Zen Toolworks CNC Carving Machine DIY Kit 7×7
Zen Toolworks CNC Carving Machine DIY Kit 7×7
- 7(X) x 7(Y) x 2(Z) inches travel capacity
- PVC Frame, Steel guide rods and precision linear bearings provide maximum accuracy and rigidity
- New Nema 17 Stepper Motor included, 2 Phase, 4 Wires, 1.3A
- M8 x 1.25 Stainless Steel Lead Screws with ball bearng end support
- Effective backlash elimination with brass Anti-Backlash Lead Screw nuts
NOT INCLUDED – This is just the CNC machine with motors. You will need a 3 Axis Stepper Motor Driver to manage each motor, a spindle/cutter (a Dremel would work) and a DC power supply for the driver. You will also need a computer with a standard printer port and CNC software. – You will also need a way to mount and secure the spindle/cutter tightly to the Z-axis plate on the machine. We offer a Spindle Kit complete with a mounting frame for this machine. We also offer a 3 Axis Stepper Motor Driver that we use with our CNC systems.
You can see some video demos of this machine in action. Just go to YouTube and search for “Zen Toolworks CNC”
You are looking at a DIY kit of a CNC carving machine. Now you can build your very own CNC carving machine to do relief carving, letter cutting, inlay and all other interesting features to enhance your woodworking, PCB or other projects.
The body of the machine is constructed with high density PVC boards. Steel guid rod, linear bearing and stainless steel lead screws are used to construct the moving parts. The anti-backlash brass nut design will virtually eliminate all backlashes. New Nema 17 motors(2 phases, 1.3A, 4 leads) for all three axis are also included. The install is very easy, if you have a bench vise and a power screw driver, that will really help. Install instruction CD is included in the package. Assembling the CNC is very fun and only takes around 3-4 hours to complete. You will be amazed by what can be achieved by this machine. Finally, you can build and own your very own CNC machine for a price that’s within your budget!
When you purchase, you will be invited to join our member-only discussion forum. This is a good place to get support and learn from other CNC users and share your own knowledge.
List Price: $ 379.00
Price: [wpramaprice asin="B002ARTLUG"]
One of the best investments I have made in tools!!!,
Zen Toolworks DIY CNC Machine Review:
Short reviews are great but I decided that mine should be a bit longer and in depth so anyone who reads it will have a better idea of what exactly a Zen Toolwork CNC Kit is. In short It is a GREAT item. If you want a short review see below.
Short Review: A Must have. One of the Best Investments I have ever made as far as tools go. Buy it!!!
Long Review:
A MUST HAVE for anyone who wants to get started with CNC with an excellent well made precise and affordable machine. If you want to design prototypes, carve foam, plastic metal or wood (this machine is perfect for doing wood engraving as it has a fantastic detail level even when down to extremely small designs with the right bits) or even if you just want to make small custom and/or precision parts on occasion for models or RC vehicles; or perhaps just do a little custom engraving once in a while this machine is more then able to handle the task without emptying your wallet. And it’s a Kit! So you get to have a great time building it!
Arrival: From the time it shipped to the time it was at my door was 2 days. I live in NJ and the CNC kit came from CA so that was very fast shipping!!!
Upon opening the box I found everything very well packed, very tight and secure. I did a parts count and everything is where it should be with a few extra screws, bolts and washers.
Parts:
The material that makes up the body of the machine is very strong. Much stronger then I would have initially though. The box must have weighted in at over 40 pounds, as the body material is very heavy and sturdy. Anything that was not made of the gray body material (such as the driver screws or the rails) was steel or stainless steel.
Quality: All parts except the motors are brand new. However in the description it does say that the motors are used. Considering that the Stepper motors are probably the most expensive part of a CNC machine this is where the real savings are as the motors while used are very well made and appear to have a lot of life left in them. I don’t think I will be burning out any of these 3 motors any time soon. So everything came as described or better. For the price paid the quality can not be beat and surpasses what most people would expect for a CNC machine priced well under $1200 even under $300 as Amazon has them listed at an absurdly low $299.95. As far as CNC machines go less then $300 is near free when you compare it to others of the same size. This machines ability appears to on par and in many cases better then the “cheap” desktop models others are selling for $1100 on up. After building it and seeing what can be done I can say that this is one of the best deals out there for any type of CNC machine or tools. All moving parts have multiple ball bearings so nothing is dragging. Even after reading all the positive reviews I was still pleasantly surprised at the sturdy design and well made parts.
Ease of Assembly: All you really need is a cheap Walmart $1 Hex Key set, a small vise, a Phillips screwdriver, a power screwdriver (saves a lot of time but not really needed) and some common sense. Total tool cost for what is needed to assemble this kit if you don’t have any tools at all (everyone has screw drivers right?) would be less then $30 and that is with a cheap power driver or about $10 to $15 without the power driver. The tough part is getting the small side of the driving screws to fit the ball bearings as it is a tight fit and they need to be pressed into the bearing. I found it easiest to get the driving screws into the bearings first as I do not have a drill press handy (a cheap $40 one from Sears could do it) and then use a small vise to gently press the edges of the bearings into the body parts. If you have access to any kind of drill press this can be done really easy using the press to put the driving screw into the bearing after it is in the body. It took me about 4 ½ hours to assemble and I had to back up a few steps because I forgot to check the alignment of a few holes (this means I put a few panels on backwards because I was not paying attention) and had to disassemble a few steps back to reposition a few of the body parts about 3 or 4 times. That was my fault however. The only customization that needs to be made is a mount for your cutting tool. I have a dremel tool so fabricating something was easy enough. Even a quick fix however would be fine because once attached you can use the machine to make a better mount. I will say I had a great time just building this machine. I am already tempted to order another one just to build it. Maybe I can talk a few friends into buying them and letting me do the assembly. Everything was easy and well made and fit where it was suppose to fit. When you read the online instructions for assembly it says that you should take your time and it does not…
Read more
Was this review helpful to you?
|Great Kit, Awesome Support,
The kit got to the east coast in lightning time. The kit is very well manufactured, and relatively easy to put together. The documentation is new, and a little lacking, but Zen has already made improvements in the week I’ve had my kit. You are buying this from an American small business owner, who must spend all day on Google supporting his product. If you have a question, it will be answered directly by him, in less then an hour. It is also supported via Google groups with a forum of some knowledgeable people as well, it’s very newbie friendly.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Awesome kit that works like a champ!,
I ordered this item from an Ebay auction. It came packaged into a small USPS box, carefully and neatly. All the parts were there with extras as well.
It took me about three hours to assemble it. Make sure you have a good vise with at least a 3″ jaw to help you set the bearings and bushings. Keep an eye on the orientation of the parts as well so you only have to build it once
The online build guide is well thoughtout and easy to follow. And the online community is active and ready to help.
My goal was first to build a model CNC mill. To start from the beginning and learn as much as possible. This kit certainly did that for me. Once finished, and under computer control, I stuck a small pen into the spindle and did some lettering with serifs. Even under high magnification the curves and tips were perfect. Very accurate and capable unit!
Ive been cutting foam now for casting molds and just happy as can be. The performance is good, the accuracy is high, and its just plain fun to watch it run. Plus the kit aspect makes it even more fun :)
Thanks again for the coolio and fun project! The price is outstanding for the educational value of this kit, and when your finished, you get an outstanding tool for your workshop too boot!
Pictures of my unit [...].
Was this review helpful to you?
|