Re: Newbie Loosing Mind........Need Shootout......Small Desktops..FAST

> You are suffering from Analysis Paralysis.

I like that term.

The small desktop is the point that stands out for me.
a Taig is very small, the Sherline is lightweight
there is a pre-packaged CNC the MAXNC
then you move up into mini mills, out of the desktop to the bench top
like the mini-mill (Grizzley/HF) These are more serious machines.

For the money you mentioned, the whole milling arena is open to you.
You can get an old Bridgeport Series one for less than 2K, or a
decent one for less than 4k and still have enought left over to put
in new electronics.

If you want a small ready to run, the MaxNC uses steppers so you can
use your own controllers and software.

one version is on e-bay right now.....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1716647064
and they have a yahoo group.

If you want to CNC it yourself, I would not go less than a mini-
mill. Regardless of your current needs, in the future, you will look
at a hunk of metal and say "if I could just hold that in my table...."

The mini mill, all manual is around $500, and the RF (the 1,000lb
mother of all benchtops) starts is only $1,000. And you will find
use for the 2 ton engine hoist you need to buy to move it !
Microkinetics does RF retro-fits and pre-packaged mills.

I would look at the largerst iron I could fit.
then if I wanted a packeged unit or a DIY unit
that's it. the choice is whatever fits.
Larger means more mass and less vibration and deeper cuts.

Once you got to an R8 collet machine, the whole milling/tool holding
world opens to you. under that and you are limited with the bits
that will fit.

I don't know if that helps or not, just my take on it.

Dave

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "onecooltoolfool" <joevicar3@i...> wrote:
> The type of "consumer reports" special you want ain't gonna happen.
> The field changes so fast and there are so many newcommers every
> month you would never get a "book" published fast enough.
> It sounds like you have done enough looking to get a decent idea.
> Read the list archives, go to the NAMES show and see some real
> machines running. That's the easiest way to make up your mind.
> I went through the same running in circles when I bought my first
> Don't agonize over the
> details. You will learn what you need to know 1000 times faster if
> you just buy one and start using it. You won't really know what
you
> want or need intil you do. What you think you are going to do with
> it never is really what you DO with it.
>
> Joe V.