PM-25MV and clones, all the same for CNC conversion?

One thing that confuses me as I'm new to CNC is the following things.
1. Steppers or servo. Which is the best, as in cost, Noise and ease of operation? I don't need a speed demon but want something that will last, run quite and smooth. I have seen some home built videos that made me Cringe due to noise ( and I'm deaf as a Post) and jerky movement of all associated parts. And be able to produce quality parts.So far it looks like Arizona CNC kits has a nice setup. Is anyone using these kits and if so your opinion. I'm going to keep looking for other suppliers too.
 
One thing that confuses me as I'm new to CNC is the following things.
1. Steppers or servo. Which is the best, as in cost, Noise and ease of operation? I don't need a speed demon but want something that will last, run quite and smooth. I have seen some home built videos that made me Cringe due to noise ( and I'm deaf as a Post) and jerky movement of all associated parts. And be able to produce quality parts.So far it looks like Arizona CNC kits has a nice setup. Is anyone using these kits and if so your opinion. I'm going to keep looking for other suppliers too.
I just answered one question. I'll be using Steppers and not Servo as the Servo controlers are about 3 times the price as the ones for a Stepper system. Even Amazon is hawking kits. And Ebay too.
 
I just answered one question. I'll be using Steppers and not Servo as the Servo controlers are about 3 times the price as the ones for a Stepper system. Even Amazon is hawking kits. And Ebay too.
OK - you get steppers, and you get another whole class of steppers, and you get servos.
Within "steppers", there is an ever evolving set of new techniques in driving them, but very old techniques such as half-stepping, and micro-stepping are now normally available in driver boards.

Straightforward 1.8° stepping is harsh and noisy, and torque limited, but there are better stepper methods. Steppers cost about a third or less than servos with both shaft encoders, and high resolution feedback from final motion surface. Servos are pretty much ultimate in control, but very expensive. Over the last five years or so, stepper techniques have evolved to the point that quieter, smoother, more powerful, yet affordable kit is now available.

Look for feedback!
Do not get plain steppers. Make sure the steppers use feedback. The cost difference is small, but the performance is all you will need.

The choice for control system.
There may be more, but generally, it would probably be between Mach3 (now Mach4 ??) if you are a locked-in Windows user, and LinuxCNC if you don't mind discovering something like LinuxMint, and discovering that LinuxCNC will happily run on a Raspberry Pi, or any old laptop.

Look at the videos in the links text file.
Within them, the folk who make that content do explain everything about how to choose the right motor, and system, and what they did to convert their mill. Easily the most prevalent is G0704 / Weiss-VM25 et. kit. There is huge value in looking at the video content for machines that may not be the same as yours. The principles are the same, and the side links that YouTube show will let you get into understanding the goods and bads in getting the right kit. Pretty much all the questions you have are answered by those folk somewhat better than I can.

Re: CAD

I use the open source FreeCAD. You can get the free, but not open source Fusion 360. There have been whole discussions in this forum about them. I got into one back in October 2020. Link to --> HERE
Again, there is huge value in checking out the video content. I just went slow with it, trying it with simple examples.
You can have a little explore with this one..

If you want a fast jump-in to your Weiss, then download FreeCAD, open a new project, and then drag and drop one of the .iges model files onto the workspace, and start looking at it. Be aware that FreeCAD has 10 different mouse select regimes. It will default to CAD, which has middle button do PAN, and Shift+Right-Click to flip it around and roll it about. I think that is the AutoDesk way. FreeCAD can use the styles of ..
Blender, CAD, Gesture, OpenInventor, TouchPad, and others.

Although getting into this CNC conversion is something we are both doing, and we have near-identical mills, you may get ahead of me because I have much other stuff to get through first. Right now, I am just steadily putting together a kit box of all the bits I fancy as I come across them. That said, I am here, as are a whole ton of other HM members, who have done this, and who I am sure would be happy to tell you all about steppers with feedback, and what electronics to get, and how to go about this.
 
Grahm, I don't think I'll get ahead of you. I don't even have the machine yet
I know where there is a nice Clausing 8520. So om for sale for just a bit over the prie of the Weiss mill. The issue is getting it home. It about a 2 hrs drive and I'd have to rent a low trailer or take it apart to move it. My kids think I'm nuts. I hate being retired and need to keep busy with my hobby
I'm my eifes full time care giver, she has Dementia. So. I'm still on the fence.
Where are you located?
Mike
 
I called Tool lots this morning to see about getting the mill without the power feed as it shows the mill set up that way in the catalog but says out of stock
It would be cheaper plus I'd have to remove the power feed anyway to go cnc.
The Clausing is nice, clean and operational. 3200. Then there is a Rockwell model 21-100 in parts but all there. Just needs cleaning, paint and probably bearings. But both of these mill I think would be hard to convert to cnc.
 
Grahm, I don't think I'll get ahead of you. I don't even have the machine yet
I know where there is a nice Clausing 8520. So om for sale for just a bit over the prie of the Weiss mill. The issue is getting it home. It about a 2 hrs drive and I'd have to rent a low trailer or take it apart to move it. My kids think I'm nuts. I hate being retired and need to keep busy with my hobby
I'm my eifes full time care giver, she has Dementia. So. I'm still on the fence.
Where are you located?
Mike
Hi There Mike
I am located in the UK, although the country flag only sometimes shows the UK flag, and often shows USA flag, and could easily show just about any other. This is because I use a VPN (virtual private network) to make it look like my location is where I choose it to be.

I fully understand about us older folk often providing care for those we know. It happens here too. Also, I have always been a bit laid back, and now I have retired, even more so. That said, these days, if I want to play with something, I do.

Re: the Clausing 8520 compared to the pile of G0704 clones. It is an older piece of precision iron. I am not exactly sure about the table size compared to the Grizzly or PM. It looks like it has lots of clearance.

This is the sort of question you might seek HM member's opinion on in a new thread. "Clausing 8520 or new Grizzly G0704/ Weiss-VM25 ??" Post the asking prices as well. Then seek the general opinion on which is likely to be the best deal. Transportation expense is significant, and you STILL have to take it apart to get it off the transport and drag it's bits into where it has to go. Also post a picture of the Clausing if you can find one.

For anything beyond a very little machine that can be carried by a couple of people, or maybe put on a trolley, "divide and conquer" is what we all have to do. My lathe came in a friend's van, but in pieces. If the Clausing is a no-brainer great mill, then know that you can use it to make up it's own CNC conversion stuff, and have a day when you take it all apart, and get to know everything about it.
 
I'm looking over 2 mills . A Millrite and a Clausing 8530. Both look nice..
 
$1,000. This machine is nice. But limited distance from bed to head. Head could be raised with a adapter.
 

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Now the Millright needs a thorough cleaning. But it's twice the machine that the Clausing is. $800.00. R 8 collet
The Clausing has some other size not sure what. I'm at the shop now trying to make up my mind.
 
That ended up being a Wasted trip. The Clausing was nice but needed some work. The Millright needed a bunch of work. I passed. If your in southern California go look. His sale starts Friday. Lathes mills and other stuff. He had a small Bridgeport mill with 2 heads 2500. The Clausing was 1000, Millright was 800. Nice guy
I'll get the Weiss unless something a lot nicer shows up this week.
 
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