Need help picking right machine

I’m looking to mill textures micarta handles with precise copies of factory or
... many screw holes can’t be off even a 32nd.. I’m not looking to spend over $1,200 would send the scales to a company for 3D scanning and they can write me the program to plug into my machine? How does the machine know where to start ? Does is sense the blank to be milled I’m assuming it done this way I don’t need programming but Might add things in.

So I’m looking for advise on the machine
On the 3D scan company
On the best open source programming software

Attached at the bottom is the type of scale So you can get an idea, edge milling from square stock, milled holes drilled, and the inside milled out as well the fit the liners

Thanks

I doubt you really need to send these things off for 3D scanning. If you did, you shouldn't expect the scanning company to send you a G-code file that will work on your machine. They would send you a 3D model; you would use your own CAM software to generate G-code from that and post-process it for your machine. I can't see the texture in that little image, but usually they're rather simple patterns of cuts you can lay out pretty easily as a series of lines in a CAD program.

1/32" isn't too hard a tolerance to hit with even a low-quality CNC machine, if it's set up correctly. You would generally set your blank in some kind of fixture, so you can clamp it down securely outside the cut zone and your results would be repeatable. You zero the tool to the same origin as is set in the CAM program, which usually follows the one set in CAD, and zero the Z axis to the top of the material you're cutting. If you need to flip the stock over to mill the other side, you should set all that up in the CAM program and make your fixture so that it keeps everything in registration.

And by doing 'exact' copies - that's called Plagiarism / invasion of Copyright / intellectual property rights, so potentially expect a call from the OEM's lawyers!
And for $1200 don't expect to get a machine, work holding, tooling and CNC controls - multiply by 3 and you may get close!

I paid more for the clearpath servos and power supply than I did the G0704 (brand new). The ballscrew kit was half the cost of the G0704. So, about $1500 for the mill, $1700 for the servos, and $750 for the screws... no tooling, no work holding, and $200 for Mach4... $1200 won't get you much LOL

I forgot about the Hicon integra 6 axis controller.... i think that was $600 at the time, its the blue one

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yelims20

I paid more for the clearpath servos and power supply than I did the G0704 (brand new). The ballscrew kit was half the cost of the G0704. So, about $1500 for the mill, $1700 for the servos, and $750 for the screws... no tooling, no work holding, and $200 for Mach4... $1200 won't get you much LOL

---

Sounds about right. My Mrs would have kittens if she knew what I put into my 'hobby' 25 size machine already (that still isn't quite finished). :eek: :argue:

I'm considering dropping £400 to cncdrive next month.
Then £100 to Igus.
Then £400 to aliexpress.
ETC.......

Bought dear or not?