DIY CNC Machine

I built a CNC machine out of mainly MDF and old printer parts. It worked decently well for about three cuts and then the shaft couplers (1/8th in aquarium tubing) snapped. It cut super slowly but produced at least one pretty excellent cut. In the first attempt at carving my name in foam I actually hand coded in the G-Code commands because the software I was trying to use wasn't working. Once I figured out the software I was able to produce the above video of my second and just about fully successful attempt at carving my name into foam. Below are additional pictures of the build and finished cuts of the DIY CNC machine.

My second and mostly successful attempt at carving my name into foam.

Detail of the frame of the DIY CNC machine.

The stepper motor driver circuit. Notice the super fancy soldering iron case that is reused to hold the boards in place.

The finished DIY CNC. My power management skills have since evolved beyond using all of the extension cord adapters.

Detail of the dremel and z-axis gantry.

Detail of the frame. Not the most sturdy of constructions but it actually worked. Sorta.

My first hand G-coded attempt at carving my name in foam.

The rest of the cuts I made in foam blocks.

This was one of my first attempts at building a CNC mill and I've been meaning to either buy a kit that is constructed a lot better than this one or make one that doesn't break after three cuts. The new shed that I'm building would have more than enough space for one so stay tuned for more CNC adventures.