FlatCAM to generate gcode from gerber and bCNC to run the machine work for me. Also, flip the spindle mount over. It will stabilize the depth of cut. The machine actually supports probing if you hook the copper of the board up to the A5 pin on the header and ground the spindle (be sure to isolate the copper from the machine). This will allow you to probe and compensate for errors in the height of the copper on the PCB and control the isolation width. I've made a bunch of very high quality boards with this machine - not as good as having them manufactured, but a lot faster.

One of my first programming jobs was programming a CNC machine ... in 1978. That machine was state of the art and worth over US$100,000. Seeing this video and knowing the price is such a thrill.

I respect a guy who sharpens his crowbar.

I worked on CNC machine for couple of years, so here is some advice to make your experience better: - Use ArtCAM to generate g-code. It not only has a versatile array of options and code encodings, but also takes in consideration material warping due to pressure from the mill, so it will generate path to counter the warp. I don't know about any other software that does it. ArtCAM can have a tool base, takes into consideration angle of a tool tip when generating a path, so it will not damage any unwanted parts, if the tool can't reach in there, so your connectors wouldn't be eaten away by the too wide of a tool. Additionally it can work with reliefs too. Back in the day I modeled and milled pendants, buttons, badges, plaques, etc from brass, copper, plexiglass, graphite (real soft, but very dusty) and aluminum sometimes. - Use Mach3 to run the code. It is very cheap and versatile, supports a lot of machines, and it is highly configurable. If you use ArtCAM in the combination with Mach3 you want g-code type "G-Code Arcs (mm) (.tap)" - When choosing materials you need to take into consideration if they are more brittle or elastic. Brittle materials you can easily mill, like brass ZAMAK 3 and ZAMAK 5 type. Widia tool is the best since it is very hard and can take a lot of pressure. I even managed to mill steel, although you will need a way stronger motor for that, then the one that came with the machine, and at least 4500 RPM and very slow feed rate. - Copper and aluminum on the other hand you don't want Widia or it will break as soon as it touches the material and you will have jagged edges. This is because elastic materials are bending around the tool and heat it up, then pull it back. Widia can take a lot of pressure, but only vertically, even a smallest amount of pressure on the sides and it will break. If you drop it, it will break. For those kind of materials you actually want stiria tools. They are waaay better. They are a bit softer than Widia tools, but for elastic materials, they are perfect. - Other than brass, you also want fluid to help with milling, to keep your tool cool and to assist during movement. For copper you want machine oil, which works for steel too, for aluminum I found that 70% alcohol works best, and plexiglass is milled perfectly with water. Otherwise plexiglass will mill with mate surface and most often you want clear surface where mill is passing thought the material. Listen to my advice, or not, its up to you, just wanted to share a bit of experience and most importantly have fun in your craft :)

This was adorable to watch, being a machinist my self, and brings me back to the days when I was a teen - Making PCB by hand and going to Radio-Shack. Lots of rookie mistakes (not that you were looking to be a "machinist" by any means). So much fun to do this stuff when you have a mill that works for you! Definitely need the right tools for the right jobs though. You'll want something along the linnes of a 2 flute 1/16 straight endmill, maybe even carbide, but if you use HSS (high speed steel) it would be easier to do what you are looking for without adjusting for the taper of that engraving tool. You could do a 1/8th for a majority of the dead space between traces, then when you want closer, you use a smaller tool to get closer to the tolerances you are looking for. Changing tools is key to these kind of works. You can get very very intricate with a 1/32nd tip, but you have to go fast and light around the traces and do multiple outlines on the contour passes. Neat buy for something that cheap! I was surprised actually that it could mill out even that amount of material like that. Build out a small blower fan and a nozzle to help blow out the "swarf" so your cutter doesn't dull out or break, keeps it cool too for the cut.

This is very fascinating. I must say, I really appreciate that in all of your findings (mistakes), you kept the chuckle and remained positive. It made the video very pleasant to watch. Keep it up, thanks.

I like, how the beat of the music matches connecting piecs, clipping or tightening zip ties etc.

Landed here over complete accident and ended up watching all this video feeling joy and happiness. Cheers man! :D

I really like the editing on this, matching the claps on the track with connecting cables and clipping cable ties was a nice touch.

Some quick recommendations: 1. Bolt it to something heavy. Like a metal plate or block of wood. The added mass will help with any vibration (and keeping the mill from dancing across the table). 2. Check the bed's height with a feeler gauge. This will make setting the tool height easier, and you'll be able to measure for any tilt in its mounting. 3. Add a wasteboard that you can then mill flat relative to the machine head. Even with software correction it will still help with accuracy.

8:08 “Oh shit it’s doing something!” Love it!

