Best Practices for making sure stock is square?

Community Discussion 📄 General
1

Hey guys, David here!

Thanks to this forum, I am a proud owner of a Longmill MK2 and as a beginner, I’m seeking guidance on how to ensure that my stock is square before milling. I believe this is a crucial step to achieve accurate and precise machining results, but I’m not entirely sure about the best practices.

I would highly appreciate it if you could share your knowledge and experiences on how to effectively square the stock on a CNC mill machine. Here are a few specific questions I have:

  1. What are the key steps involved in squaring the stock on a CNC mill machine? Are there any particular tools or techniques that you recommend?
  2. Are there any common pitfalls or challenges to be aware of when attempting to square the stock? How can I overcome these obstacles?
  3. Is there a specific sequence or order of operations that you follow while squaring the stock? For instance, should I first ensure the machine is calibrated correctly, or should I focus on securing the stock firmly?
  4. What are some useful methods or tips to check the squareness of the stock after the initial setup? Are there any reliable indicators or measurements that I should keep an eye on?
  5. Are there any useful resources, such as online tutorials, articles, or videos, that you could recommend to help me understand and master the process of squaring stock on a CNC mill machine?

For my setup, I was thinking of putting on some stock on the bed, mill out holes for my threaded inserts, and attach a completely different stock to the bed and mill a 90-degree geometry that could be used to position stock in a repeatable manner. Lastly, I’d surface the very first stock to ensure that the stock’s top surface is perpendicular to the X-axi. I have the following to illustrate my process.

CNC Fixture Think Space (2)
CNC Fixture Think Space (2)5815×2751 430 KB

I’m eager to learn from your expertise and benefit from your experiences. Feel free to share any additional tips, tricks, or insights related to CNC milling that you think might be helpful for a beginner like me.

Thank you so much in advance for your assistance! I look forward to your valuable suggestions and recommendations.