What we learnt during our One day build Today I will share some insights into our adventure while upgrading the cheap Chinese eBay CNC mill “3020”. If you haven’t watched the YouTube video then you can watch it here https://youtu.be/G_9dc0BAf0M The morning started for me at 7am and I was quiet nervous about the challenge. It […]
Let’s be 100% clear, I love my Nomad 883 CNC mill, it got me started with CNC. Now, I’d like to take it further by adding a 4th axis, however this is tricky as the Nomad’s controller, and standard grbl, doesn’t support it. Fortunately, Paul’s developed a brand new ‘Super Gerbil’ 5 axis CNC controller (now […]
The 3020, 3040, 6040 and 6090 are low cost no-brand CNC mills that come in various 3 or 4 axis versions, but suffer from underpowered electronics and poor software. So we’ve created the Super Gerbil controller as a high quality upgrade to the electronics and software tool chain. For a bit of fun, we’ve challenged ourselves […]
Yes, we’ve got our exciting new toy, ah, I mean, serious prototyping tool: the Prusa i3 Mk3. First, there’s the unpacking at Paul’s robot room. Watch the IKEA style packaging! Then, the basic frame And the y axis and bed And the x axis Really coming together now, with the all important extruder assembly […]
PPA calibration refers to discovering and setting tuning factors for electromagnet timing. It is performed to: While the default calibration figures usually work well, in some cases, the default tuning factors need to be changed to get reliable rotation on your PPA, and/or Achieving highest possible speed operation of the PPA Finding the best tuning […]
You’ve turned on your Personal Particle Accelerator, but aren’t getting the results you want ? First, try the basic checklist: Completed the construction, Read the safety advice Performed the commissioning tests Attempted starting the PPA ok, here’s the next level of detail: The ball rolls to a stop, apparently unaffected by the electromagnets: Confirm the second-from-the-end LED […]
So, you’ve either built your Personal Particle Accelerator and completed the commissioning tests, or purchased a ready-made unit. Either way, you’re keen to turn it on and show those Higgs Bosons who’s the boss… here’s what you do now: Review the safety advice Connect and turn on the power supply. Use between 12V and 20V DC. The […]
We’re on a high after a third and final successful day in Silicon Valley’s MakerFaire. First, the big news: we were awarded ‘Editor’s Choice’ by Sherry Huss, the co-founder of the global MakerFaires phenomenon and vice-president of Maker Media. She’s shown below awarding Josephine. As Professor Michael Shiloh congratulated us on the win, he explained […]
Another great day, as Makers of all ages flooded into the Bay Area MakerFaire to see an incredible array of projects and connect with like minded folk. Both the Laser Controller and Personal Particle Accelerator consistently received great comments like ‘very cool’ and ‘awesome’. It was really satisfying to hear so many like minded people […]
Huge. Just Huge. And it was only a half day ! Photo of the day – Paul discusses laser etching quality while a group of students check out the Personal Particle Accelerator Some great highlights (more photos coming : A lady rushed up to the stand and said ‘My son and I’ve just come back […]
