Harbor Freight Mini-Mill CNC Conversion - Machining A Part

[@charlesmiddleton9952]

When milling,the head stays stationary and you move the work with the x y axis table,this makes each cut absolutely accurate.

[@JuanHernandez-ub3ez]

charles Middleton Funny you mention that check out zimmerman fz33 they are a bitch to program and operate but accurate

[@michaellapierre1244]

Franco - Great job! I like to use a machinists vice and parallels to hold my work. It leaves the whole top of the work free and open preventing collisions. Tram the vice parallel to x with a dial indicator mounted in the chuck and leave the vice there. The back vice jaw is y zero, the left jaw edge is x zero. Set the work so that it rises above the jaws, touches the back jaw (y zero) and aligns with the left edge using something flat (x zero). It's fast to put a new part in. Set z zero on the work top with each new bit and go. As you probably know, a compressed air nozzle would keep the bit from recutting the chips multiple times, especially in deep slots. A few periodic squirts of cutting fluid or even WD-40 will help as well. Be careful cutting through and letting the center piece drop out. I have seen them catch, break the bit and put holes in the wall. I always leave small tabs and clean them up or mount it on RenShape 450. The you can mill away all but the last .005 inch. It peels away and cleans up with a deburring tool. Great videos. Thanks!

[@Mirandorl]

Awesome bit of kit! I want one. Can you still use the hand wheels or do you need a pendant?

[@kensendelofski3761]

I'm new to this. I checked cnc fusion, but I'm not shure what I'm doing. Thanks for the video. I have a lot to learn.

[@FrancoCNC]

Be patient with yourself. Keep watching KZbin. Things will start to make sense, just give it some time.

[@tugaminhoto4969]

What Feed rate, DOC, overlap, tool diameter, flutes and RPM are you using at 01:20, 05:10 and 07:40

[@Mike-ff7ib]

Nice example of what the X2 can do after cnc conversion.

[@CoolStuffGuysLike]

What size stepper motors are you using in that? I have probotix nema 23 260in-oz on my x and y and it seems to skip a lot of steps. I am thinking about upsizing on the x and y axis to the big 570in-oz because they are not too much more money. I have sainsmart 2m542 drivers and a 36v power supply. Any suggestions to fix this weak motor situation? It seems like they are not even putting out a full 260in-oz.

[@FrancoCNC]

Longs Motor 23HS9430B which should be 425 oz-in motors. Here is the setup I used on the mini-mill: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpTNd6GpgZ2fj6M Stepper motors loose torque with micro-stepping. They also loose torque with high feed rates. That's probably no surprise to you, but you can always try adjusting those parameters.

[@bloop6812]

Was there a point to video out side of the points on your cutting Bits😮

[@bobjimenez4464]

The spindle sounds bad, check the bearings. Other than that it did a nice job. That was also the first time that I see bobcad in action, did they have a post already written for the HF mill?

[@FrancoCNC]

+Bob Jimenez Thanks Bob. The mini-mill is noisy. That may be due to the spindle bearings but I suspect the gear train between the motor and the spindle also has something to do with it. Upgraded bearings and a belt drive would be a nice upgrade for this machine.

[@LazyMcCrazy]

+Franco I believe they have a sacrificial nylon gear that makes all the noise. A belt drive conversion is defiantly the way to go!

[@LazyMcCrazy]

@serenityextremity I disagree, when it's cutting air the noise is down to the backlash within the gearing. The bearing clearance wouldn't do that at these low speeds

[@genecalkins4555]

It would be nice if you would explain what you were going to make, and how you set the machine up..

[@craigsmachineshop2040]

Hi Franco, Nice video. Did you fly cut that part and did you do it on the mini mill? How do you like Bobcad? I am thinking about getting it. I am working on my electronics for my mini mill.

[@FrancoCNC]

Craig's Machine Shop I used a fly cutter on my G0704 mill. Bob Cad is great once you get used to the interface - I'm a big fan. For the money, you just can't beat it.

[@craigsmachineshop2040]

Franco Oh, you have the G0704, Cool. I think I will get one of those in the future and run with 2 machines. I just finished my conversion of the mini mill! I am learning Mach3 and BobCAD now. Yeah, the price on bobCAD is much better then Solidworks. I am use to AutoCAD 2D. BobCAD is much different.

[@normoloid]

These harbor freight mini machines are quite impressive for their size and prices

[@glennlopez6772]

Thanks! Nice to know that you are moving ahead making parts for your projects. That looks like a thick slab of aluminum, and most videos on this topic present this. Are there high speed turbines one could use for steel and brass, for small parts with or without CNC? Would you have any reservations on this? Thanks again!

