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Being able to
mount the z-axis anywhere on the aluminum plate adds a lot of flexibility to
the types of cuts that can be made. Sherline actually sells a bare plate
with mounting holes for such a purpose. Here, I am temporarily mounting the
z-axis in this location in order to cut the block of aluminum in half along
the horizontal axis. |
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From the
side, you can see the end mill cutting into the aluminum piece. A lot of
material was wasted in making this cut because the diameter of the end mill
was so large. It would have been better to use some type of band saw to
split this aluminum block in half. However, at this stage I was more
interested in experimenting with different type of cuts rather than the
absolute practicality. |
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Here's a side
view of the system configured as a mill. You will see later that I can
convert this system into a lathe by repositioning the spindle and motor. |