[cncuser1]

Are there any companies that sell a complete CNC converted (steppers) RF45?

( I see the one on Ebay, but am looking for a company to be behind the product)

[jalessi]

Yes there is:


Industrial Hobbies


http://www.ihcnc.com/pages/cnc-mill.php

Jeff...

[cncuser1]

Yes there is:


Industrial Hobbies


http://www.ihcnc.com/pages/cnc-mill.php

Jeff...

At this point I'm looking for an RF-45,

I thought this was thier upgraded, larger version of the RF-45.

[jalessi]

Purchase a RF-45 and add this:

CNC Express Mill/Drill CNC Kit 999-1000-200 $4,395

http://www.microkinetics.com/conv_kits/index.htm

Jeff...

[cncuser1]

Purchase a RF-45 and add this:

CNC Express Mill/Drill CNC Kit 999-1000-200 $4,395

http://www.microkinetics.com/conv_kits/index.htm

Jeff...

I did see this kit and it is interesting, I suppose i'd be interested in a complete kit.

I also saw the Optimum Vario setup too.

Are these the only choices?

[cjdavis618]

I think Ajax CNC has one to.

[nlancaster]

If you are going to spend the same amount of money as the Industrial hobbies machine, why not get the IH machine and get servos, ballscrews, and more working area?

[jalessi]

Speaking for my self, I would never invest $6,000.00 dollars into a RF-45.

The only choice for me would be to retrofit a older full size CNC.


Jeff...

[cjdavis618]

Just curious, why not consider the Tormach Mill?

[scudzuki]

Speaking for my self, I would never invest $6,000.00 dollars into a RF-45.

The only choice for me would be to retrofit a older full size CNC.


Jeff...

Yeah, that's a great strategy if you have the space and 3 phase power for a VMC. Good luck getting a VMC through a standard garage door. Can be a tall order for someone wanting to put a CNC machine in their garage.

Joe

[sansbury]

Yeah, that's a great strategy if you have the space and 3 phase power for a VMC. Good luck getting a VMC through a standard garage door. Can be a tall order for someone wanting to put a CNC machine in their garage.

The smaller Fadal VMCs are manageable, and some run on ordinary single-phase 220. You can spot them on eBay because they often sell for more than larger machines that aren't as homeowner-friendly.

[scudzuki]

The smaller Fadal VMCs are manageable, and some run on ordinary single-phase 220. You can spot them on eBay because they often sell for more than larger machines that aren't as homeowner-friendly.

Agreed the mini-mills (Haas, Chevalier, Fadals) are the ticket. They're hardly benchtop mills, though. Good luck getting a decent one for under $15k. That's a lot of $$$ for a hobby mill.
A drive or spindle bearings for one of those will set you back a lot of change, too. And they do break, you better believe real VMCs break.

Joe

[sansbury]

IH's turnkey CNC machine lists at $10k, which I agree seems like an awful lot to spend on a hobby mill, but it seems a decent number out there do. You can find Fadals selling for under $10k without having to know somebody who knows somebody. Maybe they need $2k of repairs but when done you've got a high-speed spindle, ATC, and VMC feeds and speeds.

VMC builders keep pushing new stuff out that drives down the value of the old a lot faster than the machines wear out. The main issue is keeping the electrical parts alive. My bet is over the next 5-10 years we'll see the "hobbyist VMC" become quite a bit less exotic than it is today.

[cncuser1]

If you are going to spend the same amount of money as the Industrial hobbies machine, why not get the IH machine and get servos, ballscrews, and more working area?

To all
I am looking at a at RF45, maybe an X3

I have a homemade CNC that is not big or stong enough(it is tougher than a sherline, smaller than an X2).

I have a small space to put my mill.

I also have a manual X2, the quality of the machine and work envelope are not sufficient.

so everyone talking about a VMC ...good for you, no good for me.

Basically I am looking at CNC'd X3 vs RF-45

110 volts is the only option

So are there any other CNC RF-45 options?

[nlancaster]

How about converting it to CNC yourself? You should be able to do that for alot less then one of those available kits. The only disadvantage I can see to a regular RF45 mill(20x7) is that it is barely larger then an X3(15x5) for work envelope. The IH mill is 30x12!! But that does also mean that it is probably a stiffer machine then an X3.

