Build Your Own CNC! (Part 1) - Hardware

[@dr0bi]

The subscribe on the Thinkpad was a really nice touch

[@littlegrabbiZZ9PZA]

As a certified nerd, I think (heh) the ThinkPad itself is a nice touch. Best laptops ever, even after years of Lenovo fuckery.

[@SKIND-SMOKEWAGON]

That crap was subtle as frig. Almost missed it.

[@zanpekosak2383]

I have to say....it got me *thinking*

[@fliedaway]

Just got myself a older gen thinkpad T430, love it and T.O.T. Happy days.

[@ubertalldude]

it almost seems like there's one SUBSCRIBE reminder in every video, be it super subtle or patently obvious it's a great Easter egg to look for. love Tony's attention to detail

[@colinfurze]

a CNC pizza cutter is sounding like a great idea lol, right eBay here we go

[@ThisOldTony]

I hope this is real. I'm much more fragile than I let on.

[@red01Mustang]

I’m hungry now .i can’t wait to enjoy a 1/24 size slice of pizza

[@jezreel32]

Looking forward to your extreme pizza cutter colin :D

[@Hellsatanx]

yes please!

[@九-f7c]

@@red01Mustang why 1/24 of a pizza when you can have 1/36 of a pizza

[@RonCovell]

Tony, thanks for another fabulous video! I'm one of those 'mechanical' nerds, who think anything electronic is 'over their head', but you did a great job of explaining the logic of this setup, and I believe I could build a similar setup if I put my mind to it! Keep 'em coming!

[@ThisOldTony]

I have absolutely no doubt you could. but only after... part 2! ;)

[@kennethkustren9381]

Nope... I blame our Governments. CNC IS 40 YEARS OLD !! Electricity is ancient ! www.buildyourcnc.com

[@ChunkyMonkaayyy]

A pair of bookends.

[@JimmysTractor]

He is a master at making complicated machines seems very basic. Using the very simple etch a sketch that all engineers are familliiar with makes it seem even easier.

[@chrisgedrim]

Now I want to see Ron pattern out a buck for a fender using a CNC Etch-a-Sketch 😂

[@andrewmyers7131]

Long time subscriber, first time commenter. Partially because I prefer to hide in the shadows like Gollum, and also because of the fear of public ridicule. That should tell you how strong the urge to comment is, especially given that what I’m about to say would be prime for such things. I’m a mechanical engineer who designs and builds cryogenic air separation plants for a living. I’m just painting the background here. But I also didn’t own a cell phone until 2 months ago, believe it or not. I believe that technology should have a purpose and until recently the phone served none to me. 20 some years ago in college, about the time the internet’s were invented, for my senior design class I built a CNC though it wasn’t called that at the time. I used the parallel port like you show but I wrote my own BASIC program for the output, which amounted to a bunch of nested loops with a print command to send a step. Fast forward to a few years ago and wanting a CNC router and coughing up $15k for it, and where I know that there isn’t anything to it and being extremely aggravated because of it. And despite knowing that also having to deal with the fact that I didn’t “speak the language” of the new technology to be able to learn from conventionally available resources. What I am trying to say is that for me, and I’m assuming others as well, this subject isn’t intuitive or easily learned. I very much appreciate both the time you are taking to explain it as well as your intelligence, demonstrated both through your sense of humor as well as your ability to simplify and clearly communicate. I need to watch this again a few times, make some drawings as that teaches me best, and look up some items, all electrical. But keep the videos coming. And the examples of different brands helps show what is consistent and probably important at this stage.

[@abdulkarimhalai6708]

Wow!!

[@SammyEddie]

Andrew Myers nice reply.

[@UrsusSuperior44]

Andrew Myers Hey mate, just one word Don't be afraid of any ridicule 99 times out of 100 Or even less Anything anyone thinks or says about you doesn't have any impact on reality Cheers ;)

[@SammyEddie]

I have learned to accept that anyone who personally attacks someone is coming from a position of weakness, and I TRY to not let the comments hurt. I enjoy disagreeing (debating) with people about issues, but I don’t attack the PEOPLE (by assuming if they like x person then they have Y character flaw etc. I’ve also learned this... EVERYBODY has issues and insecurities. Some don’t admit it, some attack to cover it, some have the issue of not being able to see their own issues. Thank you for commenting.... we are all in the shadows sometimes.

[@ryanj.hanson6920]

I decided a long time ago that other people's opinion of me is none of my business. 😎

[@ExplodingWaffle101]

"this is how the pros do it, if you're a hobbyist, you could build all this stuff into a nice enclosure with fans and switches and lights" i died laughing. too real :)

[@grouchyed2561]

Creeper With Shades - You beat me to it! So true...

[@duesing6]

Me too.

[@TheBelkul]

Fans, light and switches. Check. Working stepper motors. Erm

[@louisvictor3473]

@@TheBelkul It is called optimization, get the easy stuff done first, so it is out of the way, then do the hard stuff. Some people would say "the easy stuff that is actually part of the deal, procrastination doesn't count", but that is just a minor detail.

