Author: theamishjim

I’ve always wanted a CNC machine. Not that I have any real need, but I do like to build stuff and a CNC router would really bring up my game a notch. While a real CNC Mill costs tens of thousands of dollars, there is an emerging facet of the industry being taken over by hobbyist machines. Hobbyist is definitely what I am, so I think building one will be a great learning experience. Most of the DIY CNC routers seem to be in the $1,000 range and that is what I’ve made my goal as. I’d like to have the project completed and running in 3 months. That not only encompasses the build, but I also have to learn the software packages. I’ve scrounged around my shop to see what I already have, and it’s not much. There’s an older Compaq PC that I will install LinuxCNC on. I’m going to use LinuxCNC mainly because it’s free. True Story. Oh and I like Linux. I run Linux Mint on my desktop and have been using one variant or another for over a decade.