Scott's First Experience Using the AltMill CNC Machine: Insights and Discoveries at Sienci Labs

In this video, Scott shares his firsthand experience running his initial three projects using the AltMill CNC machine. Join him as he delves into the hurdles, successes, and important lessons learned from his journey into CNC machining. Subscribe now for more informative content on CNC machining and stay tuned for Scott's latest updates and discoveries at Sienci Labs!
For more AltMill CNC information, visit bit.ly/43ITFOP.
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[@MichaelBuilds]

That machine is absolutely beautiful Daniel! Fantastic job to everyone involved 👏🏻. I can’t believe that you were not only able to create that beautiful monster but I really can’t believe that you were still able to make it so affordable dude! That my favorite part about this company is that since day one, the mission has been to make a more than decent machine but keep the price obtainable to the average DIYer. Nicely done guys!

[@LYTOMIZE_Woodshop]

1/2 inch depth with a 1/4 inch bit at 200IPM? I never would dream of it. I love these numbers!

[@Youngrich87]

This will be my first CNC. Managed to get in on the pre-order. Can’t wait to get it setup in my shop. In the meantime I’m watching/reading as much as I can. Keep up the great work! P.S. My birthday is the end of May. Maybe it’ll arrive in time to be a gift to myself 😆

[@boko3155]

Happy belated birthday - I'm sure it will be worth the wait!

[@Timberfalls]

I have been following the development of this machine and it looks great.

[@ppouncey4331]

I’m a newby to CNC and ready to learn on the Altmill. Please hurry building it first batch 😊

[@drewjbx228]

Thanks for sharing, I purchased a CNC direct from China... I spent 10K all said and done. 4x8 Solid steel frame and gantry, vacuum table and pump, rotary access, 3kw water cooled spindle. Rips through wood at same speeds and feeds with zero wobble. Seeing this machine at these speeds suggests I can probably go higher... maybe will try it out sometime.

[@keithmarx8540]

So happy for Sienci Labs!!! It just makes me sad because I ordered my 48x30 MK2 in late November which I love but seeing this BEAST, I should have waited. Congratulations to you all. ,

[@SienciLabs]

Thanks for the praise Keith, we appreciate the support!

[@larryrobinson7492]

That don't matter, I've had the MK2 since September and will be adding the Altmill Along side her. Can't have too many machines, I have alot more than that but that's two of them and more to come in the future hopefully.

[@s.peters947]

Could you talk about the table/spoilboard? Haven’t seem much discussion on it yet. Thanks and keep pushing the boundaries!

[@chubbyboy2242]

I believe the table is just a sheet of MDF you provide yourself. Same with the spoil board you add whatever kind of spoil board you want.

[@SienciLabs]

Correct. Wasteboard is usually MDF. The table itself comes with the AltMill kit.

[@s.peters947]

Yes but what is the table, just an extrusion cross bar?

[@knickles]

@@s.peters947 I believe there's a whole table. a rigid structure with legs and everything!

[@roundcheesewheel]

I'm sure there is a better way to showcase your product than to post clickbait negative review that's actually a positive review. Thought you folks at Sienci were a little more creative.

[@tbe0116]

You sound fun

[@hemifan4272]

The Altmill will be one heck of a birthday gift to myself. Hopefully a couple of the early Aug orders will ship end of July!!

[@kenbouchard834]

Absolutely stoked to get mine!!

[@eddieyoung8629]

I just got my 48 x 30 MK2 about a month ago and I really like what I can do on that. The thing that excites me about the altMill is the speed. Man I could use that

[@SienciLabs]

Congrats on your MK2! It's a fantastic machine. Yes the AltMill is faster, but the MK2 is a more than capable machine also! We're glad your happy with your machine!

[@RBallarddesigns]

Looking good! We will be talking about it on our live show this Saturday night.

[@alexbooth3648]

absolutely cannot wait for my mine to arrive, so i can watch it carve out a guitar body at light speed lol. and i love seeing how much you guys look like you enjoy what you do! much love from arkansas

[@SienciLabs]

Thanks Alex! When you love what you do, it's easy to enjoy it!

[@chrisco7002]

Make it faster. So excited!

