3D Printer as a milling machine

One of the first project I want to share, because so many people have asked about it, is about how I converted my old 3D printer into a CNC milling machine. I primarily followed this guide by Noah Meurer and adapted it to fit my specific needs.

For a study project, I needed to mill a circuit board, so I decided to repurpose my 3D printer for the task. The process involved replacing the hotend with a Dremel tool, updating the firmware to disable temperature regulation (since a hotend is no longer required), and 3D printing a custom mounting bracket for the Dremel’s flexible shaft. Before proceeding with the conversion, I printed the necessary bracket, which you can find here.

One of the biggest hurdles was reducing vibrations and ensuring smooth motion at cutting speeds. I had to fine-tune feed rates and experiment with different tool paths to get clean cuts. The first milling passes revealed areas for improvement, as seen in the image below:

Through optimization—adjusting parameters such as feed rate and cutting depth—I was able to achieve significantly cleaner cuts

ultimately producing my first successful circuit board.

The conversion has opened up new possibilities, from engraving designs to cutting soft materials like wood and acrylic which i definetly want to try out next.

If you have any questions regarding the project, don’t hesitate to contact me.