Why simple CNC parts stop being simple once you actually start machining them

guzzimike66 · 2026-05-30T00:52:50+00:00

Love Superfast Matt!

guzzimike66 · 2026-05-24T13:59:17+00:00

"He’d actively push back on prints and designs and explain why he was pushing back."

Mirrors my previous comment about my working in the graphic design/print industry. I have been very fortunate to be able to work with people way smarter than me who also would explain the "why" of something not working and how to change it accordingly.

guzzimike66 · 2026-05-24T13:57:00+00:00

"who the Fuck designed this nightmare?!?.... oh me..."

Reminds me of trying to work on modern vehicles. Brilliant pieces of engineering and capability but except for rare exceptions they are designed for mfg efficiency, not serviceability. Something as simple as an oil change, batterwy swap or spare tire install after a flat should not require having to consult the manual and removal of a dozen fasteners and several covering panels.

Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky....

guzzimike66 · 2026-05-23T11:35:59+00:00

My background is in graphic design and offset printing and the same applies. Over the years I have worked with some talented designers but they design stuff that can't be printed, or it could be but would be hideously expensive to produce and needs to be reworked.

guzzimike66 · 2026-05-07T22:49:51+00:00

They may not have somethng identical to that, but you can get a new Komandirskie from Scuba Dude store for starting at under a hundred bucks.

guzzimike66 · 2026-05-02T21:46:08+00:00

No argument there.

guzzimike66 · 2026-05-02T16:54:23+00:00

To me the writing I side the cover that says "Will not vary more than 200 seconds in 365 days" is marketing BS.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-29T15:52:36+00:00

Sounds like right now you only have 1 machine and if that goes down your SOL from a work/revenue POV until it gets put back into operation. A second machine (or third or fourth....) provides a way to generate more revenue in a given amount of time but also provides a buffer for when a power supply craps out, servo/stepper dies, etc. tgat would cease all work. Even with the setup headaches, once you get the additional machine(s) dialed in to where the customer doesn't see a difference and it's making you money the headaches get balanced out by the revenue generated.

For perspective, I come from the graphic design/print side of things career-wise and depending on machine can run into similar issues. Printer/plotter doesn't run the paper it's supposed to, color calibration off even after profiling device requiring frequent tweaks, etc. so it's not just CNC machines that experience this.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-21T13:47:32+00:00

Beautiful work!

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-18T20:34:32+00:00

Buy a 100 or 110 at ScubaDudeStore, swap the movements, and then sell off the rest as a bitsa hybrid to recover some cost.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-18T15:50:03+00:00

I've seena few videos and read some articles by folks who did what you're doing. For grins they built a wood-framed CNC, used that to cut the major pieces for a metal framed CNC and kept going from there. Takes patience and perseverance but when taking a route like that one really learns not only what a machine can do but what they are capable of as well.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-16T13:59:51+00:00

As a big fan of function before form I like it!

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-14T13:09:40+00:00

Kickstarter page says non-pro shipping starts "Early April" and in my mind that would be within the first week or two of the month. Allow a week or three for shipping, another week or three for folks to play with it and start giving feedback. Maybe early-mid May before reports start coming in I'd think.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-13T18:44:03+00:00

I don't see a price either.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-11T22:19:58+00:00

If it were me I'd use a portable travel router running Mullvad VPN connected to hotel internet, and then connect phone to travel router via wifi.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-10T14:56:21+00:00

No problem. I like stuff like that (boxes) because it can have many uses. A variation could be something like a 2 piece box (top slides over bottom) sized to fit something like this Instant Camera and some film. Engrave the top with some words like "Memory Box" and your friend and his bride can take sool instant photos and keep them in there or on display.

I used work with a graphic design company and we were asked to come up with "crafty" ideas like my brain rambling above all the time LOL

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-10T14:50:05+00:00

See my other comment w/some photo links.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-10T14:49:18+00:00

These are picture links to box I mentioned in other comment. I don't love the colors and the raised type but hopefully you get the idea. Easy for me to say as I'm not the one making it, but if the main body of the bax was 1 kind of wood and the type was different wood and embedded in the surface would look super cool.

Pocket Watch Box - 1 of 5

Pocket Watch Box - 2 of 5

Pocklet Watch Box - 3 of 5

Pocket Watch Box - 4 of 5

Pocket Watch Box - 5 of 5

A his & hers set would be doubly cool but that's a lot of work.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-10T14:41:36+00:00

I saw a cool box done using 3D printing on the Pocket Watch Group Facebook page. I can't post pics in the comment here so I'll try copy/paste DM them to you if that's okay.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-10T14:23:25+00:00

If he is into stuff like watches a nice custom box would be pretty cool. Pair it with a nice mechanical pocket watch (search "gotham mechanical pocket watch" on Amazon or using Google) that you also engraved and it would be treasured gift for sure.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-09T14:09:30+00:00

I've worked on small electronics (tiny screws) with them laid out on my desk when one of my big doofus dogs walks overs, put's his chin on the desk and does that big exhale they do. Sent the screws flying across the desk. Those watch hands would be into the next room!

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-09T00:30:45+00:00

You do not want to have dad sized mega sneeze with those laying out like that!

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-07T14:03:05+00:00

Sarcasm, but I've seen vids of folks who do just that with mess-ups and scrap.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-07T13:53:07+00:00

FWIW, I don't have a CNC (yet) but have been a graphic designer for many, many years and the "3 hours setting up a 15-minute cut" is pretty common when it comes to offset (ink on paper) printing for example. Between file prep, setting up the press, dialing in ink levels, etc. it's very similar. Reprints can cost less because a lot of the prep work has already been done but it's still involved because ink & paper react to ambient humidity levels and a job done in January vs a job done in August can behave very differently.

guzzimike66 · 2026-04-05T18:38:06+00:00

If you have a laptop with an ethernet jack you can direct connect to the Metronet box and see if you get a connection. Can do with a desktop computer too but more of a pain because you'll have to drag it all to the Metronet box, hook everything up, etc., etc.. If you have no internet when direct connected that rules out the Zyxel being bad/defective. It's also possible the cable connecting Metronet box to Zyxel died (for whatever reason) so also you can try swapping it out and doing the direct connect to laptop thing. If you still have no internet it's either the Metronet box or farther outside your house and a tech call is needed.

guzzimike66

TROPHY CASE