[@FrancoCNC]

Hi. The RPM on these mills is limited to about 2500RPM. So, if you are using a 5/32" HSS cutter on a machinable grade steel at 110SFM, that would put you a ~2700 RPM. As you can see, if you want to run proper surface footage speeds, you will need more RPM. Many people have retrofitted electric router spindles to these small mills to get higher RPM.

[@raulmarin1544]

Hi,I would like to know where did you get the clamping set to fit that mini mill.

[@mattlf9120]

you could mill out all the parts for a full size machine center with this.

[@FrancoCNC]

Well, I suppose you could if you had the patience. I did make a lot of the parts for my Grizzly G0704 on the mini-mill.

[@robertovenegastripodmaker4994]

please answer me, where can i get all the kit including servos and software to transform my minimill harvor freight

[@FrancoCNC]

facebook.com/cncjedi/

[@rufusleers]

Servos are a bad idea. Stepper motors are better.

[@robertovenegastripodmaker4994]

@@rufusleers why?

[@rufusleers]

@@robertovenegastripodmaker4994 servos don't have enough torque

[@JayRaxter]

Franco.. What kit did you use to convert it? Or is it a homebrew? Jay

[@FrancoCNC]

Jay Raxter Hi Jay. The kit came from CNC Fusion. Follow this link: www.cncfusion.com/minimill1.html This kit is good. My only regret is not starting out with a larger milling machine (like a G0704). This mini-mills are great but they are, as the name implies, small. That being said, the kit I bought from CNC Fusion is everything I expected it to be and the people who run the business seem to be very helpful.

[@mohamedmando752]

Can he make steel dies؟

[@poindexter1387]

Well.....this video was just a wealth of information

[@FrancoCNC]

What would you like to know?

[@DiveTribeSCUBA]

was wondering if you tried it on different types of steel? I am considering it for small milling jobs on steel parts but I found no feedback so far, thanks for the vid, great mod it seems!

[@aploquillanojr]

It will cut, as long you will use a carbide 4 flute endmill and not abusing the depth of cut...as well as feedrate. carbide good for 303 and 304 sst add also a coolmist for better results.

[@oldmachinist9265]

Adrien Avellan You can use HSS mills just watch speeds and feeds. I suggest. 005 to .007 per. flute x RPM. At .025 to .05 depth of cut. Formula for a two flute would be .005 x 2 x. 500 rpm = inches per minute feed.

[@GeorgiaRidgerunner]

hey that little machine seems to work quite well...am a bit curious though can it make small parts like say a shotgun trigger ive have an antique side by side shotgun and one of the triggers is broken...i cant buy a trigger anymore the company that made it is out of business also can it mill iron....

[@lochnessmonstere3042]

+David Yates Yes it can. I have this mill (no CNC) and they are loud and the cranks have a lot of play in them when changing direction (no idea if this is normal) but with patience and an eye for detail it can make very precise parts. A trigger would be no problem for it

[@GeorgiaRidgerunner]

Justin Kenaley thanks guy i appreciate the info.

[@lochnessmonstere3042]

David Yates No problem. Thats a cool project. To answer your other question: yes it can mill iron, though the endmills (cutting tools) will wear down/dull much faster and it will take significantly longer to perform each cut. I did a cleaning and adjustment of my mill last night and it really tightened up the play/slop that I was referring to. If you have any questions about buying/adjusting/cleaning your mini mill, feel free to message me.

[@relierma]

Can you still get this kit do you have a link?

[@sheppyfire87]

great video! i hope to do the same thing in the near future what did this conversion run you? Thanks

[@FrancoCNC]

+Tim Shepherd Thanks. It took about $1600 to buy the mill, the conversions kit, motors & electronics and the vise. It is a good little machine but the key word here is "little". My advice to anyone starting down this road would be to seriously consider a larger milling machine. It will cost more money up front, but in the long run you will probably be more satisfied. That being said, I've made quite a few parts on my mini-mill and I'm always surprised how well it works.

[@martynbrooke9464]

Only question I have why are the feeds back milling on the cutter? Not the best idea

[@lastminutemisadventures5921]

how accurate is this? have a drill press I've been using for ar lowers and getting this can ease up my day. what's required and roughly how much?

[@ibinyth5866]

.004 prior to cnc I believe.. not sure how accurate once converted

[@pprotory]

I assume much like any other new mill in this ones price range it depends how much time you spend tweaking it.

[@lineage13]

I moded my drill press into a mill & lathe. Works pretty good for aluminum not so good for steel.

