Proud owner of new EMCO mill, need some US help

[mwolfman]

Dont know if anybody around here are alive but it's worth a shoot.

I want a CNC-mill that is able to handle steel parts up to 400*600*150mm (so that it can be used for my bike/car).
I dont care about time, I can leave it on during weekdays while I at work and then pause it when coming home. If I could use a good software then I could let it manufacture parts for me while I'm on business trips, but then I need an magazine for drill bits and parts.

So requirements:
An fairly large surface area.
3-axis CNC (preferably with a spinning table as an option)
Small (has to fit my kitchen bench)
Water cooling (its in the apartment so I cant use any smelling coolant agent, just clean new cool water from the tap)
USB connection
Max 8A@230V (have a10A fuse)
Quiet
Lift able <50 kg.

Is this to much to ask for?

http://www.maxnc.com/maxpath_42.htm can thisone do it? (the mini)
They have some nice mills aswell but the travel length is to short.

[billbartuska]

Originally Posted by mwolfman

http://www.maxnc.com/maxpath_42.htm can thisone do it? (the mini)
They have some nice mills aswell but the travel length is to short.

Uh, that's a router, for machining wood, not metal.

Your specifications indicate a fairly expensive $3-5K minimum, up to $500K) piece of equipment.

Your best bet may be to start visiting used machinery dealers. At least to get an idea of what is available at what costs.

[ben333]

I wish folks around here would make a new thread instead of posting in threads that have been inactive for years.

I've seen some home made mills that weren't that costly to make but the ones I've seen were for plastics or wood.

[mwolfman]

billbartuska> anything below 2k$ (in total) that can do the job is fine (dont need speed), can go higher if the specs are good. The problem that I have no idea where to find theses machines and I don't have time for driving around to random places. The only one that I've found in my "neighborhood" is 12k$, for a rapid prototyping machine. But the max size on that is to small.

ben333> There is logic to the posting, the experts in this area are more lightly to read the post...
But the main difference between one for wood/plastic and metal should just be the speed that it works with?

Why cant one use a router as mill?

[ben333]

Then post a thread in the same sub forum with an appropriate title. You posted in a thread that is about 7 years old and your post isn't related to THIS thread. You will get just as much attention and keep things cleaner by making your own thread for your own purpose.

Routers are made for wood, which would you rather drill or saw through by hand, metal or wood? I believe the toughness of material requires something stronger. I'm guessing a router would wear out faster milling metal.

[billbartuska]

Originally Posted by mwolfman

billbartuska> (dont need speed)

The problem that I have no idea where to find theses machines and I don't have time for driving around to random places.

Why cant one use a router as mill?

Using a router as a mill is about the same as using a dining room table as a car.
The feed rates and spindle speeds would be all wrong and the whole apparatus would be to weak.

And, yes, you don't need speed, but what you're machining will need the correct speeds and feeds.

You can look at it this way: Cutting a 1/8" x 1/8" x 1 inch groove will take the same amount of time whether it's on a $3K machine or a $1,000K machine, but the $3K machine will take an hour to make each part, and after the first cut the $1,000K machine will do it automatically 300 times in a hour.

How fast do you want to go?
How much money do you have?

As for finding what you want, the longer and harder you search, the better results you will have. Try used machinery dealers, many have their stock listed online.