First Run of a CNC Mill Programmed with ENCY CAM

Thanks to Meckes Mek for sharing the very first production run of his tabletop CNC mill — a hobbyist-built 3-axis machine that came online with real chips flying on the very first cut. As the caption puts it: “First run with my cnc. All things run smoothly.”

The build
The frame is a 3-axis gantry riding on exposed lead screws — a giveaway that this is a workshop build rather than a factory machine. The purchased components are chosen well: an HLTNC GDZ80X73-2.2 2.2 kW ER20 spindle (24 000 rpm, air-cooled, 220 V / 400 Hz VFD input), an AXBB-E Ethernet motion controller, and the UCCNC control software driving the axes. A capacitive tool probe with a status LED sits at the edge of the table for repeatable Z-referencing.

The first cut
The demo part is a plate of 6082-T6 aluminum — the workhorse structural alloy for machined enclosures and fixtures — being pocketed dry with a small end mill. The frames show clean, curling aluminum chips instead of the built-up-edge welded chips you get when a machine is under-rigid or overloaded, which is a genuinely good sign for a first-run test.

Where ENCY CAM fits in
The toolpaths were programmed in ENCY CAM. For hobby and semi-professional CNC builds like this one, ENCY CAM is a natural fit: modern 2.5D and 3-axis strategies (adaptive roughing, pocketing, contouring, drilling, engraving) with a UI simple enough for a solo operator, and output that plays nicely with UCCNC-flavored G-code.