CNC

Building a CNC machine from 3D-printed parts, ball bearings, and aluminum extrusion. It's a 3-axis machine (X/Y/Z) — precise enough to mill PCB boards, capable enough for general woodworking, and sturdy enough to handle aluminum.

It started from an existing 3D-printed CNC design by Aviran, but switching to ball screw drives — and the bearings that come with them — meant redesigning nearly every part of the machine. The frame combines aluminum profile for rigidity with 3D-printed brackets and bearing mounts holding everything together, running on GRBL via a BigTreeTech Rodent controller.

Most of the design work happened in FreeCAD, working through the frame, gantry, and bearing mounts before printing anything. Once finished, this machine becomes a core part of my wooden workshop, used alongside my other woodworking projects.