7 years after trying the Makera Z1, I gave milling another go – and this time, I didn’t destroy anything
When I think of my early experiences with CNC milling, «failure» is the first word that comes to mind. Now, I have the Makera Z1 sitting in my basement – a milling machine that even beginners can supposedly use. To kick off my series of articles on the machine, I’m getting it up and running.
«Wait, has Christmas come early or something?» I think to myself as I’m opening the huge parcel sent to me by Makera. Inside, I find not only the Z1 CNC milling machine, but also a ton of accessories. It feels totally different to the time I assembled my first milling machine, which I got from a Chinese online shop back in 2019. The Z1 comes fully assembled.
Makera promises that even as a novice, I’ll be able to mill with the Z1. This seems like a bold claim, because unlike 3D printing, milling requires a lot more expertise. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be testing whether milling with the Z1 really is that easy – and I’ll take you along for the ride. In this first instalment of the series, I’ll set up the machine and mill something simple: an additional clamping jaw for holding workpieces in place.
A note on price: Purchased directly from Makera, the machine alone costs just under 1,100 US dollars. My test bundle, which includes all the modules, costs just under 1,900 dollars. The Z1 will eventually be available on Galaxus too, but the release date and price are yet to be decided.
An overwhelming unboxing experience
I’m blown away by the sheer number of components in the box: a 4-axis module, a laser module, a dust collector, countless milling tools and various other little parts and workpieces. Makera hasn’t just sent me a test sample – it’s sent me half a workshop. There’s a roughly 800-dollar price difference between the base model and my bundle.
The manufacturer is especially proud of its multifunctional tool, which can store several attachments in its handle. As a result, you’ve got everything you need, right there in one tool.
It doesn’t take long to unbox everything. Sorting and arranging it all, however, is a different story. It takes me half a day to put everything in its right place. If you’re keen to find out more about what the unboxing process involved, here’s an unboxing video made by Makera itself:
I try to tackle the job step by step. First, I connect the dust collector to the milling cutter. One pretty nifty aspect of the dust collector? It has two pipes: one for blowing air onto the work surface to get rid of shavings, one for sucking them up. The Z1 comes with two attachments you can use to vacuum any remaining debris after you’re done working. Installing them is quick and straightforward.
Once bitten, twice shy: looking for a shortcut
So what should I do now? I cast my mind back to my first attempt at milling with a cheap machine – an endeavour that ended in disaster. Instead of the workpiece, I ended up milling the machine itself. With that in mind, I’m pretty nervous about my second attempt. I wish someone had configured the CAM settings for me beforehand.
Fortunately, Makera maintains a database of templates called Makerables. In it, you’ll find both models and projects that have already been prepared in CAM. This means you don’t have to adjust the milling tools or the toolpaths.
After briefly browsing through the database, I find what I’m looking for: another clamping jaw for holding my future workpieces in place. All that’s needed is a milling tool, and it should be done in half an hour. So basically, I’ll be milling a tool so I can do more milling. I like that.
Five millimetres of aluminium – and a little cockiness
Before I get to work on my Mac, I clamp the workpiece in place. I mill the clamping jaw from a five-millimetre-thick block of aluminium that came with the machine. The Z1 mills aluminium, brass and copper, as well as wood, plastic and composite materials such as carbon fibre. Steel and other ferrous metals are a no-no.
First, I attach a right-angled bracket to my work surface, place the aluminium block inside and secure it with the two clamps included with the machine.
I find the cutter I need in the instructions for my clamping jaw: a flat-end cutter for metal, measuring 3.175 × 12 millimetres. The cutter comes with the machine too; it fits into the built-in collet, which is designed for 1/8 inches. The template, tool and machine are designed to work together, which is key to delivering the product’s promise of beginner friendliness. To clamp the cutter in place, I lower the collet lever, insert the cutter, then push the lever back up. However, as I’ll realise later, I’ve done it slightly too early.
