Everything started with an idea I had about vaping (f.k.a. I wanted to build MY perfect vape. So I got involved with CAD and designed my piece. It was necessary to use stainless steel and the trouble started. I wanted to mill it in a makerspace (also known as fablab) but had to realise that no makerspace in my reach had a machine capable of milling hard alloys. Aluminum was out of discussion for m
e. So I thought about to purchase a mill that was capable to mill stainless steel and checked out Amazon and eBay. I found an overwhelming amount of DIY mills. BUT these are all crap when you first have dived into details and achieved some insight about CNC mills. I started to do some research on CNC mills after I did spend loads of hours at YouTube. I reached out to find a proper mill after I geared up with some expertise and now new the common pits to fall into. Days and weeks passed by without any joy. Also the idea to import a mill from China quickly ended up into nothinglessness. Next idea I had was to build myself one as this lowest priced mills probably able to cut stainless steel started at 7.500€ upwards. So I returned to research to learn more about the components, behaviour, requirements and so on. I started to feel like a professional maschinist...
Next round. This time looking for components. I searched, found, refined my search many times. After 4 months still finding better components for a even more reasonable price with no loss of quality. Rather the contrary. I then started to create the bill of materials as it struck me that some parts have to be machine very precise before I can assemble them. That machining in a workshop would have blown my finances by far. I started thinking about this and realised that many people must have been down that road and many will still come. Either they get really involved like I did and may have dropped their (magnificent) ideas or jumped for an affordable solution and bought a piece of CNC junk and still weren't able to let their dreams come true. It took me more than 6 months to reach the point I am at right now. I have learned about:
- CAD and FEA (Analysis of - in this case - structural behavior)
- Materials
- Stepper motors and drivers
- Controllers
- Rail guides
- much other arbitrary stuff
It is a nice-to-have knowledge but rarely used again. So the decision was made. I share the knowledge in a refined manner, manifacture if wanted, import where needed and offer everything in the soirit of open source. To take this further:
- I also want to live up to a high social engagement.
- Hiring disabled and/or elder people or longterm unemployed will be the focus on company level.
- Support schools, makerspaces/fablabs and social organisations with CNC machinery or products made with CNC if needed - like dolls houses for Kindergardens.
- Close cooperation and engagement with the makers movement. Get in touch with me if you are facing problems to source particular items. It will become part of the portfolio if feasible and sensefull
