[mbrittsess]

Hello all, this is my first post here so, Hello Everybody!

I could go on and on about my background but I'll cut to the chase of my issue. I'm receiving a gift of a MicroMark Microlux Milling Machine from a relative. This is wonderful because my head is full of millions of things I've wanted to make but I've never really had a workshop to make any of them in, and a mill would be a wonderful thing to use.

But I'm not very good with doing things by eye, I can do things on a computer excellently. I've had success with electrolytic etching before (from computer designs), and I learned how to use vector graphics from that. But I could never have done it by hand.

Similarly, with this mill, it's manual...it seems to me, almost like a 3-axis etch-a-sketch. I'm quite a hand at 3d modeling and I'd certainly be able to use CAD to design any sort of part I wanted. So it seems necessary to convert the mill to CNC. Question is, I have very little idea on how to do this. I've done some research online but I couldn't find many definitive answers, or any recent articles. It seems to me the price range for such conversions can be anywhere from $600 to $6,000. I'm a freshman in college who's off for a semester soon and I could probably save up a little under $1,000 during that time to do it but can't spare any more.

As far as the scale of my projects, I'd be almost exclusively working with copper, brass, and most often various steels. Nothing too big...some projects I have in mind to work on first include a few hard-to-find spare parts for obsolete guns, a new steel case to replace the plastic one on my phone and others', and brass side plates for a new frame for some keyboards (so roughly 6 inches by 1 inch by 1/4 in deep, this is probably as big as my work gets.)

What sort of plan should I follow?

[hoss2006]

Welcome mbrittsess,
Is this the MICROLUX® MILLING MACHINE you are getting?
It's an X2 from Sieg.
There are several routes you can take for cncing it.
Plenty of easy DIY versions by other users of differing complexity and expense.
Just search on here for X2 or minimill conversion for ideas.
You can follow detailed DIY plans, some free some not.
Several companies offer easy to install kits including, Cncfusion, KDN Tool, Syil America.
This page can give you an idea of some of the costs.
$1000 is more than enough for a conversion and a few bits of tooling to get you going,
you'll spend plenty more as you go along, 25 years and I'm still spending.
Welcome to an expensive hobby, Hoss

[Random Man]

I have had my mini mill for a few years now and I love it. I hate the Z axis. I use cad on a daily basis so it seems like a perfect excuse to convert to CNC. Does anyone have any suggestions pros/cons from one kit to another. I see some decent prices on ebay for a stepper system. Im not scared to do it myself from scratch but I am very busy between work and my 3 boys so a Kit seems like the way to go. Hoss I know your well versed on the subject any suggestions?

[hoss2006]

cncfusion is about the only one left that gets used anymore.
Hoss

[Random Man]

Thanks