[@kyleemmerich2460]

@@louisvictor3473 On the flipside, why waste time doing the easy stuff if you're not 100% sure you can finish the hard stuff?

[@matthewthemanparker]

OK, I've waited a whole day. I feel I have been very patient. Now where's part 2?

[@AfshinKhatami]

and me too! part2 .... when?

[@prasadjoshi9614]

🤣🤔😂

[@TBizzell68]

I don’t need another hobby, I don’t need another hobby, I don’t need.....

[@iwtommo]

He says, mouse hovering over the blue 'confirm payment' button

[@robotparadise]

I guess everyone's got a pair of ruby slippers hidden away.

[@KaukazieBlues]

I know the feeling too well ...

[@slipsonic809]

Too true.

[@mattmanyam]

Somebody needs to make this a t-shirt...

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Excellent introduction to the topic. Thank you for posting. I enjoyed it!

[@jumpinjaxs]

Hey man, i love your videos. I just want to let you know keep it up. You've inspired me to start my cnc drill press vice with your table saw video.

[@russguppy8761]

You got me thinking. My wife isn't going to like this.

[@robotparadise]

The Stepford Wives 2

[@fer662]

My thoughts exactly 2 years ago.

[@rogersepulveda9871]

Dealing with the wife should be a video on its own.

[@6milesup]

@Grimace427 Trust me, you don't want to know. However, if you must have one, I have a "seasoned" wife model that I will let go for practically nothing. In fact, I might even pay you if you pick her up so I can get around shipping costs.

[@kadenfurr9699]

@@6milesup I don't know about him but I'm interested, I can be there in an hour.

[@markschwarz2137]

Now that's what I call "step by step". (That honestly was pun-not-intended) Great idea to keep it 2-d at first, and the Etch-a-Sketch concept is brilliant. Suddenly a bunch of random stuff I've seen on this topic on KZbin is gelling, and after the next video in this series comes out I predict I will be able to build a seven-axis CNC from ten buckets of dirt and a barbecue.

[@finecutpost]

Thanks for the excellent video's. Have you ever done jigsaw metal cutting blades? Also hacksaw blades? I'm having to cut half inch aluminum for aproject and so far it's really slow by hand with the blades I have and cheap plunge saw blades are useless. Thx again

[@andrewmcgiblets5784]

Linus Torvald would like to speak to you about your current lifestyle choices.

[@bdf2718]

Torvalds. There's more than one of him. Linux is fine for everything I do. Better than Windows. But then I don't do any CNC stuff, so I have no idea how LinuxCNC stacks up against Mach 4. As for CAD/CAM s/w for Linux, there's a lot of choice (which means there's probably no offering that will keep everyone happy).

[@bdf2718]

@Jim Alley Linus Torvalds (not Torvald) came up with something called Linux, which is an operating system. You can view it as an alternative to Windows except the price is a lot better - it's free. There is LinuxCNC on Linux as an alternative to Mach 4 on Windows. How reasonable an alternative I don't know. There are CAD/CAM programs for Linux, how good they are I don't know. There's a metric shit-ton of them, which is not a good sign, because a good one would crowd out the others. If you have an old computer sat around doing nothing because it's too underpowered to cope with Win 10 then it might be worth having a play with Linux, which isn't as hungry for resources. Because with Linux you tell it what you want to do (if you can figure out how, although standard stuff is easy, it's the non-standard stuff that has you tearing your hair out) instead of Microsoft telling you what they're going to force your computer to do (like do an update in the middle of running your CNC), or force a shitty user-interface upon you.

[@bdf2718]

@@RasmusJohanson I've hurd of this GNU of which you speak. They never did manage to come up with a kernel, did they? Well, they came up with something that was a pale imitation of Linux long after Linux had become solidly established. If we go down your route, it's actually xorg/GNU/Linux. Ummmm, Mate/xorg/GNU/Linux. Ummm, Firefox/Mate/xorg/GNU/Linux. The kernel is Linux, not Hurd. Much as I respect RMS, he cannot force me to call it anything other than Linux (nor can you).

[@erikjgreen]

Most people using LinuxCNC are using Fusion360 for CAM - it's an excellent package and free for start-up or hobby use. LinuxCNC is an industrial strength system... it has its quirks and it's more complex and less friendly than Mach, but it's been used to control all kinds of machines from little desktop routers to full size machining centers and lathes.

[@erikjgreen]

>It used to be true that Linux was the GNU software system plus the Linux kernel... nowadays it's mostly Linux+GNU dev tools+hundreds of other packages from other authors.

[@m_p]

I think I've only ever commented on one video before, but this is by far the most informative video I've watched on YT and I'm even making notes with the intention of giving this a shot. Have always loved your videos, but since I had a stroke a couple of years ago, I've wanted to finally get a little more hands on with many of the "hobby ideas" I've picked up along the way since I started watching YT way back when. Now, this will be my first shot at this. Thanks, Tony!