[@slumpstick604]

you're milling ar lowers? enough to want a cnc? do you need that many? do you know what happens if you get caught making them for others? and wouldn't it be funny if you got caught because of a youtube comment?..... lol

[@fz1000red]

Matt Sedgwick it doesn't take much to mill out the firing mechanism pocket on an 80% AR15 lower receiver then finish it off by drilling the holes for the hammer pin, trigger, and trigger pin. It's not uncommon and 100% legal to build and own an AR15 that way without a serial number. People combine equipment for so-called build parties where numerous lowers are completed using shared equipment. You can't sell, give away, or trade your home-completed rifle that has no serial number. The atf.gov website has video showing how to build one and links to Title 18 §922 where you can study the federal firearm statutes.

[@edwardgiovannelli5191]

GREAT VIDEO. Your feed rates on the milling operations seem kinda slow, is that because of stepper drive limitations, or because of a rigidity issue with the mill? Really nice work

[@FrancoCNC]

Thanks. The mini mill is not the most rigid machine in the world but most of my problems are related to RPM limitations. It tops out at 2500rpm and I usually run it at 2000. I have to keep the feed per tooth pretty low, otherwise the end mill loads up. If I had more RPM I'm pretty sure I could kick the feed rate up a good bit. Flood coolant would probably help but I don't have that either.

[@jackneff179]

That's all hand cutting moving the table. There's no pattern mode on there is there? Jack

[@evanjohnson9637]

no way was that done by hand moving the table.u can hear the motor moving the table.also did u see the perfect circle be cut in less than 5 seconds.good luck doing that by hand

[@SifuGeorgeHajnasrJEETKUNEDO]

where did you get the vice ?

[@FrancoCNC]

Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYqvY5WhgMt-iK8

[@EZ_shop]

Nice part. What's it for?

[@FrancoCNC]

It is an adapter plate for mounting a stepper motor.

[@natelobo93]

I thoght there was gonna be a ton pf chatter since the x y tables they use are usually crap but im pretty surprised actually

[@brainsironically]

Neat vid. I didn't even know HF made a mini-mill! It looked like the piece being machined was moving around a bit, was that just a video thing or was it in the program or was it something else altogether? Just curious. Neat idea. I'm going to go check out CNC Fusion and look at the kits. Thanks for the info and the vid!

[@FrancoCNC]

+Dennis Ring (Brains Ironically) You are welcome. That was most likely a camera related issue. I'm usually able to fixture my parts pretty well and keep them from moving during the cut. The people at CNC Fusion were very helpful and their kit works pretty good.

[@Danny7930]

How long did you have this machine for now?

[@FrancoCNC]

About one year.

[@Danny7930]

any major rebuilds or problems?

[@FrancoCNC]

+Danny7930 No major problems to speak of. In fact, I'm surprised at how well the little thing works. It's never going to compare to a "real" CNC machine but if you can live with the small working envelope, then the mini-mill is a good deal. If you need to make larger parts, then you're better off spending more money upfront and getting a larger machine.

[@O_Omaroc]

Where I can find this machine to buy it, is there a site ????

[@turmoil57]

Hi I need to know where to purchase this as CNC Fusion is no longer a valid location. I spoke to a tech on a alt but directed srever and he confirmed it is not them. Now where can we get the CNC upgrade for XYand Z?

[@FrancoCNC]

Try this guy: www.bdtoolsusa.com/sieg-7x10-12-14-ballscrew-kit

[@clintontriplett158]

www.heavymetalcnc.com/shop/x2-sx2-harbor-freight-44991/

[@rifatkhan881]

I need a Video of making this machine please help us

[@minskmade]

freaking awesome. thank you for making this video...im a hobbyist and have built builts couple cnc..but they are never good enough to do metal...this might be a nice cheap foray for me...

[@ikegel1923]

great idea just letting that block fall through in the middle of the process, no way that couldve gotten jammed

[@evanjohnson9637]

what u want him to stick his hand in there haha no wldnt have jammed dude

[@singam1587]

What is the name of machine

[@3000gtalex]

Holy hell get a tripod I'm gunna fall over!

[@caseycappoen251]

Better motor ?

[@marshalcraft]

What is the machining volume this thing does?

[@stargazer7644]

somewhere between toy and hobby

[@btac6481]

How good are these on steel or titanium

[@FrancoCNC]

If you don't push it and use appropriate sized mills, you will be ok. Titanium is gummy and flammable. Be careful and make sure you have the correct type of fire extinguisher close by.

[@TheAndreasKL]

Do you perhaps think of Magnesium? Titanium doesnt go up in flames even if you weld it...

