Desktop Cheech n Chong

[Dskize]

I know nothing about CnC Mills (like what CnC stands for for a start?) but i was thinking of maybe trying to get hold of second or first hand one if they weren't extortionately expensive (read over 3 grand) so is this the kind of thing im looking at http://www.taigtools.com/cmill.html and would it give ne the functionality to personalize marker bodys plus re-mill or am I completely deluding myself, I believe you would know a bit about this Mr Allen any advice would be appreciated from anyone though

ta

 

[EasyTarget]

just ask your local uni or college to use theres

 

[mikey601]

If tom doesnt see this beforehand i'll ask him to take a look, i'll see him later tonight

 

[Mario]

computer numerical control

Technically it would allow you to remill markers. Its takes a lot of learning if your writing the cutting program yourself.

 

[Mikey D]

If you get the right combination of miller, tools and computer program it can be very easy.
I managed to produce some triggers very easily with a CnC router, thats once you work out exactly how to do it (which was a right pain at first).
You'll probably find that the program will cost as much as the machine in some cases
Im sure you could also get some good info from strawb or ollgeeze too as they like fiddling with things

 

[Strawb]

I'm no expert when it comes to CNC (I've worked on them as in repair and fault find on them but have never been involved in programming them) but would say those look a tad small for milling a body. Would guess it's ideal for cutting out triggers, drop forwards , snatch grips and so on.

You could probably get a body on there and do some things but as it only has 3 moving axis you'd be very limited as to what can be done.
To get some idea of what's possible place a marker on it's side on a piece of paper and hold a pen above it, the only movements you have are sliding the paper on the table and lifting and lowering the pen. You cannot change the angle of the pen or the marker.

To do proper 3D milling you really need at least 4 axis and possibly 5 which gets very expensive. I think the last 5th axis we bought (add on for a 4 axis machine) was around £40,000 (That was for a reasonable sized machine though as we were doing Lamborghini V10 cylinder heads at the time ) .

 

[We-kill-suckers]

4th axis is diagonal right? But what the hell does the 5th axis do?

 

[Mario]

you think thats crazy - try a six axis or hell, go to nine....(swiss type turning )

 

[We-kill-suckers]

is there really a ninth axis or are you just being a prat

 

[Strawb]

4th axis would be for rotation, think of it as holding a marker by the barrel and just turning the barrel. It would allow you to make a cut from one side of the body over the top and down the other side, i guess like the cutout for the eye cover on a matrix.
5th starts to get more difficult to imagine and probably isn't nescesary but would be like rotating the marker from the tip of the barrel, so the barrel could be either horizontal or vertical(or anywhere in between).

We did have a couple of 7 axis machines , that's only because they were twin spindle so one spindle would be off collecting the next tool wile the other was milling the part. Not really nescesary but it does make a big difference to cycle time.

As i said before i'm not that versed with CNC's, just worked at a site with a lot of them before they(F#@]=-g germans) closed it . My thing was looking after, fixing and programming anything on the production line(the robots, PLC's, conveyors, casting stations and gantry systems) but occasionally got involved with the CNC's when either the cnc setters were on holiday or stuck.