[@TreyCook21]

Machines playing with toys? Awesome! This is like that time Ken caught Barbie with Earl, a CNC machinist. I learned so much that summer.

[@Hoaxer51]

Trey Cook,it would have been more believable if you said Ken caught Barbie with Keith instead of Earl! Although I think the Keith’s aren’t into CNC yet...

[@Wintergatan]

This video quickly etched itself onto my brain

[@VulpesVulpes42]

Hello Martin!

[@MrMtcaleb]

Martin! Where have wintergatan Wednesdays been? Hope there's been good progress looking forward to seeing an update :)

[@killorkubed]

Yeah I've been waiting for videos for like forever now and I find you here... excited because you alive, but still no explanation for no video

[@tomb4639]

@@killorkubed he is a creative, he doesn't need to make videos having his videos to watch is a privilege not a right.

[@melvyniandrag]

All the celebs are in these comments!

[@thomasweitzel8506]

Wow, what a channel! And the only one I know where the comments complement the video in such a meaningful way.

[@seanroland612]

The amount of knowledge and comedy you pack in these videos is incredible. You remind me of this older gentleman I learned under when I was first cutting my teeth as a mechanic. I would listen to him for hours about anything he would talk about; some things relatable and applicable to a eager mechanic looking to find his niche in this world and some things that I just had no context for because of our 5 decade span of years lived. I can't relate to the prospect of starving, or packing up my newly wed and infant and traveling across the country just to find the job I had hoped for had been out of buisness for years. Jeffco, where ever you are, I appreciate the time you took to teach me about life.

[@wint3rsmith42]

Love it, exactly what i needed to see. I've ordered the nema 7 kit for my 15t overhead crane already.

[@billqqq]

Great intro to CNC! In 79, I was a draftsman in a little fab shop that built optical flame shape cutting machines. We retrofitted the machine with a "Burny" - one of the first CNC controllers to the machine and created what was probably one of the first CNC sjape cutting machines. I programmed it using straight G code, and generated 1" paper tape on a teletype machine that was then brought out to the shop and loaded onto the burny unit. The oxy-acetylene torch was swapped out with a Hypertherm water cooled plasma. It was an exciting time and an experience I will never forget. It's amazing to see the advances made in CNC. Thanks so much for your excellent channel.

[@kennedykirkhope6251]

I know I am late to the party, really late but this is one of the most useful introductions to cnc I have found.. I like and enjoy your method of presenting information. Is there a specific video where you go into controlling the speed of the router? I’ll keep digging through your videos… great job… as always

[@Beemerboy324]

I was a CNC programmer and R&D machinist for many years. When I started in the 70's it was NC (the first C hadn't been born yet) and we typed programs on a converted teletype terminal and then threaded the paper tape into a reader computer that was the size of a refrigerator. This is the best, most complete instruction video on the interweb machine. Maybe these should be shown in schools. Nice job.

[@firestone3217]

Use the third motor to drive a fan...gotta keep cool when you're making videos this hot!

[@firestone3217]

Actually this could be an interesting (useless) test. How big of a fan can a stepper motor run? Also thanks for the ❤

[@peteengard9966]

Only you would CNC a kids toy. You crack me up. Ideas for the third stepper. Use it to invert and then one of the outputs from the driver to run a vibrating motor mounted on the underside while inverted. Easy peasy. Keep them coming. No matter how bad my day goes you always bring a smile to this old mans face.

[@1pcfred]

People have been CNCing Etch-a-Sketches for a long time. At least for 20 years now.

[@boelwerkr]

Ah a childhood project :-) one printer one Atari ST, the driver-ICs out of the printer and hot glue, a lot of hot glue, a lot! The hard part was the converter to convert pixel-graphics into vector graphics into direction-controls with shortest lines to draw the image. I've worked on that for months on my Atari ST and GFA-Basic.

[@ivanguiscafre]

Man, I'm 37 years old and u make start to want to learn more, u r good explaining, thanks a lot!! Greatings from Uruguay

[@randynovick7972]

Dammit. You made me feel like this is something I can do. -=shakes fist at old Tony=- Toooooneyyyy! -=sigh=- Whelp, I'm off to ebay... grumble grumble

[@1pcfred]

Don't do it the way Tony does it. He spends money like a drunken sailor.

[@siliquaesid703]

The MOMENT you showed an etch-a-sketch, I knew this was gonna be AWESOME!

[@contomo5710]

you are an amazing youtuber, not only the content, but in using youtube and an audience, we have all heard the usual "leave a like subscribe etc etc" that even if its a channel that the audience likes, the audience simply doesnt, and if its a new channel, me personally, i dont do it on purpose because its kinda strange to ask for that, you however manage to make that suttle, interresting and funny! For example 6:12, replacing the laptops logo, which everyone is used to seeing at that place, me being curious after seeing the mousepad and knowing it, uh, lets see if he had to remove that logo because of product placement or something, and its just saying subscribe. seriously, altho thats just one example, that mindset spreads through every video on this channel, its amazing. its real, its not trying too hard, its just goofing around. its quite human. i love all about this

[@spinmoto180]

Just getting into CNC, an Electrician by Trade, Thank You for Distilling All Of This Information Down To A Simple Easy-To-Follow Format! This Has Greatly Accelerated My Understanding and iim looking for to Diving into Building My Own CNC System!

