{"id":4282,"date":"2022-12-30T16:19:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-30T21:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jimsghost.place\/?p=4282"},"modified":"2024-12-30T12:21:07","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T17:21:07","slug":"doomsun-introduction-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jimsghost.place\/?p=4282","title":{"rendered":"DOOMSUN E32-FNC: Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

“On the eventful path,
the goal merges with infinity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Li Shenfeng: A Collection of Treatises<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

This series of articles will discuss the development of a small desktop CNC milling machine, primarily intended for working with aluminum. For instance, I already have a 3D printer<\/a> for plastics and a mid-size milling machine for wood. But when it comes to aluminum and other soft metals\u2014I\u2019ve got nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the official explanation. Realistically, at the start of the project, there weren\u2019t any concrete plans for this machine. Then again, it\u2019s widely known that appetite comes during a plague. We\u2019ll see how it goes\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with many of my projects, this one had a challenging journey and a rich backstory. That\u2019s where I\u2019ll begin, following the old tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Unlike the 3D printer, which was designed and built completely from scratch, the milling machine already had some sort of pre-existing foundation. It looked like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some might get the false impression that this isn\u2019t just the \u201cfoundation\u201d for the project but a fully functional machine. Clean it, oil it, turn it on, and you\u2019re good to go\u2026 If only it were that simple\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Grab a mug of WD-40, wrap yourself in a cozy old oil-stained rag, sit close to the barrel of burning stools, and listen to the promised backstory about the difficult fate of this machine…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Long ago, when I first started working at a small company that manufactured and sold firearms (Texas Shooters Supply<\/a>), this machine was already sitting in the corner of the workshop, covered in a thick layer of dust. Based on some indirect signs, its approximate year of origin can be placed between 2010 and 2013 (although the spindle motor is marked 1997 \u2014 I strongly doubt the rest is that ancient).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boss explained that he had purchased it for what I would consider an outrageous amount of money \u2014 with direct delivery from China in the early 2010s \u2014 to support the company\u2019s growing needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Even back then, I was convinced the poor guy had been tricked due to his lack of knowledge. First of all, it\u2019s nowhere near suitable for industrial use \u2014 it\u2019s a typical hobbyist toy. Secondly, even back then, the price for such toys hovered around $800 \u2014 no more.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In my memory, it was turned on only once. That was when the boss made another attempt to adapt it for engraving purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Somehow, it managed to gouge out the company\u2019s logos on aluminum parts. I even admit that it might have done this faster and better. But at that time, I was actively engaged in organizing the company\u2019s IT infrastructure, so I had no time to tinker with some silly \u201cproduction\u201d equipment. When no notable results \u2014 from the perspective of actual \u201cproduction\u201d \u2014 were achieved, the boss sent the machine back to its dusty corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd52 Time passed\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At some point, one of my colleagues at the time asked to borrow the machine for personal use. She and her husband wanted to set up a small garage operation for engraving small batches of random trinkets. Of course, they didn\u2019t succeed either. Mainly because the machine\u2019s condition by then could only be described as \u201cruins.\u201d Any tool \u2014 especially a machine left unused for years, coated with dust and shavings, unprotected from moisture, and carelessly kicked from corner to corner \u2014 will inevitably turn into ruins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The colleague herself was quite creative and skilled, but only in areas related to applied arts. She crafted beautiful small accessories, like intricate leather lace wraps for pistol grips, earrings made from shell casings, bullet pendants, and other such jewelry. Her creations were truly beautiful! Unfortunately, by that time, the machine needed a machinist \u2014 not a jewelry crafter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, after a summer tour to a Texas farm, the machine returned to its dusty corner in the workshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd52 Time passed\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody, including the boss, had any use for the machine (or rather, the ruins of its ruins) anymore. By that point, I had finished tidying up the company\u2019s IT infrastructure and had moved on to the production side of things. I got the company\u2019s three serious CNC machines up and running: two milling machines \u2014 Doosan and Brother, a Doosan lathe (the Lynx model), and a Swiss-type machine (I\u2019m not sure what these are called in Russian) from Mitsubishi. Together, these more than covered the company\u2019s production needs, churning out parts by the dozens or hundreds, 24\/7, under the watchful eye of a trained machinist tasked with clearing the chips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For engraving purposes, we had repurposed two industrial laser engravers from Epilog, which were far more suitable for the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mention all this to illustrate just how laughable and absurd \u2014 from the company\u2019s perspective \u2014 that dusty little hobbyist machine sitting in the