Milling
I bought a CNC Milling machine - a Denford Triac PC.
It was bought from www.homeandworkshop.co.uk and they had it shipped to my home in Jersey. Home and Workshop were brilliant, they palletised the table and the mill with its control box and ensured that the whole package would not budge on the pallet with metal strapping. They then wrapped the whole thing in plastic so that it would not get splashed by the sea. The whole package arrived in Jersey in one piece just as it must have left them.
This mill is excellent, the specification exceeds a modern and cheaper far eastern import - see the tables below. A few years ago the Denford machines were selling for just under £20,000 so they ought to be very good.
Initially I bought Quickcam 2D software directly from Denford. A very easy to use CAM package that helped me to learn CAM software and produce quick designs on the mill.
But I have upgraded to Easymill from www.easymill.co.uk. This is a professional package used by many machine shops. It looks like I will not be outgrowing this during my life!!
Thankfully Easymill also directly supports MACH3 so that when I am ready I can upgrade to a fourth axis.
In time, I may 'change' the mill to Mach 3 by incorporating a card to replace the Baldor controller inside the Denford's 'black box' . The main reason for doing this is to obtain the fourth axis.
It was bought from www.homeandworkshop.co.uk and they had it shipped to my home in Jersey. Home and Workshop were brilliant, they palletised the table and the mill with its control box and ensured that the whole package would not budge on the pallet with metal strapping. They then wrapped the whole thing in plastic so that it would not get splashed by the sea. The whole package arrived in Jersey in one piece just as it must have left them.
This mill is excellent, the specification exceeds a modern and cheaper far eastern import - see the tables below. A few years ago the Denford machines were selling for just under £20,000 so they ought to be very good.
Initially I bought Quickcam 2D software directly from Denford. A very easy to use CAM package that helped me to learn CAM software and produce quick designs on the mill.
But I have upgraded to Easymill from www.easymill.co.uk. This is a professional package used by many machine shops. It looks like I will not be outgrowing this during my life!!
Thankfully Easymill also directly supports MACH3 so that when I am ready I can upgrade to a fourth axis.
In time, I may 'change' the mill to Mach 3 by incorporating a card to replace the Baldor controller inside the Denford's 'black box' . The main reason for doing this is to obtain the fourth axis.
Denford TRIAC Mill SpecificationsThese specifications are for the Denford TRIAC VMC which I believe has the same mechanical specification as the PC variant.
Working table surface 500 mm x 160 mm Longitudinal travel 290 mm Cross travel 170 mm Head travel 235 mm Spindle to table 275 mm Spindle to column 170 mm 3 T-slots 10 mm width, 31.5 mm centres Z axis ballscrew 16 mm dia. x 5 mm pitch X axis ballscrew16 mm dia. x 5 mm pitch Y axis ballscrew16 mm dia. x 5 mm pitch Machine resolution 0.01mm (0.0004”) System resolution 0.005mm Spindle speed rangeprogrammable 0-4000 rpm Machine length / incl.control 1285mm / 1885mm Machine width 890mm Machine height / guard up 720mm / 1170mm Control box length 600mm Max.control box width 360mm Control box height 780mm Machine weight net 240 Kg Control box weight net 70 Kg Electrical - Mains supply 50/60Hz – 1 phase 220/240V |
The mill packed as it arrivedThe mill unpackedAdding a USB numeric keypad as a pendant |