[pacuthbert]

Hey folks,
I hope I've got the right forum for this topic.
So here's a bit of a long one.
I'm looking into getting a small CNC router to engrave namely:
1) Stainless steel (0.3-2mm thick)
2) Aluminum (0.3-2mm thick)
3) ABS plastics (2mm thick)
They're all flat surfaces, so no 3D sort of things. I've never used a CNC router or the Mach3 system. So let's just say I have completely ZERO knowledge.
I'm just trying to understand what equipment I need to just engrave these materials rather than cut shapes. Or if there's anything I'm missing that I haven't covered
The plan is to make pet ID tags engraving, so any help would be much appreciated.
This is the specific CNC router I'll be getting (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3020T-3-AXIS-CNC-ROUTER-ENGRAVER-ENGRAVING-MACHINE-ARTS-30X20CM-DESKTOP-POPULAR-/181836930151?hash=item2a56535c67), of which I've communicated with the seller to enquire if it's possible and they've said yes to all materials I'm look at engraving, I just need to get the right cutter bit and clamp.
Funny enough they don't sell either.
The engraving depth I'll be doing is about 0.1-0.3mm at most.
So here's my checklist for me to get started:
1) CNC router (parallel cable included)
2) Mach3 Software
3) Desktop computer with parallel port access
4) Lots of cutters of the same size, the material is carbide tungsten coated with titanium (I'm prepared to break them), the ones I've decided on are these (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/5pcs-3-175x1x7mm-Titanium-Coated-PCB-CNC-Endmill-Cutter-Micro-Router-Drill-Bits-/301704047971?hash=item463ef66d63)
5) Clamps (however I have no idea where to get them and what size) help please?
Basically if I can, I would like to keep the entire cost under $2000, and I do have to buy a desktop running Windows XP or 2000, as I've got a laptop. I should be able to get it for under $300.
Just as a guide, the current pet tag ID size that I've got are as follows
15x45mm
20x45mm
25x55mm
30x55mm
All of 430 Stainless steel, with 0.5mm thickness.
Any help or pointers would be much appreciated!
Thank you folks for helping a girl out!
Cheers,
Ashley

[InMesh]

I used a 3mm carbide 3 sided and single sided cnc engraving tools there are bucket loads on ebay pcb 60deg 30deg 3-6 $ ,and this brings me to your quest I made a few tags for fun and like every good Idea I have I followed it up with a search on the net .I found there where a lot making them and cheaper than I could ,I have worked with stainless for 35 years and in short it's a pig to machine the chrome in it makes it eat cutters so slow speed is needed .This Brass badge was a little difficult I should have used a ball nose cutter maybe hope my ramblings help.John.
Attachment 292880

[imr700x]

Clamps are something that you will have to make yourself or have made. To be able to hold those pieces down to the table you get a lump of ally at least 12 mm thick and pocket out holes to exactly fit the blanks into and a couple of threaded holes near the edges to lock it down, then you can clamp the fixture to your table. There are lots of methods available for this: T slot clamps being the best.

Those tools that you linked to are meant for engraving phenolic circuit boards and are way too long to engrave stainless with, they will deflect, bend and break and will cut corners and ruin your definition. You get better results all round with shorter endmills. For engraving on stainless I use HSS centre drills and lots of coolant, WD40 misting works well.

Good luck with your project.

[pacuthbert]

Hey John,

That looks amazing and thank you so much for the link! That definitely gives me hope. I reckon I'll work with a V bit.

There is this other option I'm weighing out as I know it will definitely do the job. It's a pneumatic dot peen machine, it's specifically made to mark metals. But obviously (or not) I'd love to get a CNC router than the dot peen! I want to be bitten by the CNC bug. Lol!

Your ramblings have definitely helped!

Cheers,
Ashley

[pacuthbert]

imr700x, I'll definitely look into the clamps! I read through how you were explaining them to me the first time and it went over my head. lol! Then re-read it again and I actually understood!

And I must say a massive thank you on checking on the bits I've linked as well! At least I know what I'm looking for and making sure what I need to avoid. With the coolant, do I get a misting system and just add WD40 liquid in it? Or just spray/squirt WD40 as I go along?

Cheers,
Ashley

[aarggh]

imr700x, I'll definitely look into the clamps! I read through how you were explaining them to me the first time and it went over my head. lol! Then re-read it again and I actually understood!

And I must say a massive thank you on checking on the bits I've linked as well! At least I know what I'm looking for and making sure what I need to avoid. With the coolant, do I get a misting system and just add WD40 liquid in it? Or just spray/squirt WD40 as I go along?

Cheers,
Ashley

If your using a misting system then just get a suitable water soluble coolant/lube, only spray WD40 from the can very sparingly. The fumes from machining with it really aren't good for you.

cheers, Ian

[InMesh]

I just used a mix of Olive oil and kerosene,has the same effect easy clean up .

[aarggh]

I just used a mix of Olive oil and kerosene,has the same effect easy clean up .

