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Home built CNC Mill - Gonna make a 1911


StraightUp_OG

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I have been agonizing over this all week long. What to do, what to do? I think I am going to order a g0704. I have been on Hoss' website wading through it, unorganized it is, but there is a ton of info.

Meanwhile I am hand fitting a slide and frame with files and really wishing I had a mill...

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OK it is a crappy pic but it is 2:30 in the morning. I took today off from work so I put in the late night since I could not get to it yesterday.

Ball cuts done, frame cut done and barrel started. Glenn, like you said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! :cheers:

6er1a.jpg

Edited by StraightUp_OG
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Just FYI - in that video, they have it running wide open because it isn't doing any work. Notice that there is no coolant and no chips. It is demoing that part, but since the cutting has already happened, they can run at full speed.

Operational speed is going to be determined by the material and the specific type of tooling being used. Not the machine (for the most part)

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I was caught up on the "tapping center" name for a long time and didn't really know the point of these types of machines. But the more you talk with production shops the more you find out that these machines are what people use to crank out small sized precision parts - milling included. Pretty much the entire Apple product line is machined on Fanuc Robodrills, which are the same basic machine. Using high speed machining toolpaths these machines can remove material in a hurry, especially with small tools because of high spindle speeds. Lots of shops run these Brother machines or Robodrills 24/7 for years on end without a service call or down time - they are rock solid.

We are getting one of these machines at my day job, based on my recommendation, and I'm seriously considering buying one for my garage to build the parts for the scope I've designed. I'll use the work machine to knock out the first 50-100 units.

They are fast cutting too!

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I wish the machine cost was a drop in the bucket, the S2Dn-O with the 16k spindle and 4th axis is $120k. Not sure I can get approved for financing based on my current business size, we'll see. A Haas mini mill would likely be no problem, Haas finances like buying a car. I'd like to bypass the Haas as a starter machine phase.

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Dude I am so stoked for you! Just the idea of owning such a tool is tasty! I am sure you know this but Haas has those demo machines for sale at a reduced rate or pimped out for less cash.

I was also thinking and almost posted in your thread but have you thought about a kickstarter campaign? You have plenty of people ready to pull the trigger (pun intended) on buying a dot that you could put a dent in the cash you need for a machine. Just something to think about.

Edited by StraightUp_OG
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I can only fit a Haas Super Mini Mill in my garage, and there are none available on the pre-owned/demo section. But even when there were I sent requests for info and never heard from Haas. I'll see how interested I am in doing all the machine work as I tool up and get things rolling on the machine at work. But it won't be in the building and running for a month I'd guess.

Kickstarter doesn't really provide much value as the whole "win" there is using it for marketing to the people who follow tech/gadget type projects. This scope is a very narrow market and they are not the kickstarter crowd. I'll become a vendor here, update my website, create a business facebook profile linked to my website and do a formal pre-order. That will help me make the bridge from building the parts on the machine at work to either buying a machine myself, or having enough capital to order the machined parts from a production shop in larger quantities. Having a shop do it early on is a bit nerve racking because if a problem does arise in the first group of units you (me) end up with a large quantity of potentially scrapped parts. That's hard to recover from in the beginning. Buying a machine requires a large chunk of cash up front, and a large financial responsibility longer term, but it provides flexibility and smaller steadier cashflow.

Lots of decision to be made and most of them with between 3 and 5 zeros attached.

Edited by jid2
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I can only fit a Haas Super Mini Mill in my garage, and there are none available on the pre-owned/demo section. But even when there were I sent requests for info and never heard from Haas. I'll see how interested I am in doing all the machine work as I tool up and get things rolling on the machine at work. But it won't be in the building and running for a month I'd guess.

Kickstarter doesn't really provide much value as the whole "win" there is using it for marketing to the people who follow tech/gadget type projects. This scope is a very narrow market and they are not the kickstarter crowd. I'll become a vendor here, update my website, create a business facebook profile linked to my website and do a formal pre-order. That will help me make the bridge from building the parts on the machine at work to either buying a machine myself, or having enough capital to order the machined parts from a production shop in larger quantities. Having a shop do it early on is a bit nerve racking because if a problem does arise in the first group of units you (me) end up with a large quantity of potentially scrapped parts. That's hard to recover from in the beginning. Buying a machine requires a large chunk of cash up front, and a large financial responsibility longer term, but it provides flexibility and smaller steadier cashflow.

Lots of decision to be made and most of them with between 3 and 5 zeros attached.

Check out ebay. Found three used mini mills for sale form between $25k-$36k.

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Yeah, I'm gonna make it work somehow. I'm trying my best to balance the shear desire to just have a badass machine with what is best for the product.

Turns out getting money for a used machine is often harder than a new one, especially with Haas. I'd need a Super Mini Mill, 2007 or newer and able to have the HSM option. Those are even harder to find - I've been looking casually for the last year on ebay and with all the used machine tool dealers. They do come up, but you need to be able to act fast, and they often command over $40k, which gets you close enough to new pricing to wonder why you should buy a used one. Anyway - enough about my problems!

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Yeah, I'm gonna make it work somehow. I'm trying my best to balance the shear desire to just have a badass machine with what is best for the product.

Turns out getting money for a used machine is often harder than a new one, especially with Haas. I'd need a Super Mini Mill, 2007 or newer and able to have the HSM option. Those are even harder to find - I've been looking casually for the last year on ebay and with all the used machine tool dealers. They do come up, but you need to be able to act fast, and they often command over $40k, which gets you close enough to new pricing to wonder why you should buy a used one. Anyway - enough about my problems!

When I was checking them out 3-4 years ago I found plenty and they where also cheap. It seems the supply of newer used CNC equipment is all caught up with demand.

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All I got is wow. Impressed does not come close.

I've hand fitted a lot of stuff on colt single actions and clones. Fit a ton of stuff by hand on 1911's. Got over 100 files and 80 stones. But you all are on another level...wow. Keep it coming please.

A mill???? Yup, may have to pull the trigger on it.

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I have read every post in this 27 page topic so far and to me you have won all the internets. Great great job man, I love reading how you describe your process and see everything you talk about come to life.

Great topic, great thread. Keep at it and please keep us updated!

Maybe when I am not a poor college kid anymore I can do this :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well not much chip making but a fair bit of shooting going on.

My comp started twisting so I will be putting in a set screw. Not sure why, threads are super tight and I used Red Loctite maybe because of the Ti an SS mix between the comp and barrel. Plus Ti heats up quick and may have weakened the bond. But the screw should fix it.

Going to get back into the 6" this weekend and might start fitting the slide on the 40 single stack I have started too. Pics to follow.

Edited by StraightUp_OG
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