I designed and built this router to help with prototyping robotics. No aluminum extrusion, no 3D-printed brackets — the whole machine is plasma-cut, bent, and welded steel. It has been cutting parts in the workshop ever since, including the printed circuit boards that needed the height-probing routine further down this page.
Working area 840 × 840 × 150 mm · Frame all steel · Control GRBL / Arduino Mega
Build it yourself — plans & CAD files
If you are feeling brave, and really like the design, here are the materials I created. Please be aware that I reserve certain rights to these designs:
- These designs and associated materials may be freely used non-commercially. You can build a router for your own use, and sell things you make with the router. You may not sell this router or these designs without my express authorization.
- I make no warranty, expressed nor implied, as to the suitability of this router or these designs for any purpose.
- No support will be provided for anyone attempting to use this design. Do so at your own risk and discretion.
I agree to these terms — show me the downloads
PCB height probing routine
Want to see how I coded the height probing as a starting point for your own system? The full routine — collecting a heightmap of the copper clad, then warping the milling gcode to match it — is on display, free to use for any purpose.
Firmware
6-axis GRBL for the Arduino Mega — link to the open-source GRBL library. If you edit defaults.h to use these settings:
#define DEFAULTS_RAMPS_BOARD #define CPU_MAP_2560_RAMPS_BOARD
Then you'll get these pinouts (click to enlarge):