We used an oil/kero mix at the timber mills years back, and it was great for an easy cut, but the thing I didn't like about it was the stickiness and it seemed to be a dust magnet.

cheers, Ian

[aarggh]

I just used a mix of Olive oil and kerosene,has the same effect easy clean up .

We used an oil/kero mix at the timber mills years back, and it gave a nice easy cut, but I never liked the stickiness of it, and it seemed to be a dust magnet which just made it worse in use.

cheers, Ian

[InMesh]

Ah yes that is true I saw that so reduced the oilBut the small cnc will do the Job you require Ashley I'm sure I never expect too much form machinery but used carefully all will be good.John

[imr700x]

Hi Ashley

There are many different recipes for cooling and all have their merits, I only choose WD40 on metals as it is convenient and my dust extraction removes the smell, but I also use others for different purposes. For larger items, I use Olive oil, like InMesh but mixed with turps but still with a dam around it as my router is made mostly of ply, yellow tongue and MDF

For engraving on agate cabochons for example, I build a dam around the cab with playdoh and just fill it with water which works well with diamond tools, for metals I have a 10mm long piece of 50mm PVC hot glued to the fixture to contain the lube/coolant.

As you progress, you will find that your growing understanding of the type of fixtures, clamps, cooling methods along with tool types, feeds and speeds will enable you to make and adapt stuff to your needs and you won't stay on this originating project for ever, the stuff that you can make and engrave is practically endless with only your imagination being the limiting factor mostly. Just keep playing with it and the knowledge comes.

Keep a note book handy and record all of your settings, tools and a few notes, especially what didn't work and why, that way you can minimise repeating errors and create your own data base of what works best with your machine and materials.

Dennis

edit, wow, two posts while I was typing.

[imr700x]

Hi Ashley. I was just having another look at your OP and there are a number of ways to bring your project into being with your budget. First, don't pay more than $50 for a PC. Most controller software will work fine on XP, you just need to ensure that the mobo has a parallel port and in the bios ensure that it can output at 5volts, some only do 3.3volts. Only use this PC for your controller, don't connect to the net so you can dispense with AV and shut down all the other process's that you don't use and a $50 PC on XP will go like the wind and just use sneeker net to get your files from your lappy with your CAM software.

For CAM and CAD there are lots of free stuff available, Inkscape is a good one to start with, GIMP is also worth a look for creating engravings form photo's and is also free. A not free one that I use is Cambam, but it does a full version usable up to 40 times and ifn you only hibernate your pc then it works forever...but I bought it in the end as it was well worth the $150 not to mention that there is an extemely helpful forum also.

That machine you listed has trapazoidal screws so back lash may mean that you perhaps won't get the definition like in InMesh's picture: I am only guessing as I don't know what machine he is using. But the structure is there and ball screws can be swapped in later easily if you decide you need more resolution..ie your "O" look like Italic "O]" 's. Also the spindle is a bit light and only goes to 10000 but a $90 400watt spindle will fit that mounting and will go up to 25000 rpm.....you can never have enough rpms ever but particularly engraving with pointy bits, you may also need an additional power supply but these are only about $50.

I would suggest getting onto ebay and buying a load of different cheap cutters as I have broken way more than I have worn out...just jogging can knock the tip of those three sided cutters but they do work good.

Just a thought but those sizes that you mentioned regarding the size of the discs look like standard cabochon ovals so you can already buy cheap ally templates for those...just space the template up from the surface with a couple of layers of double sided tape and hot glue the blank to your fixture inside the template as the pointy bits don't try and lift the part like a normal up cut spiral milling bit.

So with that machine, PC and software, and tooling you should have change with your original budget no worries.

[aarggh]

Hi Ashley

There are many different recipes for cooling and all have their merits, I only choose WD40 on metals as it is convenient and my dust extraction removes the smell, but I also use others for different purposes.

Sorry, just have to point out, if your machining aluminium, then that is already an explosion risk depending on your extraction design, but WD40 itself is highly flammable, and is definitely not good around a dust extractor.

cheers, Ian

[imr700x]

Sorry, just have to point out, if your machining aluminium, then that is already an explosion risk depending on your extraction design, but WD40 itself is highly flammable, and is definitely not good around a dust extractor.

cheers, Ian

Thanks Ian for the heads up. I have only been using the dust extractor to remove the smell as my set up is in my bedroom and Innox and WD odours hang around for a while but I hadn't given any thought to the risk of explosion, something that would very likely ruin my day so I will stay with the straight olive oil as I don't mind the smell of that stuff. Most of the machining that I do is making vac forming tools out of HDF, hence the need for an effective anti-static dust extraction system and it just seemed a good idea to use it to clear the fumes, a trap for the unwary for sure.

Thanks, Dennis

[RCaffin]

We used an oil/kero mix at the timber mills years back, and it gave a nice easy cut, but I never liked the stickiness of it, and it seemed to be a dust magnet which just made it worse in use.

Too much spray.
I pulse the spray - maybe 1 second every 20 seconds or longer. Parts come out 'dry'. Tool life is good.

Cheers
Roger