I'd bet AvE would approve of his package opening skills

I do this exact thing on that exact machine. Get either a .4mm end mill or a dual flute v bit. Use flat cam for gcode production. It also helps to 3D print a spoil board that has a corner you can slot the PCB into so you don't have to line up the pcb to the machines x and y axis every time.

Great video review by itself, but synchronising the music to the tie wrap snipping was hilarious and clever!!!

I gotta say, this is the first time I have seen someone open a cardboard box with a chain saw! Made my day!

I enjoyed watching your trials and tribulations with this mill. A fun video. “New mill, new luck.” I like that quote!

Just as a hint from a machinist/mechanic: Tools usually come with a rated cutting velocity or Vc. Using that and using the diameter of your tool you can calculate the recommended spindle rpm using this formula: (Vc [m/min]*1000)/(PI*diameter). In the case with your tools I would just set the spindle speed to max really since assuming the tool tip from that 60° cutter has a dia of 0.5mm and a rated Vc 0f 50 you'd be looking at 31000 rpm

Your background music reminds me of some stuff played in a videogame I once used to play. Also, I like your sense of humor.

I WAS YELLING IN LAUGHT.. when the cables was cut and fixed in perfect beat with the music !! love that kind of details.. ha ha perfect..

I bought same CNC over 5 years ago, slightly larger 2418 model. The least rigid parts are X axis rods. 2418 model has 10mm rods, and it's still not enough to mill aluminium. I wanted to swap them to linear rails, but forgot about this project. Your video made me remember about it, and now I'll find it and finish the upgrade. And the reason I forgot about CNC was 3D printer. You should buy it too. :)

The chatter in that spindle when you milled the aluminum, sent shivers through me while my teeth we're chattering along. I do love these little engravers that get pressed into service as CNC routers.. :) Surprising what you can do with one is you want to spend the time nursing it along. As a lot of other commenters have said you need to get your Z height spot on. Also looks like your blank stock was warped in that first test which will cause you no end of problems. As for the chatter on the sindle.. That what more expensive machines are for or look for slop in all the linear bearings, backlash in the drive system and make sure everything's tight. Then mount the whole unit to something really substantial it will help with the chatter.

3:40 ok, reaaaally smooth editing

Wow, this brings back memories when I first tried to mill boards of my own. It's really difficult to overestimate just how difficult this is, to get usable results with medium thin traces and pads. You find out really quickly that no board is completely flat, which can spell the difference between no trace and breaking a bit when you're using extremely thin v-bits. You really need to probe the board with a small mesh size to capture all the potential dips and bumps. Use silicone oil or another light oil to prevent chips from sticking to your bit as well as extending the bit's life, and run the spindle speed as high as it will go with carbide bits.

I've always loved your videos. Then I saw you on one of Dr. Zzs live streams, and now I have a whole new respect for you!

"i don't want copper and fiberglass thrown in my lab..." [moments later] *blows on the dust"

A really easy way to improve your clamping is to add a piece of material on the other side of the bolt. The idea being to support both sides of the washer so that it stays closer to flat; probably easiest just to use a few scrap pieces of whatever you are cutting. Alternatively drill a couple of holes through the plate and clamp through those holes.

i love how the combining of the parts and the music combines perfectly

As soon as I heard you laughing at your own mistakes, I subbed. If you can’t laugh at your own errors, what fun is life?

This is my first time ever watching one of your videos not only was it incredibly well done but it inspired me. Inspiration is a priceless thing. If you have a patrion I would like to chip in a bit, and if I never get the opportunity I want to at least thank you for posting, I know you put in some work to make this video.

That opening meme --> instant like 😂

I never realised that watching cable ties being cut to the beat was so satisfying!

just a tip: dont let your wires create loops. Although this is a very small piece of circuit and the wires aren't that big, it is a long going habit of mine. Once, in my electrical classes, our teacher explained why you should never let your wire create loops, and he demonstrated it. It basically becomes an inductor, and it can lead to some metal melting, and eventually a huge fire. Take care, great project!!

My wife and I laughed when we saw the Chain Saw come out to open that box!!! Fun!

Good job! I mill prototype PCBs with that CNC type too, only a larger version. I am able to achieve somewhat finer resolution by using a probed Z height map, but this step will slow down the process somewhat so it depends on what is necessary. Prototypes are meant to be quick, so only do what is actually required. I think your results are very good, knowing you just got this machine. I also built an acrylic/wood enclosure with dust extraction, an enclosure to protect the motherboard, active cooling of the stepper motors, emergency off switch, push-pull style blowing and sucking away the milled chips close to the router bit using Loc-Line flexible hose, drag-chain on top for the router and Z-stepper cables, additional ball bearing for securing the lower section of the Z lead screw, end stops, plastic end caps for the 2020 profiles, and other miscellaneous things, but none of that is really required or perhaps worth the effort. I also used a pro CNC router some years ago to mill boards, and of course it is possible to achieve better results with pro machinery that are more precise and heavy-duty, and also closer to 20000 or 30000 RPM instead of ~8000-9000RPM, but they cost ~100 times more. If I need quality boards, I finalize a more compact PCB design and order from JLCPCB like everyone else. I now use FlatCam and Candle. Sometimes I use cheap Chinese V-bits (0.1 or 0.2mm), and sometimes I use (also) cheap, second-hand refurbished 0.4mm end-mills from professional CNC shops that sell lightly used bits on eBay. I usually use very thin double-sided tape to stick the PCB to the backer board instead of hold-down nuts.

