A mini CNC lathe is generally converted from a regular lathe when a hobbyist wants to experience a machine that can do twice the work they can do manually. Usually these are small machines that have a lot of power but that can sit on a desktop or workbench in the home.

There are certain people where starting with a CNC Mini Lathe is the perfect way to experiment with what these machines will do. The CNC mini lathes are good for metalworking in general and for making small parts that need to be made with precision. Generally speaking the individual starts with a CNC Mini Lathe that they buy and then convert it to do CNC.

Most mini-lathes are a smaller version of those used in commercial shops but they can be a different design than those that are made strictly for working with wood. The mini-lathe is able to shape plastics, woods and other materials. A nice feature of these is that manufacturers are continuously developing new features so it has become easier to convert them to CNC over the years.

Mini lathes usually come in three sizes: 7×10, 7×12 and 7×14. Each one is measured by the length that length of the swing as it goes over the bed of the lathe. Today you can also find 9x models. The conversion of a general mini-lathe to include CNC has many benefits.

Many plans that you can find on the Internet will allow both manual and CNC abilities in the conversion because there are times when an individual is working with the machine that they may elect to do some processes by hand. At other times they may want to use CNC capabilities to produce repetitive pieces or ones that require a lot of time manually.

Converting to CNC also allows you to be able to produce both 2D and 3D contours which are unavailable when you are only working a CNC Mini Lathe by hand. All you have to do is program the computer to create the part you need. You can use wood plastic or metal to make a mold and using the CNC portion you can produce a mold that you can use as many times as you want because it creates a perfect mold. You can do multiple holes drilling by creating the diameter of the whole and then programming it into the computer; from that point the CNC lathe does the work.

When converting to CNC Mini Machine it will generally take one or two weekends to finish the conversion; however plans will vary depending on what you want your CNC mini-lathe to do. Sometimes you can find some picutres with perfect step by step directions that are usually under one-hundred dollars.

To convert to CNC you will need to understand either CAD or CAM software because currently these are the types of software that is used in the CNC mini-lathe machines. Usually you can control the lathe right from your PC because the software is created to run in that way. Generally it seems that you can make this conversion for under $2000.

CNC

The CNC Mini Machine is actually a smaller CNC mill that has been adapted for the use of hobbyists. What is nice about this machine is that it is much smaller and can fit into a lot of home worshops easier and perfect for DIY CNCers. Some people have been able to take a basic small mill machine and turn it into a CNC machine by adding the computer control panel; this is called a CNC conversion.

This machine is also called a table top CNC mill. The mini-mill also allows an individual who doesn’t have a lot of space to work within a chance to do so because they don’t take up as much space as the larger CNC mill.

CNC has been used in commercial shops over the last ten years or so because of their convenience and ability to allow the operator to get more work done. For hobbyists, the prices have come down and there are more opportunities for the hobbyist to use these machines; many already understand CNC from their jobs so it is easy to convert a smaller machine.

Sometimes with machines the smaller they get the less production intent you get out of them but this is not the case with CNC Mini Machines. They can create small parts and they are ideal for doing finishing work or for cutting some metals like aluminum. They also can cut steel because of the low-end torque they use.

Manufacturers like Haas and Syil make reliable CNC Mini Mill that fit on a desktop but have high capacity for work. These are usually bought as regular mills and then converted through the use of a kit into the CNC mill. Most of these types of mills can be converted very easily and quickly. Some conversion kits can show how to set up robotics as well.

The conversion process is much more cost effective according to those who have done it, than purchasing one out right. Buying plans and conversion kits can cost around $500 or less while buying a mini CNC machine can cost more than $2,000.

There are many advantages for hobbyists to use computerized programs for milling at home. Some of these include:

§ They can work more materials like soft waxes and hard steels and this allows them to experiment with materials they may not have used when they had to mill it by hand. They can also produce parts much faster than with regular milling machines.

§ This process allows them to work with more intricate patterns and produce higher precision components. What this does is that you can have more ideas that actually go into production.

§ The small CNC Mini Machine can create smoother finishes on their projects and make for a better design.

There are a variety of projects that can be done with a CNC mini mill and may are being produced by a company called Sherline Products. On their website they show many projects from a mini-steam engine to a small hobby church that people can actually duplicate. These are some of the ways that a CNC mini-mill can be used. These projects can be seen by going to their website at CNC Project.

see also CNC Routing