Description
Turn your ideas into a reality with the LongMill Benchtop CNC
The LongMill helps you take your woodworking and fabrication to the next level. Its range of workable materials include: any species of wood, a variety of plastics, soft metals like aluminum and brass, and a variety of machinable foams and waxes for model making or metal casting. Make signs, engravings, mid-size furniture, stands and shelves, wooden toys and games, guitar bodies, and much more! (see more in our Gallery)
We offer our machine because CNC technology opens up a whole new world of making capabilities, especially to those who have a limited shop environment or budget. Our goal is to empower you by giving you access to both a machine that’s capable of a wide range of projects, and by assuring you of the assistance that you’ll receive from our team as well as our ever-growing community of machine owners: many of whom started off green to the world of CNC as well but are now happy to share what they’ve learned along the way. (see our Facebook group and Forum). We provide a complete set of resources and instructions to get you on your way to running your first job on your machine.
We designed the LongMill to be the best hobby CNC router in its class, offering rigidity, and reliability, while being easy to put together. With large extruded aluminum rails, fully supported Y-axes, 1/4″ steel gantries on all axes, and high precision MG-12 type linear guides on the Z-axis, the LongMill is the most powerful CNC router in its class and price point.
Every kit comes with all the…
- Hardware, rails, lead screws, and gantries
- Control box, wires, and motors
- Instructions (downloadable from our website)
Assembly only takes a few hours and can be done with a set of wrenches, Allen keys, and a flat head screwdriver. There is absolutely no soldering. We’ve spent thousands of hours designing and testing the LongMill to ensure that this machine is easy to put together. If you can put together IKEA furniture, then putting together the LongMill will be a breeze.
What do you provide?
- Your own wasteboard/spoilboard (found at your local hardware store), this is the surface that you’ll be mounting your machine to. See the ‘Size’ tab above for more info.
- A router (purchase one from us, use one you already have, or find one at your local hardware store/online)*
For routers, we recommend the Makita RT0700/RT0701. It’s a reliable and super powerful router that we’ve been using on our CNC machines for years.
For routers, we strongly recommend the Makita RT0700/RT0701. It’s reliable, powerful, is speed-adjustable to a large range (10-30K RPM), and its uniform outer body allows for versatile z-axis mounting. We’ve been using the Makita on our CNC machines for years.
There are some other compatible trim routers on the market that you could use – bear in mind we haven’t tested any of these in-depth:
- Dewalt DWP611 (uses 71mm mount)
- Carbide 3D Compact Router (uses 65mm mount)
- Avid Power MW104 (uses 65mm mount)
- MLCS Rocky 30 9056 (uses 65mm mount)
- Ridgid R2401 (needs to adapt from 61mm to our 80mm mount to clear it’s ~6x15mm protruding body notch)
- Bosch Colt PR20EVS (uses 71mm mount but sits much higher up than normal, you’ll have to space up your material)
- Bosch Colt GKF125 (needs to adapt from 72mm to our 80mm mount, also sits much higher up than normal)
The LongMill can accommodate bore sizes of 52, 65, 71, and 80mm, Don’t see your router listed? Let us know the diameter of your router so that we can make an adapter.
Please note that routers/spindles which are…
- Over 2.7kg/6lbs
- Wider than 80mm/3″
…may not be compatible. Please message us with your router size if you have a router that isn’t listed.
*Routers that we supply will be 110V only (North America). If you live in a country that uses a different voltage, please purchase a router in your region. LongMills will come with a power supply that supports both 110V and 220V.
The LongMill comes with free software and is compatible with dozens of other paid and free software. Try our Toolchain Wizard to get a quick recommendation for software that may work best for you.
Technical Details:
– Laser cut, 1/4″ steel gantry plates for high rigidity
– Standard profile, extruded aluminum rails on the X and Y axis and MGN12 linear guides on Z axis
– Delrin V wheels with variable eccentric nuts
– 4-start, 2mm pitch, 8mm diameter ACME lead screw for high torque and fast movement
– NEMA 23 stepper motors on all axis
– 3D printed and aluminum parts
– Mount for Makita RT0701C routers, or request a custom mount size
– 24V power supply
– Arduino board loaded with GRBL firmware
– 4A TB6600 drivers
Our machine uses open-source hardware and firmware, letting users build and modify their machines. Not only that, many of our components are standard and easy to source or 3D printable, making replacing parts easy.
