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YOU CAN BUILD A MACHINE THAT BURNS ANY PICTURE INTO WOOD

Two linear rails, two stepper motors, a laser module and some MDF board make a machine that burns photographs into wood.

by Dejan Nedelkovski

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

Workshop

Built withArduino

difficulty
●●●●○
time
a weekend-plus
license
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
repo
repo 0 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a CNC laser engraver built from bought parts and 8 mm MDF that you cut with a hand saw. Dejan Nedelkovski of How To Mechatronics designed it to show that you do not need a 3D printer to build a working machine. Two MGN15H linear rails provide the motion, two NEMA 17 steppers drive GT2 belts, and an Arduino Uno with a CNC shield runs the free GRBL firmware. The working area is 390 by 360 mm, and in the video it engraves a mandala, a tiger and a photo of a dog into wood. The hard part is accuracy by hand: the holes in the central plate must line up with the rails and motors, and the tutorial admits that getting the MDF parts square with screws and wood glue is difficult, suggesting metal brackets instead. The 3D model is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, so it is for non-commercial use. If you want to learn how a two-axis CNC machine works and you are willing to drill carefully, this is a practical first build.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —The 3D model is a STEP file on Thangs under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which does not allow commercial use.
  • —The tutorial page has a drawing of the central plate, the GRBL configuration parameters, a grayscale test image, a circuit diagram and a parts list with affiliate links.
  • —The tutorial walks through the whole build with photos, including how to calibrate steps per millimetre.
  • —There is no code repository; everything is on the tutorial page at howtomechatronics.com. The firmware is the standard open-source GRBL.
  • —Laser safety goggles are required when the laser is on.

Parts to buy

12 items

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

  • Two MGN15H linear rails with blocksFind
  • Two NEMA 17 steppersFind
  • GT2 belt with toothed and idler pulleysFind
  • Spacer nutsFind
  • Arduino UnoFind
  • CNC shieldFind
  • Two DRV8825 or A4988 stepper driversFind
  • 12V PWM-controllable laser moduleFind
  • Two micro limit switchesFind
  • 12V power supply of at least 3 ampsFind
  • 8 mm MDF boardFind
  • M3 and M5 bolts and nutsFind

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Can I build this?

PrintNothing to 3D print. The frame is cut from 8 mm MDF; you only print the central plate drawing on paper.
BuyTwo MGN15H linear rails with blocks, two NEMA 17 steppers, GT2 belt with toothed and idler pulleys, spacer nuts, an Arduino Uno, a CNC shield, two DRV8825 or A4988 stepper drivers, a 12V PWM-controllable laser module, two micro limit switches, a 12V power supply of at least 3 amps, 8 mm MDF board, M2, M3 and M5 bolts and nuts, flat-head wood screws, and laser safety goggles.
ToolsA drill with 2, 3, 5 and 25 mm bits, a hand saw, a pencil, a square ruler, screwdrivers, wood glue, a soldering iron for the limit switch wires, and the free LaserGRBL software.
SkillsIntermediate: drilling accurate holes by hand in MDF, soldering wires to the limit switches, squaring two axes with a ruler, configuring GRBL and generating G-code from images.
TimeA weekend or more. The slow part is cutting and drilling all the MDF parts by hand and squaring the frame; the tutorial does not give a build time.
Cost$$ — the tutorial gives no total price. The main purchases are the two MGN15H rails, two NEMA 17 steppers, the laser module, the Arduino with CNC shield, the power supply and the safety goggles.
SafetyThe laser can permanently damage your eyes. Wear laser safety goggles rated for your module's wavelength every time the machine is powered on, never look at the beam or its reflection, and keep children and pets away while it runs.

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

Videos

Build video17:06

'How I built the Simplest CNC Machine with minimum parts possible', posted 15 September 2021 by How To Mechatronics. Building the frame starts at 4:16, wiring at 9:58, firmware and calibration at 11:55, generating G-code at 14:02 and the finished engravings at 16:08.

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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 STEP model and the central plate drawing (The STEP file is on Thangs under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0; the plate drawing and the GRBL parameters are downloads on the tutorial page.)
  2. 2.Buy the parts from the list (The mechanical parts are listed in the assembly section and the electronics in the circuit diagram section. The links are affiliate links to Amazon, Banggood and AliExpress.)
  3. 3.Print the central plate drawing at full size and use it to mark the holes(The tutorial says precise holes matter more than clean cuts, because the rails and motors have fixed dimensions.)
  4. 4.Flash GRBL with LaserGRBL and load the tutorial's settings (LaserGRBL can flash a ready-made two-axis GRBL version with X and Y homing. Then import the downloadable parameters.)
  5. 5.Calibrate before your first engraving(Jog the machine a known distance, measure the real movement and correct the steps per millimetre; he ended up at 160. Then tune speed and laser power with the grayscale test image.)

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 central plate holds the Y axis and both motors and has many holes that must line up with the rails and steppers. The tutorial prints a full-size drawing to mark them and says you still need concentration and patience to drill them accurately by hand.
  • Squaring the MDF parts with wood glue and 3 mm screws is hard with 8 mm board; the tutorial suggests metal brackets from a hardware store as an easier option.
  • In his own build he forgot the holes for the X-axis limit switch and had to drill them in place afterwards, so mark them before assembly.
  • The 3D model is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: non-commercial use only, with credit, and changes shared under the same licence.
  • The laser module can damage your eyes. The tutorial says laser safety goggles are a must; buy glasses rated for your module's wavelength before you power it on.
  • The MDF frame is not rigid enough for cutting forces; the tutorial says it cannot be used as a CNC router or mill.
  • You need a 12V power supply rated for at least 3 amps.

Can I use a different laser module?

The tutorial uses a 12V laser module that can be PWM controlled, wired with three wires: ground, 12V and a signal line. It says a more powerful laser could also cut materials such as the MDF board the machine is made from.

Do I need a drill press?

No. The tutorial uses a hand drill as the only power tool, with 3, 5 and 25 mm bits, and prints a full-size paper drawing of the central plate to mark the holes. Any way you can drill straighter and more accurate holes will make the plate easier.

What software do I use to turn an image into G-code?

LaserGRBL, which is free and open source. It can flash GRBL onto the Arduino for you, convert photos and drawings into G-code, and send them to the machine over USB. Inkscape with the Lasertools plugin is an alternative for generating G-code.

Can I use this as a pen plotter or a CNC router?

The tutorial mentions a future pen plotter version. As a router or mill, no: it says the MDF construction cannot provide the rigidity that needs.

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Dejan Nedelkovski

Dejan runs How To Mechatronics, a tutorial site for Arduino, robotics and CNC projects. He published this laser engraver in September 2021 to show that you can build a working CNC machine without a 3D printer, using a drill as the only power tool plus hand tools.

Web

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.
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