pretty darn cool for the price despite its small quirks and drawbacks its still hard to believe they can design, manufacture , and ship the package for that price i do like all your comments and tips plus that you went ahead and used all the least expensive tooling etc you could find online i’m a retired Woodworker and i think this little set up would be a good thing to have in many home shops

Just when I was rolling my eyes looking at the you trying to open the package with crowbar, you pulled out the chain saw. RESPECT !

The first 10 seconds is me every single morning haha.

3:41 nice editing of actions to match the music beats!

Love how your building cutting and plugging things in to the rhythm of the music lol cool dude

Bitluni’s lab I have no idea about milling and building PCB’s, but I watched the whole video because your enthusiasm was so great. Thanks

Nice CNC! You deserve many likes to contribute to the replacement of broken tools. That said: I think that for the use of conical tools you should take more into account that the plates are not completely flat, so you could use only very thin cylindrical tools and mill the material in successive passes of only 0.2 or 0.3 millimeters in order to preserve your expensive bits. Or you can previously map the surface of the plate and add the shape to your z coordinates so that the tool always penetrates the same depth into the plate

Love how you syncs the tie straps to the beat!

I just love that SID based sound..almost as much as my own CNC milling machine.

Great video! Now that's how you open a box. I'm glad to hear it's up to the task for you.

bought and build one when I was drunk. Nice to see it's able to work properly

Just an observation from a manual engraver. On my Taylor Hobson CXL engraver I use "fences " that slot in the bed slots This keeps the workpiece straight to the bed and resists the work becoming loose when its being engraved

Anyone who uses bionic sound effects is #1 in my book. Subscribed.

I just bought a similar machine for studying, can't wait to try it out!

As soon as I saw the crowbar... I knew I was in for a ride. Seconds later... he pulls out the chainsaw. Right on ...

I love it, the AvE method of opening a box.... aaand..........done!

Greetings from a CNC machinist from Germany 😎 Love this stuff so much! 🥰

You got my subscription when you opened the box with the chainsaw lol. Great vid

You had me at the chainsaw.

I use 2 Fadal 4020s everyday at work, i am self taught when i first started i crashed the mill 5 times in the first 6 months since then its been nothing but good times

First I wanted a CNC. Then I needed one. Now, after watching this whole video all the while feeling very satisfied, I REALLY want and need a CNC. Your excitement during the video made me want to watch more of your videos. so you got a subscriber :)

Thanks for putting your music tracks info into the description. Really some nice catchy tunes.

When cutting metals it is extremely important to properly set your spindle speed. This controls the velocity of the cutting edge through the metal. Small air cooled spindles operate at RPM's so high that you are limited to very small diameter tools. For instance, if your spindle is running at 24000 RPM you will not want to use a tool larger than about .010" (.254mm) in aluminum. Using too large of a tool will increase cut speed so high that it will quickly dull and start pushing around material instead of cutting it. When using very small tools make sure they are of very high quality; miniature tools are difficult to properly manufacture. The last time I used a micro end mill I believe I paid $50 USD, (it was a .050" long reach reduced shank square mill i think), and snapped it in half 3/4 of the way though the job. Small tools are tricky to work with. I would also recommend using liberal amounts of lubricant, tap magic is great for aluminum, but in the end this machine is simply too small to effectively use larger tools and will always struggle cutting metal no matter what modifications you make or tooling you select. If you really want to cut metal pick up a mini mill with an R8 collet; that is about the bare minimum to make anything useful.

Just a quick tip, always push the ER collet into the cap first until it snaps in and then screw it into the holder.

The details with music and building are awesome.

thank you for your experience that you share with us, keep it up!

Put a nut or something like that underneath the opposite sides of your clamping washers to tilt them slightly down into your workpiece. You want the clamp force pushing down on the face of your work, not sideways on the edge

Bitluni: Watch this! JLC PCB: Am I a joke to you?

First time encountering your channel. You've got a new subscriber. Love your video editing and honesty related to mistakes that you've made. Great job!

Great video. Informative and entertaining! Bet of all was your early acknowledgement that personal protective equipment is a MUST when using equipment like this. The face shield was a great idea.

