DIY Arduino CNC Machine with GRBL Shield - Setup Tutorial!

This video shows how to set up an Arduino, Stepper motors, and a GRBL Shield to create an inexpensive but powerful DIY CNC system!

Products used in the video:

The GRBL Shield is a great way to use G-Code to create an Arduino-based CNC machine, but setting up the software and wiring the hardware can be confusing! This video walks through every step of the process!

This video is a "foundation" video for two CNC machines we are about to do a DIY build-series of videos one: one is a DIY CNC gantry sorting machine, the other is a DIY CNC Pneumatic Engraving
machine!

GRBL Links:

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Reach us / CNC Info:

[ymemag]

One of the BEST no-nonsense, full explanation, "Lets build this together" videos I've seen on this subject period. Great job! If I could subscribe again I would but I've been a subscriber for months now.

[thiscommentwasposted]

After MANY HOURS of SEARCHING for this part of the diy project, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE I FOUND THAT GETS RIGHT TO THE POINT. THANK YOU. SUBSCRIBED!!

[CNC-Time-Lapse]

Fantastic video once again. Seriously every time I see a new video posted I think, "I'll watch it later." And once I finally do watch it, I'm like, "Why did I wait?! I can't wait for the next one!"

I'm in the process of assembling components for a CNC machine and so happy you did a step-by-step. All to often these kinds of videos skip the process of showing what we'll need and where we can find it (along with a demonstration along the way). Perfect video! I can't wait for the next one in this series! 

[zaprodk]

A good and informative video. Btw. you should never change the jumpers or plug/unplug motors while the stepper driver is powered, as there is a very good chance of destroying the chip by this.

[havoc]

Great video!! I'm going to get the shield, steppers, and Arduino to get this project up and running!  Keep the videos coming !

[warrenking]

thank you, I have been looking for the method to get gerber data into the arduino cnc sheild with no luck untii i found this video. now I can go ahead with my project. thanks again.

[jamesmilligan]

Set this up for myself, following along, and it all worked great! Excited to continue! Thanks John, really enjoying your content!

[steveward]

Thought I'd let you know this video was so great it became the starting point of the building of my own diy CNC router back when you posted it. It has been running for a while now, and I still try to make upgrades to it, just for kicks. I use it primarly for woodworking, and I still don't get tired of watching it cut through wood. Thanks!

[KeyBored]

I can't wait to spend more money, thanks John. I've always wanted to build a CNC machine

[woodywong]

Thanks for the great video. I have an Uno with Cnc Shield 3.0. This is my first CNC machine and I can't wait to start cutting. Your video is helping me get it going.

[dougp]

John you are my Pimp Daddy right now!!!  I don't know how I missed watching this part of your series, but I'm sure glad that I took the time tonight versus zoning out to a magazine.  I've had 2 Zombie projects (they just won't die) bouncing around in my head for the last 18 months, and I wasn't quite sure how to integrate them into the fabric of reality.  Now with the Arduino (which I have a couple kicking around) + the GRBL shield I see a clear path to functional prototyping. 

Shit!  I have no excuse but to crack the whip on myself and get these things off the ground as soon as my current production run tails off.  Seriously though- you must NOT sleep much.  I live darn near a parallel life and I can only imagine the hours that you are putting in outside of the workshop just to keep up.  Keep living the dream man...you continuously impress the hell out of me with what you are pulling off in the Buckeye state (I'm your neighbor to the North these days LOL).  Live long and prosper- and horde 5.56 :-).

[guytech]

FYI: Bigger steppers have bigger coil inductance. Inductance is a source of impediance that will restrict the amount of current. If you need to drive your steppers faster, they may start to skip steps because of the inductance impedance. If you need to operate your steppers at higher speed while maintaining torque for your load you will need a power supply with a higher voltage. For robotics or machine automation I would recommend at least a 48VDC power supply if not higher. Otherwise I believe you may be disappointed by the performance of the steppers. Although I don't know how high voltage a GRBL shield will operate. I've used gecko stepper drivers for my projects which can operate up to about 80VDC.

[AntonelloDeAngelis-diy]

I really want to thank you for this video! Your explanation made me finally understand how to flash grbl on arduino and I could build my first, tiny cnc machine! Really, thank you very much! :)

[Squat]

Finally! Got to see one of your videos before it hit the magic 301+ count.
I LOVE these smaller projects. Home CNC lathe here I come. :-D
I plan on combining some of the parts from the DIYCNC site... the 640ozin motors I believe.
And I am sure you have already heard this, but when engraving, micro stepping helps with detail, but causes an exponential decrease in torque. The more steps, the more dramatic the falloff. For example, at an 8 micro, you have about 20% of rated torque, which can be even higher losses in cheaper steppers. For micro engraving, works great. For doing the lines on these plates, may not be of any use, especially when you figure in that each step is (based on what I saw so far) .0025" or smaller using the gearing and movement mechanisms. That is far less than what most humans can notice. Also, when microstepping, GREAT detail must be paid to the rigidity of the machine. I have learned this from a small engraver project in an engineering class. We used cheap ASME rods, 2 start, 4 TPI. We had a 128 step motor, and a 2:1 reduction, giving each FULL step a .001 resolution at full torque. The frame we built was only capable of about a .005 shift, so we over engineered one part and overlooked the frame. Fun, and eye opening!
24 and 48 volt power supplies can be pretty easy to come by, and as I typically say, buy once cry once. a 25% increase in cost to futureproof is ALWAYS worth it to me. I may not be "cheap" but I try to be Frugal.

[ridehonda]

Wow! Got it working first shot! By far the best no bull, walk through there is out there! Great work and thanks for taking the time to put this out there for the rest of us out here!

[revb]

Stumbled on your channel looking for info on diy cnc. Brilliantly clear instructions, well done.
Now I want to automate everything!!!

[paulhenderson]

Thanks john for your very helpfull vidio's

[TAWPTool]

How timely! I just bought a GRBL Shield a couple of months ago to play around with while building a small router/engraver out of aluminum. I'll be watching for future episodes! Keep up the great vids!

[jeffbeck]

A perfect video NYC CNC!!!! Such class from start to finish. 1st class all the way.

[jessefoulk]

Holy cow. I am really interested in Arduino. Never heard of it til a few months ago. Explored a tad bit online and your videos. Never touched a stepper motor but im aware of them in CNC machines. I'd like to get the materials together finally and....mess with them, especially Arduino. In the short end of a goal, I'd like to be able to do engraving. This and your Part 2 video really did it for me. Im on board. Its cheaper than I had ever thought. I figure I have to start somewhere. Maybe a few months down the road I can actually run some worthy youtube videos about it myself.