Re: Grizzly Mill/Drill Conversion for CNC / Don't do it.

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Ron Steele"
<ronjsteele1@y...> wrote:

> Hi Steve,
>
> At "http://www.cncmasters.com/CNC%20Jr%20Mill.htm" they also sell

a

> kit you can install on your mill for about $4000. Keep in mind

that

> this kit includes 1200 oz/in steppers and the huge power supply and

Yipes! $4,000 to retrofit a manual mill doesn't seem cost affective.
It makes a whole lot more sense to buy a dead CNC mill that already
has axis motors, spindle drive, and ballscrews on all three axis and
retrofit that with a PC controller. The big drawback to this
approach is space. It will be bigger than the mini mill.

Costs:
2,000 (or less) for dead CNC machine.

>600 for gecko drives

120 for new encoders from US digital (if needed)
150 for sound logic breakout board.
200 for a surplus computer.
150 for Mach2 software or free for EMC (if you can figure it out)

Total cost around $3,200 and when you get done you have have a real
mill that can take heavy cuts.

There is a downside. With this approach you will won't have a kit.
You are going to have to spend some time and effort to research
exactly how to do it. Its realy not all that difficult. A lot of
people have done it. A lot of Bridgeport Boss machines have been
retrofitted and there is a lot of knowledge on this and the Mach1
news groups.

Roger