Michel Morin (verified owner) –
I bought the 30 by 30 version, not the small one… I had a good experience but there was parts missing. I had to get a small screw fabricated at the local machine shop to get me by to complete the install. Other than that it was fine.
-Machine ordered January 29, 2021
Ian W. (verified owner) –
Is there a way to incorporate a plug out let in the board and software to shut off the router after its complete running the program
I’m.on my second set of brushes on my Marita router
O do run long cnc programs that can run late into the night after I’ve gone to bed
Other than that fantastic
-Machine ordered January 28, 2021
Richard B. (verified owner) –
I am very satisfied with my Longmill. Was easy to assemble and set up. The assembly instructions for the most part were concise and accurate.
Picked up my machine at the factory. Signage there left something to be desired but I found it.
The guys who brought out the machine were very polite.
So far I have not had any issues that I have needed help with.
Have just finished making some signs to check the setup and will be loading in a 3D plaque later today.
-Machine ordered January 18, 2021
Wayne (verified owner) –
I have the 30×30 model it works amazing has not missed a beat
-Machine ordered January 7, 2021
Rob (verified owner) –
Hey Fellas, I found the ordering process for the machine easy to use other than, when adding a bit to my order, it would kick me back out to the main area. It would be ALOT nicer if you can add and delete things to your cart without the page navigating away. I purchased a handful of bits and had to refind the bit page everytime. (About 6 times)
The building process and instructions were faily clear but some things were not great. I had to make assumptions and in an exact build, I hate to assume. A few assumptions I made were wrong so I had to redo.
The service was great, I spoke with a few of the guys there over the phone and everyone was happy to talk about anything I needed. I had an issue with my machine hitting the rail and getting hung up on the bolt. I emailed the pictures of my issue and was told that’s normal…
As for the programming and getting the machine to work from my computer, I found this easy enough. I am using easel for my projects and I have been able to make pretty much everything I’ve wanted to so far.
Overall I am happy with my machine for the cost. People say if you buy cheap, you buy twice. In this case I feel like it should last a few years without any major problems. I would upgrade some of the bolt hardware as I found some of the items could be better quality.
-Machine ordered December 26, 2020
Scott R. (verified owner) –
still learning
-Machine ordered December 10, 2020
Bryce H. (verified owner) –
Great machine. Awesome customer service. Huge learning curve but lots of help and resources to flatten that curve. Doubt regret the purchase one bit.
-Machine ordered December 8, 2020
Glen Cioca (verified owner) –
This is from a customer that has no programming background and average computer skills, but experienced woodworker.
The assembly video was fantastic. A few tough spots, but over all ok. I took me about 10 hours which is normal for me.
The only reason I would not rate it a 5 is because Sienci Labs should warn people how hard it is to operate on a Mac, which is what I have. The issue is Sienci doesn’t really have any operating programs, so I have to find one that works (which you would have to do with most CNC machines) and even though your support team was great, most of the time, they don’t have answers for the Mac. Finding programs for the Mac is an issue. Carbide Create is the program I use, combined with CNCJs. Programs seem to drop, in the middle of a program. According to the sites I was recommended to study (facebook) they attribute it to using a Mac. I should have done more homework on computer compatibility. (all CNC machines will have issues with Mac, not just yours.)
The machine itself operates fantastic. Still getting use to a few adjustments, but as advertised. I have done several projects in the first month, with each being more experimental. The internet (especially Etsy is full of SVG patterns).
Love the size (30 x 30). As far as the machine goes, I love it. It is just a blast. Every time I learn something new. I think you should offer more cutting tools with the start up kit, but ordered more and completely satisfied. Recommend the 60 degree Vee cutter right away for signs. Possibilities are endless. In the next 6 months, hoping to step up to the 3D programs. Using the CNC designs with my segmented bowls is working perfect.
In the first month I have made a puzzle tray, many different signs, Disney theme signs, desert designs for vases and bowls. A lot of the first month was primarily experimental.
I would recommend this machine to anybody that is interested getting into CNC. I shopped and studied, before deciding on Sienci Longmill. When you consider cost, SIZE and now see the performance it was definitely a good choice. Compare a 30×30 to anyone else. The only limits are one’s imagination.
