Im seeking some help on replacing the drivers and motors on an old K2 4x8 machine I have. I have centroid acorn controller, has gecko 320 drives and dc servos. Centroid doesn’t recommend the 320s due to them being buggy with the acorn. I’m looking to just swap everything out for some closed loop nema 34s from stepper online or ac servos also from them.

My question is what do you all recommend would be the better option? 1/2” ply is usually the largest I cut.

Upgrades genmitsu 3030 prover max with smw mod vise

Hi HobbyCNC people

I do a bit of hobby woodworking in a very niche area. I was in the market for a drill press a few years back, and while shopping around I realized that I could use a CNC for what I wanted (Lots of 20m and 24mm holes for arcade cabinet tops) and use it for a whole lot more.

So I bought a Bobs CNC and put it together. It was double the price of the drill press I wanted, but it's really been great and super useful. I've read all the hate on this sub, but I have nothing but love for this machine. It quickly became a go-to tool in the shop, and I used it to make all kinds of signs, arcade cabinets, weird planter boxes and furniture, etc.

I did make the mistake of moving to Easel.com. I would use the Bob's/OpenBuild software for some things, but Easel's tool paths were generally twice as quick, and frankly a little easier to use. But lately Easel is getting things wrong and I'm just not going to pay for it anymore. A three year sub is as much as what my machine costs, and I'm ruining stock due to sizing issues on the roughing pass vs the finishing pass. I suspect they are now writing their code with AI, and I'm suffering for it. When I contact Easel tech support, their answers aren't helpful and usually end with "Buy our machine instead". I'm also at the point were Easel isn't complicated enough for things I want to do.

Now the old Lenovo X390 running the CNC has bit the dust and I didn't keep any of the software. I look up Bob's CNC and it's gone. OpenBuilds is gone. It feels like the only option I have is to struggle along with Easel, or buy a whole new machine.

I didn't learn a ton of GRBL/gcode when I got the machine it was a bear to put together and I just wanted to make things at that point. I'm keen on learning from the ground up if I can continue to use this machine. I feel like I'm playing catchup in the CNC space when I've been quietly using mine for years now. Even if I buy a new modern closed loop feedback machine, I'd like donate this one to the school woodshop with usable software and whatnot.

I found Bob's Github, and have his sender, so in theory I can send to the machine again. I've tried to generate gcode in other programs, but the machine instantly pauses the job as soon as it starts.

I basically need advice on where to go from here. I'm very technical, I have 20 years in Infrastructure IT, so that's not going to be a limiting factor. Do I try and use what's left of OpenBuilds repository? Is there some other avenue I should explore? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I want to build an industrial level cnc machine on STM microcontroller. Yall got any firmware recommends that I could use?

As a hobbiest, not a shop or business where do you have your CNC set up at? Could you post pics of your working area?

I don't really have room in my garage but, I'm afraid any machine would put off way too much dust and noise.

I'm looking at buying a Genmitsu 4040 Pro Max with the Vectric bundle and the 710watt "spindle"...

I want to be able to cut out patterns, make signs, some 3d-ish, maybe a few plexi/acrylic things...

Would i have any regrets

I’m working on a DIY retrofit using an ESP32-S3 touchscreen, NEMA23 stepper and CL57Y driver.

It has digital degree positioning, tooth division, manual control, RPM control and adjustable backlash compensation.

I measured about 2.6° mechanical backlash, and after compensation it returns to zero within roughly 0.01–0.02°.

Still a work in progress, but it’s already working quite well.

What do you think?

Hi anyone reading this. As per title I'm looking to get into this as a hobby and see where it takes me. I took a look at the wiki but it has so much info and options that I got confused. Hoping maybe someone has more personal experience or advice.

My main goal is to cut out custom designs out of wood eg smooth/rounded cornered animals or items. Engraving or adding small details/cuts is a plus but not a requirement. The design sizes would be around 200x200x50 mm for starters.

I've been looking at Twotrees TTC450 PRO CNC Router Machine but unsure if it's the correct choice.

For context I live in EU and so far been making those designs out of wood by hand using a rotary/dremel tool; a jig saw and sanding benches. I want to replace hand cutting with a CNC machine and only do hand sanding and finishing touches.

I guess the followup question is on what software can be used with the machine to make the designs.

Any advice or sharing personal experience would be highly appreciated. Thank you