20+ Cool xTool Project Ideas (That Sell Well!)
xTool laser cutters are perfect for cutting and engraving wood and acrylic projects. As for metal, the xTool D1 Pro 10W can engrave on coated metals, and the xTool P2 can engrave on metals ... Read more
Best Cameras For xTool D1 and D1 Pro 2023 (DIY & Paid)
Adding a camera to your xTool D1 or D1 Pro saves time, maximizes your workable material, and is a great safety feature. For one, you won’t have to walk over to your ... Read more
Laser Etching Metal: How To Etch Metal & Which Materials You Can Etch
Laser etching metal is pretty handy for brands and part manufacturers. If you look around you, you’ll see bar codes, UDIs, logos, and pictures that were etched by lasers. For these particular ... Read more
Laser Cutter Materials Encyclopedia: Every Laser Type & Material (Which Materials They Can & Can’t Cut)
Laser cutters are resourceful machines that can both cut and engrave – but not all lasers can cut all materials. While wood is an excellent material to learn laser skills, you may ... Read more
CNC Shields: Can You Use Arduino (GRBL) With Powerful CNCs?
Assembling a DIY CNC involves putting together its controller. You have three options when choosing a CNC controller – you can: If you want to know how to turn an Arduino board ... Read more
Laser Engraving vs Etching vs Marking: Differences & Which To Use For Every Application
Objects all around us bear markings, such as logos or ID codes, making laser marking ideal for both identification and marketing purposes. Some industries even have regulations that mandate marking tracking information. ... Read more
Best Places to Buy CNC Machines / Routers Online in 2023
More accessible than ever, you can now buy hobbyist desktop CNC routers online for just a few hundred bucks. While not as powerful as milling machines, these new small CNC router kits ... Read more
FreeCAD vs Fusion 360: Which CAD is Best For You? [Compared]
Full disclosure, when I was tasked with writing an article pitting FreeCAD vs Fusion 360 I picked the winner before I wrote word one. I’m happy to admit I was wrong to ... Read more
35+ Coolest X-Carve Projects That Sell Well in 2023
Starting a business with CNC machining comes with a lot of initial decision-making, and one of the most important decisions you’ll need to make is what equipment you’re going to be working ... Read more
CNC Projects & Plans, CNC Routers, Guides, Laser Cutters, Laser Engravers, Laser Projects & Plans, Projects
14+ Coolest Snapmaker Projects You Can Make in 2023
The three main tools in automated manufacturing are 3D printers, CNC machines, and laser cutters. Few are lucky enough to have the money and space to have access to all three, and ... Read more
How to CNC Engrave on Granite, Marble, or Any Stone (with a $5 V Bit)
There is something about engraving on a stone that is beautiful and addictive. Stone is a symbol of strength and hardness, and engravings stay for hundreds of years. But can you engrave ... Read more
The Best Stepper Motors for CNC
If you are about to buy stepper motors for your CNC machine, then you are in the right place. Choosing the best stepper motor for CNC can be distressing. When you look ... Read more
How to Calculate I J K in CNC Programming (G Code)
If you are interested in CNC programming, one of the main steps in learning G codes is to learn circular interpolation with G02 and G03. Circular interpolation is a fancy way of ... Read more
5 Things That Affect CNC Accuracy (& How to Fix Them)
So, you have built your machine; but you are not satisfied with your CNC machine accuracy. Or, maybe you are in the process of building a CNC machine or 3D printer and ... Read more
Stepper Motor vs Servo Motor for Your CNC Machine
One important decision you have to make when buying or building a CNC machine is to choose the type of CNC motors that will control your machine. Namely, you have to choose ... Read more
Top 15+ Maslow CNC Projects – The Coolest Ideas
To the layperson, CNC cutting may seem like an industrial-grade creation tool not meant for hobbyists. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and companies like Maslow are working to bring large-scale CNC routing, ... Read more
Laser Cut Art: 13 Amazing Laser Cutter Artists You’ve Never Heard Of
"Here are five very different approaches to laser cutting art, from five of the best artists in their fields!"
20+ Cool Glowforge Project Ideas to Make At Home
Glowforge laser cutters turn your home workshop into a profitable business, letting you cut and engrave acrylic, wood, and other materials to make your own custom wares. Once you’ve set up your ... Read more
Making Money with your CNC Router: A Guide
Which one of us hasn’t looked at a creative pursuit and wondered if there was a way to make money from it? If you write in your spare time, you’ve probably considered ... Read more
40+ Key CNC Industry Stats & Facts (2023)
CNC machining is a powerful technology that automates the carving, drilling, and shaping of materials. It only requires programming specific parameters into a machine and letting it do all the heavy lifting ... Read more
6 Axis CNC: The Complete Guide
Here are some takeaways for this page: If you’re familiar with CNC routers, you probably know they come with different numbers of axes – the most common being 3 axis routers, but ... Read more
Laser Engraved & Laser Cut Gifts – 8 Unique Ideas
Homemade gifts are a welcome substitution for store-bought presents and internet-ordered packages. Who doesn’t love that personal touch that comes with receiving something truly unique and tailored to them? Laser cutter and ... Read more
CNC Prototyping: Everything You Need To Know
Though 3D printing is now considered the main rapid prototyping technique, CNC rapid prototyping is ideal for injection molding prototypes, as well as functional part testing where getting as close to the ... Read more
G-Code vs M-Code: What’s The Difference? (Simply Explained)
G and M codes are two sets of commands integral to CNC, as well as other manufacturing methods like 3D printing. Most people may only have heard of G-code, but M-codes are ... Read more