-Machine ordered October 28, 2020
Patrick Baerts (verified owner) –
It is a very study machine ! I like it
-Machine ordered November 3, 2020
Robert Williams (verified owner) –
I enjoyed assembling my 30×30 but have not used it yet. I am very new to all this. I have been unable to create a file that can be sent to the machine. I am trying to communicate on the forum to get input from other users to get over this speed bump.
-Machine ordered July 3, 2020
Michael (verified owner) –
Machine functions nicely. Feeding the threaded rod through the bearings is a real challenge. HMI and controls function well. Everything the machine needs to do I am happy with. Overall build went well per instructions provided online. Reccomend cross-bracing between the end and the front of the “y” Axis to provide rigid support while building.
-Machine ordered August 30, 2020
brian bausch (verified owner) –
When it’s working it runs good so far. After user errors I’ve ran into issues. I took a few days away from it and am back trying to find the part I need. I’m still a bit afraid to run large projects due to the coupling failure but will hopefully be back to running bigger more intricate projects on nice wood soon.
-Machine ordered August 31, 2020
Derrick (verified owner) –
I have experience building kits from the early days of 3D printers and a lot of this technology is shared with a CNC, such as grbl, g-code, stepper motors, axis control, etc.
Assembly was straight forward, but documentation could use some updates. Some of the photos did not match the latest version of the kit I received. Still very good though.
Customer service has been exceptional. I did have a problem with some v-wheels being under sized, causing slop in the Z-axis gantry. After making some measurements for the support rep, I was sent a replacement X-axis rail and V-wheels. Similarly, I found my Y-axis wheels were also under sized and got those replaced promptly.
In the last few weeks, I have made my own tools for my workshop, from simple angle finders and 90 degree clamps, to a downdraft dust collection table. I have also made some signage and name plaques. Currently making some coasters and designing a dog bed.
Overall, I wish I could give a 4.5 out of 5. The LongMill isn’t perfect, and one should not expect perfection. The LongMill is a tool, and like so many tools it requres a little skill to operate, and a lot of practice to master.
-Machine ordered August 18, 2020
Miguel Murguia (verified owner) –
I haven’t got the time to truly inmerse into the LongMill. I’m only not quite satisfied that you don’t have a dust shoe for a different router than the makita. Mine is The dewalt 611.
-Machine ordered August 16, 2020
Bryon Gaines (verified owner) –
The assembly was straight forward and the only issue was with the rails that were replaced quickly when I contacted Sienci labs. I just got my dust collection set up and the unit is working great. I am using v carve pro and am still learning to use the software but the learning process has been quite fun so far.
-Machine ordered Jul 22, 2020
Wayne C. (verified owner) –
Was interested in getting a CNC router. Found out about Sienci LongMill from a person at a local Makerspace. Machine assembly (mostly Version 2 parts) went mostly okay except getting the lead screws through the flange bearings. Had to resort to putting the lead screws in the freezer, using sewing machine oil on the inside of the flanges, and a plastic faced mallet to bop the screws through the flanges (note: on the Y-axis lead screws, once the screw was several inches through the first flange, it seemed to move much easier). Otherwise, the assembly was straightforward. Haven’t done much yet with the LongMill as other life activities have taken precedence to date. Still evaluating the design/g-code generating options of the software chain, but I have found UGS (platform version) works for me.
-Machine ordered July 2, 2020
Ian Fraser (verified owner) –
Sadly the bargain price gets a bit lost in shipping and Duties in Australia. This isn’t Sienci’s fault however if you are buying in Australia budget an extra $1000 to cover shipping and duties.
The machine is great assembly is pretty easy.
-Machine ordered July 4, 2020
David Streeter (verified owner) –
It’s a good machine. I think at this price point it is an incredible value. Rock solid. great electronics. As always there are tweaks and such you will do but if you’re like me you would tinker with it even if there weren’t
-Machine ordered June 30, 2020
Mohan (verified owner) –
This is my first CNC machine and excited to have the machine assembed and working now.
Assembly process was not complex, but had couple of hiccups. One of the threaded roads was out side of tolerance on one end and I had to use a trick to thread the flange bearings from the other side. The z-axis plates were not truly parallel, but was easily fixed. The initial purchase with Bosch colt router adapter didn’t work, as the adapter was made for the previous version. Customer support was great and quick and got a different adapter sent over.
