Pen Plotter
The Pen Plotter drawing a duck.
In this project, we built our own CNC machine, the Pen Plotter, from scratch. In addition to using Fusion360 to generate GCode, we also learned to write our own GCode by hand. After testing the motors and assembling the frame, the first step was to test GCode generated by Fusion360 from sketches.
Pen Plotter drawing an alien head.
After verifying that the Pen Plotter could correctly run GCode, I moved on to writing my own. I first tested a simple line and box, then moved on to some more basic shapes.
A hand-written GCode star.
A hand-written GCode lightning bolt.
After experimenting with straight lines, I moved on to curves, writing GCode to create a rounded box. This was the trickiest bit of the project, as curves require more complex commands than straight lines.
A rounded box.
Finally, our class had a drawing competition, so I submitted a drawing of one of my past projects, the TBH creature, for the "Most Memeable" category, and he ended up winning!
The award-winning TBH Creature.
