My new CNC milling machine

[Bernhard]

Hello modeling friends

I gifted myself a CNC milling machine for Christmas!
There is a relatively large offer of hobby machines on the market. But most of them do not meet my technical requirements, or are much too expensive. Therefore, after a long search, I decided to buy a little used, self-built machine. However, it was clear to me that I would have to optimize it.
I have done that in the meantime, and now the machine is ready for operation.

This is how the machine was advertised by the seller:

[Bernhard]

The first thing I had to do was to bring the wiring up to scratch, i.e. bring all the connecting cables to the same length and reconnect them.

Next, all axes had to be aligned. The Z-axis was mounted completely at an angle on the sliding part of the X-axis. Makes me wonder how the previous owner was able to work that way.

Then I found that the Z-axis could not move down far enough for machining my rather flat parts. I therefore mounted an additional T-slot plate on three support bars on the original machine table.
This first required drilling quite a few additional threads into the original machine table.

[Bernhard]

Then the support bars were screwed on and milled over with a flycutter. This could only be done with lubrication with petrol, which of course makes a huge mess.

[Bernhard]

Finally, however, that was also done, ...

[Bernhard]

... and the T-slot plate could be put on.

[Bernhard]

As a first practical work, I then milled two Plexiglas chip protection plates for the Y-axis on the machine itself.

[Bernhard]

Everything is mounted: the chip protection plates, a vice and an MDF plate for machining sheet metal parts.

[Bernhard]

Practical for the operation of the machine:
•   Plate for detecting the position of workpieces.
•   Tool length sensor for set to zero the tool in Z direction.
•   Hand wheel with joystick for manual movement of the axes during setup.

So the machine is now ready to produce the first parts for my new project, which I will report on starting soon.

Bernhard

[finescalerr]

Your work on that machine is at least as impressive as the meticulous work you do on your models. Just outstanding. -- Russ

[Ray Dunakin]

Impressive!

[Daniel]

Well... for me it's again an overdose of science fiction.
Very impressive but, unfortunately, with my vanishing memory impossible to learn how to.
(You must have smiled a lot seeing my primitive approach more or less as my computer starts to laugh every morning when i enter the room and have not turned it on yet.)

Your's is not a workshop, Bernhard: it's paradise!!!

Daniel

[Bernhard]

Thanks Daniel. But I am also only a model making autodidact. For my part, I am always fascinated by the perfect models that you or other members in this forum build with the simplest means. Perfect model making does not need machines, but passion.
But you are right about one thing: my workshop is really a paradise.

Bernhard

[Daniel]

Bernard

Of course it is!
That is the truest thing we can build.


Do you have any other threads where to virtually visit your work area?


Daniel

[Bernhard]

Daniel, I do not have a separate thread for my workshop. But now that you can post more and bigger pictures in the forum, I can show a few here.

I am in the fortunate position of having 32 m2 (345 sqft) of workshop space.
Besides the CNC milling machine, I also have a manually operated machine.



The lathe.



My small machines (circular table saw, grinders, cut-off grinder).



The manual and assembly workplace.

   

[Bernhard]

The paint shop.



Raw material store.



Material store.



And another workbench.