PCB Milling - Revision history

Klubko at 06:56, 21 September 2026

2026-09-21T06:56:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:56, 21 September 2026
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	=== Clamping ===		=== Clamping ===
			[[File:Mill board clamped.jpg\|thumb\|Clamped board. Notice the red probe clamped on a bit of PCB protruding to the side.]]
	Make sure to clamp PCB blank as good as possible as it's '''critical''' for the outcome of the leveling and milling.		Make sure to clamp PCB blank as good as possible as it's '''critical''' for the outcome of the leveling and milling.

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	* Position the machine with arrow keys to a starting point (bottom left corner of your future PCB)		* Position the machine with arrow keys to a starting point (bottom left corner of your future PCB)

	=== Homing and preparing to mill ===[[File:Mill mill bit installed.jpg\|thumb\|V-shaped mill bit installed]]		=== Homing and preparing to mill ===
			[[File:Mill mill bit installed.jpg\|thumb\|V-shaped mill bit installed]]
	* Pick a V-shaped tool from the box and install it		* Pick a V-shaped tool from the box and install it
	* Home each axis of the machine, don't forget to home A axis as well		* Home each axis of the machine, don't forget to home A axis as well
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	=== Drilling ===		=== Drilling ===
	* Load drill file (e.g. ''MyBoard-drill.ngc'')		* [[File:Mill drill bit installed.jpg\|thumb\|Milling done, drill bit installed]]Load drill file (e.g. ''MyBoard-drill.ngc'')
	* Install correct drill bit		* Install correct drill bit
	* To re-establish Z height again		* To re-establish Z height again
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	* '''re-home Z axis'''		* '''re-home Z axis'''
	* Start job		* Start job
			[[File:Mill drilled cut vacuumed.jpg\|thumb\|Finished board, milled, drilled, cut and vacuumed.]]

	== After milling ==		== After milling ==

Klubko at 06:51, 21 September 2026

2026-09-21T06:51:19Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:51, 21 September 2026
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	* Position the machine with arrow keys to a starting point (bottom left corner of your future PCB)		* Position the machine with arrow keys to a starting point (bottom left corner of your future PCB)

	=== Homing and preparing to mill ===		=== Homing and preparing to mill ===[[File:Mill mill bit installed.jpg\|thumb\|V-shaped mill bit installed]]
	[[File:Mill mill bit installed.jpg\|thumb\|V-shaped mill bit installed]]
	* Pick a V-shaped tool from the box and install it		* Pick a V-shaped tool from the box and install it
	* Home each axis of the machine, don't forget to home A axis as well		* Home each axis of the machine, don't forget to home A axis as well

Klubko at 06:47, 21 September 2026

2026-09-21T06:47:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:47, 21 September 2026
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	=== Homing and preparing to mill ===		=== Homing and preparing to mill ===
			[[File:Mill mill bit installed.jpg\|thumb\|V-shaped mill bit installed]]
	* Pick a V-shaped tool from the box and install it		* Pick a V-shaped tool from the box and install it
	* Home each axis of the machine, don't forget to home A axis as well		* Home each axis of the machine, don't forget to home A axis as well

Klubko at 14:43, 17 September 2026

2026-09-17T14:43:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:43, 17 September 2026
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	One-sided board (called "MyBoard") drilled from back:		One-sided board (called "MyBoard") drilled from back:
	{{cmd\|code=		{{cmd\|code=
			kicad-cli pcb export gerbers --layers F.Cu,B.Cu,Edge.Cuts MyBoard.kicad_pcb
			kicad-cli pcb export drill MyBoard.kicad_pcb

	pcb2gcode \		pcb2gcode \
	--back=MyBoard-B_Cu.gbl \		--back=MyBoard-B_Cu.gbl \
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	--metric=true \		--metric=true \
	--metricoutput=true \		--metricoutput=true \
			--zero-start=true \
	\		\
			--al-probe-on='(MSG, Probe on)' \
			--al-probe-off='(MSG, Probe off)' \
	--al-back=true \		--al-back=true \
	--al-x=5 \		--al-x=5 \
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	--mill-speed=24000 \		--mill-speed=24000 \
	--offset=0.1500 \		--offset=0.1500 \
	--zwork=-0.~~0900~~ \		--zwork=-0.1000 \
	--drill-feed=250 \		--drill-feed=250 \
	--drill-side=back \		--drill-side=back \

Klubko at 14:00, 15 September 2026

2026-09-15T14:00:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:00, 15 September 2026
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	* Pick a V-shaped tool from the box and install it		* Pick a V-shaped tool from the box and install it
	* Home each axis of the machine, don't forget to home A axis as well		* Home each axis of the machine, don't forget to home A axis as well
	* Load F.~~Cu or B~~.~~Cu G~~-~~code file~~		* Load mill file (e.g. ''MyBoard-back.ngc'')
	* Try moving machine around displayed job to make sure it can actually reach all sides of the job without collisions		* Try moving machine around displayed job to make sure it can actually reach all sides of the job without collisions
	* Switch to MDI tab (F5) (all the required commands in the following section should be present in the history)		* Switch to MDI tab (F5) (all the required commands in the following section should be present in the history)
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	=== Drilling ===		=== Drilling ===
	* Load drill file (e.g. ''~~drill_post~~.ngc'')		* Load drill file (e.g. ''MyBoard-drill.ngc'')
	* Install correct drill bit		* Install correct drill bit
	* To re-establish Z height again		* To re-establish Z height again
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	=== Outline ===		=== Outline ===
	* Load outline file (e.g. ''~~outline_post~~.ngc'')		* Load outline file (e.g. ''MyBoard-outline.ngc'')
	* Load 3.175mm endmill		* Load 3.175mm endmill
	* Go to manual tab a re-establish Z height again by positioning tool slightly over the board		* Go to manual tab a re-establish Z height again by positioning tool slightly over the board

Klubko at 13:58, 15 September 2026

2026-09-15T13:58:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:58, 15 September 2026
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	=== Export from KiCAD ===		=== Export from KiCAD ===
	Up to date versions of KiCAD provide a command line tool to conveniently export Gerber and drill files.		Up to date versions of KiCAD provide a command line tool to conveniently export Gerber and drill files.

	{{cmd\|code=		{{cmd\|code=
	kicad-cli pcb export gerbers --layers F.Cu,B.Cu,Edge.Cuts MyBoard.kicad_pcb		kicad-cli pcb export gerbers --layers F.Cu,B.Cu,Edge.Cuts MyBoard.kicad_pcb
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	Consult pcb2gcode manual to tune details or use utilize other features of the tool such as double-sided milling or tiling.		Consult pcb2gcode manual to tune details or use utilize other features of the tool such as double-sided milling or tiling.

			One-sided board (called "MyBoard") drilled from back:
	{{cmd\|code=		{{cmd\|code=
	pcb2gcode \		pcb2gcode \

Klubko at 13:50, 15 September 2026

2026-09-15T13:50:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:50, 15 September 2026
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	\|image=Millingatbase.jpg		\|image=Millingatbase.jpg
	}}		}}

			Tutorial for milling PCBs on the [[Small CNC]].

	== Prepare the GCode ==		== Prepare the GCode ==

Klubko: Update, auto-leveling

2026-09-15T13:48:03Z

Update, auto-leveling

Show changes

Klubko at 23:43, 28 August 2026

2026-08-28T23:43:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:43, 28 August 2026
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	\|image=Millingatbase.jpg		\|image=Millingatbase.jpg
	}}		}}
	~~{{Project~~

	Step-by step PCB milling tutorial.		Step-by step PCB milling tutorial.

Klubko at 23:42, 28 August 2026

2026-08-28T23:42:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:42, 28 August 2026
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	{{Project		{{Project
	\|founder=[[user:rmarko]]		\|founder=[[user:rmarko]]
	\|status=~~active~~		\|coops=[[User:Lubko\|Lubko]]
			\|status=being resurrected
	\|shortdesc=Milling and drilling PCB's on LinuxCNC		\|shortdesc=Milling and drilling PCB's on LinuxCNC
	\|image=Millingatbase.jpg		\|image=Millingatbase.jpg
	}}		}}
			{{Project

	Step-by step PCB milling tutorial.		Step-by step PCB milling tutorial.