Raw is a DIY CNC machine that anyone can build with parts from us or others. There is many similar machines and they are all good, but if you want to use your machine professionally you need to make it stronger and that’s the whole purpose with the Raw project. For our Swedish visitors you can visit www.cncmaskiner.org if you like.
So how do i build this awesome machine?
It’s easy, just purchase the partlist and the drawings. Go to the page “Start here” that you will find on top of this page. When you have the plates or the kit you can start building the machine. The build is well documented with pictures and YouTube videos.
If you are new to all this
We will publish articles that will help you to understand DIY CNC machines. It might look complicated but with some help it’s relatively simple, but you will need some activity in your brain to pull it off, but not much…
So start of buy reading some articles and you are half way in. you will find the articles in the menu above or below
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You can build one of the electronic box seen in the video after the machine is done. Just place the electronics on a piece of MDF or similar while you build and then move it all to your new box. All parts, .dxf files and instructions to build the electronic box will be included in Read more
The electronics Many of you prefer to use your own electronics instead of the one we suggest and you can do what ever you like as long as the motors are standard nema23. We recommend that you buy the electronics from eBay for example, it will be cheaper for you. The download contains a detailed Read more
You can easily make a raw longer or shorter than the original 990x990mm. This requires that some of the parts needs to be replaced. To make a Raw 1.5 wider: All parts that has to be wider will be extended the same amount so for the A, B, C, D, E, F, G you just Read more
Instruction videos for Raw 1.5 Here you will find all instructions on how to build the Raw 1.5 machine. You can also look at all the exploded drawings that comes with the package to see how to build the machine. As a customer you will also get downloadable files with more instructions for each video Read more
You can build a Raw1.5 machine cheaper and almost as good as the original. The only difference is the choice of materials and what the machine will be used for. Click on the pictures to see in more detail (opens in new windows). Instead of the aluminum brackets that can cost around 1.5Eur pcs, you Read more
Here is a video of typical work flow when working with your machine. I use 3 different softwares to cut my pieces. For 3D objects i use a free version of Google Sketchup. Tool Paths: You will need a “Tool Path” software, there is many free versions but i use V-carve Mach3 or similar to Read more
Finally… Now the Raw1.3 is complete and this is the final version and now its time for the next Raw model, check out the video for details If you have an older version you can upgrade to the new version by checking out the exploded drawings on http://www.cncmaskiner.org or http://www.rawcnc.com I´ll keep you all updated Read more
Raw compared with V-slot machines V-slot machines like OX CNC and X-carve or shapeoko CNC has a similar appearance as a Raw machine as they are all based on aluminum profiles in size 20×20-80cm but there ends any similarities. A Raw machine is much stronger than any of the foregoing. The price situation is fairly Read more
To paint aluminum If you paint directly on aluminum the color will come off. You will need some kind of primer or filler (spray putty) first before you paint them. You can do like this: Grind all the plates with a sandpaper to roughen the surface a little. Then spray the sheets with a spray Read more
Mach3 We are distributors of the Mach series that is the best CNC software on the market! To run a CNC machine you need to write data to the machine in the form of G code. It may look like this: Make your 3D frawing in any CAD program (there are good free programs Read more
4 motors on a 3-axle machine? As you may have seen most that build a 3-axis machine (up-down, left-right, front-rear) have 4 lead screws or belts and 4 motors. One motor for the Z-axis (up-down) one for the X-axis (left-right) and two for the Y-axis (front-back). XYZ axes can be confusing. When we talk CNC machine Read more
Home or limit switches A switch is a small on/off button that sits at 5-6 spots on your machine. One on each side of an axis. The z-axis (up down) has only one on top. These switches are the machine’s way to understand where it is located or if it traveled outside their area of Read more
Shielded cables what does it mean? When it’s time to connect your stepper motors and switches, choose shielded cables only. Even if it works well when you test your machine with regular cables, I promise you that you will have problems if you choose the wrong cables. A shielded cable has a metal or foil Read more
Cutting aluminium with a Raw1.3 machine Cutting aluminum is difficult. It takes the right speeds and your machine must be stable enough to handle the task. A poorly built machine with a lot of “Backlash” will not work. Raw1.3 machine has been rebuilt several times to cope with the task. So how do you cut Read more
Cutting wood with a Raw machine Raw machine cuts out a cabin door. Open it in a large window so you can see the details … Read more
Build your own machine There are several ways to tackle the task. One is to seek out various forums and look for drawings and good advice. I’m the type who dives into projects and cannot be bothered to go slow, but I have found out that errors are very expensive in the CNC world and Read more