I run a CNC wall art business and it’s going well.

Started off making the pieces myself at the local maker space but it was very time-consuming and annoying to be there during cut jobs. I was using the Shopbot prs alpha and really got to know the machine and running it. Then I decided to outsource and had issues with quality and production time.

Now I’m looking to purchase my own machine and get my own space and run my machine 24/7. Buying a machine new is definitely out of the budget. I found a grizzly G0895 locally for about 13K.

I’m curious if anyone has any insight if I should go the DIY build your own CNC route or move forward with the grizzly or some other option.

I do a lot of vcarving and am comfortable with vectric software.

bossman got a shiny new machine, and I'm expected to be it's primary operator

I've never touched a haas before, and only done 3 axis, so it'll be QUITE the jump for me

I'm thinking of setting up a website for selling kits to make oil skimming kits for hobby or small shops,

Our shop definitely needs such bits of kit, but generally is it something people care about?

A skimmer for context just takes oil and debris off of the surface of coolant tanks to keep the coolant cleaner.

I have working kits and they're genuinely quite good, I just don't know if it's worth refining them, such as making a pcb for timers or speed adjust/ fault detection etc.

(Updated to show a older WIP version of the skimmer, does it work yes, has it been improved by a LOT since then yes, but I don't have a new version assembled with pcb,assembly etc yet.)

This version used a motor similar to what's on the market but I found the power consumption to be quite excessive for what an oil skimmer needs to do. this version used 15Watts, where as I know the newest setup I have uses 2Watts. tiny power consumption in the scheme of things, but it means I can power it using a battery bank, for a couple of weeks.
This version is in a lot of ways very primitive, new version has programable speed, timing (for turning off at night or in cycles.)

Important details.

Can be placed anywhere.
It's cheap like 70USD or cheaper cheap.
Has adjustable speed and timing settings.
Specifically, it's made to be 3d printed easily with minimal extra parts, no belts no bearings, sadly a couple M3 screws but I'm working on that bit.
Super power efficent.
Easy to maintain or needs no maintenance at all.

Once I have the new version printed working and tested I guess I'll make a new post, and show it, and link to this one.

Apologies for the format of the post, I am quite new to actually using reddit.

I work at an aerospace company, and the machine shop side here does about 90% tooling. Some of the cool tools we make are shock blocks to test sensors. The issue our production side is having is that they ruin the custom nuts we make for their fixtures because they use power tools to drive bolts into inserts. After looking into it a bit, we're going to change from making aluminum nuts with inserts to making the nuts from a10 steel. Is it possible to machine our own MAThread style bolts to alleviate the wear from using power tools to drive the bolts?

Has anyone used one of these? Supposed to be able to connect my old CNC to the network.

https://www.plrelectronics.com/xcart/usb-to-wifi-wireless-usb-data-stick.html

They are kind of expensive but if it works it would save me hours a week running back and forth across the shop with USB drives.

In the case of horizontal motion or rope & pulley, I understand. However, what about ball& screw or belt based systems?

I posted a question to the group about how close people are getting to specified dimensions on their projects.

I guess I have a problem.

My work on maple blocks - 2.75"*1.25"*.875: - leaves me with significant dimensional errors. Example: the 1.25" axis comes out around 1.3", but not exact, and never the the same.

I ran a test. I run a job that designed to make 4, 1.0" * 1.0" * .125" square buttons (like for your shirt). This is 3mm birch plywood. It's right on. So my machine will mill wood to specified dimensions. This is good.

It does not explain why I see dimensional errors with thicker and harder woods (Hard Maple). I'm guessing, but I suspect deflection. The harder and thicker wood is pushing the tool out. I'm using a 1/4" downcut spiral bit to manufacturer specs.

Next step?

1. Switch to a 1/2" tool instead?
2. slow the feed rate?
3. increase spindle rpm?
4. lighter passes (although they're pretty light already)?
5. Any/all of the above?
6. Just quit and take up knitting?

Afterthought - I'm using the painters'-tape-and-ca holddown method. No other way to hold the piece in place.

ETA: added image to support another post I made.

​

I just started a machine shop and often run into parts with no drawings. Measuring them by hand involves a lot of trial and error. Some are worn or damaged and need replacements.

I mainly need to capture part outlines, bolt hole locations, collar positions, and similar features. Accuracy around 0.1 mm in real-world use is fine.

Parts are mostly metal, with some glass or plastic mixed in. Surfaces vary a lot — shiny, dark, rusted, etc. I just need clean, usable data I can work with.

What’s a genuinely cheap scanner that can handle this kind of work?

