Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Grizzly mini mills

"S.L.Ramsay" wrote:

>
> Regarding the Grizzly mini-mill G8689 and a CNC convertion. If the Grizzly
> line is too flimsy, and the Sherline mills are too small, what is a good
> solid benchtop size mill? What brand and model do you recommend for a
> mini-mill cnc system? Has anyone come up with a viable alternative to the
> Grizzly?

If you are only interested in price, then there is no alternative.
Price is why the G8689 is popular. But others are mentioned in the
FAQ. Among these are the Grizzley G1004 and G1008, the Rong-FU RF45,
the GEM 500 G II, the Prazi, plus others I can't remember. All the
alternatives cost 4-5 times the price, of course. There are several
Bridgeport mills that were made as CNC mills only, whose controls
are trash, and whose ways, motors, and ball screws are in relatively
perfect condition. People have got these for $500 on up and
retrofitted them with a new computer, driver boards, and software.

Even for a hobby, there is no sense in going thru all the effort to
build up a CNC machine only to find that it is unsatisfactory for
your purpose. For some, the G8689 may be perfectly satisfactory.
But part of the problem is trying to anticipate what one might do
with the machine and capturing that capability right at the
beginning.

JerryK