Would you like to build a CNC hot wire foam cutter using 3d printer electronics for around $200/£160/€180? The pictures below are some of the RC models I’ve built with my CNC foam cutter. So why do I use a Hot Wire CNC foam cutter to make RC planes? Isn’t it cheaper to buy foam…
This list includes the parts required to build the USB or the Parallel Port versions of the CNC foam cutter. The USB version is my latest build and will be about 30% cheaper than the older parallel port version. Using the older parallel port version is probably the simplest and cheapest way to use Mach3…
When I built my first CNC foam cutter back in 2010, I had no idea what stepper motors or CNC controller I needed. I did what many beginners do: looked online at popular builds and copied what seemed to work. Luckily, my choices were good — that first machine is ran reliably for several years…
So you’ve made some wings with your Hot Wire CNC Foam Cutter and wondered if you can make fuselages as well I’ve been on that journey too and now I can share my knowledge and experience. I purchased DevFus Foam a few years ago and now there is a second release. In my opinion, it’s…
This post details my original CNC Foam Cutter build, which I’ve now updated to a new version. Here’s the link to build the USB version https://rckeith.co.uk/how-to-build-a-usb-cnc-hot-wire-foam-cutter/ I would encourage you to build the USB version because the configuration of Mach3 and LinuxCNC on a parallel port computer is quite lengthy. Calibration is also more involved….
Why use Linux CNC? I suppose the obvious answer is that LinuxCNC software is FREE to use being Open Source. This post shows how to get the OX CNC router from OpenBuilds to work with LinuxCNC and a TB6560 CNC controller. But this should work for most 3-axis CNC routers. I’ve used Mach3 for several years, and…
Why use a Hot Wire CNC foam cutter Why build a Hawker Hurricane in foam with a Hot Wire CNC foam cutter? As you may have noticed on my website, I’ve built a Hot Wire CNC foam cutter and several flying wings. So I was thinking about my next build, and it had to be the Hurricane IID…
Why would I use free CNC software? You’ve built your 4 Axis hot wire foam cutting machine or 3 Axis router and now you need CNC control software. I often get questions through this website from fellow hobbyist asking what software they can use to cut foam wings, fuselages or parts on their CNC router….
Why upgrade the heated bed power supply? I’ve upgraded my Anet A8 to use an ATX computer power supply(PSU) to power the heated bed. Why would you need to do this? The printer worked fine without it. The heated bed can take a while to heat up and it draws all its current through the…
Many thanks to Eric Simon for this design. Still, have some decals to add. This is for my Grandson Oscar who is 3 years old and loves my Radio Controlled Hawk. Every time he visits we have to get it off the shelf so he can hold it and go zoom. This is the big…
I upgraded to a Creality K1 so this post is quite old now but I’ve updated based on my experience after printing many RC parts and now a complete RC aircraft The Anet A8 3D printer when I purchased it was probably the most affordable and arrived as a kit to assemble. I really enjoyed…
TB6560 4-axis spindle relay configuration with Mach3 or LinuxCNC is fairly straightforward. But it took me some time to figure out. So here’s how I got it to work. I wanted to be able to control my Katsu (Makita clone) router from Mach3 and LinuxCNC. The goal was that it would switch on…
Here are the build details and videos of my first hot wire flying wing made with my CNC foam cutter. If you’d like to build a foam cutter I have all the information here https://rckeith.co.uk/cnc-hot-wire-foam-cutter/. Here’s the finished YMF-38. She flies extremely well and can eat up the sky Details and Dimensions I’ve called it…
I get quite a few questions from users all over the world most asking very similar questions so I thought I’d post the most common questions and my answers here Can I use NEMA 17 stepper motors for the machine? Yes Check my new build using 3d printer electronics here Can I use 8mm lead…
FPV (First Person View) if you don’t know is probably as near as you can get to real flying without being in one of those big simulators costing lots of money. Basically you can see what the model is seeing (if it could see!). I did try the FPV gear on my smaller flying wing…
Mach3 is the software that transforms a computer into a CNC machine controller. If you can’t get your machine to work, I hope this helps you. If it still doesn’t work, please contact me, and I’ll be happy to help. I get quite a few questions from all over the world. Before you start Mach3…
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