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A new book that BYOAC cabinet builders might enjoy...
vrf:
I've been eyeballing this book for a while. I have this Barnes and Nobel gift card that I'll probably use for this. I would be interested in hearing how the book compares with PHD's website... that resource is already pretty detailed and clear. I suppose the book is just a polished up version of all that info? (Plus easier reading...)
http://buildyourcnc.com/step1.aspx
In general there is so much info out on the web that a book seems like it might be redundant? A DIY CNC machine is the kind of project where a newbie can learn quite a lot by looking at all the projects/plans already out there, and take some of the best ideas from each one.
But yes... a DIY CNC machine is definitely a project I'd like to take on. I've been lurking over at CNCZone a lot lately.
GAtekwriter:
I've watched every video, read every page, over at buildyourcnc.com - Patrick provides a LOT of information,but much of it is out of date (older versions of machines he no longer supports or recommends).
Yes, a person could easily build their own CNC machine by carefully examining all the content out there, but it's so scattered and some of it conflicts. Patrick and I discussed this book for quite some time before settling on the machine, the format, etc...
What we decided was to include the best machine that satisfied the most demands of a new cnc builder: low cost (relatively, speaking), simplest method of movement (rails and lead screws), and ease of cutting/drilling/assembly (MDF vs other materials).
We also decided to have many chapters versus a few large ones. We chose spots where the reader could stop, look at the work they'd done to that point, and see progress. Each chapter of the building process is fairly short compared to other books. That's because readers typically prefer complicated info in small bits... so we broke the cutting/drilling/assembly process down into as many sub-parts as we could... no bookmarks needed - you'll finish a chapter and a checklist at the end of each chapter will summarize the work you've done, the hardware you've used (bolts, nuts, etc), and what's next.
What's nice about buildyourcnc.com is that Patrick has realistically shown how to build a cnc machine using five tools - handsaw, mitre box, drill, tap, and screwdriver. I couldn't believe it at first, but Patrick really didn't have that many tools when he started out, so he used what he had. This is a point we tell readers in the book - you don't need a huge garage of tools (but it helps)... with patience and some basic tools, you can build this machine. (The electronics don't even have to be soldered, but we recommend that in place of wire nuts).
The book serves many purposes, one being having all the info in one place. After building this machine, I'm much more confident now in building my next one (bigger, different form factor, different method of movement). CNCZone is a site that we recommend in the book, and they've also offered us some free advertising for the book... it's a great site!
Hope some of this helps...
Jim
vrf:
Good info. I am quite interested, but the release delays are puzzling. Awhile back it said the beginning of October... then November. Now it says it won't ship for 1 to 2 months?
http://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Machine-Technology-Action/dp/1430224894/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258215121&sr=8-1
GAtekwriter:
I've found that you can't really trust Amazon's "Ships in X months..." messages... it's like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. The book was pushed up from a jan/feb 2010 expected publishing date to a November 2009 date... I spoke with my editor on Friday and the book is still scheduled to be released and for sale by end of November.
Jim
vrf:
Hmm.. This looks like a nice little set of plans, too. Free is always nice, too.
http://diylilcnc.org/