Cuttle.xyz
Free (for personal use) cuttle.xyz
Cuttle is an online editor for creating files
for laser cutting and CNC cutting. It is
surprisingly powerful, even in the areas
that are completely free for personal use.
There’s a general drawing tool, but also
some stand-alone templates that allow
you to create things like boxes, keychains,
or envelopes, with sliders to adjust
parameters like size, all exported with the
optimal file for laser cutting.
There seems to be a pretty big gap in
design software for vector files for this kind
of thing, and the folks at Cuttle have really
put some thought into what is needed for
proper lasering. The paid features look
pretty useful too.
In addition to the free tools and paid
tools, there are a few very well done
tutorials. —Caleb Kraft
125
make.co
Voxelab Aquila D1 3D Printer
$399 voxelab3dp.com
Voxelab’s latest entry into the desktop
market, the Aquila D1, isn’t intended to
make huge headlines. It’s more like a nice
iteration on the previous Aquila versions.
With a roughly 235mm cubed build volume,
auto bed leveling, a 300°C capable nozzle,
linear X and Y rails, and a removable
flexible build plate, it’s no slouch.
Assembly was quick and easy. My only
complaint is that the cable for the extruder
is a little too free and seems to be slightly
in the way of the filament path. I guess
time will tell if that is a real issue or not.
After running the automatic bed level
and beginning the first print, I found I had
to adjust the Z-offset to get the hot end
down to the bed. This really is no big deal
but might confuse an absolute beginner.
Once that was done, printing was near
perfect. Not only are the prints fantastic
quality, the bed is excellent as well. Though
it is removable, the prints have been
popping off on their own and I haven’t even
needed to flex it. The textured bed leaves a
good feel to the bottom of your prints too,
which is nice.
At the price this is offered, it delivers
fantastic print quality, and that’s the
bottom line. I’d happily have this printer in
my collection based on the quality of the
results. —Caleb Kraft
ArcDroid
$2,500 arcdroidcnc.com
Extra text....
Using the ArcDroid
If you are into 3D printers, ArcDroid has some similarities. First 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
is also used on 3D printers. Out of the box, it was smaller than I
anticipated. Before I began, I went on to ArcDroid’s website and
downloaded the newest firmware and installed it on the machine.
Setup was easy: do a calibration, in which you move the arm
along a triangle with the stylus, and another time with the torch
(an on screen interface walks you through the steps). Then you
are ready!
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 are a cardboard
template fabricator, this is right up your alley! You simply trace
along the object, put in your parameters and you are cutting!
You don’t even need a computer to run the ArcDroid. For simple
patterns you can use just the touchscreen controller to layout
your cuts. This also works with Fusion and other CAD programs.
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! This plasma CNC fits my needs: it is portable, has
way more features than most machines in its price point, and it
is simple to use! Now I just need a water table, because all of the
particulates get everywhere. The water table will help trap these
particulates during cutting.
I did a quick YouTube video of my unboxing and setup, and
planned on making more social media content with it (youtu.be/
ugoyDmGJ2OI). I am looking forward to future projects like signs,
brackets and custom parts for our offroad equipment. Now if
I can only find a local supplier of metal that is at a reasonable
price. —John Ivener, Tripods Garage
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