Personal Projects
CNC (MPCNC) Build
During the Summer of 2017 I decided to build a CNC. After some reasearch I settled on the Mostly Printed CNC (MPCNC) mostly due to the low cost and the DIY aspect of the project. The MPCNC is a DIY CNC machine that uses a large amount of 3D printed parts (found on Thingiverse). I settled on workspace size of about 24" x 24" x 4" which gave an overall size of about 34" x 34" x 11.5".
Once the machine was assembled I spent about two weeks running drawings to calibrate and make adjustments to the machine before attachingthe router I was going to use as a spindle. I had some problems with jittery lines when moving along the x and y axes at the same time. After a teardown, some sanding of the pipes and a few part replacements, I realized that my bearings were installed too tightly which was causing the rollers to jitter rather than move smoothly. Loosening the bolts on the gantry and the rollers fixed the problem.
To create 2D drawing using the MPCNC, I create vector drawings using Inkscape. I then use a program called Estlcam to create gcode to control the MPCNC. The gcode is then loaded into another program called Repetier which can control the MPCNC. I am in the process of learning Autodesk Fusion 360 since it appears to be able to do everything in a single program but I have not attempted a complete project with it yet.
CNC Projects
Card Storage Box
Inspired by some great board game inserts made by companies like The Broken Token, I wanted to create a storage system for a card game known as Warhammer Conquest which consists of about 1800 cards in total. I measured out a stack of 100 cards and began rough dimensioning the storage box on paper. Once I had some rough dimensions and a plan, I began modeling in SOLIDWORKS. I tried to keep the design as simple as I could with four walls, a base and a sliding cover. I then added 3 full width rows for cards and a 4th narrower row for extras. I did a few test cuts on my MPCNC to make sure the corner joint tolerances would fit correctly and then began cutting all the pieces. The box is held together with some simple wood glue and is very heavy. In hindsight I should have added notches near the bottom to make the box easier to pick up. If you would like to make one yourself, visit the Thingiverse project page for the files.
Modular Tabeltop Game Terrain
I wanted to create a simple but modular set of industrial wargaming terrain. I looked at existing terrain and took inspiration from old tabletop games like Necromunda. I sketched out some ideas and how I wanted things to fit and then began modeling in SOLIDWORKS. I quickly realized just how many pieces I was going to need to design just to make a simple building so I simplified my designs down further to create these simple industrial platform models with easily added ladders, walkways and barriers. I intended to design it for 3mm MDF but I was unable to locate any locally so I used 3mm hardboard instead. This worked reasonably well, but the hardboard is not nearly as rigid as I would like. Future designs will need to account for this, or I just need to switch to MDF. If you would like to make some terrain yourself , visit the Thingiverse project page for the files
Other CNC Projects
3D Printing Projects
Lightweight Scalemail
These lightweight scales are intended for costume purposes and are printed on an Anycubic Mono X (SLA printer) using Siraya Tech Simple Clear UV Resin. The goal is to color these scales with alcohol inks to create a transparent splattered effect. This project is currently a work in progress.