With the cost of consumer-grade CNC machines falling, more and more people are experimenting with milling small projects at home. However, creating your first CNC machined parts can still be more than a little overwhelming—and there’s a few essential steps you will need to take before you get started:
Purchase some high-quality cutters. Though a beginning will not need the most expensive cutters on the market, it’s still important to invest in reliable, brand-name varieties rather than cheap imports. When you first begin to make CNC machined parts, there will be a lot of potential things which may go wrong; knowing your cutters are unlikely to be the problem cuts down on one possible variable when troubleshooting.
Buy a vise, a clamping kit, and some parallels. Being able to hold your work firmly in place is essential to success when creating finely-cut CNC machined parts; ergo, you should absolutely have a vice and a clamping kit on hand before you get started. A set of parallels will also help you to work more accurately and comfortably.
Make sure you’re familiar with the usage of CNC coolant. Some machines come with flood coolant, but if yours did not, you will need to create a misting setup using purchased CNC coolant. Note also that coolant is not only used to cool the machine; it has multiple purposes, including chip clearing and lubrication.
Get a “feeds and speeds” calculator. It’s never too early to practice getting your spindle speeds and feed rate perfect, especially given the fact that CNC milling relies on learning to be very accurate and precise while working. Feeds and speeds calculators don’t typically cost a great deal and they can greatly enhance the quality of your cuts, so it’s recommended that even beginners have one on hand.
Learn how to “tram”. “Tramming” is the art of getting everything perfectly square by moving an indicator around, and it’s considered one of the fundamental skills where CNC milling is concerned. Remember to check your mill’s tram before every single use when you’re new to milling, and make sure that you know how to tram your vise; the jaws should be aligned properly with one axis or the other.
Avoid working with stainless steel. Aluminium, brass, and mild steel are all considered relatively beginner-friendly, but stainless steel is not. Start with a soft metal like brass, work up to mild steel, and only when you feel completely comfortable working with mild steel should you consider moving on to stainless. If you’re making clean cuts and not breaking or wearing out cutters cutters quickly when working with mild steel, you’re likely ready to “graduate”.
Once you have completed the above steps, you’ll be ready to start seriously learning things like how to use CAD/CAM software, taking your milling to the next level. Remember, however, that it’s important not to try anything too ambitious even when you have mastered the basics above; leave the big projects to the professionals until you have built up an extensive body of experience.
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