CNC mill kit

[Kennui]

Looks fairly cheap under 1k. I dont think this is very new but these machines are supposed to be expensive right?

[mangozac]

That's about the going price for a DIY machine like that. Personally I'd wait until they are in production and have some proper feedback from users before I bought one. Note also that it doesn't include software so you're going to have to chain together either purchased or open source (I use a combination for my setup) programs to generate toolpaths and operate the machine.

Despite the much smaller working envelope for $1k I'd be more interested in the , since it's a complete package; software and all...

[Lane]

It's a bit on the small side and looks like it sits on the work surface.
That means to make small parts you need to clamp them to a larger surface then place the machine over that (and clamp it down so it does not move) which further limits the work envelope.

[Anvils Hammer]

humm...shiny.. but for hundreds of pounds I cant see it really being all that usefull

It seems to me that if a part needs milling, its better andcheaper to just pay for it to be done properly somewhere, and if a part doesnt really need milling and could be done by hand it saves a lot of cash!

cool toy though...

someday I dream of owning my very own full scale 3 axis milling machine.. in 5 years Ill hopefully be able to afford one..

AH

[Lane]

Cost effectiveness depends on how you plan on using it.

If you can sculpt or carve and only need one of a part then CNC is probably not needed. However if you your sculpting skills are digital rather than physical, and may need several identical parts, then CNC may be the way to go. Need 20 of the same part or minor variations of a part, once you have a working program it's simple to make all the parts you need.

Having parts made at a commercial shop can get expensive fast. Most will charge from $75 - $150 per hour, including programing time.

What do you consider full scale?
The machine I run at work has a little 4' x6' table. My last job I ran a machine with a 6' x 8' table and travel of 140" X x 120" Y x 140" Z

[mangozac]