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MIT Student-designed CNC mill you can build for less than $100

118 points by candeira 16y ago

jurjenh 16y ago
Nice. I've also found http://buildyourcnc.com http://buildyourcnc.com quite useful, but am still to actually get around to making one for myself... kinda is a luxury when I use a Biesse Rover at work almost everyday and am responsible for the programming / maintenance of it, and seem to have a never-ending list of things that need to be done...
- candeira 16y ago
  When you feel you really need a home router, you will have a Biesse Rover you can use to make the parts for your project. That's a real luxury! The reason I posted the Mantis and not the one from buildyourcnc.com is that the Mantis is student-grade: simple, cheap as hell, small volume (not only working volume, but also external envelope) and easy to align by design. You could probably build it using only manual tools.
- vessenes 16y ago
  I couldn't tell from the site if the machine could be used for machining something other than circuit boards; you seem to have experience here, can you comment about it? I would certainly love to have one of these guys in my shop. Just don't need circuit boards cut.
  - Keyframe 16y ago
    You can cut a lot of stuff with 3-axis gantry machine. I use it to cut spearguns of my own design for example, It's a bit tricky to make a precise machine with a lot of Z-depth though, but you can turn around the material and mill from both sides (double the depth in that case). Pretty much anything can be done on that machine. In hindsight, I should have maybe gone with a fourth axis too (rotational) since that would suit me more in this case.
Concours 16y ago
This is relly nice, I've just found one of the main projects I'll accomplish with my kids one of these days.
- JoeAltmaier 16y ago
  That's why its great to have kids; you can do projects you would be a little embarrassed to do for yourself! { guy with an airsoft guard tower, trebuchet and monkey bridge }
Keyframe 16y ago
I built a CNC 1.7m x 1.3m with 800+ IPS for ~2000$ - with a lot of googling and persistence. Ping me if you want to build your own, I'll give you details, it's really not that hard at all.
- cadr 16y ago
  What do you use it for?
  - Keyframe 16y ago
    See my other comment in thread. Spearguns of my own design.
- gregpilling 16y ago
  Do you have details posted somewhere? I would love to see them.
  - Keyframe 16y ago
    No, nothing online. It's a standard gantry 3-axis mill though. Pretty much all info to build your own is here: http://buildyourcnc.com/ http://buildyourcnc.com/ I wish I found that info before!
ars 16y ago
I wonder if you can also use this framework to include a 3-D printer. It's the same XYZ axis control, I think all you would need is a different head. You may be able to even mount both heads at once, offset from each other.
losethos 16y ago
I built a 3 axis milling machine in 1996. 4 Stepper motors at $30 a piece 35 oz-in torque. I used standard threaded rod -- this video has the expensive kind. Yawn.

118 points by candeira 16y ago

Nice. I've also found http://buildyourcnc.com http://buildyourcnc.com quite useful, but am still to actually get around to making one for myself... kinda is a luxury when I use a Biesse Rover at work almost everyday and am responsible for the programming / maintenance of it, and seem to have a never-ending list of things that need to be done...

candeira 16y ago
When you feel you really need a home router, you will have a Biesse Rover you can use to make the parts for your project. That's a real luxury! The reason I posted the Mantis and not the one from buildyourcnc.com is that the Mantis is student-grade: simple, cheap as hell, small volume (not only working volume, but also external envelope) and easy to align by design. You could probably build it using only manual tools.
vessenes 16y ago
I couldn't tell from the site if the machine could be used for machining something other than circuit boards; you seem to have experience here, can you comment about it? I would certainly love to have one of these guys in my shop. Just don't need circuit boards cut.
- Keyframe 16y ago
  You can cut a lot of stuff with 3-axis gantry machine. I use it to cut spearguns of my own design for example, It's a bit tricky to make a precise machine with a lot of Z-depth though, but you can turn around the material and mill from both sides (double the depth in that case). Pretty much anything can be done on that machine. In hindsight, I should have maybe gone with a fourth axis too (rotational) since that would suit me more in this case.

Concours 16y ago

This is relly nice, I've just found one of the main projects I'll accomplish with my kids one of these days.

JoeAltmaier 16y ago
That's why its great to have kids; you can do projects you would be a little embarrassed to do for yourself! { guy with an airsoft guard tower, trebuchet and monkey bridge }

Keyframe 16y ago

I built a CNC 1.7m x 1.3m with 800+ IPS for ~2000$ - with a lot of googling and persistence. Ping me if you want to build your own, I'll give you details, it's really not that hard at all.

cadr 16y ago
What do you use it for?
- Keyframe 16y ago
  See my other comment in thread. Spearguns of my own design.
gregpilling 16y ago
Do you have details posted somewhere? I would love to see them.
- Keyframe 16y ago
  No, nothing online. It's a standard gantry 3-axis mill though. Pretty much all info to build your own is here: http://buildyourcnc.com/ http://buildyourcnc.com/ I wish I found that info before!

ars 16y ago

I wonder if you can also use this framework to include a 3-D printer. It's the same XYZ axis control, I think all you would need is a different head. You may be able to even mount both heads at once, offset from each other.

losethos 16y ago

I built a 3 axis milling machine in 1996. 4 Stepper motors at $30 a piece 35 oz-in torque. I used standard threaded rod -- this video has the expensive kind. Yawn.