MPCNC – Printing and X-Y Assembly

When I last posted, I had just begun printing the pieces for the Mostly Printed CNC machine. Now, about 120 machine hours and several hours of assembly later, it’s time for an update!

Mostly Printed CNC Build – Intro

Over the next month or two, I will build the Mostly Printed CNC (MPCNC), as found on the website v1engineering.com. It is a CNC platform that can be assembled out of inexpensive electronics and hardware, EMT conduit, and 3d printed components. Here is a link to the project specifications, build instructions, and a list of videos showcasing what people have used this system for:

Google Home Mini Wall Mount

Over Christmas, I took advantage of Google’s sale on the Google Home Mini to pick up a few for the apartment. Even though it doesn’t take up a lot of desk space, I wanted to mount it to the wall to keep it off the limited shelf space, and to hear it throughout the room. To resolve this, I came up with the following wall mount.

Batch-Converting Video Files with Handbrake and Python

Over the past few years, I have acquired quite a video collection. Hundreds of files have been downloaded or DVDs ripped, resulting in nearly a terabyte of television and movies.

Ikea Lamp to Camera Mount

At less than $10, the Tertial lamp from Ikea is my favorite source of workspace illumination. So far, I have one in the garage over my workbench, and one over the desk in my office. They are easy to move into place, and will hold fast when let go. For the price, this lamp can’t be beat.

Scanning Bones for 3D Printing

In collaboration with my university’s anthropology department, I had the opportunity to scan skeleton fragments with the intent to 3d print copies. Yesterday, I finally got a sample scanned and printed.

Printrbot Simple Metal Upgrade

Though I received it weeks ago, I finally got a chance to install the x-axis upgrade for my Printrbot. I now have 4 more inches in the x direction, and a heated build plate.

Reviving an Old Powderbed Printer

A little over a year ago, our group acquired this old ZCorp 310 printer from surplus. This machine uses powderbed technology, where an inkjet deposits liquid binder on a plaster material, fusing it together into a solid object. This brand of printer is rarely seen nowadays, since the company is now owned by 3D Systems. With no material, no accessories, and no software, we were unsure if it was even functional.

Filament Extrusion

Despite the wide range of available thermoplastics, sometimes spools of filament with desirable electromagnetic or mechanical properties are not commercially available.

Laser Mount for Classroom Use

A friend of mine was in need of a set of cheap lasers for a class he was teaching on optics. Instead of using enclosed laser pointers that ran on obscure button cell batteries, he decided to purchase laser diodes and wire them for connection to a benchtop power supply. This allows for a more hands-on approach for the students, getting them more involved in the projects they are working on.