Creations Gallery

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Creations Gallery

If your looking for examples that can motivate you to start creating, you've come to the right place. I will spotlight other CNC builders on this page. If you have something you would like to share, contact me and let's get started.

Dustan Webb's Laser Cutter and Engraver

thumbnail: Glass etching using the blackTooth laser by Dustan Webb

Update: Check out Dustans new glass etching.

Dustan sent a few images of new things he is cutting and engraving using his blackTooth Laser Cutter and Engraver. The examples he is showing are 3D puzzles of a fly and a dragon. He also produced some functional boxes (with lids that open and close) with designs engraved on the top of the boxes. Also, check out the new paint on his machine. He decided to paint his machine bright red with black edges. Read more.

blackTooth Laser Cutter/Engraver First Cuts/Engravings

thumbnail of small T-Rex laser cut with the blackTooth laser cutter

The feedback is coming in from the first customers that purchased the blackTooth laser cutter and engraver. I will post these first cuts and engravings on this page. If you have a new blackTooth laser system, please send us a video of your machine in action. If you have a tip to share, include that information as well. Read more.

Lawrence M's Table Bed Support

Thumbnail: Lawrence's iron grate under the table bed of the CNC Machine.

Lawrence built the scratch build CNC machine from the book and he came up with a very nice addition to the underside of the table that provides extra support so the table will not sag over time. Read more.

William L's Scratch Built CNC Machine

Here is a scratch built machine (from the plans or book) that exhibits great workmanship, but more importantly, how some of the construction of the CNC machine was done. William L. used sound techniques to make sure the machine would be constructed as intended, knowing that some of the machine would have various size differences within the sub assemblies that would make some of the measurements within the plans not work. Read more.

Sam S. and His Hacked redFrog

Sam S's modified redFrog pick and place machine

When I said you can hack the redFrog, I wasn't kidding, and Sam took this seriously. Almost every customer that has purchased the redFrog has hacked the machine in some way or another. I found this hard to believe until I saw Sam's redFrog with my own eyes. Read more.

Mike M's Great Examples of Guitar Showcases

CNC Machines are not only used for making the guitars! What about the cases in which they are stored, or showcased? Mike has done an excellent job creating intricate cases with glass fronts. But, you wouldn't put just any guitar in these cases. You would want the prized guitars in these cases. Just look at the detail that Mike put into this work using his blackToe CNC Machine. Read more.

WikiHouse, the Ultimate Example of CNC Use

If there was an example on how a CNC could be applied that I would be most excited about, it would be the WikiHouse. The WikiHouse effort is spearheaded by Alastair Parvin which talks about these efforts on TED "Architecture for everyone, by anyone". Read more.

CNC Panel Joinery from Make:

Example of a chair made from a CNC using panel joinery.

Here's a really useful article on CNC panel joinery methods by Make:. Most of the images show laser-cut pieces, but could definitely be adapted for use on a CNC router or machine. In some of the images, you'll notice there are sharp corners that would not be possible using a CNC machine. With a CNC machine, you would need to create overcuts to account for the thickness of the end mill. If you're having trouble figuring out how to fasten parts together in your designs, this article is definitely worth a look. Find the article here. Read more.

Jack Rehak's Inspiring Build

back of the gantry showing Jack Rehak's cable carrier made from scratch

Meet Mr. Rehak, an 80 year old (2012) bright CNC Machine enthusiast. Jack built his blackFoot CNC machine in short time considering his available resources. Jack's modifications to his blackFoot are quite inspirational and worth a look. Moreover, Jack has set-up a very inventive workspace and resources to handle the various tasks such as loading sheets, hose/cable management and means of control. Read more.

Mark K's CNC Machine

A quote from Mark, "You have really given me a lot of confidence with your web site and your book to help me build my CNC. I never dreamed I could afford to have one let alone build it myself. I am actually a shop (industrial tech) teacher and have built it for use in our shop. I am very excited to see what I and my students can do with it. I also wanted to point out that in you book you said you wanted to present the material at a level that an 8th grade student could understand. I definitely thing that I could help students build a CNC machine using your book and videos as a reference if I were allowed to hand pick the students. you have done an excellent job explaining, demonstrating and providing sources for parts." Read more.

Toby V's CNC Machine and Process

Here is another excellent example of a customer putting together a CNC machine kit and revising/adding to fit his needs. Specifically, this is the blackToe version 4.0 CNC machine kit, put together by Toby, a Neuroscience Ph.D with a post Doctorate at Harvard focusing on electrophysiology of the biological neural network in the retna. He used this knowledge to create computational models of artificial neural networks to test new hypothesis. Now, he is mainly focusing on the business aspect with his current occupation and spending time at home with woodworking. With his knowledge and willingness to delve into the CNC world with my kit, I was, obviously overjoyed, at the opportunity to get feedback and see what additions and modifications he would make to the machine. Read more.

