Making a CNC Machine from Scratch

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In 2023, I designed & built a CNC Machine at home.

Here’s what I learned:

1. CNC machines need to be rigid. Like… VERY rigid. As you take away rigidity, the materials you can machine become fewer. Your machine also becomes quite loud with something called “chatter”. Chatter happens when the machine vibrates at resonant frequencies, and it’s harmful in many ways.

2. Invest the time and energy into high-quality electrical connections. If one thing is not sufficiently connected, it won’t work. Or worse, you could fry your electronics. Good connections also protect against the curious claws and jaws of house cats. Ask me how I know… 😼

3. By designing with 3D printed parts that I could manufacture myself (at the time, on my Ender 3) I saved 💰💰💰. See my case studies page for an example of the parts I engineered & produced for this project.

Although I ended up selling my machine due to a lack of space in my office and the growth of my 3D Print Farm, the project more than served its purpose: it gave me a constructive, educational way to use my free time and it allowed me to explore other avenues of technology that I was familiar with but had never employed in my own projects.

Would I take the time to do something like this again?

Absolutely!

I’m actually in the process of manufacturing the prototype of another invention I have up my sleeve… 🙂