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DIY CNC

If your at all interested in DIY CNC (do it yourself computer numerical control), then Instructables is the place to be. We've got detailed step by step instructions on how you can build your own CNC lasers, CNC mills, CNC foam cutters, self-replicating CNC's and even a CNC chocolate 3D printer! Start building a CNC device for your shop today and make something awesome!

How to make a mini milling machine- manual or CNC! by Honus

How to Make a Three Axis CNC Machine (Cheaply and Easily) by oomlout

Easy to Build Desk Top 3 Axis CNC Milling Machine by Tom McWire

$20 CNC Machine by Techbuilder

Use a Treadmill DC Drive Motor and PWM Speed Controller f… by rjeblogue

Easy to build CNC Mill Stepper Motor and Driver circuits by Tom McWire

Fireball V90 CNC Router Assembly by abbtech

Laser cutter, start slicing stuff for under 50 dollars by lamedust

CO2 laser that cuts sheet metal by owhite

Mostly self-reproducing 3-axis CNC milling machine(SHELVE… by ebidk

CNC G-Code Interpreter using Processing by otaviousp

3 Axis CNC Router - 60"x60"x5" - JunkBot by russaanderson

Homebrew Laser Cutter made by Zach Radding by TimAnderson

3D chocolate printer made from LEGO by saul

Putting it all together by charcoal999

Dremel Carver/Duplicator like a Human Powered CNC Router by Adran

Make a CNC Hot Wire Foam Cutter from parts available at y… by tbarnea

Low Cost Hobby Servo XY Table by CarlS

27 comments

Mar 15, 2012. 5:44 AMlindsaymartin1 says:

Steve Chamberland is on a mission to help one person in every state receive a prosthetic. Join the movement today! Orthotic and Prosthetic

Mar 5, 2012. 6:23 PMmellow_joe says:

if your looking for low cost linear slides i bought some v groove rails on ebay for $2 bucks a foot. can't beat that.

Feb 6, 2012. 11:42 AMAJ Quick says:

Here is our new CNC Building Blocks kit on Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ajquick/cnc-building-blocks

It allows you to assemble the $150 kit of parts into different kind of CNC machines and takes the difficulty out of the harder and more expensive parts to build and setup.

Sep 10, 2011. 7:15 PMmsilva13 says:

Congratulations, and is very projecty. I'm like learning.
Thank you
Marcelo- São Paulo- Brazil

Oct 21, 2011. 8:12 AMinsuranceman1 says:

home-brew laser cutter? This one may be out of my league.

Jan 13, 2011. 7:34 AMGuenther Paul says:

Can any one tell me where to find free operating programs for the 3 axis CNC

Mar 15, 2011. 12:22 AM

Flying_MashedPotatoes says:

EMC2 is good.

Dec 5, 2010. 6:45 PM

hondaman900 says:

Check out this new DIY CNC kit recently launched at Kickstarter.com. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/421256045/diy-desktop-cnc-machine

Jan 5, 2011. 8:07 PMAJ Quick says:

There is also this CNC on Kickstarter! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ajquick/modular-desktop-cnc-machine

Sep 9, 2010. 2:22 AMrevolter_ch says:

www.makecnc.blogfa.com

May 29, 2010. 12:23 AMQuest for Questions says:

what exactly is a CNC ?

Jun 17, 2010. 10:25 AMmlandrith says:

CNC stands for computer numerical control and it is a protocol that controls a lathe or any type of milling, cutting, grinding, etc. head across three axis of movement, X, Y, and Z. In other words you can make really cool and precise "stuff" if programmed correctly.

Jun 6, 2010. 2:23 AMPie Ninja says:

A giant etch-a-sketch with motors.

Jun 6, 2010. 4:10 AMQuest for Questions says:

sweet

Apr 12, 2010. 6:38 PM50ul84n3 says:

I have 3 bi-polar stepper motors and cant find any software to operate them. can someone give me a few ideas of how to control them?

May 25, 2010. 11:31 PMjawatim says:

Try EMC2:
linuxcnc.org/
It's free. All you have to do is download the appropriate .iso for your computer (64 bit and 32 bit supported) then burn it to a CD. To install the EMC2 Linux and keep your standard OS, boot into the CD then follow Ubuntu's installation instructions until you get to the part asking about partitions. There is an option where you can adjust the size of the EMC2 Linux's partition using something like a bar. The linux distribution is Ubuntu so it has an easy-to-use GUI.

Apr 4, 2010. 12:00 PMmajdi says:

hello, i have this servo motor (A06B-0642-B011) and i need driver board of it and this board depend on STEP and Direction .

Jan 21, 2010. 7:44 AMtazmaniac_37752 says:

Hope i'm putting this in the correct place! This site is awesome as i prefer to build things over buying them even if i have the money to buy them, I had thought about creating a site like this and stumbled onto this one quite by accident great job everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jan 17, 2010. 9:11 PM760ALIEN says:

Awsome!

Jan 3, 2010. 1:37 PMdaedalus12 says:

Heya everybody;

Going to be doing a new design for a table-top scale machine over the next couple months, mainly for circuit boards and plastic parts (plans will be made available on the web, of course!). Was looking at using plastic slides from Igus for the linear motion. Link here. Figure it might be easier and more precise than building them from scratch with bearings, but probably less durable.

Anyone have insight about the advantages or disadvantages of building a machine around these slides?