New addition to the shop - CNC Gantry Mill

[doctorgonzo]

I have been scheming and planning to build a new gantry CNC for a couple of years now. I had a lovely 2x4 foot homebrewed jobbie when I lived in Colorado Springs, but I lost it and all my other worldly possessions in the Waldo Canyon wildfire of 2012. Such is life. I had my eye on an Openbeam OX or something similar, then this landed in my lap.

So, I purchased this CNC from a local guy on Craigslist, who claimed it's a custom built prototype for a product they are about to start producing. Haven't found any evidence to the contrary thus far. In any case, it's ridiculously beefy (!), has a welded base, custom electronics (questionable?), all name brand components, computer built in, and the price was too good to pass up. It has a little more than 24" travel on X and Y, and about 5" on the Z.

I'll be putting it through the paces in the coming weeks making some aluminum and carbon fiber bits for my new 3D printer, but for now I just got it moved in, set up on its temporary stand, and fired up for the first time. Survived the move nicely, except for a pinched limit switch wire.

I plan to build an oak stand for it with some storage underneath. A nice ATC spindle is also on the wish list.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/9CdodjG.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/MuLI28l.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/i3vm0KG.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/Kz1UNex.jpg[/img]

Chris

(who recently got a new phone with better camera in addition to the mill, THANK THE LAWD)

[Eaglezsoar]

A very nice looking machine!
Let us know how well it performs with aluminum etc.

[JFettig]

Looks nice, make sure those ballscrews have wipers on them since they're open for chips to land on them.

[McSlappy]

Great looking rig! tell us when he starts selling them!

My wife was sad for your loss. She lost everything when a dam in Estes Park broke in 1982 Colorado can be a little rough sometimes eh!

[doctorgonzo]

Eagle,

I will post pics as I go. I ordered 4 discs of MIC 6 aluminum from S and S Machine, here:

http://www.sandsmachine.com/alumweb.htm

Great price on stock. I'm going to turn at least one into a heat spreader, and cut another into adapter plates for geared NEMA 17s.

I ordered double cut carbide bits to mill the carbon sheet. I should order a Tyvek suit - that crap is nasty to cut.

JFettig,

The screw blocks look to have teflon seals, but I am investigating some bellows to cover them up better. Thanks for the tip!

McSlappy,

They should be available by late Summer 2015. As far as the fire, it was a good thing in the end. It got me to move back home to Atlanta, close to my family. It's only stuff.

To all, if you can think of any cool printer parts you need, let me know!

Chris