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Digital Fabrication Anatomy

CNC End Mill Comparison Guide

CNC End Mill Comparison Guide

  • Alec Richter
  • Feb 17, 2020
Choosing the right end mill for the job you need is an important part of the CNC process. Read what it takes to make an end mill your ideal choice.
There are many different factors that go into the objects you can create with a CNC mill, but the biggest contributor is going to be your end mills. At the most basic level, end mills are like drill bits but instead of only drilling vertically, they can also cut horizontally and have several form factors to get the cleanest cut for specific materials. Some are used only for plastics to keep from h... (More)
Digital Fabrication Anatomy: Desktop Milling

Digital Fabrication Anatomy: Desktop Milling

  • Alec Richter
  • Jul 1, 2019
Often simply called CNCs, desktop mills are small machines that remove material to create a finished part. Read on to see some of the different parts of them.
Before 3D printers were even a thought, there were CNCs. These were huge room-sized machines designed supplement the manufacturing process, starting as a research endeavor for MIT in the late 50s. Nearly sixty years since the first CNC, the accessibility of the technology has meant a miniaturization of CNCs and optimization for small-scale production and prototyping, making desktop milling a possi... (More)
Digital Fabrication Anatomy: The Importance of Ovality

Digital Fabrication Anatomy: The Importance of Ovality

  • Alec Richter
  • Jun 16, 2019
We often here about filament tolerance being the difference between good and fantastic filament, but there's a second factor that's just as important: ovality.
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The Importance of Ovality in 3D Printing Filament

The Importance of Ovality in 3D Printing Filament

  • Alec Richter
  • Jun 11, 2019
Nominal diameter plays a large role in the accuracy of 3D printed parts. Learn how filament like our PRO Series line of reliable 3D printing materials is measured to make quality 3D printed parts.
When I first started 3D printing, there wasn’t much concern for the diameter of filament, by the manufacturer or consumer alike. Average diameter tolerance was .10mm more or less than the nominal diameter, which doesn’t sound like a lot but actually plays a fairly large role in how clean 3D prints will actually come out. An inconsistent filament will float back and forth between over a... (More)
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