CNC Joins the Workshop...

This week I added a CNC to my arsenal of tools in the workshop. The CNC is something I’ve looked at for a long time but kept talking myself out of it….

Where would I find the space in the workshop?…

Should I buy a hobby machine or save up for a more pro machine?…

The software looks like a steep learning curve, I don’t have time for that….

What can a CNC do that adds to my workflow?….

What actually changed my mind was a project. I had an epiphany of sorts for an art/gift piece for someone in the family. When the epiphany hit, the only way to do is successfully was with a CNC. As soon as that project idea hit me, I started snowballing ideas of things I could build. Custom signs for people, wedding table centres, signs for local businesses, name plates, carved chopping boards…the list went on. Pretty soon I figured I could make the machine pay for itself.

Fastforward a few weeks, and a lot of research later, I landed on the 3dTek CNC. Its the open source version of the very popular hobby machine the X Carve, but made locally in Australia and therefore no import taxes added to the price! It also had free shipping when I bought it…the planets aligned.

A solid 10-12hrs of putting the thing together and I now have a CNC machine. So in answer to the questions above….

I found a space under my workbench and got a custom 700x1000mm machine that fits perfectly. I’ll put it on slides so it can pull out like a draw.

I bought a hobby machine, if it becomes a key asset in the workshop I can always sell it and upgrade.

The software…lets say I haven’t carved anything yet and I’ve broken one limit switch already. Still some work to do there!

What the CNC adds to my workflow I don’t know yet. But I do have an ever growing list of CNC projects in my head. I’ll be interested in how my thinking changes from doing certain tasks by hand (or avoiding them) to integrating the CNC into my workflow.

Thanks to Ben from 3dTEK for taking the time to talk through the machine and answer my questions. He was very helpful and offers after sales support via phone if you need it.

Have a great week and keep an eye on the website for future CNC projects.