Anet A8 CNC Flex Shaft Mount

thingiverse

A Mount to Convert Your Anet A8 to a Light Duty CNC Router. What Parts Do You Need for This Conversion? You will need the following parts: * An Anet A8 printer * [Rotary Tool including Flex Shaft](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Dremel-Style-New-180W-Engraving-Pen-Electric-Drill-DIY-Drill-Electric-Rotary-Tool-grinder-Mini-Drill/32834476198.html) * [Mill Bits](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Useful-0-8mm-3-175mm-Titanium-Coated-Carbide-Milling-Cutter-Engraving-Edge-Cutter-CNC-Router-Bits/32870943430.html) (I recommend using the [Mill Bits](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10pc-3-175-mm-SHK-Carbide-Steel-Micro-Engraving-Drill-Bits-CNC-PCB-Drill-Tools-PCB/32617126215.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.3da24c4d2z9xtV) which work better) * This Mount (three parts, each printed once) * Four M3 Screws and Nuts How Do You Mount This Holder? To mount the holder, you will need to: 1. Remove the complete hotend from your printer by unscrewing the mount screw below the carriage and loosening the nut on the heat break. 2. Slide out the hotend and remove the cooling fan by unscrewing the two screws holding it on the carriage. 3. Clamp the end of the flex shaft into the holder using the M3 screws and nuts and the printed parts. 4. Install the holder onto the x-carriage by removing the six screws on the left half of the carriage, putting the holder in its position, and using the screws to fix it there. How Do I Slice Parts for CNC Machining? To slice parts for CNC machining, you will need to calculate a toolpath instead of slicing. This will give you a .gcode file that your printer can process. I am using Fusion 360 to create my gcode files, and there is a CAM tab dedicated to do so. You will also need a postprocessor, which can be found on [Tech2C](https://www.thingiverse.com/Tech2C/about) website. Notes About the Actual Milling Process When milling, make sure to put something between the material you are processing and your print bed to protect it from damage. I have been clamping the wood I want to process above a 1cm plank to protect my print bed. I have only been testing wood so far, but milling plastic should be fine too. Milling aluminum is not recommended as it may not work well. Before starting your first milling task, do a dry run to make sure everything is set up correctly. Milling can be quite noisy and produces loads of dust, so be prepared to handle it. Is It Possible to Use Another Rotary Tool? Yes, you can use any dremel you have available. I like having the flex shaft as it reduces the weight on the carriage. If you need clamps with a different size, just let me know and I can easily change them for you.