Year
Fall 2020
Category
digital fabrication
A personal challenge
The first ever CNC machine I owned was a budget 3018 machine imported from China. Although it was not much more than a toy, it allowed me to learn the fundamentals of CNC machining and helped ignite my passion for digital fabrication. After outgrowing the off-the-shelf machine, I decided that it wouldn't be too hard to build my own CNC router that had more power and build area.
Design process
The design of the CNC router (I call the FormCarve) is based around aluminum extrusion and custom designed aluminum bracket plates. The drivetrain consists of NEMA-23 stepper motors connected to GT-2 belts and pulleys. The spindle is a standard palm router form Harbor Freight.
Three wooden topography models of Yosemite Valley, made with my homemade CNC router.
The Z-slide mechanism and counter-springs on my homemade CNC router.
Machining a small model of the Sydney Opera House on my homemade CNC router.