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CNC Mill

CNC mill on a table

CNC Mill

Lab members can use our CNC Mill to engrave a variety of materials. Our CNC Mill is used primarily for designing PCB circuit boards, but it can handle acrylic, anodized aluminum, and more.


How does it work?

Using the CNC Mill requires that you either create a design in vector software such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape. Or you can create a design in 3D modeling software such as Fusion360, or Solidworks. You may use the CNC Mill computer to create your design but this will reduce the amount of time you have to actually use the mill. Your designs will then be be imported into the Bantam Tools software where you will specify the dimensions of your material and the bit that will be used to engrave it.

How much does it cost?

The equipment, software, and tools needed to do a CNC milling project are absolutely free. However, you will need to purchase your own project materials.

What do I need to bring?

In order to use the CNC Mill, you will need to provide your own material. Not all materials can, or should be used on the CNC Mill. So all materials must be approved by lab staff.

The following materials may be used for cutting:

  • FR-1 Printed Circuit Board Blanks
  • Machining Wax
  • Linoleum
  • Machinable Foam
  • ABS
  • Acrylic

The following materials may be used for engraving only:

  • Brass
  • Aluminum
  • Silver

If you have questions regarding any material that is not on this list, give us a call at (213) 228-7150 before purchasing. We wouldn't want you to purchase material that can't be used.


Software

Designing for CNC Mill:

  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Inkscape
  • Fusion 360
  • SolidWORKS

Operating CNC Mill

  • Bantam Tools

Additional Software

  • FreeCAD
  • Blender
  • GIMP
  • Silhouette Studio
  • SewArt

Adobe Creative Cloud

  • Photoshop
  • InDesign
  • Premiere Pro
  • Premiere Rush
  • After Effects
  • Lightroom
  • And more…

Hardware

PC: Lenovo ThinkCentre Windows PC

  • GeForce RTX 4090 Graphics
  • USB: 4 ports

CNC Mill:

  • Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine

Tools (by request)

  • Calipers

CNC Mill Titles

  • 63 Ready-To-Use Maker Projects

    63 Ready-To-Use Maker Projects

  • A Beginner's Guide to 3D Modeling: A Guide to Autodesk Fusion 360

    A Beginner's Guide to 3D Modeling: A Guide to Autodesk Fusion 360

    Coward, Cameron
  • Blender for Dummies

    Blender for Dummies

    Van Gumster, Jason
  • CNC Milling for Makers: Basics - Techniques - Applications

    CNC Milling for Makers: Basics - Techniques - Applications

    Rattat, Christian
  • Fusion 360 for Makers: Design Your Own Digital Models for 3D Printing and CNC Fabrication

    Fusion 360 for Makers: Design Your Own Digital Models for 3D Printing and CNC Fabrication

    Cline, Lydia Sloan
  • Mastering SolidWorks

    Mastering SolidWorks

    Lombard, Matt

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