Milo V1.5 CNC Bench Mill - Water Cooled - Casa Enclosure

[NikosSprocket]

Quality is not cheep. I always buy top quality parts and most of the time I get a long running system with minimum failures besides regular maintenance items.

For me that is worth the few dollars difference between an unknown sourced part and one from a reputable manufacturer and seller.

[Penatr8tor]

On 8/23/2025 at 1:48 PM, NikosSprocket said:

Quality is not cheep. I always buy top quality parts and most of the time I get a long running system with minimum failures besides regular maintenance items.

For me that is worth the few dollars difference between an unknown sourced part and one from a reputable manufacturer and seller.

In Texas we say...

Good stuff ain't cheap... Cheap stuff ain't good. 

[TitusADuxass]

2 hours ago, Penatr8tor said:

In Texas we say...

Good stuff ain't cheap... Cheap stuff ain't good. 

We say - buy nice or buy twice.

[mvdveer]

9 hours ago, Penatr8tor said:

In Texas we say...

Good stuff ain't cheap... Cheap stuff ain't good. 

"Goedkoop kopen is duur kopen"  translated - Buying cheap is expensive

[PFarm]

Milled some securing brackets for the SWM fixture plate.

Need to finish the counterbore on the drill press.

Got to love the aluminum chip rooster tail 

 

Edited August 27, 2025 by PFarm

[NikosSprocket]

Great finish!

[PFarm]

Milled a set of soft jaws today, not quite to my liking, but good for my first attempt.

Link to kadder step file

[PFarm]

Purchased this 125mm air knife to try to keep chips off the rear bellows. Just need to plumb in the air line and see how it works out.

 

 

[PFarm]

Milled these filler panels for the Saunders Metal Work fixture plate. A combo of aluminum and a 3D printed part. I've got M5 x 14 coming to secure the plates.

 

Here is a method of holding your stock to mill. You apply masking tape to the fixture plate and to the stock. You apply super glue to the masking tape and square it up on the fixture plate. It surprisingly holds very well.

 

[PFarm]

Designed and machined this collar to fit the quill of my drill press. Use scrap pieces of aluminum to attach the DRO to the drill press. It's a nice drill press upgrade! Need to tidy up wiring and round up some of the edges on the bottom bracket.

[Penatr8tor]

35 minutes ago, PFarm said:

It's a nice drill press upgrade! Need to tidy up wiring.

 

Yup, definitely is. And now you have a sweet CNC mill to make cool stuff. 

[PFarm]

After reading the reviews on Vevor regarding the cross drill press vice assembly, I knew what I was getting into, and they were right, it needs degreasing, deburring, taken apart, cleaned/lubricated, and most of the bolts were loose. They also mentioned the lead screw is cold rolled, which can cause the leadscrew to be bent on mine; it's the Y leadscrew that bent. It's not terrible and still functional. Once cleaned and lubricated, and everything tightened, it's a decent cross drill press vise for $150 CND.

I had to re-chase the threads on the handwheels and applied blue Loc-Tite to all the bolts.

To complete the installation, I want to move the dress press from my shed to my workshop and install the vise with the proper 1/2" hardware. The last upgrade to this drill press will be a work light.

Next month, I plan to purchase a mini lathe, which is another piece of equipment that requires tooling to use it properly. You thought 3D printing was an expensive hobby . Glad that AliExpress is the go-to for hobbists, it's not like I'm building a rocket ship ( Elon SpaceX is safe!) 

[PFarm]

Re-arranged the workshop to accommodate the drill press. Got the cross drill press vice mounted onto the drill press. Is it me, or have hardware prices gone crazy? 2 - 1/2" bolts, 2 - 1/2" nuts, 4 - 1/2" washers, 4 - 3/8" washers, 4 - 3/8" bolts, 4 3/8" nuts = $28.00 CND . It should be about $10.00 for that hardware!!! It's crazy !!!!

[NewGradRN]

Nice, Yes I agree, price has gone crazy post covid.. seems price has doubled since. Really bad for addicted hobbyist... ha ha. 

[PFarm]

1210 Ballscrew conversion for X/Y axis.

Ballscrews are on their way and should arrive tomorrow. I need to take .8mm off both sides of the ballscrew nut so I made this ballscrew nut holder so I can hold it properly in the vice. Secondly, so I can probe the position of the part since this is an odd-shaped part.

Just need to drill the holes on the drill press and tap for M4.

[PFarm]

Received the ballscrews today, got them fitted to the holder and mounted them in the vice. Now waiting on my end mill to cut steel to arrive, it cleared customs today. 

 

[NewGradRN]

Nice, I was looking for 1210 as you mentioned earlier only found them in Alibaba. none seems available ConUS. Got the set of 0802 though. I will use them on the V2 build, I'll skip the 1.6. I did require to cut down to fit a 2005 ball screw nut before.. they are hardened... this would definite be a test to the Milo

[PFarm]

The company I ordered them from, JLCMC Mechanical Components, is in Hong Kong, and it takes 3 days once in production and approximately 3 days once shipped. I'll be making a separate build diary of the conversion once I have all of the additional parts, thicker FMJ plate, and Milo wings designed by bwright on Discord to reduce the weak point of V1.5, the Z column. Credit for this conversion goes to Hans on Discord for the info and printed parts.

 

 

BL2060 End Mill from BB on Ali is made to cut hardened steel.

 

 

1210 - 550mm Ballscrew

 

E-FK-8 Bearing

 

E-FF-12 Bearing

Note: They ship via UPS, and additional fees apply.

[NewGradRN]

That was fantastic. Seems effortless in cutting hardened steel... Will be looking forward the conversion build diary... 

[PFarm]

Installed my machine tool setter base and machine four fixture standoffs.

Standoffs are set up to face them all at the same height.

[PFarm]

Storage in the dead zones  for the fixture plate stand-offs when not in use.

 

[PFarm]

I'm going to replace the end stop microswitches with 5mm proximity NPN NC switches.

Bulkheads have arrived, so I can wire them in.

[claudermilk]

So that will make it something like sensorless endstops?

[PFarm]

4 hours ago, claudermilk said:

So that will make it something like sensorless endstops?

Yes and no, it means that it will have no mechanical switch, but unlike sensorless homing, the stepper motors aren't used as feedback when the end stop is reached. It works on a metal part coming within .8 to 1mm of the sensor for the M5 proximity sensor I've purchased.

 

[PFarm]

Installed the endstop bulkheads and wired them to the Scylla endstop circuits.

Remove the wire transition parts on the X/Y plate for the X stepper and X endstop

ed

A couple of modified STLs to install the drag chain at the rear of the Z column so the drag chain sits level with the X/Y plate.

 

LDO modified X motor plate to accept the proxy sensor bracket.