CNC From A Robot
Builder’s Perspective
by Michael Simpson
www.servomagazine.com/index.php?/
magazine/article/march2012_Simpson
FIGURE 1.
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Having built quite a few robots over
the years using woodshop techniques
and engineering best practices, I never
dreamed that I would one day look
back on those early days and wonder
how I ever managed. After discovering
CNC and its ability to accurately and
consistently create parts from even the
most complicated design, there was
no going back.
My History with CNC
I got my first taste of CNC back in 2003, when I
purchased a Sherline Mini Mill and a CNC conversion kit. I
assembled the machine, added the conversion, and ended
up using it for placing holes in various plastic enclosures. At
that time, there was very little information available for the
DIY CNC builder, so I never did much with the machine. It
collected dust for a year or so, and I eventually sold it.
CNC Build 1
Years later, I started working on custom PC cases like
the one shown in Figure 2. These cases were made by
hand, and I would spend hours on the legs alone. A friend
later asked me if I could build one of my cases for him, but
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