Four months ago a friend said to me – I’m making my own CNC…
I was blown away. As a new metal hobbiest, I wanted a plasma CNC.
I started my journey. I didn’t know a thing about 3D printing, but bought myself an Ender 3. I learned that.
I printed my MPCNC and learned what GCode meant. I assumed it was a google code, but apparently it existed probably before Google founders were born.
I learned a bit of Fusion, conquered the MAC / Esltcam challenge, learned how to use a Pi, set up bluetooth on my 70’s stereo and have the MPCNC controlled by my tablet or remotely from the office.
Last night I built the table from the kid’s old bunkbed I built years ago. I set up the DW660 with a 1/8" bit.
Today I made the first cut of something I’m using, my 36x36" wasteboard. Until my neighbor kicked the poor quality extension cord and stopped it 45 min in.
But it works! I did it. Now to learn what I can make!
I think today it might be a lot of learning to get from zero to operating your own built CNC, but because of guys like Ryan and you, you’ve helped guys like me the ability to do this.
It’s been incredibly rewarding and I’m anxious to create many of the projects I have lined up.
I think you guys are helping pioneer bringing home built CNC to the home. 3D printing has helped fuel this exclusive technology. I think in a matter of time, these machines will be a much easier workflow for newbie hobbyists.
I love how this technology and plasma technology has evolved so much in the last few years, and how it’s feasible for any metal hobbyist to have a plasma CNC.
My goal is to have this baby in the garage by the summer cutting with the plasma. (or build a 2nd low rider!!).
Thanks Jeff for all your hard work on this project and contributions to the forum. And of course Ryan. Amazing!
Congrats! I recognize a lot of what you are telling. I’m also very curious about how to get creative inspiration. My mind has been very occupied with all the technical stuff - now I want to get inspired!
well it cut exactly what it was told! but the bed is slightly off, higher in one corner by about 2mm. So my job tonight is to plane it. the 1" surfacing bit with 1/4" shank just arrived!
Add a thin spoil board on top just big enough to be able to plane/surface all of it. this way you do not end up with a flat depression in your surface. That way you can position things in more ways to cut them.
Six years ago, I had been avidly following progress in the 3d printing world for as long as there was a 3d printing world.
I was super keen to to dip my toes in, but the fact that I couldn’t draw with a computer, and electronics tech stuff was so far outside of my comfort zone and my brain’s capacity, that I couldn’t see the point. I really wasn’t comfortable with spending any money on something that would take a lot of time and frustration and at the end of the day would print a half-baked model elephant.
Somehow along the way I had stumbled across the MPCNC concept around the time Mr Prusa began selling the Mk3 - a machine which allowed me to assemble it from scratch - learning along the way and I realised that the LR2 would at least give me a project that could “justify” having a printer.
I lurked here for some time (years?) before taking the plunge. Determined to learn to use CAD before my 70th birthday - I blame @jeffeb3 for guiding me gently down the path to Onshape, which has been a revelation, and I owe everyone who was here then (as well as all who have followed) an enormous debt of gratitude.
I still don’t understand most of your silly acronyms, a tenth of what you are saying, or even what some of the stuff you make is intended to do, but I love you all, and thank you all for your patience as I steadily veer away from the subject of pretty much every thread I respond to!
Your first post further above really shows how much you‘ve grown technically.
And albeit you (and I don‘t) understand some of the talk here, especially when it‘s about electronics, you have become one of the most downloaded people on Printables. In just six years! I didn‘t realize you hadn‘t done that before (though you did other technical drawings and stuff).
Your eye for detail and design has brought the LR4‘s Peter Plates to light and made the LR even more fancy.
year old thread! Has anyone seen my glasses?