r/Makera

After years of only working with 3D printers, I finally decided to jump into CNC and backed the Makera Z1 Pro (#97XX).

What really convinced me wasn’t raw power or industrial specs, but the idea of making CNC more approachable for makers coming from the 3D printing world.

My main goals are:

• PCB prototyping
• aluminum parts for robotics projects
• laser engraving
• integrating CNC into my existing maker workflow

I just published the first video documenting why I decided to take this step and what I hope to build with it over the next months.

This is NOT a review (I’m still waiting for my Pro unit), but the beginning of a real CNC journey from a maker perspective.

I’d genuinely love to hear from people already inside the CNC world:
What do you think is the biggest challenge for someone transitioning from 3D printing to CNC?

(Video link in comments)

As the Makera Z1 pre-orders will go live in June on their website I have a question about the Kickstarter orders.

The website say the first 300 order will be shipped Mid July.

Does this mean all Kickstarter orders will be shipped before then. As backer number 9500ish i know I'm at the back of the KS line but hopefully I will get mine before the "open" market???

I'm just getting started with CNC milling, and I am having trouble with prepping my stock. I have a chunk of aluminum that I use the band saw or chop saw to rough cut to size, but this usually leaves me with two unfinished/rough sides.

On a normal mill I would clamp the piece from the flat sides and run a fly cutter over it to make the top (rough) side flat, then flip it over and do the same to end up with a perfectly square piece with clean, flat sides.

But on the CNC, these aren't standard operations that I can do right out of the box.

How should I go about prepping my pieces of material and getting them square and the right size for CNC milling?

Always wanted a 3D Touch Probe for my Air for projects that did not have easily located reference or inside center points. I've been watching and waiting for Makera to release their version, but who knows when that will be. I considered getting an eBay version as the wiring is very basic, but I really preferred a probe with a 1/8" shank so I wouldn't have to keep swapping collets. So today I pulled the trigger on the Serge Industries probe - seems like a well thought out and constructed solution with it's dual diameter 1/8" + 6mm shank so no mucking about. Bonus points for the creator being very involved in the Carvera Community Firmware code, so I know it's a fellow enthusiast and not someone just trying to make a quick buck. Considering all the work is done for me and the probe comes pre-measured and calibrated, I think the price is very reasonable.

I'll be back in a week or two with some updates ;-)

https://preview.redd.it/d3oklf6z55zg1.png?width=919&format=png&auto=webp&s=7d532b8e4a746eb0ea09736df7591ca30e86b3f7

I can’t find reference to the Makera Studio software on their website. I’d like to start learning it before my Z1 Pro arrives, so if anyone has any info or a link, I’d appreciate it. Thanks!