$50 CNC router

introduction

I built this CNC router with the intention of making it accessible to everyone. it is quite simple to build, especially thanks to the drawings I shared on the Thingiverse page linked below along with the 3D files to print, it does not require any programming skills, but to build it you will need a 3D printer, if you don't have one, many shops will print the parts for you for cheap.

what it can do

This CNC router is quite accurate especially if you engrave wood, even cutting acrylic is possible, this is something quite impressive for such a cheap CNC router because this material is very hard. you definitely can not cut metals, but that's not something that you can expect from a machine like this.

Components and Structure

this machine is quite slow because it uses 28byj48 stepper motors, but this is a trade-off to pay for the low price of this router. I could use belts to make the axes move faster, but the motors would definitely lose steps because they don't have enough torque to run that way. the motors are controlled with an Arduino Uno and a grbl shield which makes this machine very easy to use. All axes move on 3D printed linear rails which work quite well considering they are made of plastic and basically free to make, they have no play at all, and they move quite smoothly. The frame of this CNC router is made of 10mm plywood which I cut with a circular saw. As a spindle, I used a 775 motor, which is a good option if you want to engrave wood and plastic, with an er11 attached to it so that you can use 1/8" cutters.

conclusions

this machine is perfect for those who want to build a pretty good CNC as cheaply as possible, still been able to cut precisely the parts that they need. If you want to see this CNC machine in action and if you want more information on how to build it you can watch my video linked above, have a great day, bye!!