Alden G's CNC Machine and Narrative

I have seen many builds based on the step-by-step instructions on this site, but when I see the the DIY community start to mix the ideas of one CNC machine with another, I get really excited. To take a machine and introduce concepts from another machine, like timing belt mechanics, is clever and welcome. Alden also is very creative with where he positions the drivers. Read more.

John S.C.'s CNC Machine and Suggestions

John S.C. did something that I have not yet seen. He applied a ball-screw to the DIY version of the CNC Machine found on the step by step and the book "Build Your Own CNC Machine". Yes, you heard me right! A ball-screw. Why do I sound excited? Read on. Read more.

Greg C's Machine and Example

Greg has produced an excellent CNC machine. This can be seen through the example that he provided me. Greg produced the machine "by the book", as they say. This demonstrates that the book readers are starting to enjoy their machines. This is an exciting time!! I received the pictures of this machine on February 17th, 2009. Read more.

Octavio's Metal CNC Machine

Octavio went out on a limb and created a metal machine with some very inventive components. Inspired by this website, he was able to get this design and construction going. The machine is truly an example of using components in the machine for efficiency and simplicity. The overall structure appears to be steel. He uses bearings with channels to serve as linear guides. The z-axis mechanism is reversed to enable longer travel. All of this is not the most interesting part. Octavio is a medical doctor. This goes to show that individuals of all backgrounds dabble with this technology. Take a close look at the bearings used to guide along the rail (U groove and V groove bearings work well for this type of linear rail mechanism). I know, you're saying that this method is used on other CNC machines. Sure, but he is positioning the bearings and using minimum hardware to serve multiple purposes. You can see that he is using the same shaft for each pair of bearings. The back bearings (the bearings to the right) glide horizontally along the y-axis and the front bearings serve the z-axis up and down movement. This linear motion mechanics for the y and z axes is very clever. Octavio is currently trying to reduce the gantry weight. He says that the z-axis alone is 50 pounds. He has a goal of 20 pounds by changing the metal to aluminum using stamped parts. Read more.

Chris Cockrum's CNC Control When I look for content to add to this website, I look for content that will ultimately benefit the users of this site with additional information. With the various control methods that Chris brings to the table, I am overjoyed to add his methods to this website. Chris implements a simple and effective Z-axis homing plate, router control and some fine examples. Read more.

Alessandro's CNC Machine Build with Guitar Example

I have gotten a lot of requests asking, can this machine make a guitar? Alessandro created a 2nd generation CNC machine using this website as a guide and from the images he provided, I can say he was quite successful. Not only that, he also built his electronics from scratch and his wire management is absolutely fantastic. Read more.

Dave C.'s CNC Router

It's a good time to update on another builder. Dave C. is building his CNC Router with patience and method. He is equipped with some nice tools to make sure the form and mechanics are perfect. When he first told me he was working with these power tools, I was very jealous and I wanted some fancy power tools for myself. Read more.

Lucan's CNC Router

I was doing my usual research around the net, you know... to pass some time very late at night, and I came across a member of cnczone.com building one of Joe's CNC machines, and to my surprise, he was using the design from this site. I was very proud to say the least. This CNC router is setup very nicely, with a vacuum attachment and a few other interesting modifications. Lucan has also been cutting out an enormous amount of parts on this machine. He is in real production. Read more.

Jacob R.'s CNC Router

When I started this website, I though maybe I would get a few building this machine, and to the tee. My intention was to make it so that they can provide their own alterations and sizes. With Jacob's machine, the intent lives up to it's promise. I think, if we take all of the great enhancements from all of the builders you see on the list, we would have an even better machine. Jacob did similar enhancements to the bed of the machine, reinforcing it so it would not sag, but he did not stop there. This guy is a true modder. He salvaged a component from his router to serve as a clamp. He also enhanced the lead screw nut adapting a flange to secure to the transfer piece. He has also selflessly provided an AutoCAD file to share with this community (with double rail x-axis modification). Read more.

Builder's Spotlight: Jim S.

I would like to exhibit another build being completed by a dedicated viewer of this website. Jim S. emailed me in the infancy of this website and said he was interested in building the CNC. We have been emailing back and forth on various topics, which in turn gave me a good source of information for the website. Jim S.'s machine is looking really nice. He is currently up to the wiring of his stepper motors to his driver. Read more.

Mick H's CNC Router Build

Mr. Mick H. He has been following the build and making great progress. He, just like the other fellow builders have added their own enhancements, which really makes them leaders in building these CNC machines. He noticed that the table, at the sixe of 24" x 48" will deflect a little as the gantry reaches the mid point of the table. He took his reinforcement to another level, shall we say he "spiced it up a bit". He also went the gluing route, as opposed to a mechanical fastened build. With his clean and precise workmanship, as noted in the images, it is a very smart way to go. Remember, if gluing is a consideration, your measurements will need to be somewhat precise to insure a tight fit around the rails. Read more.

