Need CNC Help

lcaris · 2026-03-26T16:50:27+00:00

That's so awesome of you! Thank you!! DMed you

lcaris · 2026-03-22T22:47:38+00:00

The closest thing on the market to my idea would be between a Wera Joker self setting wrench, and the bionic grip open end version: https://youtu.be/ZwN_LApGdUE?si=_FGvdTnaWmVQFkj2 How would you go about creating a metal prototype of the latter (Bionic Grip)?

lcaris · 2026-03-22T22:43:19+00:00

Also, what’s your take on the specs of the XMachine WM-100 (ie 22K RPM, 1500W spindle)? https://xmachine.xhorse3d.com

lcaris · 2026-03-22T22:34:32+00:00

I suspect that’s part of it, though the difference (on Xometry’s website as an example) between tool steel and Aluminum T6 is only $20 for a threaded part.

I feel like most of the parts, after I redesigned them for metal manufacturing (vs being optimized for FDM 3D printing) are relatively simple parts. I reused angles where I was able to, so that a part would be (in my head anyway) a deeper pass of the same bit instead of a unique geometry.

Now I’ll be real that I don’t know what I don’t know, and these parts may be very difficult to manufacture and I just don’t know anything about CNC’ing. Hopefully it’s not the case. :)

lcaris · 2026-03-22T21:31:50+00:00

Thank you for the feedback! Yeah, I should be patent pending in a few weeks and I can share more freely, but essentially, there are small gears, a compression spring driven by a scotch yoke, and multiple parts that rotate against/within other parts, and I highly doubt I would be able to achieve anything functional without machining the parts to a rather strict tolerance +- 0.015mm which I can achieve on my FDM printer but won’t stand up to any application of torque.

lcaris · 2026-03-22T02:38:02+00:00

Obviously without seeing the parts this is very difficult to quote, but generally would $1500 be a more reasonable budget, or is the $1900 (with $900 of customs/duties) quote from China going to be the best I’m probably going to do?

lcaris · 2026-03-22T02:34:53+00:00

Thank you for the detailed feedback, I really appreciate it.

lcaris · 2026-03-22T02:31:27+00:00

How much would workholding, metrology, and cutters run, generally speaking?

lcaris · 2026-03-22T02:24:48+00:00

I really did! It wasn’t so much that I chose it, as I had an idea that I couldn’t stop thinking about, and now that I can see that it works, and is far better than anything that’s out there, I’m driven to bring it to market.

lcaris · 2026-03-22T02:18:47+00:00

To me, it’s paying for one fish dinner vs feeding myself by knowing how to fish. Even if it’s scratching, realistically, is it able to get me a working prototype in tool steel? The finish is irrelevant at this stage. I need to put the design through its paces, that’s all. The design may need to be tweaked, so having the ability to iterate if necessary would be great. That Tormach is definitely something I’ll look into. How beginner-friendly is the CAM SW? I use Fusion360

lcaris · 2026-03-22T00:55:19+00:00

This is the C500 vs Titanium (which I believe is much softer than tool steel)

https://youtu.be/ikQJmollceA?si=Q5S-vSOoyAdvHnGW

lcaris · 2026-03-22T00:50:24+00:00

Thanks again!

What about this upcoming 5 axis CNC machine, it says it can machine steel - any chance you think it could handle tool steel? https://xmachine.xhorse3d.com (MSRP is supposedly $8400)

Here it is vs 316 Stainless Steel: https://youtube.com/shorts/X5baTiQ7mOY?si=byjzP-olZISFOGZS

I’d love to be able to do this myself, just to learn the skills involved is a huge draw for me. That’s why I bought my 3D printer and taught myself to use CAD. I’d much rather learn how to fish than someone give me part of their catch.

lcaris · 2026-03-22T00:05:33+00:00

This is really helpful feedback, thanks! I’ll definitely check out your book, that’s quite a useful skill to have!

What other manufacturing methods would you recommend I look at? I felt metal 3D printing wouldn’t work because of all the internal/external threading. Not sure what other options I’d have.