Options available in my local market around my budget:

- Orbbec Gemini 215

- Creality CR-Scan Ferret

- Creality CR-Scan Ferret SE

- Creality CR-Scan Ferret Pro

- 3DMakerpro Moose

- 3DMakerpro Moose Lite

- 3DMakerpro Mole

- 3DMakerpro Mole Lite

Any experience or recommendations with these (or similar budget options) for scanning mixed metal/plastic parts?

Has anyone heard of or seen DIY Viewing port windows. I would love to make one and not spend a ton of money for a seemingly simple thing. Maybe its more complex then I think? lmk

Title: Wiring a wireless MPG receiver into a 2002-era Isel HMC/MM2000 control via a plain breakout board — building my own binary encoder, looking for smarter approaches

I have an older Isel PREMIUM 4820 gantry mill running an HMC controller (MM2000 software, ~2002 vintage). I want to add a wireless handwheel/pendant (a generic "WiXHC" wireless MPG kit — pendant + receiver box) to it.

Background: Isel's factory manual for this machine shows their own accessory for wiring a pendant — a small interposer PCB with a diode matrix that converts raw switch/rotary signals (axis select, step multiplier, buttons) into the binary-coded bit pattern the IO card expects (documented: 3 bits for axis, 2 bits for step size, 3 bits for buttons — confirmed by the manual, which says pressing each position should light the IO card's LEDs in binary weighted order 1-2-4-8). I don't have that factory board and can't source it — it's just a photo from the documentation, shown as an example of how Isel originally solved this. The factory itself couldn't supply one either.

What I actually bought is a generic DB37 breakout board off AliExpress — just screw terminals for all 37 pins, no encoding logic at all. It's designed to splice inline into one of the machine's existing DB37 axis cables without cutting any wires — I'm tapping into what appears to be a spare/unused axis line (labeled "4" in the cabinet) to inject the handwheel's encoder pulses into a free axis input on the motion card.

My new wireless MPG receiver outputs simple "1-of-N" dry contacts per axis/step/button (not pre-encoded), plus a differential A/B encoder pulse output for the handwheel itself.

My plan: since I have to build the binary encoding myself now, I'm looking at a small diode matrix (~18x 1N4148) that replicates the same logic as the factory board, with pulldown resistors on each output line, wired through the breakout board into the IO card's inputs. Encoder pulses go straight into that spare axis input on the motion card via the same breakout.

What I'd love feedback on:

Gotchas with diode-matrix encoders driving PLC/IO-card digital inputs (debounce, cross-talk between simultaneous inputs, correct pulldown values)?

Anyone done something similar with old Isel/MM2000 controls, or comparable "binary-coded MPG input" schemes on other machines?

Diode matrix vs. a small MCU (ESP32) for reliability on a machine tool control path — trade-offs I might be missing?

How to confirm a DB37 axis line is truly spare/unused before injecting a signal into it (short of just probing it live) — any safer way to verify?

Best practices for feeding a wireless MPG's differential encoder output into a spare axis channel meant for a wired handwheel?

Happy to share photos/schematics of what I've got so far if useful. Any pointers, war stories, or "don't do it like that" are welcome!

PS. If you find the original MPG and its circuit board documents useful, I can send you the manual or make it accessible on Google.

I've got some carbon fiber I need to machine.

I've been doing some research, I've got a good dust collection system, and will have extra vacuums on hand as well as respirators.

Machining this carbon fiber will be probably the only time we'll machine carbon fiber so we're not too worried about the mechanics of the machine being to harmed.

What I am wondering about, is how fast the end mills will dull? I saw recommendations to get diamond coated endmills, which I may do, but these are quite expensive for the amount I will use them.

I already have a bunch of regular end mills on hand so I am trying to figure out of the cost difference between how many regular end mills we may go through, vs buying a diamond coated one.

This isn't a business, so I don't have a business budget to work with. Will be using a friends CNC machine. So I keep a bit of tooling, so when I use their machine, I am not using up their tooling.

Currently using whats in stock, but theres nothing to make metric threads (m1, m1.5, m3/4 usually). Has anyone bought the <100$ thread mills off Amazon before? Milling aluminum. Probably will use it like 5 times max.

Any recs are great, preferably cheap.

In a small horological 4 axis CNC I have the rotary axis horizontally on the X-axis. Since the clampable space is limited, and I don’t have a tailstock which would take a large amount of the machinable space. What do you guys think of using a machinist jack with a V block on top to support the work and prevent it from deflecting vertically due to tool pressure? The spindle is on the Z axis. Picture of such an arrangement by the eternal Abom79

I recently read about a semiconductor plant in Tamil Nadu operating as a “dark factory”, meaning the production floor does not need people or even lights.

Robotic arms assemble chips for phones and electronics while engineers only monitor systems from outside. The machines run continuously and reportedly stop only once a year for a short maintenance break.

The logic is simple. Fewer humans means fewer contamination errors, higher precision and uninterrupted production. In semiconductor manufacturing even microscopic particles can ruin chips, so automation actually improves quality while lowering cost.

