The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for the industrial arts from metal and woodworking to CNC machining and 3D printing.
Reddit user Queuetue built this impressive-looking shop crane: In my shop, we need to fill empty and stack a lot of barrels. Our old process, using a chain hoist, was fraught with peril – so we decided to build … something. It’s a standard box store manual shop crane, modified with a 2hp motor and […]
Although the V90 is an entry-level machine, it’s decidedly not a toy. The way it functions is complicated — a platform carries the tool holder; a larger gantry moves the tool back and forth; the frame positions the gantry; and it’s all driven by a motor turning the screw interposed between two shafts. Indeed, this […]
Despite all of the well-documented, homebuilt CNCs out there, I couldn’t get the momentum to build one, so I decided to start with a kit. The micRo looks great (in a NASA sort of way), and with a working area of about 12″×10″×4″, it’s big enough to be useful to the hobbyist, small enough to […]
Probotix offers several kits that add computer numeric control (CNC) to the X2 Mini Mill. I used their 3-Axis Monster Mill Stepper Motor Driver kit, plus a Ready-to-Run bundle that includes some additional components required to get it operational. For the computer itself, I used my old ThinkPad, but if your laptop is too new […]
Need miniature aluminum girders for your next robot? Look no further than the lightweight MicroRAX building system. Parts include 10mm aluminum beams and braces, plates, brackets, and other connectors. They’ve even developed adapter plates to attach your ’RAX to VEX and NXT constructs, allowing you to merge multiple building media. The beams are sold in 900mm […]
Stewert King shot this video of a talented woodworker in the streets of Marrakech using a bow lathe to turn out a chess piece. This simple hand-powered tool, in the right hands (and in this case feet), can produce intricately carved items in a matter of minutes. The show of skill and dexterity is truly mesmerizing.
Another cool technique for your bag of CNC panel-cutting tricks. The booklets and photos shown here are from the Dutch firm Snijlab lasersnijden (which, obviously, translates as “Snijlab Laser Ninjas”). The method is kind of like kerf-bending, but the cuts go all the way through the substrate.