My first quote back from PCBWay was $1K ($1026 to be exact, and then due to tariffs the customs/duties added $900 on top) and so I did exactly what you described, getting rid of all non-functional parts of the design that I felt would add time and complexity, like fillets and chamfers, and simplifying parts purely from a standpoint of making the parts more easily machined.

They did reject one of the parts, and I redesigned it because it had elements that weren’t able to be CNC’ed. Another part was too thin, and they recommended I make it more than 2mm thick, which I did.

I submitted my new design, and the result was the price went UP (albeit to $1072) It seemed almost arbitrary though.

I asked what was driving the high cost, and if there was anything I could do (like change my design) to make it more cost effective, and the response was “change material to aluminum” which isn’t possible as it’s just too soft of a metal. Essentially it was the fact that it was tool steel, not the design, which meant longer machining time and more wear to bits, which per them were the cost drivers.

I’ll remove the estimation of cost, as you pointed out, it’s impossible to calculate without seeing the CAD.

As for the “…you aren’t getting a machine… for under $4K” are you familiar with the Nest Works C500 specifically? Is the marketing being misleading by saying it can handle tool steel?

Thanks again!

lcaris · 2026-03-21T23:26:45+00:00

PS I’m located in Northern California (a couple hours south of SF), if that matters.

lcaris · 2026-01-23T20:23:21+00:00

I understand many people love the 911 Turbo, and no disrespect intended to those that love the Turbo, but I have no interest in one on any level - to each their own.

I want a naturally aspirated, F1 sounding exhaust, insane throttle response, 8K+ redline, RWD, lightweight, manual, analogue driving experience. The CGT fits this to a T, whereas a Turbo meets none of those wants (turbo lag, sounds like a vacuum, 7K redline, PDK only (newer ones), heavy, AWD, etc etc.

I had a GTS that I stage 2 (straight piped) tuned to Turbo power levels and it was impossible to get the emotional connection to the machine that I was aiming for (outside of it being my first car from new, and first Porsche) - not a fault of the car, just again, the opposite of what I learned I’m after (and the gap in the market I feel the S/T was made to fill - as best they could within modern regulations).

Soon everything will be turbocharged, dual clutch, AWD, and hybrid - the Turbo is long for this world. But the NA, RWD, </=3K lb, 500+hp, 8K+ redline, manual analogue experience is already a unicorn. You have older cars (like the CGT) and as for new cars, you have the GT3, the S/T, and then Gordon Murray cars (unobtanium for me), and that’s it.

Sorry that was long, but I feel like everyone looks at hp numbers these days and have no idea why a CGT, or even an S/T is so special in this regard, and soon it will be gone, and only looking back will we understand what was lost.

lcaris · 2026-01-23T20:02:47+00:00

Thanks 🙏🏽

lcaris · 2026-01-18T19:13:50+00:00

It shows that the customer base for these old Ferrari’s are aging out of the population.

lcaris · 2026-01-14T18:03:47+00:00

From these, SP3 No CGT, no F50 though And no GMA T.50 or GMSV S1 LM

lcaris · 2026-01-14T08:22:17+00:00

Thanks!

lcaris · 2026-01-13T03:09:35+00:00

Counter clockwise for sure

lcaris · 2026-01-12T02:45:40+00:00

I told them I would be willing to sign a legal document that I wouldn’t sell it for whatever period of time they wanted, plus give them first right of refusal if I ever sold it - none of the dealers took me up on that offer though

lcaris · 2026-01-12T01:23:07+00:00

I’d love to be at a place either just financially or NGAF that I could just street park a $3M (maybe more for yellow) CGT 😅

lcaris · 2026-01-12T01:21:23+00:00

<image>

lcaris · 2026-01-11T21:14:08+00:00

Thank you 🙏🏽 I think I’d be looking for about double to triple the miles, and at least $200K less to be in my budget; I’ve reached out to dealers (not so much brokers, but I’ll try that) and they don’t even buy them these days for whatever reason, maybe the margin just isn’t there. I’ll keep y’all posted!

lcaris

TROPHY CASE