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Extra curricular activities


Bassfisher1
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I design, program, and cnc machine injection molds for soft plastics in my spare time. However none of my molds or soft plastics are for sale. Just for fun....This is a jig trailer mold I made and have been using for a couple of years now. Just thought I would share....

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Owning and operating a cnc machine just for fun?! Wow! I have to say though if I had access to a cnc machine I would do the same! Haha! That looks really good, I would eat it!

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Well I never said I owned a cnc machine but I do know how to 3d model, program, and operate a cnc machine. Making baits is my secondary job. On my primary job, my employer lets me borrow his machines from time to time on my lunch breaks and after work in the evenings. Over the last 5-6 years I have designed/programmed/machined approx. 30-40 different soft plastic molds. I just figured I would share a few of them with you guys. I have really enjoy making my own and one day I do hope to own my own machine.

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Amazingly there does seem to be a large number of people who do own and operate their own CNC machines "just for fun."  I started out like that with with a little desktop Taig 2019. I made enough money cutting molds on it to pay for my next three machines.  Unfortunately I didn't really learn to get away from the toys until I bought a Hurco KMB1 to retrofit.  

 

As to building your own...  That is a good fun project.  I've been picking up misc hardware for home builds for about 3-4 years now.  There just never seems to be the time since I also make and sell molds.  I'm always tinkering with my machines or designing and cutting molds instead of working on my build projects.  There is a saying over on CNC Zone about that.  "So, do you want to make machines, or do you want to make parts?"  LOL.  

There are a fair number of people who have made ground up builds though.  Some are pretty amazing.  One fellow I followed for a while made his own castings.  I'ld just like to offer this advice.  Decide what you want to build for and build with that in mind.  If you want to make molds make a machine with just enough envelope to do the job, with high acceleration and high spindle speed.  If you want to do heavy steel hogging build a machine with a high horsepower modest RPM spindle and start with atleast a ton of castings preferably two.  

 

Just my opinion of course.  

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a great cheap home cnc mill look up    TORMACH.COM    my buddy has the 1100 for doing small jobs and makes bank with it   15,000 to 21000 grand...financing too    just like a car payment.....

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Both Tormach mills are limited to 15iss acceleration as per Tormach. Low acceleration is an issue when you are doing 3D milling. I seriously looked at the 770 with a quick change setup, but the low acceleration was what decided me to go a different way. If they did 25iss or better and had a faster spindle I'd probably own a couple of them. I'm looking at buying two more mills after the first of the year.

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