I purchased my delta 3D printer back in 2016 for a mere $200. When I bought the machine, 3D printers were gaining in popularity but were not very widespread. While dealing with this cheap kit from AliExpress was a source of a lot of stress, it also provided me with hands-on experience that eventually led me to robotics. Back then, I had no idea what an Arduino was, and the MKS Mini inside this cheap 3D printer was my first exposure to the fascinating world of microcontrollers. 

Now, four years later, I find myself in a similar position as back then. I want to expand my capabilities as a maker. While FDM 3D printers lead the way in fast, cheap, and undemanding prototyping, they lack the precision I want. Even if I can get parts printed somewhat precisely, 3D printing artifacts such as warping often haunt the results.

I could get around this by buying a new 3D printer, but this would not expand my capabilities much. 3D printable materials no longer cut it for me. 

While they are not yet as mainstream and straightforward as 3D printers, CNC routers seem to be on the rise, and there is quite a variety of capable and accessible desktop machines.

With this project, I hope to share my adventure of choosing, buying, assembling, and finally operating my very own CNC router with this project.