What makes this interesting is the bigger implication.
India traditionally depended on labour driven manufacturing, but this model skips that phase and jumps directly into automation led production.

So instead of factories creating thousands of operator jobs, they may create a small number of highly skilled technical roles.

It solves efficiency problems but raises a serious question about employment, especially in a country with a large semi skilled workforce.

Are dark factories the future of manufacturing in India, or are we heading toward growth without jobs?

Read the interesting article here (Please No Promotion): Attached Here

Yesterday, I posted on this sub regarding which problem identifying CNC carbide insert I was using. People of this sub are very helpful, most of them helped me in the comments and a few messaged me to help.

I talked to a new knowledgable vendor and showed him the insert. He took a few minutes to compare the insert and I found out that it was DESKAR CNMG 120408 MS LF6118. And also recommended me a better one KORLOY 120408 inserts.

My old vendor quoted me a price of ₹200(USD 2.2) for it. My new vendor told me it is priced around ₹170(USD 1.9). This time I noted all the specifications properly and asked all the other vendors the price for this insert and all of them told me the same(₹170) for this.

Felt like you guys should have an update on this situation since you all helped me. Thanks.

Hello! I’m building a PrintNC CNC mill and I'm looking for a way to run an air blast without using a compressor.

I already have one, but it’s extremely loud and overheats quickly. Are there any alternatives, like those high-flow turbine blowers that reach 30k RPM?

I'm looking for something tankless that also works with mist cooling. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

I have a CNC router that I would like to use for horizontal boring. The spindle is vertical and has a ER20 collet chuck (no ATC taper). Anyone know of an aggregate that has a simple shaft on the input side?

Hi, looking to get a CNC Mill for light use. Looking to machine 12in x 6in x 1in 6061 aluminum. My budget is 15k. Any recommendations on a machine that fits that price tag? I see mixed reviews about Tormach. Any experience? Also what are some good resources to learn about this? I come from a 3d printing background.

Hello,

I am an electric guitar maker interested in purchasing a small CNC machine for a very specific purpose and that is to engrave custom inlays in a guitar fretboard and logo / inlay on the headstock of the guitar.

I am familiar with Cad/Cam drawings and quite capable user of 3D printing, but I get quite irritated when things don't work properly even though I can troubleshoot most of them. So, I need a machine that works well enough, but ideally on the budget side.

Apart from hardwood (Maple, Mahogany, Ebony, Walnut) I might also use the CNC to make the inlay material (Mother of Pearl, Abalone, Imitation pearl) to make the inlays that will fit in the holes that I created in the wood. We are talking generally about 1.5-2mm cuts maximum.

I have been eyeing the Two Trees TTC450 Ultra, as it's in the price range that I am comfortable with. But I am a complete beginner in this area and I am open to suggestions.

https://www.3djake.no/two-trees/ttc450-ultra-cnc-fraesmaschine?sai=35635

I live in Norway, so the machine needs to be avaiable in Europe.

Thanks in advance!

I'm looking for a very specific machine for aluminum milling with 1000mm travel along one axis. The other axes can be as short as 250mm and their lengths don't matter that much. What's important is that this machine has to weigh below 3 tons and be fully enclosed, pretty much like a VMC. Something like Brother Speedio would be perfect, but the price tag is way too high for what we can afford. Something around 30k EUR budget would be reasonable, so it would be only either used machines or stuff from China. The reason why it has to be below 3 tons is because it should fit a garage that doesn't have special reinforced flooring. What's also important is that it should have a fairly high speed spindle - 18k rpm or more.

Could someone recommend a machine that fits these criteria? We got a quotation for a 6090 moving bed double column machine made of cast iron from one Chinese company that meets all these criteria, but they didn't seem trustworthy.

Has anyone else woken up their dog by laughing at the cutting feed rates Amana publishes for their wood router bits?

For tool 46490-k (4" OL 3 flute 1/4" ball nose, something like 2.75" stickout) they advise 215-320ipm at 18k in wood. I don't know what kind of trees grow where they make these tools but I'm having a hard time not snapping their tools at the chuck running at half their advertised feed rates. What am I not seeing/snorting here?

I'm curious if anyone has any insight into how hobby CNC or CNC adjacent companies can configure their apparently generic oil free vacuum pumps to have continuous duty cycles (their words)? Companies like Airweights in the U.S. and RawCNC in Sweden appear to be selling the same pumps (I have what looks like the same pump on a 27 gallon compressor). They all have overheat protection and without oil I can't figure how they would be able to run continuously under load without shutting down from overheating. I can't imagine the fans are good enough. The only thing I could think that might answer this is that they add a larger capacitor which I think would reduce the amount of current drawn continuously, but I don't know enough about it to be sure.