[damae]

This poll is not so much about why you are into DIY CNC now, but more about what first got you interested.

And another question, aside from the poll:

When you first saw that some guy built a CNC machine in his own garage, what was your reaction? I, for one, was blown away, completely amazed at the ingenuity and resourcefulness. Slowly, my fascination changed from observing to thinking "yes, I think I can do that!"

Is that a universal reaction?

[jjwl89]

Yes, I agree. That was the same reaction I had when I first learned about home built CNC machines. I didn't know what 95% of the CNC related stuff was. Things like backlash, ball screws, and stepper motors, I had never seen before. But slowly but surely, I'm figuring it out.

[ynneb]

For me it was a matter of days inbetween not even knowing what CNC was, and desciding to build one. I suspect in hinesight, if I had known as much as I do now ( Still not that much) I would have been self intimidated into not building one.

I guess entering into it blindly can in some ways be a benifit than a hinderance.

[damae]

I guess entering into it blindly can in some ways be a benifit than a hinderance.

I completely agree! Already, I learned far more than I expected (almost more than I wanted to!) in just planning my CNC machine.

I get the feeling that a lot of people here built their machine because nobody told them they couldn't! If we knew the details of what goes into a professional machine and tried to emulate every detail, we'd never get started!

[strat]

i was looking for a way to make my own parts it was cheaper to buy a sheet of material then it was to buy em pre cut but thats where my trouble came in i go to cut a straight line with a saw and it looks like a figure 8 then i tripped on this site
boy did that make a difference the machines i saw and the thought of using my puter to cut out what i could draw or scan that had me hooked and the best part was how friendly and willing to share the knowledge the guys were on here kinda made it my second home

[mredican]

I started out by building a Duplicarver to help me make Mandolin tops/backs. Around that time I got in to American Chopper and Monster Garage. It is suprising what you can pick up tech wise from those shows.

Anyways... I was watching DIY network and saw a guy use a CNC router. Took about two seconds..."Hummm, bet I could make one of those!" Ten months later I was cutting my first parts out on a machine I built for under $500.00.

[ViperTX]

Well none of the selections fit my profile. I've always been interested in CNC since the first time I saw this "woman's shape" cut from 1/4 inch steel by a torch that was mounted on a frame and it was being manually pushed by a person following the contour of a pattern.....so, that got me thinking of how cool that was...which lead to 'can I do that with a computer'...which lead to 'how do I create a pattern'....which has finally lead me to an inexpensive way to accomplish all this.

You've all seen that "woman's profile"...sometimes on the mud flaps of large trucks, etc.....so, I guess "sex" got me interested....funny how that turns into work which we do for nothing...hmmmmm....

[CerveloRod]

I put a wakeboard tower on my boat last summer, and I thought everyone was jacking the prices for the tower accessories.

After building a PC, mini-mill with steppers, driver, ballscrews, tooling, etc. it would have been MUCH cheaper to just buy the accessories and be done with it. Although now I can sell the extras I have made along the way, that's how the wife approved this project..

I DO now know what I am going to pursue as a job/hobby/income generator after my wife finishes school though. It's to satisfying to draw something in CAD, then work out the CAM, then see you design come to live by whittling away bits of AL...

Rod

[esmiller]

I actually became interested in "CNC" before i had ever heard of it.. I came up with the idea of a computerized cutting table in 1985, but had no access to the parts that would eventually be available.. it wasn't until I discovered CNCZONE.COM that building one ever became a reality..
I must have tried 15-20 mockups and failed in the past.

Eddie

[damae]

I actually became interested in "CNC" before i had ever heard of it.. I came up with the idea of a computerized cutting table in 1985, but had no access to the parts that would eventually be available.. it wasn't until I discovered CNCZONE.COM that building one ever became a reality..
I must have tried 15-20 mockups and failed in the past.

Eddie

Now that's determination! Do you have any pictures of what you did that didn't work? If so, you should start a project log to show what you tried, and how it worked, or didn't!

[damae]

Hmm.. 34 votes and none of them are for "I went looking for a new hobby."

