How to make a simple and high quality 3D printable CNC drawing machine to draw on (almost) anything.

I’ve always wanted a CNC machine and so has my partner. But they’re just too expensive or too large for storing when not in use. So I designed this over a couple of months. Its cost of components is around £75 excluding the old chopping board I mounted mine on. All the software is open source and free. I have used it for drawings, and my partner is using it to draw accurate outlines onto modelling wood to then cut and build his own model boat with.

I’ll step you through how to build your own including all the files, code and models you will need to assemble it. Once assembled, I’ll then explain how to configure GRBL on the Arduino Uno, create your own GCODE from your drawings in Inkscape and control the machine from Google Chrome using Chillipeppr.

This project has a relatively low cost and can produce some very detailed drawings. I’ve used it to create t-shirts, cake decorations, drawings to colour in myself (and some it coloured in for me!). You could also use it to draw out scale drawings, wedding invitations, birthday and Christmas cards and anything else you can think of. 🙂

Feel free to also adapt the design to suite your own needs.