Safety-wise, I feel more at ease now than I did in 2019: the Z1 is enclosed and has an emergency stop. That said, wearing safety goggles is still a good idea – and absolutely essential if you’re using the laser module.
Many, many settings
I open the template in Makera Studio, the manufacturer’s software, and am immediately taken to the Device tab. In that window, I see the toolpath, selected tools and more – in other words, exactly how the Z1 will mill the workpiece. I still have to connect the machine though. Since I’m working in my basement, my Wi-Fi can’t reach the machine, so I connect it to the network with a USB cable.
After clicking Start, the editing wizard opens. In the first dialogue box, I define the position of my workpiece. Since it’s on the bottom left of my work surface (which is standard on the Z1), I don’t need to make any adjustments.
The second dialogue box refers to the starting point. Here, I have the option of creating an offset so that I don’t mill right up against the edge of the workpiece. However, the template has already taken care of that. I can tell because the outline to be milled is marked in green. In addition, I activate the Auto-Scan Machining Area option. This will allow the machine to trace the perimeter of the part before milling, so I’ll see where it’ll actually be working later. For a newbie like me, this is a brilliant feature.
In the third tab, Auto-Probe, I turn on Auto-Z-Height Probing. This will allow the machine to determine the position of the workpiece on a vertical Z-axis. In light of my own turbulent history with milling, I think this is even more important than the auto-scan feature; because it should really only be used to mill the workpiece.
Under Assist Options, I activate the dust collector. Clicking Run brings up a summary, then I start milling.
30 nail-biting minutes
Before the milling process starts, the Z1 performs an auto-scan and Z-probing. For this to happen, I need to clamp the Wired Z probe, which is attached to the side of the spindle. So I take off the cutter (which, in my overzealousness, I’d already set up) and replace it with the probe. After that, I click Next and the machine completes both steps.
Seeing that everything’s going seamlessly, I let out a sigh of relief. After that, I clamp the cutter back in and start the actual process. The tool really does cut into the material exactly where it’s supposed to and removes parts bit by bit. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch the machine at work.
Just over 30 minutes later, it’s done and dusted. The Z1 has completed its job. As for the dust collector, the results are slightly mixed. Makera has called the system AeroDust, promising active shavings removal as well as dust extraction. Judging by my aluminium block, the dust collector seems to be better at keeping its first promise. It’s done a stellar job of blowing away the shavings, but hardly sucked any up. In the end, I vacuum up the rest using the attachments that came with the machine.
The first scratch – and my first point of criticism
Since CNC milling never completely separates a design from the workpiece (if it did, it wouldn’t be held securely in place), I have to saw my new clamping jaw out in three places. To do this, I use the multitool. And that’s where my first criticism of the Makera set comes in: the saw attachment is disappointing. As I’m using it, I keep slipping and scratching the clamping jaw. Though forgivable in this instance, scratches would be a no-no on a design intended to look good. So from now on, I’ll use my own saw.
That said, as a layperson, I’m still impressed by the result. The milled cuts look clean, and the workpiece is only scratched in places where I had to use the saw. In other words, the machine has done good work. Me? Not so much.
A promise delivered – with a footnote
Seven years after my milling mishap, I’ve managed to mill something myself for the first time. From unboxing the machine to having the finished workpiece in my hands, six hours went by – most of which was spent sorting through the box contents, arranging them and setting up. The Z1 only milled for 30 minutes.
So Makera’s promise that even beginners can mill with the Z1 is true. At least if you use premade templates from the manufacturer’s database. The real challenge with milling lies in the CAM settings, and this time someone else took care of them for me.
So next time, I’m going to tackle exactly that and adjust the CAM settings myself. I’m just not sure what I want to mill yet. If you’re curious to see how I get on, you’ll be able to read about it in the next article in this series.
Makera provided me with the Z1 and its accessories for testing purposes.
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