I Raced a $600,000 CNC Machine
Added 2024-02-01 15:00:12 +0000 UTCI got the opportunity to support my alma mater's Formula SAE (Formula Student) team again this year and when presented with what parts they needed, couldn't resist jumping at the hardest one! And as if the stakes weren't high enough already, I challenged my friend Craig to a race. Where he'll be using his $600,000 5 axis CNC milling machine. The results may surprise you. I mean they did me!
Enjoy!
Comments
😂 for those that follow closely like you I imagine there was some real confusion! I didn't mind the break away from the lathe project!
Brandon Sander
2024-02-16 00:53:54 +0000 UTCHaving watched this three or so times through it was good. But I have to say you’re a terrible tease. I was expecting more lathe repair work and could not figure out what fix required the huge chunks you showed in the preview picks. Cool on ya for helping out the kids on the race team!
Pierre Alie
2024-02-05 23:23:16 +0000 UTCFinally got to watch this, caught the notice at work and was bitting at the bit all day. As always it did not disappoint!
Pierre Alie
2024-02-02 02:44:59 +0000 UTCthose are great! 😂
Brandon Sander
2024-02-02 02:34:12 +0000 UTC😂 that got an actual snort out of me
Brandon Sander
2024-02-02 02:32:58 +0000 UTCNot one to brag, but I could have made that out of play-dough in twice the time.
legendary.jerry@gmail.com
2024-02-02 01:05:17 +0000 UTCI thought it might be 7K series the way it machined and 7050 seems superior for the AP IMHO over 6061. Thanks Much! Also thanks for all the shots of the Mori...Quite the machine.
PJ
2024-02-01 20:28:04 +0000 UTCthanks, yeah, i know squat about surface grinders other than they're bigger than i have room for. i've been thinking of a tool grinder... my engineering mentor -- an immensely practical man -- told me long ago that 'half of being smart is knowing what you're dumb at'. so i always ask. oh yeah, another one was 'in the land of the blind, a one-eyed man is king' (-:
Capt.Frito
2024-02-01 19:22:00 +0000 UTCOh yeah for sure. Even I am guilty of that misconception. I was only until I got to know Craig that I found out how wrong I was. Thanks, Mate!
Brandon Sander
2024-02-01 19:08:00 +0000 UTCHA! I almost always get comments scolding me for climb milling. I'm glad you and I are in agreement! Yeah Craig has a lot of sensitive stuff going on in there so I had to be pretty thorough about what I could show. I can't give away all the secrets! Would you believe I read those machine specs in one take on the very first try? That never happens! haha I'm sure the teams will see each other in Michigan! Thanks, as always, Mike!
Brandon Sander
2024-02-01 19:04:06 +0000 UTCI'm certainly looking forward to working through the second one (without having to mess with cameras!). That aluminum was actually 7050. A little more expensive than the spec's 6061, but it was what Craig had on hand. Thanks, as always, PJ!
Brandon Sander
2024-02-01 19:01:47 +0000 UTCI did consider it! I'm just apprehensive about using it in the mill vise. I can't get a really good grip on the upper plate.
Brandon Sander
2024-02-01 19:00:05 +0000 UTCOh yeah that makes a lot of sense. Another hobbyist I know only has a CNC mill that he built and he says it's a pain because he can't do anything without programming. For SG's I'm not very versed in the models but a desktop size might work for you. Or using a tool and cutter grinder, which i think have shorter working envelopes. Plus you get the additional fucntionality
Brandon Sander
2024-02-01 18:58:21 +0000 UTCNah I'm sure you could do it in reasonable time too! haha thanks, Jeff!
Brandon Sander
2024-02-01 18:40:37 +0000 UTCThanks, Jeff!
Brandon Sander
2024-02-01 18:39:51 +0000 UTCThat is incredibly impressive. It definitely puts a different spin on the common misconseption about CNC though, in that "program your thing, press a button and a part just pops out", since I know from experience that couldn't be further from the truth. Great work showcasing that. ...with that said, I did secretly expect the bassline from The Chain by Fleetwood Mac to play at some point as a homage to F1 😁
Erik D. Radzius
2024-02-01 17:41:45 +0000 UTCFirst, amazing work. Second, thanks for the climb milling talk. Every channel is like "climb milling is bad, never do it" and my memory is "climb milling is entirely superior *if your machine supports it.*" So thanks for making me not feel like I was mistrained. Third, I saw what you did there, blurring out customer's parts. I respect the attention to detail and professionalism (as do Craig and his customers I'm sure.) Finally, when you first started talking about that machine, you sounded like Ralphie from A Christmas Story. But by the time you started talking about how it auto-compensates for tool wear, I was right there with you. That machine is a beast. Anyway, go Formula Kentucky! Beat everyone but MSOE if you race them. :D
Michael Faragher
2024-02-01 17:36:24 +0000 UTC11lb of offcuts and 8lbs of swarf and a bunch of sweat equity....Yowzer...how much fun was that!! Well Done Brandon. Nice to share the CAD/Cam time it really takes on a precision part like this. What kind of AL was that? Thanks for the Treat!!
PJ
2024-02-01 17:26:51 +0000 UTCSoooooo why didn’t you use the mill vise sine plate that you so painstakingly made 1.5 years ago to do the angled facing??? Excellent video and good luck to Formula Kentucky
Scott Stefanatz
2024-02-01 17:25:16 +0000 UTCThis matches my experience. I have a fairly competent CNC mill myself (a 4-axis Datron Neo II). Your manual milling has very specific advantages. It drove my decision to buy a manual lathe instead of a CNC lathe. I find myself doing a lot of manual operations on my lathe (a Hardinge HLV clone not unlike your Royal) to prep material on my CNC or to do a lot of finish operations that are better suited to lathes. Anyway, if I had it to do again, I would buy a super-precise manual mill since I do mostly prototyping and rarely make more than a handful of anything. I am also an engineer, not a machinist (EE and ME) Time for a surface grinder, but my space is severely limited. Any suggestions?
Capt.Frito
2024-02-01 17:13:50 +0000 UTCYou never fail to amaze Brandon. 23 hours for you, would take me a lifetime haha
Jeffrey Spoor
2024-02-01 17:07:08 +0000 UTCOutstanding work, all around!
Jeff Loffert
2024-02-01 16:38:41 +0000 UTC
