Workshop

The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for the industrial arts from metal and woodworking to CNC machining and 3D printing.

Tool Review: NEMA 23 Stepper Motor Covers

Tool Review: NEMA 23 Stepper Motor Covers

Over the last year I have been finishing a project to convert my X2 manual mini mill into a fully enclosed 3-axis CNC milling machine. Once I had the stepper motors mounted and running, I worried that the wire connection at the base of the motors might be a potential weak point in the design. Eventually I want to use mist coolant when machining parts but I do not want to run the risk of shorting out the wiring due to spotty connections.

Mixtape Coffee Table

Mixtape Coffee Table

From Jeff Skierka Designs comes this scaled-up handmade mixtape coffee table. From Jeff’s site:

This coffee table is a 12:1 scaled replica of a cassette tape. It is made of reclaimed maple, walnut and lucite. Dimensions are 47.25″ x 30″ x 5″ with a 3/8″ plexi top. This is a first prototype and one of a kind table. Future versions will be CNC machined out of high grade plywood with a variety of ply combinations and a glass top. This table has been an obsession of mine for 5 years! It is amazing to finally have it come to fruition. The table is completely reversible (sides A and B).

Whirligig of Doom

Whirligig of Doom

Everybody’s favorite slingshot aficionado, Jörg Sprave, is at it again. Got an old set of steak knives sitting around the house collecting dust? Why not turn them into a battery-powered whirligig of doom? Using a battery powered drill, some MDF, and a timing belt, Jörg constructed one mean looking rotary slicer.