Actually, I can't remember ever looking for a new hobby. The ones I have I stumbled across.

[ViperTX]

Personally I never look for a hobby...just see something or run into a situation that needs a solution....so I develop another skill....

[mredican]

I think it is the hobby that finds you............

[esmiller]

Now that's determination! Do you have any pictures of what you did that didn't work? If so, you should start a project log to show what you tried, and how it worked, or didn't!

I wish i did, but they all went to the scrap heaps long ago.

In '85 i was studying Industrial Electronics, and my primary interest lied in Robotics and Computer Control. We built a 32 tune Chime using Solenoids, lengths of brass pipe cut to various lengths, and a Microprocessor with 4K of memory, which had to be programmed in Machine Language (Hexadecimal Code.. i.e.. op-codes). When we managed to get it to play the theme from the Twilight Zone show, it was AMAZING.

In '86 I saw my first CNC machine.. Reel-to-Reel tape drive, as i recall, and it was all programmed at the machine, using about a 30 key programming board. I never actualy saw it get to work, but I knew then that my ideas of computerized cutting tables were realistic..

of course, now everybody is doing it, and i am getting in on it late, but atleast i am finally building one that runs!!

All I need to do now is learn to program it and convert clipart to G-Code... I think the machine was the easy part.. HAHAHAHA

Eddie

[j m]

I’ve always been interested in interfacing computers for real world applications. Seeing what people had made with DIY CNC blow me away. But what really made me decide to start to try and make one myself was watching videos of CNC machines in action.

[davidmb]

About three years ago I was working in a really stressful job ( computer programming – moved jobs soon after ) and I got the opportunity to buy a small manual machining centre, at this point I decided to start and build a small uniflow steam engine, this resulted in a small scale foundry moving into the garage, then came pattern making ( at least with wood you can stick bits back on! ), the simple patterns were not too bad, then came some really complex shapes and I got to thinking it can’t be too difficult can it, six months on and £500 I am nearing the completion of my first CNC machine.

This process has been so personally rewarding, all the extra skills I have learnt along the way and it looks like it might even make a modest income.

I’m hooked.

[RickOmatic]

I was working at a shop running conversational Proto Trak cnc mill conversions. I started making a belt buckle out a stainless steel scrap piece. After a couple of lunch hours spent working on it, I took a good look at it and realized how crappy it looked! Another employe thought it was just great and wanted to know if I would make him one. I just handed him the buckle and he couldn't believe I would give it up! I told him I was going to make another one (belt buckle) on a cnc that I would build myself! I found Bruce Shapiro's website on the local library internet access (just bought a new 166 p1 machine and didn't have internet at the house yet) and KNEW that I had to build one! http://www.iaxs.net/~bshapiro/home.htm
It's been great ever since! Rick-o-matic Rick

[nuplowboy]

I got the bug around a year and a half ago. I have a homemade foundry for casting aluminum, but I don't have the patience to carve/whittle out patterns that are much more than 2D shapes. I use 3D CAD (Pro/E) in my job, and I'm pretty decent at that. I went looking for someone who'd made a homebrew rapid prototype machine. (We have one at work that used a cornstarch-like powder and an inkjet head printing a binder that works in layers to make a part) Not finding any of those, I did stumble across some folks with cnc routers using dremels and such. I immediately decided that was much better. A few weeks later I had a driver/stepper motor kit ordered from Hobby CNC. I plan to use a cnc powered dremel to carve pink insulation foam into patterns to cast using lost foam. I started out looking to design my own and cast a lot of the parts, but laziness set in. I am mostly done with a Jgro designed machine and can't wait to see foam "chips" fly...

[MIKE JEFFERS]

been messing around with motorbikes (tuning customising) for years
decided i need a cnc at home so as not to upset my employer and with the help
of a friend and you guys at cnc zone built a small router from plastic sheet
proved the concept,remade it in ali then cnc'd an x1 micro mill cost sofar about
£500 tops which iv'e since recouped
it is another whole hobby though.
mike

[gregsnovas]

here at work we have an older esab cnc router 12'x 12' and i wanted to know how it worked. next thing i know im collecting parts for my own