This has been taking up my time

Built a CNC router out of MDF, parts from McMaster carr, a premade z axis, and a Bosch 1617evs router.

Learned various free CAM programs. Was unhappy with the results for what I was doing. Decided to write my own programs.

Made a fixture to fit two workpieces which hold enough material for two identical parts. Made various toolpaths for different processes.

After many weeks working things out, I now have a video I can show you guys!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PkU1F8Fp9A

The first part it is putting in slots that are perpendicular to the grain direction in mahogany which can be really screwy. So I have to tell it what polar coordinates to use for the slotting.

Then we cut clearance for the final toolpath, before going on to cut the part.

The final piece is cutting a groove around the entire workpiece.

Cool machine! Dead sexy headphones, to boot!

Noice! I like it that you wrote your own programs.

Very nice.

Wow. My 4 year old daughter sat here and watched the whole thing with me- I think I was 10x more impressed, though.

I was hooked on dreaming about building a DIY CNC machine about a year ago. In the end I couldn't really figure out what I would make with it, so I put the idea on hold. I was thinking metal instead of wood though. Cool video. I want to know more about the headphones.

They are Grado headphones. Grado uses a common chassis between all their headphones, with changes being mostly in the driver (speaker). They also tend to (in my opinion) use as many cheap parts as possible so they can fit the highest performing driver in the cheapest headphone. That makes them prime for upgrading.

So these wooden cups replace the plastic cups and they fit all Grado headphones.

Before:

After:

Whoa, those look amazing! I had a pair of SR-60s that about turned to dust after a few years of abusive use. Are you doing this for Grado Labs, or as a side project of your own?

Edit: I just saw the link on the youtube page; I'll definitely keep it in mind when picking up my next set of cans.

Are the SR60s actually dead or is it just cable issues? My first pair of SR60s actually died when I had a driver chucked up in my lathe and it decided to throw it across the garage. Diaphragm separated, lots of clattering after that.

The cables on the Grados are notorious for fraying at the cup. Recabling is pretty easy if you aren't scared of a soldering iron!

Also, if your cans are intact Grado will actually completely fix them for $25 shipping included. Warranty or not, doesn't matter. Pretty awesome service.

I'm doing these totally separate from Grado Labs.

Well, I'll show you what I mean by "worn out:"

This is what happens when headphones live in a backpack for a few years: Broken, resoldered, and rebroken cables, cups that won't stay on the headband, and a driver that's a bit buzzy... I think that I blew it some time ago; it's easy to forget how sensitive these are, and to adjust all volume sources accordingly. I can't forget the earpads that have seen much better days, but I would at least consider those true wear items.

HAHA! that's awesome.

Mine were bad but not that bad!

Grado should give you free ones for being willing to keep them going for that long. That's amazing.

I want to know more about the CNC machine? Build thread?

Mitchell wrote: Well, I'll show you what I mean by "worn out:" This is what happens when headphones live in a backpack for a few years: Broken, resoldered, and rebroken cables, cups that won't stay on the headband, and a driver that's a bit buzzy... I think that I blew it some time ago; it's easy to forget how sensitive these are, and to adjust all volume sources accordingly. I can't forget the earpads that have seen much better days, but I would at least consider those true wear items.

Those look like my old sr60's, years of using them in a tissue culture hood will do that.

I have a set of SR325is that are holding up much better.

Forgot to add, have you tried doing woods other then mahogany. Things like cocobolo, or zebrawood.

How long is your tooling lasting on the mahogany.

Right now I'm only using the mahogany because I know how it cuts, and because it wont kill me. I'm looking towards cocobolo and zebrawood specifically (funny you mentioned it) later, but for now just mahogany.

I haven't found any good suppliers for the more exquisite stuff, so if you have any contacts please let me know.

Tooling is noticeably duller now than when I started, but it still cuts fine. Just leaves a bit of fuzz. It's carbide tooling except for the keyway cutter, which is HSS.

cocobolo is the only wood I have found that I am violently allergic too. A few minutes sanding it will have me in the bed with flu like symptoms within an hour. Sucks too as I quite like using it for guitar fretboards.

My questions are "where is the CNC build thread?" and "Where did you source that atomically crappy music?"

ditchdigger wrote: cocobolo is the only wood I have found that I am violently allergic too. A few minutes sanding it will have me in the bed with flu like symptoms within an hour. Sucks too as I quite like using it for guitar fretboards.

Ooh, Cool. Please start a thread with pics of your luthier work. I've been wanting to build an acoustic (...after the datsun is done.) I was thinking about getting the wood from this guy.

Atomically crappy music came from ccmixter... free for commercial use without anyone trying to sue me later.

Here's the build thread. When I got to the end I stopped updating.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/diy-cnc_router_table_machines/155798-%241000_microcarve_3_inspired_build.html

Some exotic tonewoods are really toxic. I don't have the dust handling equipment to be willing to work with them yet.

Today I'll be turning this into that.

classic-6 by lukepighetti, on Flickr