Custom CNC Parts from cad drawings

[Guest]

I thought I'd run this past a few of the posters here on the forums to see if there's much call for this kind of thing.

I'm not sure if this forum is a good place for this sort of concept. It might be more under the heading of scratch-build or R/C Aircraft.

I work in a college and have over the years developed deep and irrational yearnings to purchase a CNC engraver or small desktop CNC mill.

The intention was to fabricate sheet parts for custom wargaming vehicles which can then be constructed on mass and given away, sold or whatever. The parts would form a very elabourate "Kit" of parts - a bit like those laser cut plywood t-rex dinosaur models slotted together from pieces of 3mm birch ply you can buy at the natural history museum to shut the kids up.

The parts would be comb jointed togther or have locating tabs and corresponding tabs milled in the edges to ensure the accurate alignment as the pieces fit together. Small detail parts would be seperately machined from acrylic slab.

The kind of thing I was working on was something like this forgeworld kit - I couldn't justify the 400 quid for the model and thought it would be far more fun to make my own but using CAD CAM



At present I'm using High Impact Styrene and a combination of 1mm 2mm slot drills and a 90 degree engraving bit to make the parts. This facility would be great for cutting out lots of identical ribs for aircraft wings etc.

The mill also has the facility to 3D Carve or Mill 3d parts from drawings.This would be great for making vac forming moulds for RC Model aircraft etc - or even press tools for sheet metal work. At present I have no real intentions of getting the machine just yet - I'm using the one at work in the meantime but wondered if anyone would require any kinds of items cut out - with precision and superb repeatability.

I'm putting the proposal forward here because I thought it might be nice for the community to have access to a great piece of tooling like this and for me to get some of the cost from an expensive hobby back and maybe charge some token gesture for any parts made.

[Guest]

Howdy Alan,

I was senior machinist where I work for 21 yrs before moving into management as the superintendant over the machine shops and maint. departments at the plant.

Something that the engineers have been toying with and begging for funding for is a "3 Dimensional Printer".

I am not sure if you have ever heard or seen one of these, but, they are awesome. The engineers and draftsmen at work design a part in CAD on their computer, then send the design to the 3D printer which then makes a full size model of the design right there "inside" the printer. A full size 3d model that you can hold, send to a customer for evaluation, a model you can test dimensionally (heighth, width, length etc..). If you would like to see more about these printers, check out this link: http://www.zcorp.com/ . The "prototype models" that these printers construct are in full color too.

And as for the cost, well, they are comparible to a CNC lathe or milling machine. The one below is $19,000 :



Anyway, during my 21 yrs as senior machinist, I never used a cnc for my work, I did things "Old School", doing all the math, hand cranking all the lathes and milling machines and surface grinders (of course I also used the auto feed when the machines had them) . But I used to think CnC was the "wave of the future", with this equipment, it wont be long before the come up with a star trek type replicator lol.

Just wanted to share what was new at our plant and thought this was a good opportunity to do so, have a good day,

Greg

[Guest]

I've read about those 3D Printers, they are pretty impressive, the expense is a little way away from what I was looking to spend for a hobby!

I'm in the market for something like the German Built CNC Step HIGH-Z

http://www.cnc-router-routers.com/html/cnc_miniatur_fraesen_fraese.html

I know how much fun High end inkjet printers can be trying to unblock printheads, cost of consumables etc - I think i'll wait a while prior to looking at 3d printing.

The reason for me for the interest in 3D milling machines was the ability to fabricate very intricate parts in bulk and accurately drill holes for rivets, engrave panel lines etc. I'd still want to construct the thing from the parts as to me to just pick a completed model up from the bed of a 3d printer seems a little too easy.

[Guest]

Howdy Alan,

Yeah, they are expensive, but, like I said these are what the company is looking at buying for prototypes and for use in making molds for casting parts (we cast the epoxy insulators on the copper and aluminum conductors for use in our transformers and for sale world wide). By the way, just so you know, I work at a transformer factory.....the power distribution kind, not the "more than meets the eye" (robot) kind.

I have considered buying myself a milling machine on several occassions, along with a lathe and surface grinders etc, but just havent as of yet. However someday I will and will probably open a small machine shop in my retirement yrs.

Anyway, have a good day,

Greg

[Guest]

I have recently purchased a milling machine, partly for general modelling purposes and also in the future when I eventually get a model U-Boat to build, such as the Engles kit, I am hoping to use it to cut the deck slots nice and neatly.

That's the theory anyway!!

[Guest]

Alan that would be brilliant i can think of loads of things i would like already

[Guest]

Alan that would be brilliant i can think of loads of things i would like already

What kinds of parts would you be after? The good thing about CNC Machines is once the part is designed it's pretty simple to run off a batch of parts.