[aarongough]

Interesting I did not know that!


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I spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos of people running aggressive production toolpaths on big CNC machines (Vertical Machining Centers mainly). After watching a bunch of those I was always pushing my milling machine and old CNC router to see what they could do. Hard to keep up with a VMC though!

Here's a fun example of what the big machines can do:




The page here recommends that tools under 1/8" be kept to 0.25x diameter max DOC when slotting. Tools 1/8" diameter and above can go to 1.5x diameter DOC when slotting. 1.5x diameter DOC is recommended for all tools when profiling (only one side of tool touching workpiece). If the machine is rigid enough then it's good to go with the maximum DOC possible as that way you're using more of the tool and tool life will go up!

Solid Carbide Speed & Feed

[wizard]

I spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos of people running aggressive production toolpaths on big CNC machines (Vertical Machining Centers mainly). After watching a bunch of those I was always pushing my milling machine and old CNC router to see what they could do. Hard to keep up with a VMC though!

Here's a fun example of what the big machines can do:

Nice video but just realize that building a router type machine to even come close to this performance will be a challenge and likely more expensive than it is worth. After all if you really needed that performance you would be shopping for a VMC not a home built CNC router. You most certainly won't accomplish these sorts of machining rates with a machine built out of 2" square tubing of any type.

The page here recommends that tools under 1/8" be kept to 0.25x diameter max DOC when slotting. Tools 1/8" diameter and above can go to 1.5x diameter DOC when slotting. 1.5x diameter DOC is recommended for all tools when profiling (only one side of tool touching workpiece). If the machine is rigid enough then it's good to go with the maximum DOC possible as that way you're using more of the tool and tool life will go up!

Solid Carbide Speed & Feed

For most home machine builds the other big limitation is the real capability of the spindle. It isn't like you will have twenty horsepower available to you.

[aarongough]

Nice video but just realize that building a router type machine to even come close to this performance will be a challenge and likely more expensive than it is worth. After all if you really needed that performance you would be shopping for a VMC not a home built CNC router. You most certainly won't accomplish these sorts of machining rates with a machine built out of 2" square tubing of any type.

Yes, I absolutely understand. The video was solely for the purpose of illustrating to Jkountz that solid carbide tooling is quite capable of taking very big bites, provided the machine is sturdy enough and has enough power.

I'm not aiming to run a 3/8" endmill at 1.5x D through ALU, but I would love to be able to run a 1/8" endmill at 1x D through aluminum on the machine I build! I plan on converting my mill sometime in the future, so that will be available to deal with the jobs that require more grunt. (Or I may end up buying something like a Tormach)