[@rosswaring2835]

Magnificent video ToT! I went thru this process recently on my mill conversion and you made it very clear and accessible. Great job...

[@viscache1]

I have been cutting parts out with my plasma cutter by hand for a long time…it’s time to expand! Thanks for the video and encouragement…a kick in the butt would have been more effective…let’s say….but here we are.

[@mnh-jansson]

Hi Tony, I would suggest skipping one or two slots between primary and secondary in the terminal block to increase the isolation. Just a tip, interesting video as always!

[@ThisOldTony]

good tip!

[@OddlyIncredible]

My desktop CNC mill uses a Gecko G540 4-axis stepper controller and a USB SmoothStepper to connect to the host PC via USB and provide a parallel port connection to the G540. Works beautifully, and I have the entire thing (controller, USB/parallel adapter, power supply for the stepper motors, a motor controller and power supply for the spindle motor, SSRs for controlling things, a pair of cooling fans, a software-switchable AC outlet on the back, and a complete mini-ITX PC running Windows) built into a single 4U rackmount enclosure. It turned out to be a beautiful workhorse of a build and works flawlessly.

[@3nertia]

It's silly, but, something as simple as putting 'X' and 'Y' on the knobs and describing the +/- x and +/- y really helped my understanding of maths; thank you!

[@Goon-124]

The 'subscribe' was almost too good, OldTony. I nearly missed it.

[@vincei4252]

TOT, My Saturday is complete! :-) [edit] AND Amazon runs out of etch-a-sketches!

[@annikarobyn3382]

Didn't plan to do a DIY CNC until this. This is the most informative DIY CNC on KZbin. Funny as heck too.

[@billstrahan4791]

Christmas comes early this year! :) Thanks, Tony! Don't know where you'll be headed with this, but it might be really fun to implement and compare Mach4, LinuxCNC, and GRBL. Hey, look how easily I suggest work for someone other than me! Kidding aside, I ended up using Mach3, then GRBL, and finally LinuxCNC on my mill conversion. The backlash compensation was the big missing from GRBL that caused me to bite the bullet with LinuxCNC. And I happened to have an old computer laying around that did the job. Anyway, I love your work. It brightens my day any time I see you have a new video out. I hope your work on the full-length feature film of This Old Tony is coming along nicely.

[@wald3mar]

Excellent vid. I built my first CNC mini mill nearly five years ago. Weekends have never been the same again...

[@Travis-os9kg]

5:58 Nice ThinkPa- wait

[@Hirudin]

Nice catch!

[@larrylittrell1910]

Thanks Tony. That was is a simple and elegant way to explain the basics.

[@smashface3080]

Yea Tony is my spirit animal.....

[@VulpesVulpes42]

Ew, a furry :P

[@zolatanaffa87]

I have never seen a more exemplary example of etch-a-sketch to explain a CNC, very well Old Tony!

[@johnrickard8512]

If you want to make something that'll shake the etch-a-sketch just bolt a Nokia 3310 to it and give it a call :P

[@Gottenhimfella]

Or put in an offsettable weight on one of the motors and run it at resonance for the structure.

[@MegaEmmanuel09]

@@Gottenhimfella r/woooosh

[@lobitome]

You can buy the cell phone vibrating motors for less than a dollar and run on 2032 battery with a switch.

[@Boemel]

use a bass shaker or modified subwoofer

[@loganpe427]

Until watching this I knew nothing about all this stuff. I've worked on up to 750 ton plastic injection machines and other factory systems but had no idea this was available for home hobbyists. Wow, can't wait for the next part!

[@BrianLeeWho]

I've been building and running CNC machines for over 10 years now and still like to watch a video on DIY CNC every now and then. There's a lot of them out there but you made one that goes in the top 10. Nice work. By the way, I've noticed you kept saying "I think it's a NEMA 23" or "34". It's pretty easy to figure out what is what--Nema 17 measure 1.7" across, 23s are 2.3" and 34s are 3.4"--although I suspect you already knew this.

[@Tricknologyinc]

NEMA's not metric?

[@BrianLeeWho]

@@Tricknologyinc NEMA stands for National Electrical Manufacturers Association (of North America). I measured the motors myself because I also thought the number was a metric reference, and sure enough it's 1.7, 2.3, 3.4 inches.

[@ReallyWemja]

This is a great example to get kids to understand how Gcode for 2d CNC/ a laser cutter works. It is also a fun way to let kids work with Gcode in a near 100% safe way. No mom will have issues with an Etch-A-Sketch.

