The You Create Podcast Podcast for Makers, CNC Milling and Carving, 3D Printing, Crafts, Hobbies, Business and more…
In the second episode of the You Create Podcast, we discuss why you would want a CNC machine and what things were like before CNC.
I spend some time talking about the advantages as well as things to consider when looking to purchase a system. This episode was also geared towards a general audience, specifically beginners. We will get into more detailed stuff as the weeks progress, but since this is a new podcast, I want to be sure to cover a lot of the basics, even before someone makes a purchase.
In this episode we discuss:
- Life before CNC
- Hand tools
- Complicated measuring
- Lots of math
- Required a lot of skill and patience
- Considered an art form
- Different tools for different materials
- Limited types of things you could create
- Advantages of a CNC
- Automation
- Reduced skill level
- Less risk of mistakes
- More productivity
- More precise than hand work
- Repeatability
- Flexibility
- Eliminiate the need for many hand tools
- Shorter lead times
- Less waste material
- Great family activity
- What are the limitations?
- Physical size of the machine
- Power Requirements
- Still need hand tools for finishing and preparing material to mill
- Work area size based on projects that you want to create
- What to look for in a CNC machine?
- Rigidity
- Manufacturer Support
- Parts Availability
- Optional Accessories
- What materials can you CNC?
- Woods
- Plastics
- Foam
- Carbon Fiber
- Wax
- Rubber
- Fiberglass
- Aluminum
- Brass
- and much more…
- What projects can you CNC?
- Draw from scratch
- Sketchup
- Inkscape
- Download a premade project – Thingiverse.com
- Scan and trace a part
- Vectric’s Image Tracing (vectorization) feature
- Online service to hire someone to create your drawing
- elance.com
- fiverr.com
- Draw from scratch
To view a transcript of this episode, please click HERE
Podcast: Play in new window | Download