History of the KReduCNC
I was moving some boxes to the attic of my new
shop when I picked up a box that had never been
opened. The shipping label indicated it was from VXB.
I have ordered several bearings from VXB in the past,
so I was a little excited.
After opening the box, I found several 8 mm
rods, some bearings, and some mounting brackets. I
keep a large supply of linear motion bearings on hand
for my various experiments and research. They were
probably ordered to replace some of the components
I used on a 3D printer project awhile back.
So, I have a bunch of parts now. What could I
build with them?
Why Build the KReduCNC
I am often asked to do a talk or class on CNC
machines, but my KRMx02 machines are too massive
to leave the shop. I needed something smaller and
easier to transport. Along with the parts in the box
and looking through my spare parts, I came up with
the following items that could be used to build a
small CNC:
• Six 8 mm Shafts ( 16” long)
• Eight 8 mm Flanged Shaft Supports
• Four 8 mm Pillow Shaft Supports
• Three NEMA 17 Stepper Motors
• Three-Axis Stepper Motor Controller and Power
Supply
• Twelve 8 mm Linear Sliding Bearings
I had always wondered if unsupported 8 mm shafts
could be used in a CNC machine. This would be the perfect
time to find out. If the build worked out, I would also have a
small machine that I could throw in the back seat of my car.