workshop corner had become. At some point, it no longer even warranted passing glances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, personally, I saw some potential in it for my garage hobbies. But every time I thought about the sheer amount of effort and time it would take to bring it back to life\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd52 Time passed\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0412\u0441\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u043d\u043e \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0437\u0434\u043d\u043e \u0437\u0430\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0447\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f. \u0422\u0430\u043a \u043f\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0448\u043b\u043e \u043a \u043a\u043e\u043d\u0446\u0443 \u0438 \u043c\u043e\u0451 \u0432\u0440\u0435\u043c\u044f \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0442\u044b \u0432 \u0442\u043e\u0439 \u043a\u043e\u043c\u043f\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0438. \u0421\u043f\u043e\u0442\u043a\u043d\u0443\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0441\u044c \u0432 \u043e\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0440\u0430\u0437 \u043e \u043a\u0443\u0447\u0443 \u043a\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0439 \u0432 \u0443\u0433\u043b\u0443, \u0440\u0435\u0448\u0438\u043b – \u0434\u0430 \u0438 \u0444\u0438\u0433\u043b\u0438, \u0441\u043e\u0431\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e? \u0414\u0440\u0443\u0433\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u043e\u0437\u043c\u043e\u0436\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438 \u0443\u0436\u0435 \u043d\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0442… \u0412 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0447\u0438\u0439 \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0438\u043b \u0431\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0442\u044c \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u0442\u0435 \u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043a\u0438. \u041d\u0443, \u0442\u0438\u043f\u0430, “\u0437\u0430 \u0437\u0430\u0441\u043b\u0443\u0433\u0438 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434 \u043e\u0442\u0435\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u043c”. \u0412\u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043e \u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u044b\u0445 \u0447\u0430\u0441\u043e\u0432 \u0438\u043b\u0438, \u0442\u0430\u043c, \u0440\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043e\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0451\u043c\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0430… \u0412\u0435\u0434\u044c, \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e, \u043d\u0435 \u0441\u0435\u0433\u043e\u0434\u043d\u044f, \u0442\u0430\u043a \u0437\u0430\u0432\u0442\u0440\u0430, \u043e\u043d \u0441\u0430\u043c \u0436\u0435 \u0438 \u043e\u0442\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0438\u0442 \u0435\u0433\u043e \u0432 \u0443\u0442\u0438\u043b\u044c, \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431\u044b \u0443\u0433\u043e\u043b \u043e\u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0442\u044c \u043f\u043e\u0434 \u043d\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u043e\u043c\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0441\u0441\u043e\u0440. \u0416\u0430\u043b\u043a\u043e \u0436 \u0437\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0443, \u043d\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0437\u044f \u0442\u0430\u043a… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0418 \u0432 \u0442\u043e\u0442 \u0436\u0435 \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c \u0440\u0443\u0438\u043d\u044b \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043a\u043e\u0447\u0435\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0438 \u0438\u0437 \u043f\u044b\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0443\u0433\u043b\u0430 \u043e\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0435\u0439\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043c\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0432 \u043f\u044b\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0443\u0433\u043e\u043b \u043c\u043e\u0435\u0433\u043e \u0433\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0430.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd52 Time passed\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything comes to an end eventually. So did my time at that company. Stumbling yet again over the pile of bones in the corner, I thought \u2014 why not? There wouldn\u2019t be another chance anyway. On my last day at work, I asked the boss to give me those remains as a parting gift. Sort of a \u201cthank you for your service\u201d gesture. Instead of a gold watch or, say, a radio receiver\u2026 After all, sooner or later, he would have scrapped it himself to free up the corner for a new compressor. Poor thing \u2014 you can\u2019t just let it go out like that\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, on that very day, the ruins moved from the dusty corner of the firearms workshop to the dusty corner of my garage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd52 Time passed\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only one who, it seems, still remembered the dusty ruins in the corner was my Friend. To this day, I\u2019m not entirely sure what specific plans he had for that machine, but unlike me, he constantly remembered it and regularly nagged me with the question, \u201cSo, when are we going to start making chips?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire time, I persistently tried to offload the ruins onto him, hoping he\u2019d bring them back to life himself. But he turned out to be smarter than I\u2019d thought and successfully dodged the offer. He understood just as well as I did that restoring this little beast with his own hands wouldn\u2019t be a walk in the park. On the other hand, constantly nagging me about it \u2014 well, that\u2019s much easier than lifting heavy loads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd50 Suddenly, the time is came!