Sherlie /Taig /Maxnc or bench top router ???

[Madda]

I'm in the middle of converting my BF20L to CNC. It has been quite easy, I've been making mounts for ballnuts and motors for a few weekends now and plan finishing it this weekend. I also got my ballscrews which are premachined and ready to use, just have to repack the balls for bigger ones. I haven't really started building the mill but the preparation has been quite painless. Probably the electronics will give me few sleepless nights but thats ok if in the end I can make beautiful parts.
What I would say and others said to me that go with bigger than you intend at first point. Bigger have more mass, rigidity etc to make chips. And the bigger worktable also makes your workholding much easier, I know what I'm talking about. Also you don't have to upgrade so fast if you plan to grow, you can usually use the same tooling in even bigger machines because they have the same spindle.

Plan that tooling can easily take same money or even more than machine is worth! You will always find something that you need so this is a endless pit, sorry

Could you give me the link to that closed and open loop thing? Electronics is my weak point.



If you have more questions then ask

[tracksntreadslou]

Thanks for all your comments ..Some very good points to consider ..Prices ..Weight ..Limitation ..accuracy..availability of tooling and probably many more that i havent mentioned

Heres that link to how its explained..Open / closed
http://www.kanabco.com/vms/cnc_contr...ontrol_03.html
There is also some of this topic on CNC zone ..From what ive found so far is that The closed loop is preffered and more accurate up to a point ..Depending on backlash ..If your machine is quite sloppy the work has a tendency to get pulled into the work .
Most hobby mills were made with the open loop on account of afordablity . earlier closed loops were very expensive ..Now with the prices going down Sheline /Taig /and Maxnc offer the turn key models with Closed loop at very affordable prices
http://www.sherline.com/8540pg.htm
http://www.maxnc.net/product_p/maxnc15.htm
http://www.microproto.com/MMDSLS.htm
http://www.taigtools.com/cmill.html

Heres another good link with a used buy and sell section and a good forum
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/classi...cat.php?cat=14

Question for you hobby machinest...How much of your X - Y - Z travel do you use when making the most of your hobby parts ..Do you find you have not enough with your make and model

[ihbuilder]

Lou , At 25"x 16"x 16" I'm out of travel on my x but this is not a hobby mill . I'm lookin at gettin something in the 60"x 30" range in a year or 2 . I out grew the taig the min I set it up . My suggestion Is get as big as you can afford and have room for . I'm not to impressed with the Tiag ( shouda listen to Lynn before I got it ) you'll pay a little more on the sherline , but I think you'll getter a better machine .