controller box mounting arm

I don’t usually build as I go, without detailed planning or at least some sketches. But one Saturday a few weeks ago I had several hours to myself and I was itching to make some physical progress on the CNC conversion, so I took a quick inventory of my metal stock pile and just started building.

The mounting arm for the CNC controller box–that physically attaches the box to the mill–is a very simple part with well-defined parameters. The controller box has four mounting holes on the back side and the column of the mill is a thick iron casting that can be drilled & tapped basically anywhere. I knew approximately where I wanted the box to be, so it was a simple connect-the-dots part design. I had a 2′ length of square steel tube and some angle iron, so I started chopping it up and dry-fit it to the back of the controller box.

I MIG welded it together (still practicing that welding… getting better) and cleaned it up, then primed it with some Rustoleum, then did a quick test fit on the mill.

A couple of coats of black lacquer and it’s good to go!