Introduction/Looking for mentor

[bkinman]

Hello. I am looking for a mentor.

I am very new to this forum. I have been interested in CNC for quite while. I have a some experience with CNC routers and machine shop in general (lathes and mills, foundry). I have a certification in CAD and am interested in building my own CNC router.

I am interested in building a CNC router because I am a student; So not only am I interested in learning, but I cannot afford to pay a bunch of money for a commercial machine.

I know some about electronics. But I'm not really sure how in-depth one would consider my electronics skills. I am in the process of learning about microcontrollers, and am building myself a PIC programmer right now. I am also knee deep in building a benchtop lab power supply. My knowledge in electronics is lacking in quite a few areas (I need to more about ICs and transistors).

I am also a bit of a renaissance man in the sense that I find great joy in learning about something as thoroughly as possible before continuing on to the next step. I enjoy etching my own circuit boards and trying to build my own equipment.

So yeah. All of this being said, I am looking for a mentor, someone who I can bounce my questions off of, and someone who can point me in the right direction.

Because I am a poor student, it is likely that I will be building my first machine on an etch-a-sketch testbed. This seems like a good place for me to start so that I can learn about drivers and stepper motors.

I guess that this post is serving a dual purpose, a kind of an introduction of myself, and a plea for some assistance with this learning process.

If anyone is interested in being my mentor, I live in the bay area (california)... Actually I live in Santa Cruz, if you are aware where that is. But I suppose you don't really have to live near me to be my mentor.

[Switcher]

bkinman,

Welcome to the Zone

Just ask your questions, and I'm sure someone will try to help.

You mentioned etch-a-sketch, check out this link:

http://axis.unpy.net/index.cgi/etchcnc

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It uses "EMC" (Enhanced Machine Controller ) and thats Free, the boards are homemade.

http://www.linuxcnc.org/


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[bkinman]

Yeah, that site was actually my first inspiration for using an etch-a-sketch.