DIY Benchtop Micro Milling Machine Is Modular in Design and Great for Small Parts

DIY Benchtop Micro Milling Machine is modular in design and great for small parts.

Cabe Atwell
4 years agoRobotics

Milling machines are an invaluable tool to have on hand when designing projects, and while some can cost an arm and a leg (look at Bridgeport’s offerings), others prefer to save on funds by going the DIY route. Professional jeweler Honus’ Benchtop Micro Milling Machine is an excellent example of what can be done utilizing spare parts, and a little bit of ingenuity.

Honus explains, “This is a micro-sized benchtop mill that is suitable for milling small parts in soft metals such as aluminum and brass. While it is a manual mill it wouldn't be too difficult to convert it to CNC by adding suitable stepper motors and a CNC controller.” With that said, the mill features off-the-shelf assembled linear slides, 80/20 aluminum extrusion for easy assembly, and accurate alignment, as well as enough aluminum plating to make it a “super-stable” platform. However, this must me a nightmare to align the leadscrews and set for accuracy.

Igus SLW prebuilt linear slides handle the X, Y, and Z-axis at a resolution of 150mm, 75mm, and 150mm, respectively. The mill is loaded with aluminum parts — including a 2 x 4 x 22-inch base plate, ¾ x 3 x 5-inch lower braces, upper and lower mounting plates, tooling plate, and motor-mount plates. Honus used an old 14V Makita cordless drill motor for use as the spindle drive, which is controlled by an RC controller driven by an Arduino Pro Mini.

Using mostly aluminum is an ingenious solution, as it provides the mill a modular aspect, allowing users to build it at any size they prefer. Honus has provided a detailed walkthrough on how to construct the Benchtop Micro Milling Machine on his project page, which includes the necessary materials and the required tools needed for assembly.

Latest articles
Sponsored articles
Related articles
Latest articles
Read more
Related articles