uxomm:
After many years of etching I would like to try the cnc milling method now. I have done some research but the best thing is to get information from people who walked "the same road".
So please could you elaborate on 'wrong' and 'right' gear! I would be most interested in your thoughts about the 'right' gear.
Thank you!
Sure can. My meaning about 'wrong' gear is getting something that wasn't quite right, or doesn't perform as we expected. So for CNC machines, there are discussions about lead-screw and ball-screw systems. Ball-screw is probably the 'right' system to get.
A rigid-as-possible structure/frame is good....and very strong and rigid guiding rails. The relatively inexpensive system I've been using is a 3040Z-DQ ballscrew system. It works well, even though my machine doesn't have 'linear rails'.
At the moment, I'm finding no need for linear rails. But if I do ever get another machine (for some reason), linear rail guides and ball-screw system will be the one I'd get, such as the one here:
Wrong gear also means buying things that we thought we'd need. I incorrectly thought that the process of 'tramming' a spindle was critically important, so I bought a bunch of measuring devices for this purpose. But it turns out that this actually isn't very important at all for pcb work, so basically wasted my money and time on that. On the other hand, measurement devices (dial test indicator, and snugs, and flat 'triangle' (square)) will be needed for manual testing and alignment the x-axis of travel with the y-axis of travel...... and these measurements will involve the need to lock the spindle so that it doesn't rotate. So a 3-D printed spindle lock --- like this one... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thy53GjV0_Q&t=152s can be handy. But this requires the spindle fan to be removed, so an external circlip removal plier is needed....... but those pliers need to have small-enough diameters for the inserts to fit the small circlip holes. But all this might not be important for you, since the kind of system you might get (if you do get one) could be much different to what I'm using.
There are a lot of things to pick up (for ourselves) if starting out new.... and tutorials (videos etc) don't always tell us everything. Things such as even what sort of clamps to buy .... eg 'CNC Engraver Router Table Clamp' (from ebay stores), and suitable bolts (with particular style of bolt head) for inserting into the extruded T-slot aluminium guides are not often discussed....... ie. the 'hammer T-bolts' (or T-slot drop in bolts).
For double-sided boards, any vias that I need to pop-in is done using a 'riveting' tool. The one I ended up getting is branded as 'favorit'. Works just fine. I personally don't mind putting in vias. I have lots of patience.