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like that, out of the blue, with no particular reason. One fine day, I simply decided, \u201cIt\u2019s time!\u201d\u2026 Perhaps the Voices in the Head figured this would be a good way to distract me from everything happening in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, the project began. End of story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Now, it seems fitting to dive deeper into the technical details of this machine and explain why I didn\u2019t harbor any grand illusions about its potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technically speaking, there was absolutely nothing special about it. None at all! First and foremost, it really shouldn\u2019t have been called a \u201cmilling machine\u201d \u2014 even with qualifiers like \u201chobbyist,\u201d \u201chome,\u201d or \u201cfor DIY projects.\u201d Judging by its actual specifications, the machine was no more than a \u201cmediocre hobbyist engraver.\u201d As for being a \u201cmilling machine,\u201d it severely lacked the power in its ancient stepper motors (the weakest variation from the ancestral NEMA23 series) and its spindle (10,000 RPM with 0.2 kW of power \u2014 basically, nothing to write home about).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

You can find siblings and cousins of this machine in countless numbers on Alibaba, YouTube, and elsewhere online. While I couldn\u2019t trace its origins to a definitive source, it seems that sometime in the mid-2000s, a DIY CNC project became widely available. Most likely, it circulated as detailed plans and blueprints distributed under a Creative Commons license. Back then, this was common \u2014 hobbyists would purchase these \u201cpapers\u201d for a small fee and then cobble together something \u201cinspired by\u201d the project, improvising as much as their resources and creativity allowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, this project spawned countless similar machines of all sizes and configurations, ranging from hobbyist-grade to commercial. Some were sold as ready-made products, others as kits. They\u2019re still being produced today under a million different names and brands, alongside newer designs made from aluminum extrusion profiles (a trend that hasn\u2019t done these machines any favors, by the way).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, amidst this entire zoo of machines, you can clearly discern a \u201ccommon ancestor.\u201d This is evident just by looking at the design of some parts: the identical shape of the gantry\u2019s uprights with their distinctive slanted edges, the solid rear panel, the questionable \u201cend-to-end\u201d assembly of structural elements, and so on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What this ancestral project was exactly, I never definitively figured out. The trail led to China and then dissolved into millions of clones, manufactured over the last decade or so for a bowl of rice, a cat as a wife, and a boost to one\u2019s social credit score. There\u2019s a possibility that all of this is nothing more than a \u201cmetallic\u201d iteration of the well-known DIYLILCNC project<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

But I can\u2019t state this with certainty. Much like the origin of humanity, this story has its own \u201cmissing link.\u201d I couldn\u2019t identify enough clear, historically traceable intermediate forms between DIYLILCNC and what you see in the photos above.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If anyone has genuine information about the ancestral project, feel free to share it in the comments or via email. I\u2019d love to include a link \u2014 it\u2019s always fascinating to trace the origins!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The machine that fell into my hands was most definitely not built from an industrial kit. Every single part bore unmistakable traces of handmade craftsmanship. And “made with love” \u2014 well, that definitely wasn\u2019t the case here. The work was done hastily and carelessly, clearly intended for quick, one-off private sale during the hype wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parts still showed signs of manual scribing, like \u201ccalipers on the edge\u201d markings \u2014 a dead giveaway of cottage-style, one-at-a-time production. Panels were cut manually, probably with a hacksaw, judging by the cut marks. Holes were drilled with a handheld screwdriver \u2014 not a single one was properly aligned, all skewed and off-mark, with obvious traces of subsequent adjustments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Threads were either incompletely tapped or tapped at an angle. In one hole, I even found remnants of a broken tap. To make matters worse, a bolt for that hole had been shortened with a hacksaw so it could at least catch onto a couple of remaining threads. This is beyond inhumane \u2014 it should be illegal, in my opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The post-processing? A very cheap aerosol paint job, like a \u201cwe painted a fence\u201d vibe. The paint peeled off in flakes at the slightest scratch:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For some reason, they even painted the stepper motors! WHY PAINT MOTORS, CARL!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u0412\u0438\u043d\u0442\u044b \u0438\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0437\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c \u0432 \u0448\u0438\u0440\u043e\u043a\u043e\u043c \u0430\u0441\u0441\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0435. \u0412 \u043e\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0432\u043d\u043e\u043c M5 \u0438 M6. \u0414\u0430\u0436\u0435 \u0432 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0442\u0438\u043f\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u043e\u0442\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0438\u044f \u0432 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430\u0445 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0443\u0437\u043b\u0430 \u0431\u044b\u043b\u0438 \u0432\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044b \u0432\u0438\u043d\u0442\u044b \u0440\u0430\u0437\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0434\u043b\u0438\u043d\u044b. \u0417\u0430\u0432\u0438\u0441\u0435\u043b\u043e, \u0432\u0435\u0440\u043e\u044f\u0442\u043d\u043e, \u043e\u0442 \u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e, \u043d\u0430\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u0433\u043b\u0443\u0431\u043e\u043a\u043e \u0443\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430\u043b\u043e\u0441\u044c \u043d\u0430\u0440\u0435\u0437\u0430\u0442\u044c \u0440\u0435\u0437\u044c\u0431\u0443 \u0432 \u0434\u0435\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0438. \u041f\u043e\u0434 \u0442\u0443 \u0433\u043b\u0443\u0431\u0438\u043d\u0443 \u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0431\u0438\u0440\u0430\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c \u0434\u043b\u0438\u043d\u0430 \u0432\u0438\u043d\u0442\u0430…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The screws were a mix-and-match affair, primarily M5 and M6. Even within a single assembly, screws of different lengths were used \u2014 likely dictated by how deep they managed to tap the threads. The length of the screw was apparently chosen to match however much thread depth they managed to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t even want to start on the electronics\u2026 It was complete darkness, despair, and utter chaos:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
A 110V input to the control block.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Connectors to the control unit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Getting chills yet? That\u2019s exactly how it was everywhere! Including the motor wiring. The original motor wires were clearly too short and were simply cut in half and extended with additional sections using manual twists and corroded black electrical tape. In the best-case scenarios, there was crumbling heat shrink tubing instead of tape. Sometimes, there was both \u2014 one layered on top of the other\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Overall, it looked as though a young, inexperienced Chinese DIY-er had been bitten by a seasoned Indian DIY-er. Now doomed, the young DIY-er was condemned to create this<\/em>. And he would never again produce anything he could show to people without shame. Every one of his projects would inflict unbearable mental anguish, eye bleeding, and chronic facepalming upon others\u2026 And then he would start a YouTube channel, and the world would plunge into darkness! I\u2019m telling you the truth here \u2014 nothing good comes of this\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u041e\u0434\u043d\u0430\u043a\u043e, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u044d\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0438 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u043d\u043e… \u0421\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043e\u043a, \u0432 \u0446\u0435\u043b\u043e\u043c, \u0432\u044b\u0448\u0435\u043b… \u043c\u043d\u044d… \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0447\u043d\u044b\u043c. \u0418, \u0434\u0430\u0436\u0435, \u0445\u0443\u0434\u043e-\u0431\u0435\u0434\u043d\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0442\u0430\u044e\u0449\u0438\u043c… \u0412\u0435\u0440\u043e\u044f\u0442\u043d\u043e, \u0441\u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0442\u0430\u043b \u043f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0446\u0438\u043f \u0447\u0451\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438 \u0438\u0437 “\u0442\u0435\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0438 \u043e\u0448\u0438\u0431\u043e\u043a<\/a>“. \u0418\u043d\u044b\u043c\u0438 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0438\u043d\u0430\u043c\u0438 \u044f \u043d\u0435 \u043c\u043e\u0433\u0443 \u043e\u0431\u044a\u044f\u0441\u043d\u0438\u0442\u044c \u043d\u0430\u0431\u043b\u044e\u0434\u0430\u0435\u043c\u044b\u0439 \u0444\u0435\u043d\u043e\u043c\u0435\u043d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, strangely enough\u2026 The machine was, well, sturdy<\/em>. And even, to some extent, functional. It worked \u2014 barely, but it worked. Probably the principle of even-order errors from the \u201cTheory of Errors\u201d(ru.<\/mark><\/a>)<\/sup> came into play here. I can\u2019t think of any other explanation for this phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

In terms of electronics and control, the machine was just as barebones and pitiful. However, this was likely less due to the creator\u2019s descent into the darkness of cognitive incapacity and more due to the technical limitations of \u201cgarage technologies\u201d of that era. It lacked, and had never had, any sort of central controller. Instead, it housed a bulky transformer, a rectifier, a primitive spindle control board, an equally primitive driver board for the stepper motors, and an absolutely prehistoric auxiliary board with a separate driver for the \u201cA\u201d axis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The spindle control board was homemade \u2014 not etched, but CNC-cut. Possibly even on this very machine\u2026 I suspect this spindle control functionality was added to the control block in later stages of the machine\u2019s development, once it was able to engrave something basic for itself under manual spindle speed control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The actual cutting process was controlled by an external computer that sent commands to the driver board via a parallel port. In this particular case, a standard PC-style LPT port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I only saw all of this working once, but as far as I recall, the computer was running something that looked very much like an ancient version of Mach3, which handled all the operations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This was yet another reason why, at some point, no one went near this machine anymore. The original computer for the machine had long since disappeared into the depths of the company, and good luck finding a replacement with an LPT port\u2026 And even if you did, good luck finding someone who still remembered what it was and what to do with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Based on what was discussed above, the plan of action took shape as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n