I recently had some success milling a PCB. You should look into flatCAM to generate your gcode tool paths. Thanks for sharing

This thing has a lot of hack potential. Some longer extrusion beams and extra bracing wouldn't be to expensive

Love the humor included in this!

OMG, the chain saw thing made me cackle out loud. I was not expecting it and wow, was that hilarious.

Try flatcam for gcode generation ;) I would also recommend using the probing/grid interpolation feature of you grblcontrol software (candle). With this I managed to get really fine traces with 0.05 mm depth of cut ;) another tip is using the highest rpm possible and not cutting too slow. For finishing i used WD40 in combination with scotch pads. I hope this helps you a little bit on your prototyping journey ;)

Ahhh! You trim zipties like a monster! But fun video like always. I have been eyeing these machines for a while but have yet to pull the trigger. Quality is better then I expected.

Love it, thanks for the video, might need to get me something like this to play with now.

I used to work for a German company and we would go and assemble big injection moulding machines. They were less complicated to assemble lol.Great stuff by the way, thank you.

8:07 that's me every time I test my projects xD

I spray WD40 on my board before I start milling, it keeps the dust down and lubricates the tool tip..

In PCBs, I first drill the holes and then the tracks, because if you drill the small pitches, they detach. I learned it by making mistakes ... many. Congratulations on your video which also shows the errors ... and this is much more than just seeing a perfect video ...

Just assembled mine. It's really a fun machine :)

Great Video Also In GRBL control software that you are using there is also option for Auto levelling (heightmap) use that feature for even milling result also i would suggest FlastCam for Gcode of Circuit Regarding Autolevel if you face hard time finding pins on the Board its usually A5 of the Atmega328 controller and it detect the limit when A5 is grounded

6:58 - I literally laughed loud at that one xD "Chineesium". Genious.

Liked when you opened the package with a crowbar and chainsaw. Subscribed when you threw that cable at poor Wilhelm. Awesome video! Thanks for sharing!

worth to like and subscribed, given the all the success and failed experiences you went through. I thank you for sharing your knowledge

Bitluni: I don't want fiberglass bits flying around. Also Bitluni: Takes freshly milled PCB and blows the fiberglass dust off right outside the machine enclosure...

try jto use rubbing alcohol as lubricany when milling aluminun it stops the melting "burned look"

HAHAHA the music sounding when the machine starts to work is awesome! :)

Best package opening scene, ever!

the sound of news paper is very nostalgic

Thank you for the video! Next project: build a new and more efficient vacuum cleaner :-)

I can see this being very useful with etching with chemicals, to cut out the correct shape board and to drill the holes accurately once etching is complete

THIS is high energy stimulating entertaining educating. yay.

the meme intro 😂😂

Come on man! They’re called “flush cuts” for a reason!!! XD

Impressive assembly, you did it without the use of the chainsaw again; that's the first tool I've have gone for.

Nice video thanks for sharing. I bought the same equip and had problems with the grbl control and decide to try easel from inventables with it I was able to carve wood and acrílico with some nice results. Also mine came with the laser head that allows engraving

It’s built of a cheaper Chinese version of 80/20’s extrusions, as so many Chinese products are in the 3D printer and small engraver/mill market. Substitute a small laser model from eBay, and you’ve got a laser engraver. Those “ pointy” bits are engraver bits, not milling bits. Be careful how you use them. And NEVER use an engraving bit, even the heavier ones, for milling. The bits with the cross hatched cutting edges are also not milling bits. By the way, you need carbide bits for anything with fiberglass, as steel bits will wear out very quickly. I don’t know what your bits are made from. You need a proper plunge bit for metal. Those bits you’re using are “die” bits. Not designed for what you’re doing. Buy carbide bits with two flutes for aluminum. Make sure they are made for plunge cutting. Take slow cuts, and think about using some small amount of cutting fluid do the bits won’t become clogged with the aluminum you’re cutting. This is a problem with softer aluminum alloys such as 1001, 3003, etc. don’t use cardboard or something soft beneath. Elevate the part above the surface, and let it cut through so chips will fall out.

I need to "cut" thin sheets out of aluminum and maybe very thin steel and copper. Is this working with such a mill? I looks okay with the aluminum, but what about the edges? How precise is it with thinner plates (sheets) and going through?

Wonderful job sir! I see so much that I don't even know why to start, I think I will do that too. Good luck

I literally have this. I put significantly larger stepper motors on it, which needed some circuitry to also be upgrades (to put more power into them) and made my own wasteboard with the very same CNC, which is countersunk slightly. I also don't use the inbuilt software. It's pretty decent now tbh, for the price.

everyone: uses giant Knife to open Boxes Bitluni: Uses Crowbar and Chainsaw to open Boxes

11:58 startled me for some reason.

3.5 minutes into this and I’m so impressed I had to comment 😍 you have improved video editing skills so much in such little time!

love the beats timed to the cable tie cuts and pulls. 3:50