Who are we?
This website endeavor was started in late 2006 with a passion for building DIY CNC
machines and sharing the knowledge so others can benefit. The CNC designs are now
in its fourth generation and the designs are continually being cranked out. Every
new generation of CNC machines improves upon the previous generation. The main purpose
of this website (the mission) is to offer free to low cost solution to provide automated
fabrication to hobbyists. The products on this website are the hard to find parts
that match (fit and function) the common level of the machines on this website and
of the general DIY CNC machines found on the internet. Patrick Hood-Daniel, the
owner, has a passion for designing these machines and products necessary for the
easy assembly of these machines with explanations and tutorials with easy to read
instructions. The customers and users of this website have made hundreds of suggestions
and I have received more than 4000 testimonials. The individuals out in the world
that actually built the machines on this website is vast and these responses encourage
the updates and tutorials to spread the knowledge of CNC Machines and related technologies.
Future goals: Stay tuned to the R&D section of the site as it will start to increase
in activity with the new desktop machine and technologies to add more functionality
to the CNC Machine (other axes and alternate cutters) and develop more technologies
related to DIY rapid prototyping (FDM, SLS, EDM, LLM, etc). Large scale fabrication
through laser technology will also be investigated to provide a low cost solution
for the hobbyists. The pipe CNC may also be continued. Finally, tutorial on exhibiting
the various applications (i.e. PCB Isolation Routing) of the CNC will be continually
added. If there is a specific subject or project that you feel might benefit others,
send an email to the address below.
Patrick Hood-Daniel's background: An Urban Designer, a cross between an architect
and a city planner that designs at a larger scale with public's input, trained as
an architect from the University of Miami with honors with reception of the Henry
Adams Medal and went on to get a Graduate degree at the University of California,
Berkeley for a Masters of Urban Design. Prior to that Patrick was a computer programmer
for about 10 years working in the field of rotating machinery to determine problems
through their vibration. As a part of his computer programming business, Patrick
has experience in Novell Networks (physical and administrative), and programming
for client server applications. Currently, Patrick shares his time teaching college
level technical, mechanical and architectural courses, works part time as the director
of Planning, Urban Design and Devleopment for Downtown Houston and runs this website
as the means of his sole passion and desire to create a resource for spreading the
knowledge of automated fabrication. Patrick's goals are to continue to nurture this
website as a business and branch out in the physical world by creating an open shop
and lab for those who want a place to make, invent, discuss, design, brainstorm,
research and learn. Patricj is also working on various other projects including
software developement with back-end relational databases (SQL Server 2008), C#,
WPF, and LINQ to SQL coding (newbiehack.com).
Patrick Hood-Daniel
You can contact me at phooddaniel@gmail.com
Allow me to introduce my apprentices offering the background entertainment (racket).
Caterina on the left and Nicholas (Nicco) on the right. The all important vacuum
cleaner in the back. Notice the board separating my work area from the kids. I am
on occasion doing some dangerous things, so it's a good idea to keep the kids clear.
Update: Now it's 2009, going on to 2010 and I can't believe that I actually did
this stuff in my bathroom and bedroom. It's really good to have more space.