All good now and I am able to do few test pieces and I am generally happy. I am still learning to do relief cuts as I need some more bits and probably slight more tuning. Hoping to work it out.
I got the 12×30 machine and happy with it for now. I am glad that I have option to move to next size by just changing the y rails, which should be pretty simple considering the assembly was not very complex to start with.
I would say 5 stars if there were no hiccups. Probably 4.5. Overall very happy with the purchase.
-Machine ordered May 27, 2020
Michael Ray –
The crew at Sienci Labs are great. I am new to the CNC Hobby world however with their support and resources it makes the learning curve fairly low. The community that has been fostered around the Sienci Labs products is also a huge bonus. If you have a question just ask because someone knows the answer. It has been a great experience and I am very happy that I went with Sienci Labs. Thanks Chris and the crew at Sienci Labs.
Michael Ray
-Machine ordered Sep 24, 2019
siencilabs (store manager) –
Shawn, thanks for the feedback. We sell the LongMill as a hobbyist machine, so we hope that we weren’t setting your expectations on it being more than that. I wouldn’t recommend the LongMill for dedicated metal cutting, or as a dedicated production machine simply because it was designed to be a reasonably capable machine at a good price-point so that Woodworkers and other home shop owners could get started with CNC without breaking the bank. For example, though the feet are 3D printed we’ve been printing these parts in-house for more than 4 years now, tuning our part output so they are as strong as can be. It also helps that our design has a total of 8 feet to fully support the rails. That said, there are little things that we’re still working to improve so I appreciate your critical comments.
Shawn Green (verified owner) –
Mostly Well designed and built, but very clearly from a hobbyist perspective. I cant stand plastic so am replacing all the feet with proper aluminum. 3D printing is not a robust manufacturing process . I’ve also added front and back rails in an attempt to increase rigidity. I feel like the machine is 85% ready to work out of the box.
Basically, it needs to be more rigid. I have mounted mine to a 1/2 aluminum plate. but the design of the feet is so poor and makes use of a “toe-nailed” screw its impossible to mount it properly to anything. Hence i spent last night milling aluminum feet.
little things that bother me to no end are the horribly inadequate length of the motor wiring. it traps the control box in a stupid place and there is just no reason to save money on that.
the horrible cable trays all broke on installation, again, why cheap out?
The wheels are not long for this world, but I will run them to failure out of curiosity.
The whole dust shoe is a joke and feels like an after thought. its horrible to adjust and doesn’t really sit nice no matter what.
the lead screws need support, as someone used to machining i cant stand watching them bounce around.
I fully understand trying to keep the price point down, but there are better ways to save money.
Anyway, Glad i bought it, but have defiently spent more time redesigning than i have making actual use of the machine.
-Machine ordered Jan 16, 2020
Joseph Wilson (verified owner) –
Overall, I love the Sienci Labs 30×30 LongMill CNC! The setup took me a full week to complete by doing a little more each day. I also had to build a bench for it to sit on which took a few more hours. The bench setup was expected. LongMill setup was tedious but thankfully Chris had very detailed videos on YouTube to help me through the process. The other challenging part is figuring out which CADCAM software to use. I found this quite frustrating as there are so many and most have a major learning curve. I settled on Easel which did come with a subscription price but allowed me to focus more on the creative side of having a CNC and less on figuring out complex software. I would recommend the LongMill to friends for sure and feel it’s a solid product with solid construction.
-Machine ordered Feb 11, 2020
Ron (verified owner) –
Hardware and installation was good. Software instruction was spotty. Could not get the probe to work. Ron
-Machine ordered Mar 18, 2020
Ken –
I knew when I ordered the cnc that it would take a few months. At first there was very little info on where my order was “ in the list”. About Nov. there was more info coming out and it gave me a better time line. By mid Dec. the info on machines completed was much better and I now had a pretty good access net of when my order would be filled. In all I was pleased with the communication that was on your feeds
-Machine ordered Oct 15, 2019
Ryan Campbell (verified owner) –
I would recommend this unit to any hobbyist looking to start with CNCing. It has been a VERY large learning curve for me as I just dove in head first, but the Sienci team has been willing to answer every and all calls I have made. The setup was long, but very worthwhile and easy to follow with the online videos/instructions. Furthermore, the forums have been very helpful as well. For me the machine itself has performed nicely, but I have only made a few signs in some simple barnboard/pine.
-Machine ordered Apr 15, 2020