As the title suggests, a new Lowrider is hopefully about to be born in Latvia!
I’ve dreamed of owning a CNC router for quite some time, and it feels like the right moment has finally come—I now have the time and space for it. I’ve chosen the Lowrider primarily for its affordability and compact design.
I feel confident in my ability to complete this project since my background is in designing custom electro-mechanical equipment for festivals and events. These days, however, I’m enjoying my role as a software developer.
The ultimate goal of this project is to use the router to mill MDF kitchen cabinets, as I have several requiring custom dimensions. Once both kitchens are replaced, I hope the cost savings will have covered the expenses of building the Lowrider.
Current Progress:
Waiting for parts to arrive.
Located 32 mm pipes but still need to purchase them.
Printed most of the 3D parts, though my printer is now jamming constantly.
Next Steps:
Purchase 32 mm pipes.
Find a 6 mm or 8 mm aluminum plate.
Clear out the garage to create enough space for the router.
Build a foldable table for the router to allow parking the car.
Assemble the Lowrider V4.
Nothing tangible to show yet, but hopefully, this thread will become a place where I can share pictures, brainstorm ideas, seek help, and track expenses.
Welcome aboard! Look forward to seeing your build and projects. If you run into problems jump on here and ask questions as there are plenty of people willing to help.
That is great motivation for an LR4. If you’re going to go full kitchen, I would encourage you to do a lot of tests and adjustments before sending the big jobs. Once it’s dialed in, it should be smooth sailing.
After some deliberation, I’ve finalized the screen position. Reflecting on my past experiences with the SKR touch screen—where 3D printing would randomly halt—I decided to steer away from touchscreens altogether. I also find them less tactile and satisfying to use. Instead, I’m opting for a straightforward, old-school rotary encoder. To integrate it successfully, I’ll need to make firmware adjustments, but this isn’t my first rodeo with Marlin, so I feel confident in navigating the required modifications.
Regarding the router control setup, I’ve been debating whether to incorporate a relay command. In any case, regardless of the relay setup, I intend to include a physical switch to power off the router entirely—even if it’s already in an “off” state. Safety is paramount, especially during bit changes, and I like keeping all ten fingers intact.
I’ve also decided on a separate switch for the LED light. Given its significant power consumption, I only plan to use it for detailed inspections, relying on shop lights for general observation, which are more than sufficient.
Lastly, I came across the concept of an emergency stop button and realized it was a must-have for the setup.
The router’s planned location favors one side over the other for easier access. Here’s a rough layout I’ve envisioned:
I had some free time, and this is somewhat my vision for the router switch and LED switch. I also decided to include a 220V cable relief, though I’m wondering if it might obstruct the movement in any way.
Philipp, thanks for pointing out the cooling issue—somehow managed to get the wrong file
Dan, it only looks impressive due to my need to round all the edges and pull existing things like buttons and bits from grabcad so it looks more complete, other than that it is just a box on top of the existing plates.
I’ve started working on an option with cooling in mind, but I just can’t seem to get the look and feel I want—it doesn’t quite sit right at the moment. Still, there’s time to refine it, these would be the last parts anyhow.
While I’m waiting for the dump truck to arrive next week to kick off the garage cleanup, I should be focusing on finishing the CAD design for the table. Once that’s done and the garage is clean, the welding phase begins.
With my newbie cad skills it would take me a millenium to design that . Nice!
