Could I build a cnc machine from scratch?
What about the control and software? The control of your cnc machine will be your P.C., feeding pulse and direction commands through your parallel printer port, to the stepper motors which translate into machine movement. If you don’t want to relocate your new 500 horsepower P.C. to the garage, these machines will run on a $100 286, albeit slower, but certainly do-able. Software runs anywhere from free, like Forth, MS Logo, DanCad (shareware), and on up to the large shop DNC stuff which could set you back about 20K. Many suppliers bundle software with their retro-fits kits, and just like buying a scanner, bundled software deserves close examination when choosing a kit. Three axis kits start at about $300 and up.
