My DIY CNC

I'm working on a new design for a homebrew CNC mill.  At roughly a 2x3 feet cutting area, I'll be able to use this to produce larger parts than I've been able with my 3D printers and smaller CNC machines.

I came up with a low-cost, DIY solution for anti-backlash nuts.  These, along with a lead screw, transfer the stepper motor's radial motion to linear motion for each axis - and are typically pretty expensive and hard to source with custom dimensions/specifications.  The ones I came up with, pictures above, total about $3.00 each, and are solely made up of components sourced from my local True Value hardware store!

I'm waiting to finalize the mill design until some of the pre-fabbed components arrive in the mail.  I'll then do some mock-ups and double-check measurements to make sure cutting parts and the final assembly will go smoothly.

I'll post more updates in July, when I return from overseas!