drilling hammond box with a cnc machine

[cml]

has anyone done the Hammond enclosure drilling  with a DIY cnc machine  ??
or a relatively inexpensive machine ??

[LiLFX]

Yes. You'll need to think about making a jig that holds the box really firm because you are going to get "chatter". An eBay 3020 CNC might be able to do it with really slow Z-axis speeds and "peck" drilling. While aluminum is soft, you'll need a rigid machine because plunging through aluminum and engraving aluminum are two different things. To be quite honest, the only thing really appealing about having a CNC is to use it for engraving because the drilling part can be done really well with some jigs and a drill press.

[vigilante397]

I've done engraving but never drilling. Bits are too damn expensive, don't want to risk breaking them.

[R.G.]

Small CNC machines make GREAT accuracy transferrers. Instead of marking measurements to center-drill locations, have the CNC make a center-divot where the hole centers go. Then drill in the drill press. Eliminates the inaccuracies of hand marking and center punching, and can be done with an engraving bit.

[vigilante397]

Instead of marking measurements to center-drill locations, have the CNC make a center-divot where the hole centers go. Then drill in the drill press.

I have done that though

[Ice-9]

Yeah I do box milling on a cnc3040 , I have modified it to use a better spindle though, I have just made a video for a different thread of cutting out a 1590XX box but need to find some software so that I can make the video in fast forward.

I made a simple enclosure holder that can take the 1590A, 1590B and 1590XX enclosures, I used the cnc to make the enclosure holder from a couple of bits of plastic and ally I had spare. I will try and get the video up ASAP.