In my various DIY experiments I often find that I need special parts created.  That part could be a control panel, circuit board, special bracket, or an endless number of other things that have to be custom made for a particular project.  Usually these custom parts are the most expensive aspect of the the DIY hobby.  Circuit boards and engraved control panels can cost anywhere between $30-$100 each.  Custom machined parts can be even more ridiculous, unless you can find a fellow DIY-er with better equipment to help you out.

Every time I spend a chunk of cash on one of these one-off designs I end up wishing I could just buy the tools to build them myself.  Up until recently those tools (usually some form of computer controlled drill or mill) cost $2,000-$3,000 for anything close to the accuracy I would need.  Thankfully, that has finally changed.

The fine folks at Lumenlab have recently unveiled their latest robotic manufacturing workstation, the micRo.  Now for a fraction of the cost I can have my own computer controlled drilling/milling machine to make circuit boards, cut and label control panels, and do hundreds of other cool things.

After a week of obsessing, I finally placed my order.  Unfortunately, the micRo seems to be so popular that it may take a month or two until I actually get my kit.  In the mean time, I’ve scored a cheap Dell PC that will serve as my new robot’s brain.  I should be able to keep myself busy getting it set up and learning about all the software that I’ll need to make this thing work.

Look for some more micRo/CNC posts in the future!