[@Blackpowder-Ben]

I just convinced my wife that we need a mill. How do i tell her that we also need a cnc router.. sigh..

[@rugger8787]

Allesvoorkappers nl just tell here they are really cheap;)

[@jackassplus]

I tried to talk my wife into getting me a lathe for xmas. How'd you do it?

[@rugger8787]

20 buck a each pay check don’t let the wifo now next thing you know you can be like ave

[@WRW87]

you need to make a list of all the things you can do FOR HER with it. Applies to mills, 3D printers, routers, lathes... Anythings you want. More expensive = longer list.

[@ZenMinus]

Tell her you forgot to include the price of the controller for the cnc mill, and how the controller can create wonderful engravings on the jewelry you are going to make for her 😁

[@INSIDEHARDWARE]

You’re a great teacher tot! Loved it! I look forwards to the sequels. You creativity in editing, puns, dry humor, and remaining 99% or humble knowledge makes these always something I look forward to watching. Thanks!

[@lewisbiggs5977]

"CNC pizza cutter" *Stares off into the distance imagining the possibilities*

[@donvanco3078]

I have been debating on whether to buy a CNC "ready to use" or to buy parts and roll my own because the difference in cost is massive - this video has helped a lot and I feel much better about the prospect of building my own. Thanks, Tony!

[@davydmir6565]

why didn't youtube notify of this video, now I don't have time to put out roses on my bed or put on Labi Siffre let alone take my pants off.....thanks youtube you've just ruined my TOT experience :(

[@Zakardis]

I don't use notifications, because I subscribe to a bunch of channels and I don't want my phone beeping at me all day. Usually I just go to the subscriptions tab and see the new videos, but today this video was not in that list. Way to blow it KZbin! The only reason I saw this video was published is because it was on the main recommended videos page, I wonder how many videos on less popular subscribed channels I have missed seeing. Does this mean they shadow banned TOT?

[@ChrisLynas]

This is the second video from one of my favourite channels that KZbin decided to hide today: first Techmoan, now This Old Tony. This is not in my subscription feed, even though I'm subscribed, neither is it in my notifications, even though I have them set to "all". I will watch every TOT video that comes as soon as I see it, what possible reason does KZbin have to hide them?

[@paulwyleciol3459]

Davyd: You do that too??

[@ivankozar]

same.. I've randomly found the video and it wasn't even shown in my subscriptions. It happened more times :/ Looks like youtube started making the subscription feed more like facebook news feed.

[@M05000583]

same here, didn't, and still isn't showing in my subscriptions box

[@OlivierVerdier]

Thanks a bunch dear Tony for your film, I'm thinking about getting into this CNC adventure myself, for woodworking, and your info comes in real help ! Love from France Olivier

[@bminor8092]

I wonder if there is a way in an Etch-a-Sketch to mod it so that you could physically lift the stylus from the screen to create disconnected lines. That could maybe be hooked up to a lever for manual operation, and hooked up to the Z-axis or a simple solenoid on a switch output. I know the single-line thing is half the fun/challenge when playing with an EAS, but modding is fun too for some of us nerds. I've never tried to do that, but I did take one apart as a kid and remember making a big mess.

[@Noxoreos]

That information about the motor locking up when wires are connected is really useful!

[@vizionthing]

Fantastic job, covered about three weeks of head scratching in less than thirty minutes!

[@sailingsolar]

To drive a set of bag pipes you'll need? That's easy,,,,,,, you need a Scotsman.

[@billkellogg1403]

I am 8 minutes into the video and I already know more about this stuff than ever!! Thank you, Tony.

[@UncleKennysPlace]

I always thought that an Etch-a-Sketch needed a "space bar" (Z-axis, for "no line reposition").

[@timkucharski]

I wonder if you could throw a small solenoid on the joint that holds the point (inside the 'sketch) to do that. On/off. Pen up / pen down. Hmmm. Now I want to open one up to see if that's possible.

[@WatchdogGoon]

The simplest version of this would be a little mechanism to push the stylus assembly down while you reposition it. I mean, it sounds simple on paper anyway

[@-BlackBird7]

The best low level easy to understand starter CNC on youtube. Thanks man!

[@mdforbes500]

TOT: "You could gear it down..." Nobody: Me: "Gear down for what?!" *music drop*

[@lost68er1]

WOW! This is really the coolest introduction to CNC Matter I've ever seen! This video should be shown to young people in school if you want to get them excited about a career as a machine tool technician. Here, the basics of CNC control are explained in a funny and above all pictorial way. Verdict: Pedagogically valuable!

[@tomholmez12]

stepper? hardly knower

[@robblerouser5657]

I love the production value of this video...

[@aatuvaan7563]

6:00 Did IBM go to subscription based laptops, just like Adobe did with their software?

[@cisienx9764]

i searched exactly this on youtube and google many times but i could not understand them and suddenly i get recommend this video ♥️love u man

[@h0lx]

How about wiring third motor to invert it and a fourth one with an off center mass added to it so it would vibrate like hell

[@ahaveland]

Just one extra stepper should be enough -- invert and shake at a resonant frequency while rotating forward and backwards around horizontal a few times to get even distribution.

