I could add more details. There's more to say. But I touched on the main points in this article. I know people are going to disagree with me about this, and that, but you're all wrong. If you want to disagree with what I've presented here go write your own article. You can argue with success, but don't expect me to suffer fools gladly.

The first image in this step is the first job I generated the G code for and ran on my machine. It is a pen plot (I love plotting on my CNC - it is so quiet) using a ball point pen and when you're looking at it realize that I did not know exactly what I was doing when I made that file. So my machine ran over all of those lines three times each. I guess I had some kind of progressive depth cutting setting active in the software I was using? I don't even know now. I still think it is funny though.

Every line you're seeing there is a line drawn on a line, then drawn over again. That should give you some idea what my CNC machine is capable of doing. Repeatable accuracy. It does the same thing with a spindle in it too. Because my machine is very rigid, strong and sturdy.

The second image is me dialing in PCB isolation routing. I didn't get that quite right on the first try. I had the bit in the collet crooked, so it cut wide as the tip of the bit described a circle on the work (I still used that board though). In the top board I straightened the bit out, and did some more test cuts. So the machine is quite capable, if run right. someone else said the wide cut was due to my machine not being rigid, and shaking about. That is obviously not the case. They were wrong.

I didn't even use height sensor software. There's people with commercial machines that cost many times what mine did, that can't isolation route boards. It is what it is. If you make wise choices you can build a CNC for not much that works great. But you have to have realistic objectives, and take care in your work.

Anyhow, this is super long, but it is a complicated topic. I hope someone finds some value in what I've written here. To wrap it all up, if you want to build a cheap CNC machine, then build a cheap CNC machine. Which means don't try to build a lousy version of an expensive CNC machine. Use the basic cheap machine design, like I outlined here. Fixed gantry, moving table. If a machine don't work, then it is junk. This design works. If you want one of them fancy moving gantry machines you need decent linear guides. Which will cost more than this whole machine did. That doesn't mean unsupported round rod either. That stuff don't work.

So many cheap CNC machines on the net deserve to be taken out back, shot, and put out of their misery. Don't make one of those can barely go 12 IPM living abortions. Make a machine within your means. You can dream, but when it comes time to act you need to be realistic then.