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My Narrative
When I decided to build my first CNC machine, a foam cutter, I didn’t have any real idea of what I needed to use for stepper motors or a CNC controller. I did quite a bit of research and was overwhelmed by the amount of information. So how did I choose the right parts?
Well, basically I checked to see what was the most popular selling items online for very similar projects to mine and hoped I would be OK. This was around 2010 when 3d printing was unheard of for hobbyists. Luckily I made good choices and everything still works and has been 100% reliable.
I’ve learnt so much and now have a CNC router and a 3d printer as well. CNC can be a bit addictive and very rewarding when it all works. But when it doesn’t work as expected or not at all in can be very frustrating. I’ve helped several guys all over the world to get their machine working and the elation they show when it works is priceless. So I hope this post will help you make an informed decision.
Hot Wire CNC foam cutter
If your budget is limited I would use the same option as the budget router If you prefer to use USB and are happy uploading firmware to Arduino boards then the option below would be a good choice. You need to keep you build light as it uses NEMA17 motors. My new USB Foam Cutter build is here https://www.oyostepper.com/category-1-b0-Hybrid-Stepper-Motor.html
Make sure you get the DRV8255 or the TMC2100 driver modules they can handle more current than the A4988 and use a cooling fan.If you prefer to use Mach3/4 with USB then the use the same option above for the router and with a light build NEMA17 stepper motors should be fine.
As you can see there is a lot to consider when choosing parts for your build. As I said earlier I’m no expert on this subject but I’ve had a good experience in CNC routing, foam cutting and 3d printing and I hope this may help in your decisions. Please use this post as a guide and check out other resources as well and you should be able to make some good decisions on your purchases. The links in this post are affiliate links which means if you do purchase from them I receive a small commission. You pay no more and if you do thank you. It all helps to fund the website.