Class Red Equipment
High risk of injury
See Workshop Safety
Training is required to use this tool
This machine uses powerful motors to move spinning cutters through solid steel. These motors will easily crush and cut through any body parts which get in their way. You are responsible for ensuring your own safety; do not operate this machine if you do not feel capable of doing so safely. Trainers will always be happy to assist you if you need it, and would much rather be involved before problems occur, than after.
Feeds and speeds can be calculated using our HackMill web app. Please also use this app to record the settings that you use on the mill so that we gather a collective knowledge of what the machine is capable of. This also includes failed settings so that we understand the machine's limits.
- Only those who have been trained by the room lead, and have signed a usage agreement, are permitted to operate the machine.
- Never leave a running job unattended.
- Always wear safety glasses while the machine is running.
- Never put any body part anywhere which could get trapped while the machine is running.
- Always check the Gcode at a high elevation before running the job.
- Never crash the tool.
- Never cut into the vice or table.
- Always be ready and poised to hit the emergency stop button as soon as anything looks wrong.
- £5 per hour if using your own cutters.
- £6 per hour if using hackspace HSS cutters.
- £10 per hour if using hackspace carbide cutters.
Chargeable time is measured as any time the mill is running a program. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the screen when the job is running and when a job has been completed.
- Spindle:
- 4000rpm max
- 1.1kW DC motor
- ER25 collet tool holder
- Motion:
- 3 axes
- Max travel:
- 370mm X axis
- 155mm Y axis
- 232mm Z axis (With no tool stick-out from ER25 tool holder)
- 300mm/s max acceleration
- 12000mm/s max speed
- 3000mm/s rapid speed
- Vice:
- 80mm jaw width
- 64mm max opening
- When the machine is first turned on, it will be in RESET mode. This status is displayed in the top-left corner of the screen on the machine control pad. It will not do anything until the "RESET" button on the control pad is pressed.
- When the machine turns on or off, the Z axis drops by a few millimetres. This does not update the absolute machine position though, so the work envelope shrinks each time. To get around this, the Z axis should be homed when the machine is first switched on. This is detailed later in this article.
- The machine can be moved in any axis using the handwheel on the pendant controller. This is only to be used to clear the tool and to set the tool position. It is not to be used to machine parts manually.
- Machine runs Gcode, models must be processed into Gcode in much the same way as for 3D printing.
- It is possible to manually write Gcode files, but extreme care must be taken as human errors can lead to catastrophic tool crashes.
- The machine has “soft limits” which will stop a job which moves to the edge of the working envelope in any axis.
- The spindle is run by a DC motor with a speed controller. This speed controller does not respond instantaneously to spindle speed changes, so it is easy to stall the spindle if a cut becomes too aggressive too quickly.
- The spindle has an isolation switch to ensure that it is safe for changing tools. This is the green bistable switch under the control panel on the front of the machine. It should always be in the OFF position if a job is not currently running.
- When the emergency stop button is pressed, the machine will stop all motors, but it will retain its current coordinates.
- Create a Gcode file using any capable software package.
- Examples: Fusion 360, Carbide Create, FreeCAD, Ondsel.
- Use the HackMill web app to calculate feeds and speeds.
- Simulate the Gcode to check that it looks reasonable.
- Clamp workpiece in vice or to the table.
- Remove the handle from the vice.
- Home the Z axis.
- Check that the spindle switch is set to the OFF position.
- Install the correct tool into the spindle.
- Set the tool position relative to the X & Y axes.
- Set the Z axis tool position 10-20mm above the actual position.
- Load the Gcode file.
- Check that the spindle switch is set to the ON position.
- Ensure that you are able to hit the emergency stop button the instant you see anything wrong.
- Run the first few moves of the Gcode to ensure that the tool is doing what is expected.
- Stop the job.
- Reset the Z axis tool position to the real position.
- Run the Gcode.
- Watch the machine through the entirety of the job.
- After the machine has completed the job, set the spindle switch to the OFF position.
- Clear the tool using the pendant controller and remove the completed part.
- Clean up the swarf and leave the machine in a usable state for the next user.
- Even if your settings did not work well, please record your settings on the HackMill web app.
- On the machine control pad, press the “2ND” button.
