James Stephens - MPCNC Build

The Most Printed CNC, or MPCNC, was developed by Ryan Zellers of Vicious1. It stands out for its excellent rigidity and reliability relative to its cost with its use of many 3D-printed parts. I first came across this machine in the summer of 2017 before my freshman year of high school, and began building it several months later. My first build was not entirely successful because I printed the parts in ABS plastic which expanded and contracted due to temperature change and cracked. I re-printed and re-built the machine using more durable PETG (glycol-modified PET), taking pictures along the way.

I started by laying out all my electronics and printed parts on my workbench/dining room table.

My first step was to assemble the "rollers" which support the gantry and move along the outside rails.

I then assembled the four legs which define the corners of the machine. I started to get excited about this project as it started to took like a CNC!

Next up came the z-axis and my first problem. The stock "pineapple" adapter broke when I was tightening a nut, so I replaced it with a homemade wooden piece made with a wooden cork and our drill press.

The center gantry assembly was my next task, and with it came another problem. As you can see in the picture on the right, the assembly is nowhere near square. This is to be expected and is adjustable with tightening different bolts. I, however, printed the parts in a more flexible than expected plastic (they were meant to be printed in PLA) so the bolts had less of an effect than I wanted. I did however, finally square up the center after much difficulty. I might replace the center assembly with PLA parts later.

The last thing I had to put together was the motor mounts. I installed these on the machine, wired it up, and it worked!

This is a picture of my final center assembly with a Dewalt 660 mounted. This machine works marvelously well for the price, and I have kept it busy working on other projects. If you are looking into building or buying a CNC, I wholeheartedly recommend this one. It went together far easier than I imagined, and after a quick break-in process, it works smoothly and precisely. I do wish that I had printed my center in PLA, and am hoping to do so in the future.

New PLA Center

Needle Cutter

As you can see, I have recently upgraded my machine to a rigid PLA center. Furthermore, to utilize its versatility, I have worked with several members of the MPCNC community to develop what we call the needle cutter, which reciprocates a sharpened piano wire at ~150Hz, which I use to cut foam board to build remote control airplanes.

There is more work to do, though. I plan on eventually upgrading the machine to 1" stainless tubing, but this will require a complete re-print, and I would like to eventually add a laser or a print head.