Looking for Guidance on Constructing a Unique CNC Device for Woodworking Tasks

Hello Everyone :hugs:,

Being a member of this dynamic group of makers & innovators excites me. I’m contacting you to ask for help and direction on a project I’ve had my eye on for a while: creating a unique CNC machine meant only for woodworking tasks.

Although I have some expertise with basic electronics and woodworking, I have never built a CNC milling machine from scratch before.

Here are some specifics regarding my project & the areas I could want assistance with:

1. Specifications and Design:

  • What are the most important design factors for a CNC woodworking machine? :thinking:
  • Do you have any suggested sources or layout blueprints that I might use? :thinking:
  • Which specs should I pay attention to in order to guarantee precision and longevity? :thinking:

2. Hardware and Parts:

  • What are the necessary supplies (such as motors, controllers, and frame materials) that I need to acquire for my project? :thinking:
  • Is there anyone who can recommend reputable brands or suppliers for these parts? :thinking:
  • Any advice on selecting the appropriate spindle type for woodworking? :thinking:

3. Control and Software Systems:

  • Which software is best for designing and operating a CNC machine? :thinking:
  • Exist any alternatives that are easy to utilise for novices? :thinking:
  • How can I combine hardware and software components? :thinking:

4. Assembling and Adjusting:

  • What are some typical obstacles encountered when assembling a CNC machine, and exactly how can I get beyond them? :thinking:
  • How can I make sure my machine is tuned correctly to handle precise tasks? :thinking:

5. Safety Points to Remember:

Which safety precautions should I take into consideration when constructing and using the CNC machine? :thinking:

I also followed this :point_right: https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-a-Three-Axis-CNC-Machine-Cheaply-and-sap-sac

I would be very grateful for any guidance, recommendations, or materials you could provide. If anyone in the neighborhood has worked on a project comparable to this, please share your experiences & any insights you may have gained.

Thank you :pray: in advance.

Hey,
those are a looooot of Questions. :slight_smile:
I guess no-one knows were to start with that many and big questions.
I mean we have a self build cnc in our space, and there are already some members of ours, that have experience with self build ones (for example: Meine selbstentworfene Fräse ) but I would start with asking you some questions.

  • What is your experience up until now with CNC’s?
  • What is your usecase? What do you want to do with it? What sizes of wood …
  • What is your motivation to start with a self-made one? ( which is no small project to handle)

And maybe break your questions down a bit (or maybe even a lot so we can really help out). Like what were you thinking to use up until now and then maybe someone can give you a hint if you should consider something else as a motor or stuff… the more concrete you get, the better we can answer without having to fill papers with information you don’t need.

Hope that helps to get you started.

Hey Jack,

Welcome to our little corner of the Internet :sweat_smile:

To be honest i’m not sure anyone here can help you in that detail, those are very wide ranging questions and we’re „only“ a small forum of a makerspace in Germany.
If i saw correctly in your Bio you’re located in LA, so any sources we recommend would not be a good fit for you shipping wise.

Also you didn’t really say what you were planning on doing with that cnc, there are plenty of things you could so with a wood cnc, with different form factors of CNCs that would have pros/cons vor various applications.

For example:

MPCNC Introduction to The MPCNC - V1 Engineering Documentation

Is a mostly 3D printed cnc focused on being an „regular“ affordable CNC with a medium size bed.

LowRider CNC LowRider CNC V3 - V1 Engineering Documentation

A „self driving“ CNC for larger sheet cutting

Open Builds CNC https://openbuilds.com/

Various parts to create custom open source CNCs that are quite sturdy, almost any size you like.

In general i’d suggest to go for an existing CNC project or concept, which makes it easier to find help to get it going.

Cheers
Marc

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