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YOU CAN BUILD THE MACHINE THAT CUTS PERFECT AIRFOILS FROM 3D PRINTER PARTS

A machine that cuts tapered, twisted aircraft wings in one pass, built from the same cheap parts as a 3D printer.

by Michael Rechtin

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

WorkshopRobotics

Built withArduino3D printing

difficulty
●●●●○
time
a long weekend
license
none
repo
repo ACTIVE34 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a proper four-axis CNC machine that cuts foam wings with sweep, taper, twist and dihedral, and the control stack is standard 3D printer electronics: Arduino Mega, RAMPS 1.4, TMC2209 drivers and NEMA 17 motors. The frame is 4040 aluminium extrusion with lead screws and V-wheels, the hot wire is held by a spring lanyard and fed through an ordinary MIG welding tip, and the whole frame folds flat for storage. Control follows rckeith's GRBL Hotwire setup, and wing G-code can be generated for free at diyrcwings.com. The catch is documentation: there is a parts list, STL and DXF files and a YouTube build video, but no written step-by-step guide, so if you have never built a linear motion system this will be hard. Licensing needs care too: the MakerWorld STLs are CC BY-NC-SA (no commercial use of the design), the GitHub repo has no licence file, and the parametric CAD is on Patreon. If you want a foam cutter for your own RC planes and are comfortable with 3D printer hardware, this is a genuine path to a capable machine.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —STL files for printed parts are on MakerWorld under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0, which permits personal builds but prohibits commercial use of the design files.
  • —The GitHub repository has no licence file at all.
  • —Parametric CAD source files are Patreon-only and not included in the public release.
  • —This is a July 2026 design; the repo, MakerWorld listing and build video were all published that month.
  • —Bill of materials is a text list in the repo with supplier links, not a structured spreadsheet.
  • —Assembly instructions are minimal: the YouTube build video and CAD screenshots in the repo, no written step-by-step guide.

Parts to buy

12 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • 4040 aluminium extrusionFind
  • 700 mm and 400 mm lead screwsFind
  • 5-8 mm couplersFind
  • 16 V-wheels with eccentric nutsFind
  • V-groove bearingsFind
  • NEMA 17 motorsFind
  • Arduino MegaFind
  • RAMPS 1.4 boardFind
  • TMC2209 driversFind
  • 24 V power supplyFind
  • Variable DC supply for the hot wireFind
  • MIG tipFind

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Can I build this?

PrintAxis plates, motor and nut mounts, bearing and pulley mounts, end caps, limit-switch mounts, a table mount and an electronics enclosure - about two dozen STL files. DXF versions of the plates are included if you prefer to cut them.
Buy4040 aluminium extrusion, 700 mm and 400 mm lead screws, 5-8 mm couplers, 16 V-wheels with eccentric nuts, V-groove bearings, NEMA 17 motors, Arduino Mega, RAMPS 1.4 board, TMC2209 drivers, a 24 V power supply, a variable DC supply for the hot wire, a MIG tip, a spring lanyard, USB-B and mains panel connectors, a 50 mm fan, cutting wire and assorted M4/M5 fasteners.
Tools3D printer, hex keys, spanners, wire cutters, multimeter for tuning wire current, basic soldering for any wire connections not using screw terminals.
SkillsIntermediate: you need to assemble a linear motion system with lead screws and V-wheels, flash modified firmware to an Arduino, generate G-code from airfoil profiles, and tune wire temperature by measuring current. If you have built a 3D printer from a kit this is within reach; if you have not, expect a steep weekend.
TimeTwo full days if you have built something similar before; closer to four days if this is your first linear motion assembly and you need to troubleshoot stepper tuning and wire tension.
Costthe creator describes it as low-cost but publishes no total; price the README parts list yourself. The variable DC supply for the wire is likely the biggest single purchase if you do not already have one.
SafetyThe electronics enclosure is wired to mains through a panel-mount plug feeding the power supplies, so treat that wiring with mains-level care or get it checked. The hot wire is fed from a separate variable DC supply and gets hot enough to cut foam - do not touch it while powered, and cut in a ventilated space because heated foam gives off fumes. Standard workshop care around moving axes.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

This Machine Cuts Perfect Airfoils

The creator's own build video: the machine going together and cutting wings.

