MillStrap
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A MillStrap is a commercial small benchtop mill used as a RepStrap. In other words, you fasten the extruder onto the spindle. A RepRap is basically a 3 axis positioning system, electronics, and an extruder. If you cannot find a set of Mendel parts, then you can buy a new or used
Contents
Traditional or CNC-Ready
For RepRapping, we need to mount stepper motors onto the x, y, and z axis of the benchtop mill. When researching a mill to buy, search for:
- model-name and CNC-ready
- model-name and CNC conversion
- model-name and CNC kit
Costs
Buy-Use-Sell
You can buy a used benchtop milling machines, use it to make a set of RepRap parts, and transfer the electronics, extruder, and motors to the new RepRap, and sell the used benchtop milling machine. In this case, your final cost is the shipping cost for the milling machine, plus the cost of the RepRap.
Buy-Keep
You can purchase a milling machine, and use it with as a RepStrap. In this case, your cost is the cost of the milling machine, extruder, and electronics.
Usage
In this case, you can use the machine as a traditional RepRap, as a CNC mill, and for Shape_Deposition_Manufacturing.
Extruder
Note that once you have a working CNC mill, you can make many parts of the RepRap Extruder by cutting them out of plastic with the milling spindle.
Unimat
- suppliers
- price
- description
Sherline
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- price
- description
Sieg/Generic Mill-Drills
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Taig
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Tormach, Bridgeport
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- price
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These are big machines. It will be fun and useful to design the electronic to drive them.