PCBs using a CNC Mill/Lathe (Front panels too!)

[shawn]

I'll go ahead and start a topic on cnc lathe/milllers. My main reason to go with a cnc is in the past I've been using an XY Plotter drawing the pcbs. Then using a bubble tank, etch the pcb. This method is CHEAP but there's that whole dealing with chemicals problem. If someone wants to know how this is done, maybe I could start another topic using XT Plotters. I've done enough of it I could write a how-to.

To answer bugbrand's question, lead screws are basically a very long screw. You then have something that screws in it like a 'nut' but what it does is when you attach this nut to a item, when the lead screw rotates, it moves the item along the screw.

Here's a place that makes custom leadscrews:
http://kerkmotion.com/products/lead-screw/lead-screw.asp

Here's a photo of a lead screw:


A great resource in reading about this stuff is:
www.cnczone.com

Some examples of pcb's done with a cnc:

[bugbrand]

Supreme info! Thanks Shawn - much more to look into.

[bugbrand]

And just to add the links mentioned on this thread:::::

http://mikebeck.org/ -- Router Kit
http://www.hobbycnc.com/ -- controllers and stepper motors

[bigtex]

Ah, I see. It's a CNC router. Very nice. The only other CNC router kit I have experience with is the ShopBot.
http://www.shopbottools.com/products.htm

They're big and expensive, but still cheaper than the full-size commercial equivalents that come completely built. Anyway... the ShopBot, even their "benchtop" model (which is too big for any bench I own) would be more than overkill for PCBs...

Thanks for starting this thread.