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Customer Spotlight: Hobby-Fab (aka SMW3D) CNC Router Kits
Today I am pleased to profile Brandon Satterfield and his company Hobby-Fab in our Customer Spotlight series. They also have a website at SMW3D, which they’re in the process of migrating to Hobby-Fab. As they say on their About page, Hobby-Fab is...
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Easy DIY Guide to Press Brakes [ Tooling, Metal Folding, Magnabend ]
Sheet Metal Folding The demand to perform sheet metal folding arises relatively frequently in many workshops. This article explores the variety of machinery and tools available that simplify this process, even when done almost on a production scale. Hydraulic Press...
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Definitive Guide to Tormach Hacks, Upgrades, Modifications, and Accessories
The Definitive Guide to Tormach Hacks, Modifications and Upgrades Tormach: The Chevy Small Blocks of the CNC World… In the hobby and entry-level CNC machine world, Tormach’s mills are ubiquitous. They may not be the highest performance machines out...
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5 Quick and Fun CNC Projects for a Weekend
5 Quick and Fun CNC Projects for a Weekend How about some quick and easy but fun CNC Projects you can get done this Weekend? I know you won’t have much time, what with all the BBQ’ing that has to be done, but you can still enjoy a little quality shop...
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Definitive Guide to Spindle Speeders, Speed Increasers, and High Speed Attachments
Do You Need a Spindle Speeder, Speed Increaser, or High Speed Spindle Attachment? Spindle Speeders, Speed Increasers and High Speed Attachments can be the perfect cure for a problem you’ll encounter surprisingly often. As I will show in a moment, they can...
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Inexpensive CNC Lathe with Powerful Acorn Controller
Take an inexpensive CNC lathe from eBay for $1200. Inexpensive because the electronics don’t work. Add a powerful Centroid Acorn Controller (also not too expensive) and you’ve got the slick little lathe that Centroid uses to test their controls: Just the...
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Way Oiler: Automatic Machinery Lubrication [ + Vactra 2 & More ]
Do I need automatic machinery lubrication, a way oiler, or Mobil Vactra 2? Way Oilers, automatic machinery lubrication, and way oils like Mobil Vactra 2. Does all that sound deadly dull and boring? It probably does, but proper machinery lubrication is critical...
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Home Shop Machinist Hall of Fame
Home Shop Machinist Hall of Fame [ Hall of Fame, Pt 2 ] [ Hall of Fame, Pt 3 ] [ Hall of Fame, Pt 4 ] Check out these photos and short bios of home shop machinists that I was really impressed by. Hopefully the owners enjoy the hero worship! Note that there are...
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Results of the CNCCookbook 2017 CNC Router Survey, Part 2
In the first part of our 2017 CNC Router survey series, we covered: Hobby vs Professional User Segments CNC Router Market Share Customer Satisfaction by Manufacturer Size and Features of CNC Routers Type of Materials Being Cut In this installment, we’ll drill...
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Results of the CNCCookbook 2017 CNC Router Survey
This year, we got 160 survey responses. Here are the results: 72% of respondents are hobby users… 72% of respondents are hobby users, up slightly from 2016. Overall, CNCCookbook’s audience is the reverse–70% professional and 30% hobby....
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Improve CNC Machine Performance With a Z-Axis Counterbalance
Have you ever considered a Z-Axis counterbalance for your CNC machine? It’s an easy addition any DIY CNC enthusiast can make and it improves Z-axis performance. Most commercial VMC’s use one. Here’s a Hurco VM1: You haven’t provided...
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