All the Minimillr videos area available over on our YouTube channel.
See below for a selection of videos cutting carbon fibre sheet, beech, oak, graphite and plastic. If you have an unusual material you would like to machine, just send an email request to admin@minimillr.com and we can give it a go!
V Carving Walnut
F-engrave was used to create the tool paths, while Candle was used to stream the gcode. A 60 degree twin flute V bit was used.
Oak ‘Mens Sheds’ Sign
This was done entirely in Easel, cut with a 2mm twin flute bit.
Milling a Graphite Glass Lamping Mould
Making a glass forming mould from graphite – this was used for making glass beads. This type of mould can be used for custom casting of metals due to the high temperature resistance.
Slow cut speeds and dust management was important as graphite gets everywhere. This 3D path was generated from a Solidworks 3D model, exported as STL to Kiri:Moto CAM module to generate tool paths. The final gcode was streamed to the Minimillr 4015PRO with Candle.
Milling a Beech Knife Handle
This was a reasonable complex milling job, as the 3D was created in Solidworks, CAM paths generated in Kiri:Moto. The complexity came from it being a double sided part so accurate location was important. The cutter was a 3mm ball nose which left surface marks but they can be cleaned up easily with some sanding. Candle was used for machine control and to stream the gcode.
CNC Cutting Carbon Fibre Sheet
With the right cutter, this works very well and excellent results are achievable. The main thing to take into account is the cutter type. A 2.8mm burr cutter works really well on carbon fibre and fibreglass type materials (like PCBs). With the right cutting speed, and a bit of finish sanding you can get some really nice parts. Like everything to do with milling, experimenting with a test piece of material is important to dial in the most suitable feed and cut settings. In this case, 2mm carbon . Managing dust is also a consideration here as carbon fibre is messy and gets everywhere.
Kiti:Moto was used for gcode generation, and Candle for machine control and streaming. You can easily do this type of profile cutting in Easel which is a lot more straightforward.
Batch Milling Plastic Cutouts
A CNC machine is great for repetitive cutting tasks as well as custom work. In this video a small batch of enclosure lids are being made with the switch hardware holes being cut automatically. The most difficult thing to do manually is cutting the square hole and a CNC mill makes easy work of this. The gcode could be optimised more, but for a small batch of parts is was acceptable.