[macross]

So i have starter collecting materials for my very first cnc mill, which main use will be for milling PCB and nothing else. Since it's my first project i would like to get some advice on the hardware of the mill, for starters will this stepper motor will be powerful enough to drive my mill? (Max work area: 17x20cm)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CNC-Nema17...item27c43f26be


Here is my 3D model of the mill, it's not complete yet but it should give you a rough idea of how big this thing will be.


Also i would like to use a pre-made stepper motor driver such as this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TB6560-CNC...item2ec05d0c63

So will this setup work for milling PCB'S?

[Zig]

No it wont do anything. There is no spindle.

Decide on the make and specifications of the most important part of the machine the spindle and precision of the collet.

While it is important to have a rigid machine frame and decent resolution of the axes ( whatis the oitch of the screws and what kind are they? )it imperative to have a quality spindle otherwise the tiny tools will get smashed by the spindle runout.

[blinkenlight]

I'm not a CNC guru, but since replies are few: the motors should be fine for the job, and the driver board should be ok too (TB6560 is not exactly the best driver circuit but it's good enough - I use it too, for the exact same job). Zig does have a point though - you not only need seriously precise guides for your axes, but what is often overlooked - a precision spindle too, otherwise the small amount of "play" of the spindle axis will be quite enough to ruin the board. If you use a dremel, at least make sure it runs on bearings, and a dedicated small DC "spindle motor" is even better. Also - make the frame as stiff as you can: again, even small amounts of deflection can result in enough imprecision to create problems.

It all depends on what you aim to achieve - typical 2.54mm pitch through-hole PCBs can be engraved with pretty much any small CNC regardless of its precision, smaller SMD (1.27mm pitch or finer) requires some serious built-in precision, stiffness and fine-tuning (though still possible).