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 fellow CNC dudesI build a 4' x 8' CNC table from scratch and I've been using it for about a year now. I found the best combo of software to be: Mach3 (http://www.machsupport.com/software/mach3/) - GCode Interpreter Vectric VCarve Pro (http://www.vectric.com/products/vcarve-pro.htm) - Desktop design software I'll design my pieces in VCarve, export them to GCode and take the GCode out to the garage via thumb drive and load it up in Mach3 to do the actual cutting. Another thing I like about VCarve, I can send a JPEG proof to customers showing what it will look like before I cut the project. Plus the software is so easy to use, I have made a lot of one-off designs right in VCarve with the measure tool and they've come out great. You can specify circles by radius or diameter, X and Y distances for squares and rectangles. They have tools that can cut away lines, so you just overlay circles, squares and lines and clip away the excess to get your desired shape. It can do 3-D carving if you are into that, as well a drill patterns, nesting, etc. It's a simplified CAM program but very powerful. Mach3 shows the GCode flying by as it executes it, but I haven't the slightest on how to read it myself. CNC Mancave (I took a Ron Swanson pic found online, converted to vector, imported into VCarve and cut that out of 1/4" MDF and painted) 
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Jul 17, 2013 20:54
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Hate to see this thread go stale, here goes: Well the day I was dreading finally arrived. I built this big rear end CNC machine and never considering the muscle needed to move it. I lived in this large metal barn (pictured) for about a year and assembled the machine. Finally closed on a house in the burbs. Here is the 6x10 machine on a full-sized car hauler trailer from U-Haul. After much grunting and swearing my buddy and I man handled it into the new house's garage.  Surprisingly nothing was lost barreling down the highway and I had to do minor adjustments to get it back into alignment. The whipping wind blew all the sawdust out of the nooks and crannies. Fun!
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Sep 9, 2013 20:06
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