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A project log for Sub $200 PCB Mill that doesn't suck!

A PCB mill inspired by open source CNC 3D printers with a custom design to fit standard size copper clad boards (6" x 4" / 160mm x 100mm)

timo-birnscheinTimo Birnschein 06/15/2017 at 21:340 Comments

A couple of days ago, I managed to install the wooden mill bed. I made it from the most flat sheet of plywood I could find so that I don't really have to deal with any Z-height calibration on the copper board itself. Just put it in there and start milling. I also glued the X-Limit Fence (?) in place and milled it down to be absolutely parallel to the Y-Axis. To do that I created a super simple gCode file by hand and let it run. It turned out really well and I'm now ready to do the Y-axis offset calibration to mill the bottom side of PCBs.

Milling top side of PCB

Milling top side of PCB

That's literally all that's required for etching. The same is true for drilling and outline milling.

Steps to etch double sided PCBs:

One remark: I haven't found the settings for Z-depth per run in the PCB-Gcode UPL script for Eagle. That means it tries to mill the outlines of the board in one go! This will likely break your mill bit because it imposes very high stress on it! I currently modify the gcode by hand by copying and pasting the milling multiple times while adjusting the Z-height every full run around the outline of the pcb. Not ideal, but if you want full automation, I suggest using a different software or modify the ULP script.

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