Looking to buy my first CNC for metal working

I've been looking to buy a legit cnc for a number of years and NO experience with CNC'g. I do have 3d modeling experience as well as 3d printing and laser cutting but no CNC.

I started looking at desktop models that range from $1000-$6000 US dollars and then found the Tormac PCNC 440 and started to research it and found alot of good stuff but really want to know: what is the best first CNC to get and that I can grow into. I found that if I got a desktop version I will prob grow out of it.

What's everyone's advice.

There is no one size fits all here.

The tormach would be WAY to tiny for me but might fit your needs just fine.

yep, that desktop is pretty much just a toy.

Ya, the more I researched the desktop CNC I realized its a waste of money. Now just to save $15G for a Tormach 440

why 15g for a 440 ? A base mill with chip pan and stand is 8 , the rest is just fluff

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Originally Posted by metalmayhem

why 15g for a 440 ? A base mill with chip pan and stand is 8 , the rest is just fluff

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Which mill would you recommend?

I'd say go with the 440's if they fit your needs . They are great little machines
At 15k I'm assuming your looking at all the bells and whistles that come with the 440 , tool changer etc . I personally look at all the options as adding up to almost a complete other mill that I can hand load , thats the way i see it anyhow

Yes, I added a decent amount to the spec. I'm completely new to CNC and need the tools as well. I did add the power draw bar kit for convenience. I cant believe what they charge for the chip pan, stand and enclosure.

the base and pan are expensive , but the pan is worth buying vs fabricating one . As I mentioned in your other thread - the grizzly g0704 bases work well and they are a fraction of the cost . If you go that route then I can show you how I rigged levelling wheels up on mine . The cad files are on their site for the mill , enclosure etc . You can easily build and enclosure off their dimensions , or your own

Ebay or amazon is a good economical means of acquiring tts holders and collets .

Honestly , I'd say start with the base mill and obviously a stand , then work from there . There isn't anything to lose by getting power drawbars and other accessories later .
For what it's worth , changing the tool by hand is quick and easy , and I don't see much effort and time being saved with having the power draw bar . Plus with hand tightening you'll have far more control of the tightness of your tools and less risk of pull out . If you find your not happy with hand tightening then you can buy the power drawbar down the road .
I run 5 mills for production and I hand bomb a lot of tools in a day and I don't see a power drawbar as having any real benefit , unless I had the tool changers then it would be necessary . For what it costs it equates to a fair amount of tooling you can buy instead .

If or when you order I'd recommend buying some spare fuses for the mill . Theres nothing like blowing a spindle fuse then realizing they don't supply spares with the mill , and a couple weeks wait becomes painful . A spare belt wouldn't hurt either , they last a long time but they will go eventually .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by metalmayhem

the base and pan are expensive , but the pan is worth buying vs fabricating one . As I mentioned in your other thread - the grizzly g0704 bases work well and they are a fraction of the cost . If you go that route then I can show you how I rigged levelling wheels up on mine . The cad files are on their site for the mill , enclosure etc . You can easily build and enclosure off their dimensions , or your own

Ebay or amazon is a good economical means of acquiring tts holders and collets .

Honestly , I'd say start with the base mill and obviously a stand , then work from there . There isn't anything to lose by getting power drawbars and other accessories later .
For what it's worth , changing the tool by hand is quick and easy , and I don't see much effort and time being saved with having the power draw bar . Plus with hand tightening you'll have far more control of the tightness of your tools and less risk of pull out . If you find your not happy with hand tightening then you can buy the power drawbar down the road .
I run 5 mills for production and I hand bomb a lot of tools in a day and I don't see a power drawbar as having any real benefit , unless I had the tool changers then it would be necessary . For what it costs it equates to a fair amount of tooling you can buy instead .

If or when you order I'd recommend buying some spare fuses for the mill . Theres nothing like blowing a spindle fuse then realizing they don't supply spares with the mill , and a couple weeks wait becomes painful . A spare belt wouldn't hurt either , they last a long time but they will go eventually .

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Awesome info....I really like the Tormach 440 so I think I'll go this route. I appreciate the help with the stand! I'll be sure to reach out when I purchase the machine.

Can you post some info for a starter tool kits to use on allum. Collets etc...again I'm completely new. thanks!

there aren't really many kits but you can piece together a bunch of tools and holders . Mari tool is good for buying cutters at a reasonable price , most of what they carry is htc tools , not high end but they're pretty decent . There are US sellers who sell ygk which are ok for high performance cutters , they are reasonably priced but I find them a bit on the brittle side and they aren't very tough .
If you want a facemill then there are ebay sellers who sell 50mm mills and you can also find sellers who have the tts holders for them , I wouldn't go bigger than 50mm . There is also a good variety of inserts on ebay that are great for cutting aluminum . CTC tool is a good place for collets , otherwise ebay and amazon always have something

heres an example of some of the holders that are available

https://www.amazon.ca/iCarbide-COLLE...d_gw_ci_mcx_mi