From the Archives…

Just for fun, and because there are quite a few archives, I thought I’d add the link above where you can click for a random CNCCookbook post. This is by no means are whole archive since it ties back to my WordPress.com site that has only the more recent postings. It will grow steadily over time, though as I am committed both to writing new posts (natch!) and to backfilling the WordPress archives until I have it all moved over. Do keep in mind that WordPress is an experiment right now and the www.cnccookbook.com page remains the main event. WordPress is there for me to experiment with layouts (I probably won’t stick with the rather dark one that’s there as I write this) and to provide folks a place to get an RSS feed for CNCCookbook.

For a complete index with all the archives, try the Index page.… Read the rest

Got a Good Start on a Pig Trough…

But, seeing as how I don’t own any pigs, I decided to call it a chip pan for my mill enclosure instead. After getting a note from a reader that got me to looking over my enclosure idea notebook, I couldn’t resist getting started. Just a couple of progress photos for now, but I’ll write up the whole thing once it’s done. My brother runs a picture framing business, so he handles the woodworking end of our projects… Takes a pretty good sized trough for the IH Mill!

You know they’d be happy in that chip pan!… Read the rest

The Short List for Online Marketers at Small Businesses

My other blog is about entrepreneurship in the technology startup world (not to mention Cloud Technology, Mobile Computing, and Social Networks) and I’m a serial entrepreneur who has done 5 companies so far with a sixth (right here, baby!) underway. As such, I follow a lot of small business and entrepreneurship resources–I subscribe to nearly 200 blogs for that information. A number of our readers here at CNCCookbook run a manufacturing business of one kind or another. Some of them are running job shops while some are manufacturing their own products. As a result, I try to pass along a little small business wisdom every now and again, but not so much as to detract from the overall theme of CNCCookbook. Here is my first installment of business thinking for the New Year. All small businesses share a common problem: how to get more customers (and often, how to get more of the right kinds of customers). The web is a potent resource to all of these businesses, and one you want to make use of. Towards that end, if you like to read blogs, I wanted to give you my short list of must-read bloggers for small businesses.… Read the rest

Amazing Projects with CamBam

Some of the lower end CAM programs are capable of some amazing work. Here are some samples done with CamBam: A 747 made from aluminum. Very cool 3D work! Watch chassis with “tabs” for fixturing… Watch part… There is the part installed… CamBam scored pretty well on the CAM Survey (below). I’m starting to see why!… Read the rest

Idea Notebooks

CNCCookbook is nothing if not one big idea notebook, but I keep special pages I call idea notebooks for things I haven’t built yet, but expect to and want to collect notes for. I’ve got a number of different idea notebooks including: CNC Control Panels: What should be on your control panel? Coolant Collars: A handy way to dispense flood coolant that clamps to your spindle. Mill Fixture Plate: Makes modular fixturing and setups a snap. Souping up a Drill Press: Something to be productive on while your CNC mill is chugging away on its own. Press Brake Attachments for your Press. Better than a brake, not as good as a real Press Brake. Belt Sanders: I built a disc sander, now I need a belt sander. Handy machines! Electronics Boxes: How to build a neatly wired enclosure for your CNC electronics. High Speed Spindle Add-On: Attach a high speed spindle to your existing spindle. Home Shop Hall of Fame: Amazing man caves! Lathe Tooling Organizers: Keep those QCTP holders in order.… Read the rest