[deus402]

I run an automotive repair shop here in Nebraska, and I've come to the conclusion that I could better serve my customers, and generate an alternate revenue stream If I had access to a CNC mill. I've been scouring all of the great info on this site and have come to the conclusion that my best bet would be an older HAAS VF1 or similar CNC mill. Seems like you can get into one that needs a little work and get it up and running for around the $10k mark, plus probably another $10k in transportation cost, tooling, setup, etc. I feel like a $20k startup budget is a fairly reasonable estimate to get me into a machine that I can grow into, and then have it grow with my as my needs increase by adding a 4th axis, etc. It seems like a better idea to spend $20k up front instead of spending $5-$10k now and then having to spend another $20k in a year. My timeframe on purchase is around six months.

So that's all fine and good, except for just a little hiccup: I have absolutely no idea what i'm doing. Which leads to two problems, laying out $20k for something that i won't even be able to operate, and second, I'm not even really sure where to start with learning the modeling/CAM. I have a buddy that gave me a student copy of solidworks 2014, so if that is in some way useful that would be ideal, since I can start learning on that immediately since I already have it, I just need to install it.

To solve both of my problems, I would like to get a so called hobby mill for around $1000. Even if it couldn't produce useful parts for me, I could at least learn how to use the modeling software and run a CNC mill without dropping $20k upfront. That would give me a better idea of the correct questions to ask, and the features I need when I get a big boy mill. I have even considered getting a DIY makerbot kit just for an intro to 3d modeling, but i don't have any actual use for one besides learning, and i'm not sure how well that translates to a mill.

So my questions for the community are these:

1. what software should I be learning
2. what is a good online introductory course for said software. free/paid doesn't matter. i would say $500 budget for this.
3. what is a good machine to learn on. Ideally I could cut aluminum/steel on it, but if not, whatever. It's main purpose would be to learn software/procedures. budget for this would be $1000, and ideally less than that because it is basically going to be a disposable machine. if I could use my test/learning machine to CNC any usable parts and/or gun receivers while learning that would be awesome, and would be willing to stretch the budget a little for that capability.

I appreciate the wealth of knowledge on these forums, and appreciate any guidance, advice, and criticism. Thanks in advance.

[awerby]

The Solidworks student edition is not supposed to be used for commercial purposes, and it's not supposed to be "loaned" to other people. So you might have trouble registering it, or getting training and tech support for it, unless you enroll somewhere as a "degree-seeking" student. While it's good software, and an industry leader, it's not the only alternative, and certainly not the least expensive way to go. I'd suggest instead you start by purchasing a copy of Cubify Design ($199) or Geomagic Design Elements ($999), which are also parametric solid modeling programs (formerly known as Alibre Design), and work through the tutorials available online: GeoMagic Design Training Series: Overview Of GeoMagic Design - YouTube


I can also sell you a seat of Visual CAM software that plugs into Alibre, so you'd be able to cut the things you draw.

While you're waiting to find that good deal on a used Haas, it's a good idea to get a small mill to learn on. But any CNC mill that you can get for the $1k you've budgeted is going to be disappointing, if it works at all. Why not get a decent machine to start with, that can actually make useful parts in aluminum and steel? I'd suggest the Taig, which I sell because it's a great little USA-made mill at a good price. Once you've upgraded, you won't have any trouble selling it for a good proportion of what you paid.

[deus402]

I had actually looked at the Taig mill already, It's just hard to know what is good and what isn't. If you could PM me your contact info i'd like to get a quote from you for a mill and a good assortment of tooling to get me started.