OK. So printing plastic guns will soon be obsolete. Sorta.

[pudly]

Why? Because the home CNC machine for less than $2000 is almost here. I can't see any reason why it can't use the same design files as used with the 3D plastic printers. So you machine out a barrel and firing pin and the frame is made from plastic. Things are progressing rather quickly. Oh, and you can contribute to the project via Kickstarter.

Introducing The Othermill Desktop CNC Machine

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I love it!

Faster, smaller, cheaper will make every desk, dining room table, basement or dorm room at Purdue a gun factory.

 

[84VETTE]

That would be something I would be extremely interested in. It looks like that one only has about 6 inches of travel though.

 

[slackerisme]

Why? Because the home CNC machine for less than $2000 is almost here. I can't see any reason why it can't use the same design files as used with the 3D plastic printers. So you machine out a barrel and firing pin and the frame is made from plastic. Things are progressing rather quickly. Oh, and you can contribute to the project via Kickstarter.

Introducing The Othermill Desktop CNC Machine

It already is, the same electronics and programming can easily be scaled up to a DIY CNC machine. There is an entire culture around super cheap DIY CNC that folks are using to engrave wood, plastic, and foam. As well as DIY laser CNC machines.

IIRC the largest challenge right now is keeping it affordable and making it rigid enough to handle anything besides the smallest nibble of aluminium.

LOL!! I just read the kickstarter, it's a dremel motor. It's designed for the microns thick copper that covers a pcb. Make a gun with it... no, not without either going really slow (like take a year to get a layer done slow) or beefing it up substantially.

In the end if you want a sub-2500 garage mill your better off getting one of these and following one of the many DIY CNC conversions outlined on the interwebs.

 

[-Jake-]

you can already complete an 85% lower with a router, a jig and a drill press

 

[Rob377]

Take a look at this
Home built CNC Mill - Gonna make a 1911 - General Gunsmithing - Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

 

[mms]

that is pretty sweet