That being said I will probably CNC a X3 for my first cnc mill and dream of someday owning a used VMC or more probably a IH mill.

[jalessi]

scudzuki,

When you see a Tree 325 with a faulty controller sell for $695.00 on eBay tell me you would not buy it in a heart beat!

Getting in the garage is not that difficult with a $100.00 dollar Milwaukee Sawzall.

Jeff...

[cncuser1]

How about converting it to CNC yourself? You should be able to do that for alot less then one of those available kits. The only disadvantage I can see to a regular RF45 mill(20x7) is that it is barely larger then an X3(15x5) for work envelope. The IH mill is 30x12!! But that does also mean that it is probably a stiffer machine then an X3.

That being said I will probably CNC a X3 for my first cnc mill and dream of someday owning a used VMC or more probably a IH mill.

IH and VMC are not options due to size.


I might consider converting a RF-45 myself if a kit was available that did NOT include a controller box. I want servos and Mach3.

It seems that there are few or no such options.

[philbur]

In post 1 you wanted steppers?

Here's one:

http://www.cncmasters.com/cncbaron.html

Phil

I want servos and Mach3.

It seems that there are few or no such options.

[pete from TN]

I am converting my RF45/Lathemaster mill to cnc and while it has been time consuming it is not really that difficult. I have also chosen to make most of the parts myself so that makes it even more time consuming. You will save a lot of cash tho. The way I am going with my conversion I have around $1500.00 in the mill itself, and with the servos and all the ballscrews and everything I am getting near the $2500.00 mark and that is including the Vector drive and new spindle motor for my belt drive conversion. I have gotten some decent deals on parts and shopped around for stuff but not too much. I am running servos and gecko drives. So for less than $4k I should have a very capable little mill when it is finally finished. Unfortunately there are not kits for these mills besides the two already mentioned. The IH kit looks very well done but I am afraid it would not be my choice for this mill due to the fact that their motor mounts do not allow any overtravel of the axes which somewhat limits things. I am getting around 23x9.5y and I dunno what the Z is but I am allowing for some overtravel of the apron on the Y to get it.

The microkinetics kit is not one I have seen much of and the IH kit has been used on several rf45 machines from what I hear. Both were unfortunately out of my price range. I am glad I have done the conversion myself because I know what is what on my machine now and will know what may go wrong in the future and I also made some small modifications to improve things on the machine itself. I also added a one shot oiler setup too....

So it is kind of a tight spot really, you either live with a much lighter machine that is already cnc, do your own conversion on a rf45, or spend the money and buy a tormach or IH turnkey machine. The real bummer there is that those machines are expensive enough that you are not terribly far from a used professional machine that is much more capable. Just look at the RF45 Joe is selling on ebay, he had a very nice rf45 conversion but got a great deal on a used VMC on ebay and now he is selling the RF. I think the RF style machines are a nice compromise in size to performance. I also have a decent knee mill and my lathemaster mill is very close in performance to it yet is much smaller in weight and size so you get a good bang for the buck for these little mills. If I had to do it again I would have probably gotten the IH manual mill and converted it but when I bought my Lathemaster mill I had never heard of IH so it was not an option. If you buy the IH mill manual and purchase their kit you are into it for like 6-7K and will wind up with a real nice mill when done. It is no walk in the park doing the conversion tho.... So there you have it you pays your moneys and you makes your choices....good luck man...peace

[scudzuki]

It also depends on whether you have the time/skills/resources to do your own CNC conversion. While Pete and others have access to machines to make the parts required for a home-grown conversion, many do not, and are in fact acquiring their first CNC without even a basic set of machining skills. Myself, I have designed and built equipment and have the skills to do a conversion from scratch but lack the time to devote to the "hobby before the hobby" (making the machine that will provide the foundation for my desired goal, making parts). I'm not discounting the experience of building your own machine and I've seen some really nice capable machines built by the members here (insert plug for Hoss's toolchanger equipped machine and it sounds like Pete's is going to kick a$$ when complete) I'm just saying that for some, a turnkey machine is really the only realistic option.

Joe