[@billythebake]

Shaped like a rabbit, with rotating beads inside...

[@marcusretaken72]

I'm not a welder. I don't own a CnC. I don't work with metal other than untangling necklaces for my wife and daughters, installing a new mailbox, and driving my car. That said, I amazed at how entertaining and incredibly educational your videos are, and wanted to thank you for all of the hard work you put in on them. My wife wants to say something as well, but I'm not sure this is the right place for it. Something about money, crazy ideas, and more important projects around the house. I just suggest nodding in agreement and keep doing what you are doing.

[@ThisOldTony]

ha! thanks Marcus!

[@kanekidaedric30]

Why do you need a CNC when you can just use special hammers to cut your work perfect?

[@karanadon137]

Easily the best explanation I've ever heard on the topic! I thought you described the what's and why's very clearly. If I'm honest, it's also the only explanation I've checked out, but don't let that fact detract from the sincerity of my comment.

[@Taylordrifts]

Thank you for this! Very nice breakdown of what's involved in putting one of these together. Definitely on my to build list now. Any suggestions on a good mill to convert? Seems like it's the dilemma of the mini lathe, or DC vs AC/DC tig where to do steel, it's going to cost a lot more (except inverse in the Tig example).

[@joshuagibson2520]

Save the trouble. Get you a Fadal TRM. It's going to serve you well. 3 axis CNC without a tool changer or flood coolant. (Use a mister) you can also run it with handles like a manual mill.

[@lewymartain8267]

Brilliant. About time someone explained something that everyone understands. You dont need a degree in Physics, Electro Engineering ect. Brilliant Tony!!!!!!!

[@riversvic]

After all those jabs I feel like I should go get my control panel off of mdf and take the tape labels off my steppers.

[@jumala3176]

This video is worth more than few hundred dollars worth of educational material. Can't believe that you are doing this all for free.

[@ralphmartini2863]

Thanks for all that you share, time,talent, humor. I look forward to all your stuff. Gracie e Ciao.

[@mcconkeyb]

LOL, that little push to get you over the edge. The little push that I need is cash, cold hard cash. Without this magical resource, everything stands still!

[@terracar2003]

I thought the title said Build your own civic

[@tetherson]

I'd watch that, to be honest. This is good too.

[@momobadilak]

yes please :) :)

[@jackburton8947]

TONY! you heard the man!

[@lame007]

Well, it's about the same amount of parts.

[@vizionthing]

If you look at the history of the civic's it looks like its what the interns get to do as a first assignment, so ur not far off. (image search google with 'honda civic vintage')

[@adamkeller5326]

I've been working on becoming a real machinist for years now and hope one day to become one. My most respected coworker introduced me to your videos and I must say I am thankful. Your video was extremely informative; and as I man with a million questions, you did a great job breaking down the operations of a cnc and have inspired me to replicate this project. Great video, thank you... look forward to more.

[@cocon16_PW]

Guess I'm masochist using Arduino xD I always looked at it as a lazy option compared to building custom pcb.

[@camrencarlyle5202]

I just refurbished a CNC from one of the breakout boards described to a specialized CNC controller with linuxcnc it was a plug and play operation

[@riippumatonlinja]

Think to do, cause of price. 600usd for board is pretty significant when you can do it with 5 euro board&drivers over that. Problem is of course big enought driver impulse, when arduino its couple milliamps and you need to multiple amps to drive those goodly. Perhaps step up converters or extra old pc power units for power up everything and another mid level power-signals with small relays to drive it, but pretty complicated, and then there is problems with cnc-language. You can perhaps use stls or something else free to use models to drive, but there may be some significant metal working stuff what mostly plastic and software-engineering people doesnt know and dont have prefixed options for diffirent metals to work with, even if there is software to understand diffirent tools and working speeds etc what i doubt. Still interesting problem build up small/mid size cnc lathe/router for most machining works stays one of ideas i want to build some day.

[@nathanrichart7226]

Thank you Tony, you have great info and videos. You have have given knowledge to me on subjects I work on at my day job that inspire me to expand my shop at home also. I'm an avid watcher and respect you sir. Thanks again

[@garycaruso4883]

Oh Tony, could have done this project with a much cheaper setup including $9 Arduino Uno (GRBL) for controller! Great into for beginners otherwise.

[@stevenjkirby2020]

Yeah I was thinking exactly the same thing. Those nema 23s are waaaay overkill to move etch-a-sketch knobs. Could have been done with 17s and even they would be more powerful than they needed to be. An arduino/grbl based micro-controller board with integrated stepper drivers would be much simpler to wire too. Perhaps less relevant to Tony's audience though, as most will likely be wanting to convert a router/mill or other more heavy duty machine tools which will require more torque and therefore more current than integrated drivers could tolerate. I wonder if ultimately these components are destined for something larger than an etch-a-sketch............?

