The Y dimension is going to be limited to the effective throat depth which in this case is roughly 6". The X dimension can easily be increased to upwards of 10" with a 400mm beam. Beyond that you start getting diminishing returns due to the need to increase the gantry plate size to prevent excessive cantilevers.

 

Yes, that is a great spindle for the Mini Mill...

 

From what I've experienced I think it would be too much, but then again, it all depends on your expectations and use of the machine. If your cutting soft materials it may not matter at all, something hard and it's a whole other ball game!?!? Either way you could try it, the worse thing that could happen is you'd have to remove the spacer

Hopefully Mark will kick in his thoughts as well, he has far more experience with the OB hardware than I do ;-)

Sonny

 

CNC xPRO V3 Controller Stepper Driver

 

Hahaha, I knew that username as soon as I saw it...nice to see you make the trek over to the CNC world. As far as electronics I used a custom laser cut panel that attached to the back of the Z Main Rail, pretty simple setup. I'll try to find a good photo and post post it. It will really depend mostly on your controller of choice. Once you decide we can chat again about mounting options.

Sonny

 

Not necessarily. Usability of the system is not defined by strength but by stiffness and stiffness doesn't work according to a finite limit (i.e. "an edge"). It merely determines how aggressively you can use the machine.

Anthony, if you want to add extra spacers consider adding another 250mm C-beam vertical support adjacent to the existing one at the back and plate the two together creating a tube-like support to help reduce twist. Ultimately this was developed as a customizable system so mod as desired and then reinforce where necessary.

BTW, I noticed an error in my numbers above. The throat is only about 142mm not the erroneous 153mm I got trying to take a measurement on a tablet which will come up noticeably shy of 6". Adding a 100mm piece of 20x80 to the stack will take you to 6" with room to spare though.

 

Man, your build looks great, you're going to love this little machine!!!

Sorry, I can't help with this one, I do not run limit switches. I use Grbl Panel as my CNC Control Software and I don't honestly see the need for the limit switches. If you plan to run another software they might come in handy, you also need to consider the post processor and how it manages the G-Code. If it request a homing sequence prior to machining the limits will be needed. I use Fusion 360 and the Post Processor I'm using does not home the machine. So I simply set XYZ zeros and run it from there.

Let me see if I can find a photo or the CAD model to show you what I did...

I ran 14awg wire from the power supply to the board as the max current my power supply can put out is ~15amp (~360w). Even that size wire was a tight fit

I used a laser cut wire tie down and T-Nuts, it made for a really neat install and for easier access to the wiring if need be!?!?

That is one great thing about that controller, it was absolutely plug and play!!! The only changes you need to make are a few parameters based on machining volume, you can also change rates as well. OB has all that info in the C-Beam build, just to the "files and Drawings" section to download that folder and you'll have all the info you need, and of course I'm always here to help, just ask away!!

Thank you, I've have had a little time to play with this great machine and have made more than a few adjustments to my liking I'll be posting a few new builds very soon, keep an eye out, I think you might like them

OB Minimill Upgrades
OB MiniMill Enclosure
OB Minimill Tooling

Can''t wait to see the finished project, I know the kids at your local maker space will love it!!!

 

Amazon has a variety of cheaper single flute end mills and so does ebay. They also sell Onsrud and other high quality end mills. Also, I bought several swift carb and HTC from here End Mill Discount - Carbide End Mills, Extra & Extra Extra Long Mills, Micro Tools, Thread Mills in both 1/8 and 1/4 inch shank. Fo cutting through 2 inch thick stuff, I got 1 of each - 1/4 and 1/8 inch- from Kodiak Cutting Tools Extra Extra Long Carbide End Mills, Solid Carbide End Mills Extra Extra Long Series.

 

No problem. I am very happy with them.

 

I second Kodiak (from experience), great stuff!!!

 

@Anthony Bolgar although I'd love to take the credit, it was actually Rick 2.0 who suggested that However I must concur, it is a splendid idea

 

Just posted an enclosure for this little beauty

Here's a LINK

 

Try plugging the controllers USB cable into the PC prior to starting Grbl Panel. I just tried plugging it in while Grbl Panel was running and also got an error followed by the program shutting down. You could also try connecting the controller without external power powered on!?!?

Sonny