[larryeda]

Hi,

I'm looking for a good precision mill for cutting tiny jewelry waxes. Most jewelers seem to prefer the Model Master mill, but I have a chance to buy a Benchman mill at half the price. Would this work for me,or would the resolution be less than desirable? Please excuse my ignorance in this area!

Larry

[CROSSHATCH]

Don't know much about the Benchman, but have you ever considered the Sherline or Taig line?

-Speed

[Harryman]

For a low priced mill, I'd take a Taig over a Sherline any day, there's greater potential down the road if your needs change. You can make jewelry parts on either, but depending on your needs, you'll probably want higher accuracy for multisided milling.

I've got a Minitech Minimill 3 Pro which I use mainly for jewelry, I think the Minimill 2 with the jewelry package is a better deal than a ModelMaster IMHO. Minitech uses conventional components and software (Mach3) in it's mills so it's easier to get help if things go wrong. ModelMaster likes to keep things proprietary so you have to deal with them for everything.

The Benchman 1000 looks like it'd be a capable mill for jewelry, is that the one you're looking at? I'd like a higher speed spindle on it though, I use a NSK which is good up to 20K rpm although I usually am @ 12K with wax. Make sure you get a 4th axis too. I've never seen a Benchman in person and I don't know anyone who has one so I can't speak for its control software, customer service, parts etc.

I don't know what pricing is, but I've learned the hard way you get what you pay for and you don't get what you don't pay for.

Check out 3dcadjewelry.com, a forum with more info about mills from jewelers who actually use them.

[cnc1881]

Hello to anyone in CNCZone community. I have been purchased Micron mill from MODELMASTER for a year. Onething I tell to anyone that DO NOT buy from them, their machine is too lousy be buided,specialy 4th axis rotary table.Nathan.

[SORCHEROR]

the benchman is from light machines corp,they were good machines with a granite epoxy base

[jjdon]

I don't have a cnc mill ---Yet! From everything I've learned in researching it myself, 5,000 rpm is just not enough for the tiny engraving bits jewelry uses. More like 20,000 or even more, is what I'm hearing. Tell me I'm wrong, but think about it, too....It's a lot of money to buy wrong.

[deanxd]

Proxxon mf70 cnc for small work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvmLN...eature=related

[cnc1881]

I have been using Micron mill (modelmaster) it working OK, but I have to modified 4 axis rotary table and constandly recablirated .

[Fixittt]

you can get just about any mill to do this type of machining, it all depends on the Rand D your willing to put forth.

I would stay away from the model master machines, no other reason then what I have heard. minitech machines are the high end of machines. But a little time and patiences can pay off in the long run.....

Sherline mills, can do the work, but require alot of maintance to keep running smooth. If speed is an issue, they have to be run slower due to the screw brass nut design. Taig is a good bet, still speed has to be kept down due to the dovetail design. Not to mention adjustments have to be kept in check. TRUST ME I know about having to adjust a dovetail machine.

I actually have 3 mills, 2 cnc and one manual. I have a cnc maxnc (DONT EVER BUY ONE) a older minitech mill 2 that I am getting up and running, and a manual sherline. While I can NOW produce very good waxes on the maxnc after extensive retrofitting, it is still a pain with the gib adjustments and I have to keep it dripping with oil. The minitech is retrofitted with a gecko g540 24v PSU and 269 oz steppers and man, it flys!

[cnc1881]

I have been folowing up Minitech machine it is really impress a lot ,they use high end components for their machine.In my mind i am always thinking how 5 axis mill work,what is CAM software for machine?

[Fixittt]

the one thing about the minitech machines is that they are always evolving. There are alot of good machines out that will do what we do. But if you want the hassle free way of doing it. Then minitech is the way. But it comes at a price.
My reworked maxnc does a great job, but the maintance is still there.......... and sometimes it just makes me want to pull my hair out.

[Stepper Monkey]

I have done a truly stupid quantity of jewelry wax production using CNC over the years, and a good high spindle speed is definitely key. The machines accuracy is really quite secondary over its repeatability and consistency - as in it can be a really light machine as long as it doesn't require constant adjustment and fiddling.

Model Master have made some really good machines in their high-end line, if somewhat overpriced and certainly limited by the Flashcut system and the proprietary stuff. Their low end stuff like the Micron just aren't that good though, and still cost too much. With the Micron I think they cut costs where they shouldn't have and left parts in that cost too much they could have changed - wrong way to go about trying to get an entry level model.
Roland stuff is good but WAY overpriced beyond all reason.
Minitech makes some really good stuff, very expensive but worth it.
Taig is excellent bang for the buck, as with only a couple of minor tweaks it becomes a system way more than most jewelers ever need. It isn't the best by any measure, but it costs a very small fraction of better systems like the Minitech and has, relatively, very minor downsides to the tradeoff.
Sherlines are ok but not quite up to snuff, certainly not up to Taig standards but still cost the same.
MaxNc - just don't go there. Just don't. They are made with fail.

I like Minitech and Taig, and depending on your intended volume of production and your budget those two alone make a good spectrum of choices all by themselves.

Don't know anything about the Benchman though, sorry. Looks good though, and likely a solid option for you.

[Fixittt]

haah HEY!!!!!! I have a maxnc machine....... well sort of/kind of....... its still the maxnc frame..... sort of/kind of.

I just finished this on the maxnc.......
Spindle is key and for the budget minded person, (Like myself as I HAVE STARTED MY LITTLE BUISNESS FROM NOTHING) I highly recommend the wolfgang engineering spindles he can be found on ebay......

[Jason3]

Guys, this thread's getting a bit old. The OP has probably moved on...

Best,

Jason

[Stepper Monkey]

Yikes. Didn't even see the original posting date, just all the replies. How do these things keep getting bumped anyway?

Fixitt - you don't really have a MaxNC anymore, it definitely your custom baby now. Even if it still has some of the MaxNC frame under it, I don't think you could still really call it a NC10 anymore than Hoss's machine is an X2 anymore. After 95% of the parts get replaced I think you can safely take credit for its decent performance now and not the parent manufacturer!