I've been more than satisfied with the 3d printer and have overcome some of the beginner-level problems. ...So I bought a desktop cnc (3018 Pro version with updates) for even more problems.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D3H89N4
WOW!¬
At that price how can you not? Very intrigued to see what comes out of your workshop :)
My FIL spent an arm and a leg on a home CNC machine about 12 years ago (time flies might be longer) and it was £5k. Sadly it never really got used, as he had the start of dementia when he bought it.
The capability looks similar.
What have you done with the printer? they always strikes me as ideal for replacing a broken handle or that bit of plastic that broke when you dropped the keyboard, or the base of the hole punch that cracked.
>done
At first, there was a lot of 3d printing accessories to make ...desiccant jars, cradles for the spools, etc. to set up dry filament storage. I went with this route (but later extensively redesigned them to fit my newly learned preferences).
Airtight Filament Canister
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1332650
Then I spent a long spell of designing & making drawer organizers and battery storage bins. Great for learning.
Then there were custom cupholders, phone holders, and so forth.
All of the above were printed with PLA filament, which is the easiest to use. BUT it has a lower melting point, so while it is ok for indoor projects it will soften and droop in summer heat in vehicles or an attic.
Now I've moved up to (the more difficult but heat-tolerant) PETG filament and have reprinted some earlier PLA items such as a special 1L cupholder for the Volvo & dashboard iphone holder.
For the last 2 weeks I've been printing tool holders for my battery-powered hand tools. I've modified the 3d models to fit my specific tools and also to mount to Din Rail --making a French Cleat-like setup.
Example: Ryobi Drill Driver Holder
https://www.printables.com/model/24849-ryobi-drill-driver-holder
>cnc
It is tiny. But the 30x18 cm units became *very* popular 3 or 4 years ago and China jumped on the market. Prices dropped but now I *think* that most are moving up a size or two ($500-$1000 -ish). I just need one for 'training wheels' to mostly get some understanding & familiarity with the software required to build a model and execute it. BECAUSE...
My goal is to build a large-format CNC, something that will handle a sheet of plywood or a 10 ft (3m) piece of lumber. I've already bought this one;
LowRider CNC V3 - V1 Engineering
https://docs.v1e.com/lowrider/
Exciting, you are getting in deep!
Sue corrected me, the FILs CNC was £14k. Timings about right though. I knew it was silly money.
Love it. The people who invent/design, do loads of upgrades. Impressed.
>design
In high school I was tested for aptitudes to help with decisions about colleges and degree majors. Architecture was #1 (engineering #2, IIRC). I've always had a penchant for Art Deco design (in vehicles. Buildings not so much). But with 3d printing I find that I'm more in the eastern eu Brutalist camp ...a.k.a. the "Minecraft School of Design." hhh
(Sleek curvy models take far more skills and time to design.)
3d is mature now, so there are several model aggregators online. Many items or variants have already been done and posted. I use Yeggi (modified with Tampermonkey). Its internal search sucks but it is fairly well indexed by G. Take a look.
https://www.yeggi.com/
Interesting. more Art and less useful stuff than I was expecting.
Engineers are geeks, not artists in my experience. I wonder why.
> more Art and less useful stuff than I was expecting
IMO, well over half of the consumer 3d prints are figurines, costumes, and decor. Before I bought the printer I had noticed posts about those types of models but assumed that it would be heavily tilted toward DIY, maintenance, repair, etc. I used to tease that "All you guys do is print Baby Groot!" ...it was a shock to find that was actually the case.
That's why I had to modify the results with TMonkey --to filter that junk & also to only show free models.
>> tested for aptitudes
My #1 was Forest Ranger! I don't remember #2.
>My #1 was Forest Ranger
Ain't no money to be made doing that --same thing for architects! I have read that, other than a few rock star architects, it is the professional degree with the lowest pay.
CNC assembled and tested. I spent 4 hours assembling hardware and another 3 hours wrapping the wiring harness and labeling controller pins & cable ends (can't visually trace the cables now that they are wrapped in a harness). This needed to be done before the machine is used and dust coats everything.
I'm working through file types and software choices now.
QuoteI'm working through file types and software choices now.
never simple!
>simple
It appears to be doubly so with cnc software. My guess is that the various software was developed independently and more or less concurrently by industrial manufacturers, shops, etc., then moved into the consumer market along with the hardware.
Windows seems to dominate by a large margin. There is much howling by the linux crowd that many/most? of the best programs won't run on linux natively. Given that, I won't be able to run this from chromebook linux as I do with 3d printing.
ALSO, the dominant free program, Easel, went to a pricey subscription in the last year or so.
Software Workflow - V1 Engineering Documentation
https://docs.v1e.com/learn/software_overview/
+
I manually ran some test files that came with the cnc this morning and did some light engraving in some scrap wood. Like 3d printing it is mesmerizing to watch.