David K's Build of a CNC PCB Mill

When my fingers were dying from extreme metal ring strangulation from those $1 folding scissors, kind Mr. David K. came to the rescue and sent me a beautiful pair of side clips. Well, he's been hard at work building himself one of these CNC gizmos. Read more.

CNC Router Demonstration 1: Engraving the P.COC Logo

You've got to be asking yourself, what is a P.COC logo? First of all, P.COC stands for Project for Complete Open CNC, and it also sounds like Peacock (the bird with beautiful feathers that open up, get it??). The graphical part of the logo uses a screw as the body of the bird and nuts to symbolize the feathers. My wife thinks it looks like the sun and I should lose the screw. The logo symbolizes the philosophy behind all that I do here, volunteer my time to show how to build a completely open source CNC routing machine. I have also designed a logo to be cut out on the CNC Router, and how cool would it be to initiate my demonstrations with that logo. Read more.

Mike M's Great CNC Examples

Alden G's CNC Machine and Narrative

I have seen many builds based on the step-by-step instructions on this site, but when I see the the DIY community start to mix the ideas of one cnc machine with another, I get really excited. To take a machine and introduce concepts from another machine, like timing belt mechanics, is clever and welcome. Alden also is very creative with where he positions the drivers. Read more...

John S.C.'s DIY Machine and Ball Screws

Greg C's Machine and Example

Greg used the book to build his CNC machine, and I would say he did a great job. This can be shown with the wonderful example he made as a test of the mahcine. Check out his machine and the example he made here.

Mark K's Version 1.1 Build - Industrial Tech Teacher

Mark K is an industrial tech teacher and has been able to build a marvelous interpretation of the machine in the plans and hardware kit (also the machine that the book describes). See it here.

Chris Cockrum's CNC Control

When I look for content to add to this website, I look for content that will ultimately beneft the users of this site with additional information. With the various control methods that Chris brings to the table, I am overjoyed to add his methods to this website. Chris implements a simple and effective z-axis homing plate, router control and some fine examples. Read on...

Octavio's Metal CNC Machine

Alessandro's CNC Machine Build with Guitar Example

David K's CNC PCB Mill

I've been trying to build a CNC for some time, with very little success. But after seeing how well the linear bearings work, I had to try them. They're great. As you say, very forgiving. I also bought my first tap and die set, due to seeing how to use them. My x-table is nearly complete, just a few finishing touches, then on to the y and z axis. Even built in my rudimentary shop, the table is tight and solid, and slides smoothly. Amazing!! Thanks for helping me believe I can do this. Read More...

Mick H's Cnc Router

I decided to follow your plans initially and use your original dimensions, then once the machine is up and running, cut new parts for machine No2. I am now at the stage of a 90% complete build as far as the mechanical components go, leaving the addition of the X-Axis lead screw & all 3 motor mounts as the final items on the mechanical checklist. Upon assembling the cutting bed and end supports, along with the addition of a bottom sheet of 4' X 2' MDF, then adding the gantry, I have observed a significant amount of sag within the cutting bed Read More...

Technique to Minimize Backlash by Gérard C.

Getting rid of backlash seems to be the biggest concern for the CNC hobbyist, especially when milling PCBs since copper traces for surface mount devices are used. Surface mount devices are very small electronic parts that contain leads that are extremely close together, or the leads are found on the bottom of the component and the part usually lays flat on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board).

Gérard C. has an interesting technique in solving this problem using two special nuts, one on either side of the MDF, to minimize the backlash (and is adjustable). I've said the word a few time Read More...

Jim S.'s CNC Router

Jim S. emailed me in the infancy of this website and said he was interested in building the CNC. We have been emailing back and forth on various topics, which in turn gave me a good source of information for the website. Jim S.'s machine is looking really nice. He is currently up to the wiring of his stepper motors to his driver.

He actually sent me these pictures a while back, and I think he put the structure together in as little as two or three weeks. He is using many of the components Read More...

Jacob R.'s CNC Router

When I started this website, I though maybe I would get a few people building this machine, and to the tee. My intention was to make it so that they can provide their own alterations and sizes. With Jacob's machine, the intent lives up to it's promise. Jacob did enhancements to the bed of the machine, reinforcing it so it would not sag, but he did not stop there. This guy is a true modder. He salvaged a component from his router to serve as a clamp. He also enhanced the lead screw nut adapting a flange to secure to the transfer piece. He has also selflessly provided an AutoCAD file to share with this community (with Read More...

Lucan's CNC Router

Since Lucan has had a bit of experience on this design and build, I asked him to give me some feedback as to any possible limitations of the machine, and all the he has learned. I also wanted to know Read More...

Dave C.'s CNC Router

Dave C. is building his CNC Router with patience and method. He is equipped with some nice tools to make sure the form and mechanics are perfect. When he first told me he was working with these power tools, I was very jealous and I wanted some fancy power tools for myself.

Dave's CNC machine is another alteration in the works. The bed of the CNC machine is stiffened by steel. He is using cross dowels for all of the connections. The rails are mechanically fastened to the rail support pieces. And he is using some Read More...