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Michael Conner
05-25-2006, 4:57 PM
Has anyone here made there own CNC machine? I am interested in making a machine that will do simple cutouts (up to 18" x 24") faster than I can do them on the bandsaw. I really don't think I would need anything that is terribly accurate, at least not the .001 inch stuff I see advertised. I am thinking about something that would just cut out irregular shapes (ovals, arrows, shields, etc.) in a hurry. I suppose it would be nice if it would put a ogee edge on it, but even that would not be necessary. Any ideas? Because this would be more for fun and hobby than for generating money, I wouldn't want to spend much. Fortunately, I have a PC I could dedicate to the task as well as a router or 2:D . I think the process of building the machine would be kind of cool! Thanks in advance for any ideas/suggestions.

Lee DeRaud
05-25-2006, 5:06 PM
Google is your friend: CNC+DIY will get you more than you wanted to know.

The most relevant find to your question is probably:
http://www.liutaiomottola.com/Tools/CNCRouter.htm
which is a desktop shop-built CNC router, complete with downloadable plans.

William Desrochers
05-25-2006, 10:34 PM
I've made my own before, 2' x 3'. I just recently sold it to a friend, as I will be starting another one a bit bigger.

If you need some info/suggestions, give me a shout. ;)

Dave West
05-26-2006, 8:49 PM
Try CNCzone.com. Lots of great info as well as free cnc plans. That's where I built mine with. Works great!.

Dave

Michael Conner
05-26-2006, 10:04 PM
Thanks for the input. I have been surfing for homemade CNCs since juse before my original post. There is SOOOOOOOOOO much out there. Most of it seems to be focused at a level of precision beyond that required by my application. I am looking for a machine to run a 1 - 1.5 hp router that is spinning a spiral cutting bit. I am primarily interested in rapid cutout. However, the ability to apply a decent edge treatment at the same time is appealing. I can certainly see that I have much reading to do!