Open Source CNC
If you were like me, I bet you thought CNC was something you could only see in a large fabrication facility. Turns out, open source has made CNC accessible to just about anyone. There are now several turn-key CNC devices for less than a thousand dollars and DYI solutions that can be produced for just a few hundred.
https://www.inventables.com/technologies/desktop-3d-carving-cnc-mill-kit-shapeoko-2
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1417197574/the-creation-station-open-source-cnc-router
http://www.openbuilds.com/builds/openbuilds-ox-cnc-machine.341/
Keep in mind that with these machines you will also need software to create digital models and tool-paths for your subtractive machining processes. A recent option I have had the pleasure of exploring is fusion360.autodesk.com, which is free to startups and educational institutions. The best part about this option is it’s built-in file sharing and automated versioning capabilities. The cloud aspect is a little annoying, even scary, but I think this is just me showing my age… If anyone would like to collaborate on a project within the Fusion360 environment you can start a project and share it with me using my jgarman(at)uoregon.edu address. I have allot of experience in CAM programming and would be happy to learn more through collaboration.
A DIY machine soon to be released in a kickstarter campaign is the pocketNC P5. It does not have the large accessible area of a 3 axis router but it does have full simultaneous 5 axis positioning capabilities. Which removes non-monotonic surface machining restriction. Check out this demo video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijqmLLjHbyk
I hadn’t seen anything like that before. Thanks for sharing. I’ve also read about several open source projects using robot arms to move beyond 3-axis routing. They don’t seem to be quite ready, but I bet it won’t be long.