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GADGETS AND GEAR FOR MAKERS
TOOLBOX
When it comes to CNC plasma cutters there are
a ton of options. Most are 2'×2', 4'×4', 4'×8' and
bigger. Prices can range from $2,500 to tens of
thousands. I have been looking to get into plasma
CNC for a very long time. However, my garage
space is very limited, and I’ve been putting it off
for years. I really wanted something that was
smaller that I could move out of the way.
I saw an advertisement for a portable plasma
CNC called the ArcDroid, and I was instantly
intrigued about how it operates. This is unlike any
CNC I have ever seen. It isn’t your typical gantry
CNC plasma table; it uses what’s called a SCARA
robot arm to pivot on the X and Y axis, which
makes it very portable. It can cut a 26"×15" or
660×380mm area, which is perfect for me.
If you are into 3D printers, ArcDroid has some
similarities. It runs on a fork of Marlin for its
firmware, which is used on a lot of 3D printers.
The display is a Bigtreetech 7-inch touchscreen
that’s also used on 3D printers. Out of the box, it
was smaller than I anticipated. Setup was easy:
do a calibration, in which you move the arm along
a triangle, once with the stylus, and again with the
torch. Then you are ready!
I have absolutely zero experience with CNCs
and I was able to get my first cuts going in about
an hour. I am really happy with my purchase!
Another unique thing about the ArcDroid is that
you can trace an object with what they call Simple
Trace. There is an included stylus that attaches
to the SCARA arm. If you’re a cardboard template
fabricator, this is right up your alley! You simply
trace along the object, put in your parameters
and you are cutting! —John Ivener, Tripod’s Garage
ArcDroid $2,500 arcdroidcnc.com
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