I mentioned the drivers. There are 3 GECKO 210's, a 50V - 4A power supply, some fuses and a fan inside this plain utility box..

The key to a good driver box is this: Voltage gives you speed, and Current gives you torque. They do a good job explaining this on the GECKO web site.

I made a deal with my wife. I said that I needed to buy a PC to run the mill. I told her it didn't matter to me, but I was either going to buy something crappy, or she could get a new one and I could use her old one. Guess what happened.

 

CNC PAGE

A CNC Mill is a great addition to any workshop.


I started with a TAIG CNC-READY mini mill from Carter Tools, then added Sanyo-Denki motors from Mendonet, and finished off with drivers from GECKO. The controller software is MACH1.


It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but It has 12" X 5.5" X 6" travel. The 1/3 HP motor and extremely rigid design allows it to drive standard 3/8" bits with ease.

It rapids at 60 IPM. Cutting wood and 3-AXIS machining tops-out at 30 IPM. On the bottom-end, It can profile 440C Stainless at 4 IPM.


I use Rhino for CAD and 3-D modeling, then run it through VisualMill CAM software to generate the tool paths. I paid a little more than I would have liked, but I got a good deal from Andrew Werby, and the programs are top-notch.