What’s this all about? Laser engraving is an incredibly versatile technique that allows you to etch intricate designs and patterns onto various materials. The awesome thing is that Laser Engravers have really become popular over the last few years which has resulted in a huge increase in the options of complete systems and parts. Gone are ...

Inkscape is a FREE powerful vector graphics editor which offers a wide range of add-ons that enhance its functionality and provide additional features. Installing these add-ons allows you to customize Inkscape to suit your specific needs and expand its capabilities. In my case, generating CNC GCode for laser engraving straight from Inkscape. I’ve being using Inkscape ...

We all had our projects during one of the many lockdowns and an ‘Alexa Enabled Secret Bar’ was mine! This project started out with building two industrial sideboards for the corner of my dining room. The question: what to do with dead space in the corner? The answer: a pop up unit that made full ...

We all had our projects during one of the many lockdowns and an ‘Alexa Enabled Secret Bar’ was mine! This project started out with building two industrial sideboards for the corner of my dining room. The question: what to do with dead space in the corner? The answer: a pop up unit that made full ...

We all had our projects during one of the many lockdowns and an ‘Alexa Enabled Secret Bar’ was mine! This project started out with building two industrial sideboards for the corner of my dining room. The question: what to do with dead space in the corner? The answer: a pop up unit that made full ...

With Christmas around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about some last minute custom made presents. A ball bearing maze can make a great little stocking filler. It can be as simple or complex as you like making it a fun one for kids or adults. In this post I’m going to be focusing on ...

I have read all sorts of information on the internet about the compatibility of the TB6600 and ESP32. Some suggested level shifting was needed, some said it just wouldn’t work, and others said it it fine. Well, I’ve tried it and here is what I found. For those of you that don’t know, the TB6600 is ...

I thought this project was going to be really difficult. I’m not a programmer and Internet of Things (IoT) is a long way out of my comfort zones. But how I was wrong…so, let’s control a stepper motor from Alexa! Among other things, I wanted to control a stepper motor using voice activation. I already ...

This is a project I have been meaning to do for a long time. I really like the ‘industrial look’ furniture. You know the type: welded steel frames and chunky wooden panels. After a bit of shopping around (well actually, quite a few months!) I couldn’t find anything that was right. So, there is only ...

So here is a really quick and simple ‘Ikea Hack’ for you! We were after a cutlery holder for our kitchen windowsill and couldn’t find anything that fit the bill…so there is only one thing for it… build it: 3D printed cutlery holder! Now I am a big believer in not 3D printing things for the ...

Building a solid wooden, ‘Low Profile Bed Frame’ is a fantastic weekend project. Complete with a solid wooden built in headboard for that minimalist look. In this post I’m going to show you how to build this awesome bed frame from scratch with completely free plans. I am not a carpenter. But I love working ...

Here’s a quick and easy one for you. I wanted some garden side tables for, well, you guessed it, the garden. But it seems that everyone else in lock-down did too! What was left online was either expensive or rubbish…so let’s build some garden side tables! As the title suggests; a pallet, a few wooden blocks, ...

So here is a nice weekend project for you. My wife and I wanted a solid wood dining table with a nice rustic feel. Looking around we were shocked at the prices of new “rustic” furniture. Since we have a small car, a second hand one wasn’t really an option. So there is only one ...

Several months ago I working on my Stepcraft 840 using the HF Spindle 500W. I was cutting some plywood and got a little over confident. I took things a little too deep too fast and ended up stalling the motor. Luckily I was able to get to the kill switch very quickly so everything would ...

Over the years, I’ve built and cannibalised a lot of 3D printers, laser etchers and CNC machines. With the COVID19 lockdown in full swing, I am having a good sort out of some of these old projects. Now I want to take a dive into what I’ve learnt about some of the parts themselves. This ...

Here is a nice weekend project for you. Back when my wife and I got married, I made a vintage photo booth in my VW Campervan. This included a nice vintage tripod to mount the camera on. Since the wedding, I haven’t needed a tripod mounted vintage photo booth. As a result, I decided to ...

Back in March 2018, my wife and I got married. For the wedding we wanted to have an open bar so our friends and family could really enjoy the night. We finally found a wedding venue that had no corkage fee (check out our wedding venue directory site and back story). Hire bar prices were too ...

Position, or True Position, is one of the most useful tools in the Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) system. It it typically used on hole patterns but can be used to dimensioning surfaces, lines and points. Position can be used on any Feature of Size (FOS) or None Feature of Size (NFOS). It often has many benefits ...

Whilst I was at university I remember the lecture in which we were introduced to Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T). I distinctly remember thinking what on earth is the point in that! Well, fast-forward a few years and having learnt the hard way, I can tell you that it actually has some fantastic uses. So wait, ...