Guest Post: Taylor Hokanson, Chris Reilly and the cutest CNC ever

With a bit less than two weeks to go until IDSA2010 kicks off, we’re putting some extra effort into laying a groundwork for discussion about DIY-enabling technologies and their impact on the design professions. Fortunately, we don’t have to go it alone. Taylor Hokanson and Chris Reilly, artist/educators from Detroit and Chicago, respectively, have agreed to contribute a series of guest blogs outlining just such a technology: a sub-$1000 desktop CNC mill they call the DIYLILCNC. The details of the project are fascinating, but the questions they raise about widespread manufacturing capability are even more so. Take a gander, and let us know what you think: when a fabrication engine like this one is as attainable as a color printer–and it will be–what’s the use of professional designers?

The DIYLILCNC project is a set of plans for an inexpensive, fully functional 3-axis CNC (Computer Numerical Control) mill that can be built by an individual with basic shop skills and tool access.

CNC devices are used to fabricate physical objects with a high degree of precision. Some CNC devices, including the DIYLILCNC, feature a gantry-mounted cutting tool (like a router) that can move in two or more directions. The operation of the tool is controlled by a computer, which is tasked with translating a digital design into actual tool movement.

DIYLILCNC can be built for around US$700. This cost includes all the stock hardware and sheet material used in construction. CAD files for custom laser-cut parts are distributed along with the plans. Anyone with access to a laser cutter can use these files to fabricate all the panel parts necessary for construction; those without ready laser-cutter access can use local or online laser-cutting services.

We do not claim to be the first to create such a project. Far from it! In fact, the success of our endeavor depended entirely on the multitude of existing DIY CNC materials available online. Our team acted as a sort of design solution aggregator, selecting bits and pieces from the existing community to meet the goals that we laid out for the project. We wanted the device to be cheap (but not too cheap), functional, easy to modify and easy to build. As educators, this meant that we also had to produce documentation that was just as carefully considered as the design itself.

Both the CAD files and a 65 page instructional booklet can be downloaded for free at www.diylilcnc.org. These materials are released under a Creative Commons license with few restrictions to encourage maximum distribution, adoption and modification of the design. The DIYLILCNC website also features a forum for artists, designers, educators and engineers who want to get involved in the project.

Taylor Hokanson is an Assistant Professor of Art at Oakland University in Detroit.  His art practice uses technology as material to address technology as concept.  The presence of altered or hacked electronics, such that their operation is impeded, is a common theme in his work (see the Sledgehammer-operated Keyboard, for example).  Hokanson also works in conjunction with The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he performs research into computer-aided fabrication and education.
www.taylorhokanson.com

Chris Reilly is a Chicago-based artist, writer and teacher. He received his BFA with a focus on New Media from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2006. Chris is currently employed as manager of SAIC’s Advanced Outptut Center, and a part-time faculty member teaching between SAIC’s Design and Film/Video/New Media departments. Since 2003, Chris has shown work in several solo and group art exhibitions in the US and Europe; he works with modded video games, virtual/augmented reality, scripting/programming and kinetic sculpture.
http://www.chris-reilly.org
http://www.rainbowlazer.com

Render credit: Jacques Favreau