[@FrancoCNC]

Hello. I can give you a 100% guarantee that Titanium will burn when It sees enough heat and has a ready supply of oxygen. If you look at production CNC equipment that is cutting Titanium, you will often see a special fire suppression system installed for this very reason. I'm not trying to argue with you - I just don't want to see anyone get hurt. The shield gas used in TIG welding must choke out the oxygen (I'm guessing).

[@btac6481]

Titanium is volatile. And you gotta use slow speeds and sharp tooling and be careful not to let dust build up. Zirconium is lil more volatile than ti.

[@TheAndreasKL]

Franco I guess I have learned something new then.

[@tristonwebber9982]

is it possible to get a cheap, or use the Arduino cnc kit...and make my own small parts from metal if I am not trying to do the cuts deep,but rather do many passes? I'm new to this but want to make my own parts for the hobbies I am into..rc, electric boards, rc airplane and jets, prototyping ect...any help or advice would be great, please reply directly so they go to my email ..again thanks

[@FrancoCNC]

Hi Triston - Most of the expense is in the machine and the tooling. I'm not sure how much the Arduino CNC kit is, but you can buy NEMA 23 motors AND build a TB6560 based controller box for less than $300. Check out eBay item number:281901716322

[@mohamedmando752]

Can he make steel dies؟

[@dawe5961]

What spindle is it?

[@FrancoCNC]

Hi. That's the stock spindle. R8.

[@philliptran8831]

how much did everything cost?

[@FrancoCNC]

Here is a link to the company that makes the conversion kits for the X2: www.cncfusion.com/minimill1.html In addition to the conversion kit, you'll need a control box such as this: www.pmdx.com/PMDX-340 You will also need NEMA 23 425 oz-in (3NM) stepper motors - about $100 for three of them. You will also need to buy Mach3: www.pmdx.com/Mach3

[@alinaamarobautista4471]

Hi, I want to know the site when you buy this model ?

[@FrancoCNC]

www.harborfreight.com/two-speed-variable-bench-mill-drill-machine-44991.html

[@thommylee81]

Riesce piano piano a lavorare l acciaio?

[@haydenc2742]

Use some wd40 on aluminum, keeps it from galling on the cutters

[@userskorea]

pretty awesome!

[@FrancoCNC]

Thanks.

[@matthewsorrentino8476]

What's the actual working area after cnc conversion?

[@FrancoCNC]

It's the same as when it's a manual machine. Here are the specs for a very similar milling machine: www.grizzly.com/products/Mini-Milling-Machine/G8689?Page&.com

[@HodgePodgeGarage]

very cool

[@matthall3354]

ok are you just showing off or gonna help others convert theirs too

[@FrancoCNC]

Well, I do my best to answer every question that people ask. Is there something in particular you'd like to know more about?

[@Martin-tb4oo]

+Franco how did you do this conversion? Where did you get it?

[@FrancoCNC]

The kit came from CNC Fusion. Here is a video that will help you install it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqCvfqeDlMeYmNU The electronics were all sourced from eBay and CNC4PC.com. Here is a video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpTNd6GpgZ2fj6M Here is my spindle tachometer sensor: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoWYXqBrnKaIY7M Xbox 360 pendant: kzbin.info/www/bejne/an-Xh2OIerCWqNk Finally, here are the limit switches: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4DLppelmryfeMU I don't use the Mini-Mill very much right now because I have a Grizzly G0704, but I was always amazed at how well the little X2 Mini-Mill worked. If you are mindful of it's limitations and you don't push it really hard, you can get nice parts off of that machine.

[@Martin-tb4oo]

+Franco Thank you Thank you! 😉

[@miguelcastaneda7236]

Matt Hall check ...my little machine shop in pasadena calif...sell kits or e bay

[@charlesmiddleton9952]

This machine is computer controlled so the table moves by computer.

[@adamjhuber]

The CNC fusion kit is WAY OVERPRICED!

[@kclaptraffic]

Thingiverse has several 3d printable options for free (cost of material if you have a printer).

[@samalverio6208]

The fits on these machines are very poor.I checked my mini mill and 8,x12 nd found no more than forty percent surface contact..being a retired machine repairman and rebuilder I decided to scrape all my ways and slides and now my two machines are 100% better.your lucky if you are getting 25% contact and no oil retention...doooo it

[@dylanringer7479]

that thing has way to much play in it

[@Tumbler054]

that kind of jobs are done by EDM wire cut machins now a days.

[@TheLimalha]

TOO SLOW !

[@aaronjay4896]

What is the biggest sized tool you can use for this machine?