FreeCAD has an architecture workbench. Cost nothing and if typical of the other workbenches there will be many tutors on using it so you can see what it can do.
Shop equipment options
- Thread starter nautilus29
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WisJim
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I've been reading these posts with interest as I am getting close to completion on a new shop and garage building as part of a move into town and major downsizing. Due to zoning limitations I was able to build a 24 by 40 foot building with a 12 by 40 attic room. There is a one car garage, a wood working shop area, and a metal shop area, all of approximately equal size. Since I'm in Western Wisconsin USA we get cold winters (minus 40 is possible but rare), so the building is fully insulated with spray foam in the walls and roof and 2" foam under and around the floor slab. I have a 12x24 Atlas/Craftsman lathe, an Atlas horizontal mill, a Grizzly mill-drill, a South Bend 9" lathe, drill press and a Rockwell wood/metal band saw for the metal shop, and will be moving them in once we get the walls of the shop areas painted.
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I wish I was as close as you are to setting up my shop! Sounds like you'll have a good working area.
I'm still struggling to decide what I want to do about a mill(s). We bought this property less than 2 years ago and I still have a lot of projects that need done to the house\ property. I'm afraid if I buy a haas or similar I'll use up my shop funds, and I won't be able to get other stuff for the shop for awhile.
WisJim
Well-Known Member
I looked at Haas mills online, and I think that a used Haas would be a bigger investment than the total that I have in all of my machines in my metal shop. Of course mine aren't of the same precision and are much older, but then again I'm probably not able to use even my machines to the limit of their capabilities. I've accumulated my tools over decades by watching ads and sales and buying what I could afford when my funds and the availability of tools happened to coincide.
Sorry, couldn't resist!
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I found a PM25mv, full cnc with power draw bar around me. Price seems alright, I'm trying to decide if that's the route I want to go...
Being on this site your likely not making things bigger then what this milling machine can handle. I have a round cyclinder mill. this is a step up because position is maintained when raising the head to drill after milling etc.. Further this mill can be used in the manual mode. You do need to have skills in solid modeling, a requirement and then CNC programming skilled. FreeCAD is one option that is totally free that does both. I do not have CNC capacity so I do not know about the CNC work bench however you have the ability to export a file that will be useable by other CNC software.
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I didn't end up getting it. HGR I'm Cleveland has a lot of good deals, and I think I want a bigger cnc machine now.
I depend what size of work you plan to do.
The basic is
1) lathe
2) mill
3) arbor press.
4) bench grinder 6"
The tooling for mill will cost the most but need for some types of work.
Dave
The basic is
1) lathe
2) mill
3) arbor press.
4) bench grinder 6"
The tooling for mill will cost the most but need for some types of work.
Dave
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I bought a mill this week! I have been debating the bigger vs smaller for awhile now and decided to just wait until the right one comes up.
It's a pm-30mv that the guy turned into a CNC by himself. His job has him building plc boxes regularly, and you can tell. The mill has also hardly been used so that's a plus. Here are some pictures of the mill and what it came with.
It's a pm-30mv that the guy turned into a CNC by himself. His job has him building plc boxes regularly, and you can tell. The mill has also hardly been used so that's a plus. Here are some pictures of the mill and what it came with.
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- Joined
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He used centroids acorn board with centroid cnc12. The spindle still isn't hooked up to the CNC. When I do that I may add an encoder since the board allows for one.
Great purchase. I bought a use round vertical axis bench top milling machine the next size up to yours. You can do a lot with it. The general recommendations is that you need to first learn to machine by hand. The reason is that you need to know your machine capacity and the capacity of the tools in the materials your cutting. And you need to learn how to program also. I happen to provide the test piece for a cnc lathe at the aerospace company I worked for. A washer with a rounded bottom surface. I was told it took about 5 times to make the first one. Tool started in the wrong spot etc. were the bugs that a very experience machinist had to learn about cnc programing.
nautilus29
Have you done any programing?
The centrode control is a good control. Both of my machines have centrode controls, a M-15 and a M-40.
Hopefully , the previous owner used a color display on your machine. that way you can see the different colors for the different tool paths, when a tool is changed.
Have you done any programing?
The centrode control is a good control. Both of my machines have centrode controls, a M-15 and a M-40.
Hopefully , the previous owner used a color display on your machine. that way you can see the different colors for the different tool paths, when a tool is changed.