[@rasterthegrain1232]

Absolute beast.. should be UltMill for ultimate!

[@SienciLabs]

Nice! We love a good pun around here 😂

[@boko3155]

Maybe there will be an UltMill someday :)

[@genesishep]

If this machine was available a couple years ago I would have jumped at it. Instead I had to piece my machine together from overseas parts and make my own. THANKFULLY I was able to piece together almost every feature of this machine minus the table legs. I think my gantry may be a little stronger, at least it should be. I'm not about to kill myself attempting to prove that by trying to balance on the Z axis. That kind of stuff is for the young, they heal faster. 😉 I'm jealous though, I would have killed for those table legs. I had to build my own. I was hoping to find the table for sale separately in your store for a machine I still have in boxes. Oh well. It looks like it might be integrated into your machines frame though? More rigid that way. Good call. I'll get to support you guys in some way someday. Great job!

[@JanBinnendijk]

For a sheet-router it looks good to me.. it only makes me wonder what kind of control it runs.. i'm used to professional CNC controls, that you can program at the machine..I've used very little CAM on professional machines.. i just keyed in the code..and hit start and then started programming the next part

[@LYTOMIZE_Woodshop]

I must make my LongMill earn me an AltMill before the end of the year. I want to need a second machine and a beast of a machine at that!

[@jayfluegel7401]

Would love to see rapid override and single block function built into the control. With such a powerful machine crashes get a little more serious. I am loving my Longmill and looking forward to getting an Altmill later this year.

[@drewnabobber]

Rapid/feed/spindle override and single block are built into the control. All part of GRBLHAL.

[@jayfluegel7401]

@@drewnabobber Nice! I'm still running the original long board on my Longmill which only has feed over ride.

[@od_la_Paix]

What the shipping cost to ship to Sydney Australia? And is there an adapter for the power supply for Australia?

[@boko3155]

I think you can probably find the answers on the website! If not - comment here and I'll find out for you. I'm fairly certain most power supplies are 120/240 switching.

[@souprmage]

The worst thing about the altmill is the name. 😂. The question I have is if it's going to be possible/feasible to set up a face vice so that we can do some end milling for tenons/etc.

[@rodneycarpenter3253]

Looks like a beast of a machine but was curious how the Velocity feed rate compares to the programed feed rate on 3D carvings.

[@SienciLabs]

Because the AltMill has higher acceleration settings compared to most machines in its class, it will spend more time at its actual target feedrate than most machines, so it can finish 3D carvings faster. Check out this video for a full video on a relief carve we did kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6mcf6KYrbJ1ms0

[@rodneycarpenter3253]

@SienciLabs very impressive, this will be my next machine. Thanks for the link.

[@KeirWasHere]

Does this demonstration use your 1.5Kw spindle option, or the 2.2Kw spindle used on some other videos you guys have done?

[@SienciLabs]

This was the 2.2kw spindle. But the 1.5 is also capable with some adjusted feeds and speeds

[@scottwatrous]

Seems like a good machine for the price. Would prefer a 4x8 ft version: half sheet just doesn't get it done for many projects. That said, for the price...

[@farshadbagheri]

Very impressive machine. Do you have any plans for dust collection?

[@SienciLabs]

Yes. It will come with a fully functional dust shoe!

[@southernjoes8372]

Can you explain the Closed Loop Stepper Motors and how they work with the SLB? I love my MK2 that uses G-Sender and by far the most reliable controller software I’ve ever used. Would like to take my Mach3 machine which has Closed Loop’s Nema 23’s currently have my SLB standing by looking on how you wired it. The spindle was basically plug and play.

[@louvp57]

Should have named it The Beast. Unreal how fast it chews up and spits out wood. I couldn't believe it was doing 3/4" deep in one pass. Wow

[@SienciLabs]

Pretty wild eh? Didn't even flinch either 😲

[@PartnersInCrimePhoto]

So here's the question do you use the alt Mill to build the alt Mill

[@GregCormier]

Is that the 1.5kW spindle that will come with it? I think an earlier oreview video was using a 2.2kW.

