Another user here on the forum recently bought a G0704 and enclosure from Procut CNC. The enclosure he got was pretty sexy, and I've been wanting a full enclosure for a while (sick of shop vac'ing the entire side of the garage every time I run the mill). I see that Pro-Cut is selling the enclosures for the G0704 on Ebay with and without the stand. You can find Pro-Cut's enclosures on Ebay by searching for "BF20 Enclosure".
Enclosure with short half door = $900 + Freight per the Ebay Auction
Enclosure with short half door and Base = $1500 + Freight per the Ebay Auction
Pro-Cut is a full sheet metal fab shop and powder coater, so I reached out to them to see if they could make me one with full doors since I don't think the short half-door will contain all the chips. They can, but the doors add $200 to the price. Renderings below from Pro-Cut for the full door version. Lead Time is about 6 weeks. Price with the full doors in $1100 + Freight. It's pricey, but alternatives like using aluminum extrusions and polycarb panels add up in cost quickly and are not as sexy.
I'd love the community's feedback on the full door design, pricing, alternatives, etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one sick of shop-vac'ing who is lusting after a full enclosure for the G0704. We discussed sliding doors, but they'd add another foot to the width to allow for the 32" opening for access. The existing 57" width isn't too bad for many of us with cramped spaces. Is the price fair for the enclosure? Please share your thoughts, especially if you're experienced with a full enclosure.
Pro-Cut's contact info if on their auctions and website. Contact Rob if you're interested.
Some key points from discussions with Rob at Pro-Cut:
- The enclosure is not designed for flood coolant. The floor is flat, and no drain hole is pre-drilled. It's designed more for chip containment and mist coolant. The bottom is watertight, but has no slopes. This is a big negative for me, as at this price, full flood coolant would be expected.
- It is not pre-drilled for the G0704 base. Rob felt that many of us will have our mills slightly offset due to stepper's on one side of the X, or slightly back or forward due to rear or front mounted steppers, so we need to drill our own mounting holes. I see this as a positive.
- The fit will be close for those of us with Extended Y-axis. See the pic with the tape measure showing the 3.75" clearance in the back. It will work, but won't leave much room for items behind the column.