SwissMak CNC Turning Center

3D printers have opened up a wide variety of plastic parts that can be made by hobbyists and DIYers at home. However, if you’d like to work with metal, you will normally need machine tools like a mill and lathe. These are also available at prices within the reach of those with a home shop, but can be poorly made and rarely feature innovative designs. Overlord Robotics aims to change this with their SwissMak turning center, now available on Kickstarter.

The modular mill turn kit is available for $4,699 and features five controllable axes, along with an automated tool turret to swap out cutting tools automatically. This multi-axis CNC capability allows it to cut parts in metal that would be impossible — or extremely difficult — with traditional machinery. Those with experience with this type of metalworking will find the capabilities shown off in their product video to be quite remarkable, especially in a machine targeted towards home machinists.

If you’re not ready to jump into this type of machine, Overlord Robotics also has simplified versions with lathe and three-axis milling variants. While not as capable as their top-of-the-line model, each still represents a huge improvement over manual tools that you might find in a well-equipped garage.