[@michaelbeckwith977]

CNC newbie here: what about this machine (other than price point), sets it apart from a properly equipped Onefinity elite foreman? I mean if you put a good spindle on the Onefinity and chuck the right bit in it, isn’t it capable of the same? Or am I missing something?

[@SienciLabs]

Thanks for your question. The Altmill is over engineered to a ridiculous level and allows for faster cut times because of it. We suggest comparing typical cut feeds/speeds between other machines out there and comparing them to the AltMill. You can also consider the customer support and the community built around the machine you're looking to purchase. These are often overlooked aspects of which machine is best for you. Hopefully that answer helps. If you have any more questions please feel free to reach out and we'll do our best to help!

[@NWGR]

I love the idea of this and how affordable it is. However, space is an issue in my shop; it's a small, one car garage. Do you think down the line a 2'x4' version is a possibility? That would be perfect for smaller shops like mine.

[@SienciLabs]

Maybe! If you have a suggestion for a smaller machine, please provide us feedback here sienci.com/faq/company-faq/can-i-give-you-a-suggestion-for-a-product-or-feature/

[@NWGR]

@@SienciLabs Will do!

[@Tac0312]

Just ordered!

[@frankshannon3235]

I hate it. How can I tie up $3600 for 5 or 6 months? But on the other hand how can I spend 1 or 2 or 3 thousand more on a lesser machine but one I can take delivery on in 5 to 8 weeks?

[@SienciLabs]

We hear you! Believe us, we're trying to get them out the door as fast as we can! 👍

[@Vinylman1944]

Can you give a breakdown, on the computer setup you are using on the Altmill please. I am interested in setting up a stand alone setup that will be connected via Wi-Fi to my design station which will be running all my design software, and producing the gcode to provide the files I will be running on myAltmill. Thanks in advance for any input you can provide.

[@SienciLabs]

We now have more resources on AltMill software here resources.sienci.com/view/am-software-explained/

[@josipsarkanj9065]

I live in Austria...Do you also plan to ship to Europe or have a branch in Europe?

[@btigenie]

What size spindle is on the machine?

[@seannalexander]

I do not like this format of, "I hate XYZ", but if this helps get more views, A+.

[@boko3155]

Total clickbait - but if it helps spread the word then I guess it's good? :)

[@endlesslybrowsing6559]

Bring on a 4x8 upgrade kit

[@endlesslybrowsing6559]

And offer those lower leg shelf braces as an add-on option

[@jimsulley8185]

What spindle were you using ? 110 or 220v?

[@SienciLabs]

it's 110v

[@jimsulley8185]

@@SienciLabs now stop making videos and get back to making Altmills I want mine😀

[@robnhannon]

I’m afraid of a cnc that cuts at tablesaw rip speeds. Where can I get one :).

[@waldronnewell3689]

I want one, but I'm still a newbie and that's more machine than I can handle at this moment. If my Longmill were a high performance 60's muscle car, then the Altmill would be a Funny Car dragster. At least that's how I see it.

[@SienciLabs]

It never hurts to learn and upgrade later. The LM will absolutely serve you well! Brilliant analogy though 🏎️

[@GlennWest]

a 4x8 would be perfect.

[@smicksmookety]

For those of you wondering, the altmill was not originally geared towards slicing up 300lb fresh tuna filets.

[@SienciLabs]

😆 Definitely

[@JackInTheShop]

If you don't like the Altmill, You can give it to me.

[@knickles]

😂yes!

[@SienciLabs]

😆 Noted! 😆

[@samrix5793]

I stopped after about a minute ago my only take away is that you hate it and better to look at the one finity

[@MikeAsbee-t1z]

how loud is it.....

[@SienciLabs]

Honestly, it wasn't awful. It's making noise for sure, but it wasn't as loud as expected!

[@MikeAsbee-t1z]

@@SienciLabs any dB numbers on that?

[@knickles]

So mean!

[@SienciLabs]

Scott or the AltMill? or both?! 🤣

[@knickles]

​@@SienciLabsScott! The altmill is badass!

[@ericwallis150]

Go to a machines shop see how fast a cnc can cut metal

[@RichardRecupero]

I knew this was click bait

[@knickles]

Just waiting for my tax return........