Some stuff you probably want to have on hand for your new CNC.
So, you finally ordered a Shapeoko 3, or X Carve or some other desktop hobby CNC machine? Awesome. Now for the really fun part- buying the tons of things you need to make it work. It can be overwhelming to a new comer, but I do my best to break down the things you need on day one so you aren't just flailing about buying tons of things you may not need just yet.
SAFETY FIRST:
Odds are you are putting this machine together yourself. Small, sharp metal things are spinning around thousands of times a minute. Take the proper precautions and protect yourself and your loved ones, and any one else you might want to drag through the shop to show off your new toy. That means properly rated glasses at a minimum. If you are using a shop vac for dust collection you will definitely want hearing protection, as the shop vac is generally louder than the router by far. But the little trim routers are no slouches in the noise department themselves, so get hearing protection. I bought sweet bluetooth ones for myself and cute purple ones for my wife. Finally, and especially if you are cutting MDF, you need a dust mask. A soft motocross style one will do just fine. I also have a painter’s respirator for working with VOC finishing fluids.
3M Over Glasses Safety Glasses: https://amzn.to/37jNu53
3M WorkTunes Connect w/ Bluetooth: https://amzn.to/2SpK4tw
RZ Dust Mask: https://amzn.to/2SEz1eO
3M Paint Protector Respirator: https://amzn.to/31NC604
MEASURE TWICE, CARVE ONCE:
When you sit down to setup a job, the first thing any software is going to ask for is the dimensions of your work piece; not just length x width, but also the thickness. Lumber is never what it is labeled as, so get calipers. They don‘t have to be super fancy for casual projects, but you should have a pair. I personally find the digital ones much easier to deal with, and you can flick between inch and metric quickly.
6' Tape Measure: https://amzn.to/2ORyNzI
Cheap Calipers: https://amzn.to/39zC4eT
HOLD IT RIGHT THERE:
To carve your workpiece, it must be secured to wasteboard. There are a ton of ways to do this- clamps, threaded inserts, t-tracks, pin nails, plastic brads. We’ll get to those. But for now, I am huge fan of just using blue painters tape and CA glue. (CA glue, or Cyanoacrylate glue is basically just fancy nerd speak for super glue). Anyhow, it works well. Get a big bottle, and a lot of 2” blue tape. One of those 6 packs will do just fine.
MDF : Buy locally at any big box (or independent!) hardware store
Painters Tape: https://amzn.to/3bvBrVz
CA Glue (medium): https://amzn.to/38z1No1
COLLETS AND ENDMILLS:
So, there will be plenty of time to go crazy and buy a ton of endmills you may or may not end up using (guilty as charged). My advice is to keep it simple and start slow. For instance, the shapeoko comes with a 1/4 up cut endmill which is an awesome all arounder- but you will probably soon want to do something that requires a bit more detail- so get the 1/8 version of the same. Or, even better, a 10 pack of them, because you will break them. Note, you are gonna need a collet to hold the smaller end mills, so be sure to get the proper one for your router. If you have the Carbide or Makita router, they sell a set on the Carbide website.
Makita/C3D Precision Collet Set: https://bit.ly/2NoE0hX
HQ Master 1/8" Upcut Endmill, 10 pack: https://amzn.to/2vqkjA6
THIS SUCKS:
You need dust collection. It keeps your work area clean, your air breathable, and your machine in good mechanical order. It starts with a dust boot- you have multiple options- and then you can either tie it in to your existing dust collecting infrastructure, or get the cnc it’s own vacuum and dust separator. Typical shop vacs aren’t really designed to be run all the time and the fine filters will soon clog if you try to run it non stop hooked up without a separator. It’s an extra expense, but a fairly good one. It also makes monitoring and dumping the dust a bit easier . Just suck it up (ha) and do it.
Dustboot (Pick One): SUCKIT, PWNCNC, Carbide 3D Sweepy
Dust Right Dust Separator: https://amzn.to/2SFIqTd
Anti-Static Dust Hose: https://bit.ly/2FJyKkv
Hose Arm: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3235016
Remote for Outlet: https://amzn.to/39t6hMO
BONUS IDEA:
Get a notebook. Like, a physical pen / pencil writing notebook. It helps immensely to keep notes. If you don’t have a preferred brand, might I suggest something from my home town favorite Field Notes.
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