Re: New member

Graham,
It was actually partly your website that brought this option for CNC
milling to my attention. I have already seen your comments and
recommendation for Rhino3D. I perhaps should have mentioned this in
my post but it seemed overcomplicated to try to include everything I
already know! Sorry if I have wasted your fingers! Many thanks for
your advice!

Regards

Nigel

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Graham Stabler"
<grezmos@...> wrote:

>
> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Nigel Lawton"
> <nigellawton009@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> > I have a long term ambition to get into 3D CAD and CNC milling

or

> > possibly even STL to make small (up to around 1"

dimensions)......

>
> Well I would definitely recommend the Proxxon MF70, well I would
> because I have one:
>
> http://www.indoor.flyer.co.uk/millingmachine.htm
>
> Its small cheap and pretty well made. The spindle is fast and
> quiet(ish) and has decent little steel collets for the chuck (three
> slot not 4 like a dremel). With fine feeds and high speeds it
> produces fantastic parts in ali and brass, ali is helped by a drop

of

> WD40 every so often. Use carbide tools always, they are cheap at
> these sizes (1/8" and below).
>
> The leadscrews are 1mm lead giving loads of resolution for your

small

> parts and the delrin nuts a pretty much backlash free and easy to
> replace. With the addition of a cheap bearing or two you can

improve

> it further (see my page).
>
> The conversion is easy, you can do it like I did or probably better
> make the adapters from box section.
>
> You can get steppers very cheaply from arceuro and drivers too or

get

> a xylotex from simplycnc.
>
> For software Rhino3D is to be recommended by all, if you can do 2D
> autocad get the demo and follow the tutorials and you will be

hooked,

> its cheap for a cad package too.
>
> To drive the machine Mach3 or TurboCNC, the latter is free to try
> forever and dos based the former is all singing and dancing but

needs

> an XP machine and costs a tiny amount of money really.
>
> For CAM I'm not too sure what to suggest, I use stuff at work.

Mach3

> does have some basic cam built in, I think sheetcam is popular for
> 2.5D stuff and there are quite a few bits of free software for

true 3D.

>
> Hope that's some help.
>
> Graham
>