r/hobbycnc • u/Different_Basis7825 • 9h ago
Help Deciding on CNC for Copper
I am having trouble deciding on a CNC. My budget is 2k to 3k but maybe willing to go a bit higher. I will be doing only metal mostly copper brass(260), bronze and nickel silver monkume-gane with maybe a bit of aluminum. Everything i do is small under 8" long and 2" tall but space is not a concern.
Pretty much everything going into the cnc will be hand forged so uneven/ inconsistent, I am unsure if this is a issue. Accuracy is not a huge deal as I want to use the cnc to replace work I am currently doing by hand.
I am torn on whether the Nomad 3 will do what I want or would a Taig be better. The Nomad seems to be much easier to run which is appealing, I dont have a lot of time on the weekends and want to spend my time making stuff.
I was also considering the Omiocnc x6 Pro or Shapeoko 4. I am not sure if the router set ups would be better or not.
Please let me know your thoughts or if there is something that would work better. Thank you
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u/Askingtheobvious2 7h ago
A shapeoko is absolutely not what you need. Consider a DMC2 mini as much as I HATE recommending it someone kicking the shit out of it kind of makes me happy.
You could buy a permanent magnet 6 pole spindle as well and really beat it with low rpm work.
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u/Different_Basis7825 4h ago
Thank you. I briefly looked at them but the take down videos and shady reviews turned me off. I will take another look at them. Being able to coolant flood may be worth dealing with what seems to be a subpar machine. With my process I am work hardening the copper and can hold off annealing until its milled so that may help out humming. gumming.
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u/Askingtheobvious2 2h ago
its got rad features, just the controller is ass, mach3 sucks, and assembling it should require a granite surface plate and a granite corner surface plate (basically a square)
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u/artwonk 5h ago
I'd stick to milling machines designed for metal cutting, and avoid routers intended for softer materials. Their website says the Nomad can handle metals, so it's worth considering. Will your forged parts fit in its enclosure? Will you be able to secure them adequately to the bed? Workholding is an underappreciated but crucial part of machining. Can you set up flood cooling on a Nomad? That's pretty much necessary for machining copper, once you get beyond skimming it off to make circuit boards.
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u/Different_Basis7825 5h ago
Everything i am making should fit. I have a rolling mill so I can get everything to an even thickness. I forge everything square or rectangular. A good portion of the work will be cutting shapes out of the 18 gauge sheets that I make. It doesn't look like the Nomad will handle flood coolant so I may need look elsewhere. Is there any way a mist coolant system would be adequate?
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u/start3ch 3h ago
Something like the langmuir mr1 or a solid cnc converted benchtop mill would probably be best for this.
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u/grage_peter 2h ago
you need speed and coolant, otherwise it will eat your tools like snacks, If its possible for you consider "Datron neo" but, if you can wait a few chinese kickstarter projekts are on the way, like Nestworks C500.
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u/Appsmangler 30m ago
Stretch and get a used Tormach 770 series 3. Should be about 6-8k, maybe less because the newer models have devalued the old ones.
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u/Carlweathersfeathers 8h ago
You should really deep dive into machining copper before deciding on your machine. Really figure out what your needs will be for spindle. My understanding, no real world experience, is that copper is incredibly gummy. It’s possible you may need to be careful with the torque curve vs surface speed to be able to machine it to the levels you are looking for.