[@knickly]

I don't think so. I'm pretty sure TOT is converting this over to an etch-a-sketch channel, and there's nothing beefier that he'd want to turn. Unless he's got a bigger etch-a-sketch, that is.

[@olavl8827]

@Mr TakisawaSee github.com/gnea/grbl/wiki/Compiling-Grbl

[@Gottenhimfella]

@@stevenjkirby2020 I don't think a motorised Etch-a-sketch is the point of the exercise. In fact I seem to recall Tony explaining that.

[@stevenjkirby2020]

If he explained it in this video then I must have missed it. I was probably distracted by some sort of clever video editing gag or a dad joke. If you read the whole of my comment you'll notice that I surmised ToT was likely intending on using these components for something larger. I mean, I'm sure he likes over-engineering things as much as the next guy but he's clearly not so daft that he'd put those big boy nema 23s on the etch-a-sketch permanently. He did work out time travel all on his own after all. Also, if you read the video description, there's a clue. Part 3 will be machine design. I suspect their final resting place will be on this mystery machine. Question is, what will it be? Surely not another router! Unlikely to be a lathe given the fact that he just added the servo driven lathe attachment to the router. The plot thickens....

[@Huskiedrive361]

TOT it's hard to tell whether you're a better machinist or videographer . You do both with such excellent results. Thanks for quality entertainment !

[@StefsEngineering]

And when you are done with making sketches you can make thermite with it to steal your own stash of methylamine

[@bulbchangingmonkey]

Any Braking Bad reference is a good one.

[@tcsyme]

Tony, you had me with the preview image! I did the same thing as I first set up my CNC mill. I had everything ready, save a motor mount, and couldn't wait for it to come. I used duct tape to hold a couple of new epoxy bottle caps to knobs of my son's Etch-A-Sketch, then trimmed the nozzles until they were a press fit on the stepper shafts. I kept it set up for about a week, and used it to learn how to hand write my own G-Code. I've often thought of setting up another one. Thayer

[@momobadilak]

hey! -- I did one of those lame tape flag videos with a stepper motor - got like 6 views too ..soooo :) edit : it uses arduinos but no grbls :)

[@CPUDOCTHE1]

We built a CNC plasma cutter. We got a professional controller/stepper motor package, to help speed up the process. I guess we are hobbyist since we built a drip proof box under the table to enclose the controller and computer and put a fillered 240 cfm forced cooling on the box. It interesting watching you do it from "scratch".

[@alvydasurbonas8913]

grbl setup isn't that hard and i have made a stand alone cnc with arduino mega + grbl and reprap 3d printer shield with small display. Just haven't made the final version of mechanical part of my cnc. Version 2 right now but it is just to sloppy so it requires version 3 which is still in my head :). Reprap shield required some minor modification to run 2 parallel motors for x axis and accept 24volts power suplly, i use small step drivers (2amp) and nema 17 motors. And arduino can control larger motors just need more capable drivers. All i need to do is generate g code save it do sd card and put the sd card into reprap shield and start the job its nice to not have to worry about pc. But i think GRBL is limited to 3 axis only, at least it was at the time i played with it.

[@1pcfred]

If you want to build on the cheap make a fixed gantry moving table machine. You can't build a cheap moving gantry machine. As you've found out slop is unacceptable. My fixed gantry drawer slide machine can isolation route printed circuits in copper clad board. So it is not sloppy.

[@emerybooker6335]

I'm so glad you are breaking this down in super baby steps, cause I was lost when you built your router cnc. I personally would love more about setting up cnc.

[@askquestionstrythings]

Every time I want to do a Custom CNC thing... I have to remind myself of the costs of all those boards and motors. There is just no getting around the cost of hardware.

[@kennethkustren9381]

A complete KIT OF 3 AXIS CNC IS SOMEWHERE ABOUT $ 300.00 .... WTF ... ARE YOU INCAPABLE ?

[@askquestionstrythings]

@@kennethkustren9381 $300 is a lot of money at times. It's why I still don't have a 3D printer, A desktop CNC, A Laser cutter, a lathe, a mill, a tig welder, etc. Plus, I'm in the middle of a major career change so money is mostly allocated to that and not building things.

[@mildyproductive9726]

I think Kenneth is not including the cost of the mill, lol. My reason has nothing to do with cost. It's time and space. If I had all that stuff, I know exactly what I'd do with it. I'd make custom parts and jigs and tooling for those machines to make it easier and faster to make... better jigs and custom parts for those machines. And then I'd fix the occasional consumer good or neighbor's lawnmower, like 3 times in my life. There are only so many French Alex pasta machines to rebuild in my world.

[@borayurt66]

You can start with an Arduino UNO ( $3 for a good clone) + CNC Shield for UNO with 4 A4988 motor drivers ($10) + 3 Nema 17 motors ($25) + GRBL software for UNO (free) + GCode reader for PC (free)... This whole thing will cost you around $40 to do this Etch-a-sketch set-up. Also you can use this same setup and add a small spindle motor good enough for carving shapes on wood, plastics, aluminum etc for $20... Cheap enough?