- The status in the top-left corner of the screen should display “2ND”.
- Press the “Z-”/”HOME” button.
- The status in the top-left corner of the screen should display “HOME”.
- Press the button relating to the axis to home:
- For the X axis press the “X+”/”X” button.
- For the Y axis press the “Y+”/”Y” button.
- For the Z axis press the “Z+”/”Z” button.
- For all axes press the “Z-”/”HOME” button.
- Wait for the axes to finish moving.
- Press the "MODE" button repeatedly until the status bar displays "MPG".
- Turn the "axis" knob on the pendant controller to the axis to be moved.
- Check that the "step" knob is set to the expected value.
- Use the handwheel to move the axis.
- Please be cautious with the movements as in "100x" mode, it will move quite quickly.
- Once you have finished with the pendant, please return the "axis" knob to the "OFF" position.
- Hold the tool-holder in the left hand to prevent it dropping onto the vice or table.
- Firmly pull the lever next to the spindle toward the front of the machine with the right hand to release the tool-holder.
- Clamp the tool holder into a vice and use the spanner to release the collet.
- The spanner should be on the shelf below the machine with the collets.
- The nut will first loosen, then bind again, hold the tool before pushing through the second bind, as it will drop back down into the collet when that releases.
- Remove the tool from the collet.
- Fully unscrew the nut and remove the collet by pressing the narrow end toward the side of the nut.
- If the collet does not release, try pushing from a different angle.
- Return the collet to its storage box.
- Locate the new collet and check that the new tool fits into it.
- Do not force a tool into a collet. If it does not fit when the collet is loose, a bigger collet must be used.
- Do not squeeze the collet onto a tool which is smaller than the given range of a collet. Over-tightening will damage the collet.
- Press the new collet into the nut in reverse to how the previous collet was removed.
- Screw the collet nut back into the tool holder until it starts to give a small amount of resistance.
- Insert the tool and tighten by hand until the tool is gripped.
- Use the spanner to tighten the collet down, but do not use excessive force.
- Reinsert the tool holder into the spindle in reverse to how it was removed.
- Use the pendant controller to move the tool to a known location in one or more axes.
- On the machine control pad, press the “2ND” button.
- The status in the top-left corner of the screen should display “2ND”.
- Press the “Y-”/”ZERO” button.
- The status in the top-left corner of the screen should display “ZERO”.
- Press the button relating to the axis to set:
- For the X axis press the “X+”/”X” button.
- For the Y axis press the “Y+”/”Y” button.
- For the Z axis press the “Z+”/”Z” button.
- Set the position of the axis:
- Use the “Y+” and “Y-” buttons to increment or decrement the position.
- Use the “X+” and “X-” buttons to move the cursor between digits.
- Once the position has been entered, press the “Z-”/”ENTER” button to set it.
- Repeat for other axes.
- Most small parts can be clamped in the vice, but some will be too large and will need to be clamped directly to the table.
- Use the set of parallels to raise the workpiece up to a height where all operations can be done.
- Ensure that the parallels will not be hit by any operations where the tool passes all the way through the workpiece.
- Ensure that at least 3mm of vice jaw is gripping the workpiece.
- Tighten the vice securely by hand. Do not use a hammer or handle extender to tighten the vice further.
- If clamping to the table, use a sacrificial piece under the workpiece if the tool is going to cut all the way through the material.
- Sacrificial material should be at least 3mm thick and no harder than the workpiece. The ideal choice would be aluminium sheet.
- If clamping to the table, ensure that both the tool and the holder will not hit the clamps during the operations.
- Please only use the provided clamping set unless you have run it past a room lead in advance.
- Press the "PAGE" button on the machine control pad to enter the file menu.
- Navigate to the desired file:
- Use the "Y+" and "Y-" buttons to move up and down the file list.
- Use the "Z-"/"ENTER" button to open a folder or select a file.
- When the file has been selected, its name will be displayed in the top bar of the screen.
- Pressing the "RUN" button will start the Gcode program running.
- Always check that the spindle switch has been set to the ON position before starting the program.
- Always be ready to hit the emergency stop button as soon as you see something wrong.
- The manual detailed below specifies supported Gcode operations
- An after-market controller has been fitted, and the manual can be found at: