CNC6040 router project – test cut of a Jiffy box

One of the intended applications of the CNC router is to cut openings in Jiffy boxes for things like LCD displays, tactile button switches, connectors etc.

After a lot of testing, it came time to try it on some target work.

Above is a scrap Jiffy box and the milling job is to cut holes for three pushbuttons (tactile momentary switches on a veroboard base with 10mm caps) and the holes for M3 screws and pillars.

The whole job took 40s, most of it was moves rather that cutting, it took a second or two to cut each of the large holes.

Waiting on some accessories, like a vice to hold these boxes and a edge finder for rapid and accurate indexing.

Capability to mill a box for an LCD opening and three or four momentary buttons opens up a lot of possibilities for controls for a range of microcontroller projects.

Above is an example set of buttons topside, and below the underside.

In this case the screw pillars are 0.05″ offset from the button centres. One could rotate the switches to align the centres but at the expense of a wider assembly which will not fit two of the small boxes I use.

I have not broken any records here… I think I started this project in June (over 4 months ago).