Stuff Needed to Get CNC Mill Going?

[SteveHGraham]

I am feeling cocky now that the lathe is sort of running. I am considering taking steps toward a mill, which, I am thinking, should actually be easier, because nobody gives enough of a crap about lathes to write decent software or provide help.

I already have a controller that will do 8 axes. It takes a second driver board to take it from 4 to 8. I don't know if I really need to fool with that, since I could just as easily switch cables whenever I switched tools. I could use the same terminals.

I am thinking all I need is the mill, the steppers, the hardware to connect them to the dials, and a vise. That's really not all that much money. Am I forgetting anything? I already have two clamping sets and a pile of R8 tooling.

It turns out ball screws are really cheap for small mills. I may be going out on a limb, but I think I may have dropped the ball by buying an expensive screw for the lathe. I believe I could have bought a screw from Automation Technologies and cut it down, for like 70 bucks. Anyway, I don't need ball screws just to get a mill running.

[Bill Shields]

ever try to climb mill any sort of arc / angle cut on a mill with a cheap, loose screw?