[@sikedipuuhja7376]

for etch a sketch 28BYJ-48 tiny steppers will do the trick. they come around 2 bucks, and have integrated gear reduction - i guess otherwise they won’t be able to turn nothing. they’re soo small you can run them on 12V with a darlington array. their torque is amazing 0.034Nm though

[@VLXVNDR]

Even though you dumb down your explanations for a laugh, it’s actually incredibly effective in educating us on how all these things work together. I’m definitely not computer/electrically literate yet I completely understood how everything worked together due to your teaching style. This was genuinely interesting and I honestly learned a lot! Only thing that I didn’t understand was these “wires” you kept mentioning… how do these wires know what colour they are?? Is it some type of wizard magic?? What are you trying to hide?!

[@albertobu]

Tony I'm local from Vegas.. If somehow one day you decide to meet some subscribers which you shouldn't but if you do.. I'm in.

[@Xraller]

Alberto I think that was a joke about him being in Vegas in that one video. Pretty sure he is in Europe. Go back and watch the one about air gun and the brass counterweight he did. He mentioned he was in Europe.

[@manfredschmalbach9023]

Really? I thought ToT was in the interweb ....

[@weldingjunkie]

He’s not in Europe

[@UncleKennysPlace]

He's in New England. Or the Midwest. Or somewhere.

[@weldingjunkie]

Kenny Phillips I’m in New England he’s def not from here accent wise

[@elliotth30]

Genuinely couldn't be happier to see this content from this old Tony... I question why I pay for university when I learn more here

[@MrMikeyPayne]

Old Tony, I have probably commented on 10 videos in 10 years. But I want to tell you that after having read well over a hundred hours of CNC Zone, Plasma spider, and mechmate forum, and hours of videos about CNC, Asking untold number of questions on mentioned forums, I did not learn as much as half hour video. AMAZING!!! "Imagine a GPS telling you to turn a mile late?" You really help one understand the why behind it. You are the best teacher I think I have ever watched on KZbin. Excellent content, no waste of time, detail oriented, witty and comical anechdotes/examples to clarify the points and engrave them on one's memory. It is not just displaying your knowledge, but helping us understand. Question: What was the best source you used for learning CNC? Would love to see a video on how you arrived at your knowledge of mechanical science, what the furnace of your education was to get you to this point. This is the highest praise I have ever offered in those ten years also. Well done sir! Glad I bumped into your chainsaw go cart video which led me to your channel.

[@ThisOldTony]

no formal training... good old baptism by fire.

[@MarkWladika]

"arduinos and gerbils" *snort*

[@TheHuizenre]

Hey Tony thanks for your excellent video. I always enjoy watching them, even though I'm not a metalworker. I watch you making stuff which I would never have thought it would be possible and see you using tools I never knew they existed. Your explanations are unique and full off humor. It's a pity that there's people around on KZbin that seem not to understand what and why you're doing what you're doing and spend their time on producing negative contributions instead off using their time and supposed knowledge to something that good for this world. Well even from them we can learn. The lesson these people learn us is how to quickly turn our backs on the negativism they produce. Please continue this series Tony, I am a diy woodworker and if I can find the time I will probably build along. My guess is there's more people around that would enjoy doing so. It would be very nice if we could find affordable hardware that maybe comes close to the standards you more or less advice in this video.

[@Mad-Duk_Machine_Werkes]

My buddy, the late Eddie Rees (RIP) made a CNC Etch a Sketch about 10 or 12 years ago, as a goof- his main deal was making CNC giant hot wire cutters for huge blocks of white styro-foam for architectural exterior moldings (Like 4'x4'x10' giant blocks of foam)-ON HIS, he ran the stepper motors directly in front of each knob, with a simple flex couple on the motor shafts, and a piece or car heater hose shoved over the knobs and couplings - direct drive if you will, needed WAY less math to get it done and didnt slip like a o-ring and a pulley

[@brandonanderson1218]

thank you thank you thank you! i have watched all of your cnc based videos and they have inspired me to try and build my own cnc router. these new videos explaining the fine details of how these steppers and stepper drives work have been super helpful to me and i will definitely be coming back when it comes time to wire things up.

[@alexwolford2084]

Really appreciate you explaining all that. I hope your not killing yourself getting all these videos out. Keep up the great work I really enjoy what you do. With my next raise I will help support the channel more.

[@markspears1167]

Great video!!!! Enjoyed the humor. I’m a custom cabinet builder wanting to buy a cnc but I have a very limited amount of knowledge about them. This is the best video I have watched that explains how it all works and what’s needed to make it work. Great video! I appreciate the time and effort you put forth to make this. Bravo Sir!

[@ritchiep123]

This is an amazingly good explanation of CNC for people without an engineering degree. Keep it up.

[@rcbran]

Wow. You just made a bunch of black magic simple for me. Thank you!