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Gallery

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Download the STL files from MakerWorld and read the licence terms (The licence is Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0, which permits personal builds but prohibits commercial use of the design.)
  2. 2.Get the parts list and STL/DXF files from GitHub, and follow rckeith's GRBL Hotwire Mega 5X guide (linked in the README) for firmware (The repo has no licence file. The BOM is a text list with supplier links.)
  3. 3.Watch the YouTube build video to see assembly sequence and wire tensioning (You see the machine go together and the spring lanyard holding the wire.)
  4. 4.Order extrusion, lead screws, V-wheels and electronics from the BOM(Lead screws are 700 mm (X) and 400 mm (Y); you need 16 V-wheels with eccentric nuts. Check the README parts list for the rest.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The MakerWorld STL files are CC BY-NC-SA and the GitHub repo has no licence file at all, so you cannot sell the machine or its files commercially. If you plan a business around it, ask the creator first.
  • Parametric CAD source files are Patreon-only, so modifying the design to a different bed size or lead screw pitch means editing STLs or redrawing from scratch.
  • There is no written assembly guide - just a parts list, STL/DXF files, CAD screenshots and the YouTube build video. If you have never built a lead screw and V-wheel gantry before, expect to pause the video a lot.
  • Wire tensioning is critical: the spring lanyard has to keep the wire tight as it heats and expands, and if it is too loose or too tight the cut will wander. The video shows the mechanism but does not quantify spring rate or preload.
  • The hot wire needs its own variable DC power supply (it is on the parts list), separate from the 24 V supply for the motors - it is not part of a typical 3D printer parts pile.

Can I use this to cut wings for sale?

The printed-part files are CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, so you cannot sell the machine or its files commercially. The licence covers the design, not the foam you cut — but if you plan a business, ask the creator first.

Do I need the Patreon files to build this?

No for a stock build - the free STL and DXF files plus the parts list cover the machine in the video. Yes if you want to change bed size or other dimensions, because the parametric CAD source is Patreon-only.

How hot does the wire get?

Hot enough to cut through foam cleanly. The project does not publish a temperature; it depends on your wire, its length and the current you set on the variable DC supply, so tune it with test cuts.

Can I reuse electronics from a broken Ender 3 or Prusa?

If it uses an Arduino Mega with a RAMPS 1.4 board, yes - that is exactly what the parts list specifies, along with TMC2209 drivers and NEMA 17 motors. Other printer boards are not covered by the project; follow rckeith's GRBL Hotwire Mega 5X guide for the electronics.

Community builds

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

Four axes cutting a twisted wing in one pass, and the electronics are off-the-shelf 3D printer parts. If you already have a dead printer in a cupboard, what would you cut first?

CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the GitHub repository has no licence file, while the MakerWorld listing carries a CC BY-NC-SA licence for the design, so check the terms before you sell anything you cut. The repo holds the STL and DXF files plus a README parts list with Amazon affiliate links (lead screws, 4040 extrusion, V-wheels, NEMA 17 motors, Arduino Mega, RAMPS 1.4, TMC2209 drivers); full parametric CAD is on the maker's Patreon. There is no written assembly guide — the build video and photos are the instructions, and the README points to rckeith's GRBL Hotwire tutorials for the electronics and control software. Wing G-code can be generated for free at diyrcwings.com. If you have built a linear motion system before, the video is enough. If you have not, expect to work out a few details from the footage. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Michael Rechtin

Michael Rechtin is a YouTube maker who published this foam cutter design in July 2026, with free STL files on MakerWorld, the parts list on GitHub and the parametric CAD on Patreon. He built it around 3D-printer-style hardware so the parts are easy to source and stay inexpensive.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
GitHub repo