head in two directions is great for drilling angled holes or machining angled surfaces.
Re: If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2023 3:04 pm
by EastMemphis
So if you were looking for a mill to convert to CNC, what models would be good candidates?
Re: If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2023 4:55 pm
by suntravel
EastMemphis wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 3:04 pm
So if you were looking for a mill to convert to CNC, what models would be good candidates?
This depends on the parts you want to mill and on the space in your workshop.
Bedmills can make heavy cuts, but are not dynamic in 3d milling
Small mills like the PM ones are easy to convert, but only for light cuts and dynamic in 3d milling.
Best IMHO is to retrofit a VMC with toolchanger like old Fanuc Robodrills ect.
Uwe
Re: If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2023 5:21 pm
by cnckeith
b ports can be expensive to do and they have some Achilles heals but when done right the pro's far outweigh the cons! lifetime of service this machine would provide. elrod was a big proponent of the pros of a bport conversion and his video shows some of the advantages. if those things are important to you and you have a space and a garage/building that you can pallet jack/forklift into that is the route i would go. lots of excellent info online as well (like tom's posts)
if the advantages of a knee mill are not a priority, i'd search for a bed mill that is enclosed or one that you can enclose yourself.
Re: If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2023 12:43 pm
by EastMemphis
@cnckeith - Great post! Just what I'm looking for. Thanks.
Re: If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2023 12:48 pm
by fusion
I bought a scrapped Haas Minimill, and removed all the electronics that were left. I then installed a very simple set of stepper motors and Acorn control, and it has been bullet proof for more than a year. I get 200 ipm and the simplicity of steppers was a good match for my lack of money and technical knowledge. I have done other CNC conversions in the past, and retrofitting a manual machine is much more difficult than something that was CNC to begin with. All I had to do was make 3 motor adapter plates to fit up the steppers. I reused the wires that were there. It was a really fun project with very low drama. So, my recommendation, get a machine that started life as a CNC, and rework the controls and motors in the best way you can afford.
Good luck!
Mike
Re: If you were to get a mill and convert it to CNC, what would you get?
Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2023 3:34 pm
by cnckeith
fusion wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2023 12:48 pm
I bought a scrapped Haas Minimill, and removed all the electronics that were left. I then installed a very simple set of stepper motors and Acorn control, and it has been bullet proof for more than a year. I get 200 ipm and the simplicity of steppers was a good match for my lack of money and technical knowledge. I have done other CNC conversions in the past, and retrofitting a manual machine is much more difficult than something that was CNC to begin with. All I had to do was make 3 motor adapter plates to fit up the steppers. I reused the wires that were there. It was a really fun project with very low drama. So, my recommendation, get a machine that started life as a CNC, and rework the controls and motors in the best way you can afford.
