Fusion360, Vectrics both have thread milling features which will make this possible. Chip evacuation will be the toughest part
Can you confirm the dimension of the table top ?
Hey MIke3, Which table top dimension are you looking for?
I was actually looking for the outside dimensions of the enclosure assuming it sits on the table surface. Also is this using the legs for the Altmill and building around them? Thanks - Mike
I have the cabinet CAD files somewhereā¦might be on the computer at home. But the outside dimensions of the enclosure (plywood is 0.75in) is.
X:71.5in
Y 45.75in
The enclosure doesnāt use the Altmill legs as I wanted it at a specific height + I wanted to sound isolate in the cabinet under the machine for the dust collection that I currently have which uses a shopvac as the dust extractor.
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Thank you very much for the information
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Itās a great build and very similar to what Iāve been thinking about. I was thinking about sandwiching 1/2ā mdf with green glue and doing an accordion fold door. It seems that youāve made it quite tall - do you feel like you need all that cabinet height and also the relief around the sides? Thanks for sharing!
The accordion folding door is a pretty good choice, just make sure the fold doesnāt block the computer and you are golden.
I think the height of enclosures are very much personal preference thing. I like the ability to manage the inside of the enclosure space with the extra room for things like lighting, vacuum tubes, and etc. Should I ever need to crawl in there to work on something, there is plenty of room to comfortably sit in there as well, for reference Iām 6ā3ā. Lol ask me how I know.
As for the sides, yes absolutely. Without the extra space, performing service wouldnāt be possible. I would say what I have there is probably the bare minimum, unless I redid a section of the L and R side of the enclosure to be removable/openable.
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Saunders Machine Works (SMW) makes fixture plates for a lot of different machines, including hobby CNC routers like the Shapeoko, AVID, and even Shariff plus larger mills, and will do a custom job. A full fixture plate either DIY or purchased would be expensive relative to the cost of the AltMill - less so for a Brother or Hass. Iāve seen what looks to be a small custom fixture plate used in Siensci videos when they are milling aluminum - they must have either made that or got it from somewhere. I came across a fellow on YouTube with a similar machine to the AltMill who made (DIY on the machine) a full-bed fixture plate out of Derlin with threadmilled holes into the plastic, plus a full vaccuum setup with a grid cutout on top - didnāt save the link unfortunately. Would be very interested in what you decide to do as Iād like to do something similar when my machine arrives. My current thoughts are a relatively small aluminum plate to supplement the MDF spoilboard. Best of luck with it.
The fixture plate is designed around SMWās hole spacing, so I can easily use their vices and accessories without reinventing the wheel.
I ended up sending the plate out for fabrication, and itās nearly finished. A few days ago I received a photo with tolerance checks, and Iām excited to see it all come together.
I originally bought the Altmill as a production tool for my businessānot just as a hobby machine. In the short time itās been running, it has already paid for itself several times over without a single hiccup. Adding a fixture plate, even if it adds additional cost, will only help to speed things up further, making the investment well worth it in the long run.
Iāve also looked at the smaller fixture plates Sienci shows in their videos. Using only two of the cross braces reduces the Y-axis cutting area significantly. While designing the fixture plate, I thought about extending an unsupported cantilever section past the two cross beamsā¦ but it just didnāt sit right with me with the amount of deflection from downwards forces that could be applied.
And yes! Iāve seen the Delrin plate video option too. Honestly, it probably would have been āgood enough.ā Delrin is a slippery material, though, and in the end I donāt think it would have been the right choice for what Iād need.
This looks great; Iām sure it will be useful. I just got my AltMill yesterday - only 6 days between placing the order and picking it up from Waterloo; they have really upped their game for shipping. Iām looking at doing something like this at some point, would certainly like to hear how yours works out. Not sure how accurate the AltMill is, ie is it feasible to make this plate on the Altmill itself. Looking forward to trying it out over the coming weeks. Iāve came across a number of people who make their own mod-vice like things, but itās being used for revenue I expect itās better to buy than make. Enjoy your plate when it comes in.
Oh wow, I think I had to wait 6/7 weeks for mine! Sienci Labs is doing great!
Iāll be sure to keep the documentation going as it comes in for anyone interested to venture down this direction.
Iāve actually setup the Altmill to do some Aluminum 6061milling by using the tape + superglue method while I wait for the new plates to come. While not overly aggressiveā¦
Cutting with: 6mm O-flute DLC coated bit.
DOC: 1.4mm
Pocketing Stepdown: 1mm
Slotting: 0.6mm
Feedrate: 1300mm/min
Stepover: 3mm
1.5kw Spindle RPM: 17,000
I was getting tolerances of +/- 0.02mm on the parts. I also just used the vaccum system for chip removal whichā¦worked really wellā¦maybe a bit too well. I think itās totally feasible to do the plates on the Altmill, the thing to make sure is chip clearance and sharp tools. The machine itself is plenty rigid enough.
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OOOHHHHHā¦. AHHHHHH ā¦ā¦ shiny !!!
Nice build.
Iām going to upgrade my Longmill with a 2x4 Altmill. I want to sit it on an existing stand. There is some talk in this thread about having to put in a spacer to raise the extrusions off the table surface. Is this the case? Whatās the reason?
Hey Mike,
The reason for lifting the machine up a bit on spacers is because the zerk nipples on the Y axis rail might sit below the frame of the machine. This means when the machine travels, the fitting will drag/grind, something worth avoiding.
The left Y axis on my machine was fine, but the right Y-axis had the Zerk fitting sitting a few mm below the surface of my Altmillās frame.
Holy molyā¦ the year-end rush is real! I had to wait until all the immediate orders were fulfilled before I could even think about tackling this. Even then I only have a few days before it needs to be back up and running. Ended up having to get pretty creative, too. With limited access to the bottom screws that secure the MDF, things got a bit sketchy/interesting. I had to disassemble the door frame just to slide the machine out, reinstall the original legs, and then use some 2x4s to prop up the machine while I slid underneath to reach those screws.
Also decided to make a few dampened spacers out of 1/2ā Ć 2ā aluminum bar stock, with neoprene rubber on both sides, to lift the machine and support the additional 120+ lbs of weight. This should also give me more than enough clearance to reach the grease fitting on the right side.
Didnāt get around to finishing the install since it was already pretty late by the time I reached this stageā¦ but I test-fitted one of the plates to make sure all the mounting holes line up with the extrusion channelsā¦.and THEY DO! Iāll get the rest wrapped up tomorrow once I have some daylight and a bit more energy. Also, plugging 1600 holes with the SMW plugs was no fun, lol at least thats done.
Iām about to pull the trigger on the new Sienci Labs ATC. Depending on how much room the tool holder needs, I may have to modify the far-right plateā¦possibly even cut a large square opening unless the clearance works out and everything fits as-is.
I also need to reach out to the Sienci team to confirm how much larger the ATC spindle is compared to the 1.5 kW unit from the Z carriage plate. My cabinet has some extra room in the front, but if the new spindle is significantly bigger, I may need to get creative with the door layoutā¦and definitely need a new dust shoe design.
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