External Links Page

Table of Contents

• Materials
• Stepper and Servo Motors and Controls
• Spindles and Variable Speed Motor Controllers
• Motion Control—Leadscrews, Linear Rails, Gears, Couplers, Etc.
• Electronic and Electric Parts
• Tooling and Fixturing
• Miscellaneous CNC and Machining Parts and Supplies
• Information, News, and Homebuilt Projects
• Machines with Potential for Retrofitting
• CNC Mills
• CNC Routers, Engravers, and Plasma Cutters
• CAD and Graphic Software
• Scanning Equipment and Services
• CAM and Simulation Software
• Models and Data
• Digital Output Alternatives
• Rapid Prototyping
• Examples of Computer Sculpture

Materials

• Freeman Mfg.—Provides machinable wax, urethane proofing board, and other prototyping supplies
• DIX Metals—West coast aluminum stainless, nonferrous, precision shapes
• Ability Plastics—Engraving supplies, like doublestick tape, plastics, brass, etc.
• Chavant—Makers of sculptor’s and prototypers’ modeling clays
• Dura-Bar—Continuous Cast Iron Bar Stock
• Coastal Enterprises—Precision Board brand high-density urethane foam for tooling and prototyping
• Flexbar Machineable Wax—For proofing CNC tooling programs, or remolding
• Futura Industries—Aluminum Extrusions: stock, custom-extruded
• Byrne Sign Supply—Signfoam—High density urethane foamboard
• Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc.—Various Plastics
• Machinist Materials—Odd lots drops and surplus plastic and metal
• MiniTec Framing—Aluminum extruded components for machine frames, etc.
• The Kindt-Collins Company—TB-800 polyurethane tooling board
• Coastal Enterprises—Precision Tooling Board: Rigid closed-cell HD polyurethane
• TSLOTS—Extruded aluminum t-slot rails, similar to 80-20

Stepper and Servo Motors and Controls

• FlashCut CNC—A complete Windows-based stepper or servo motion-control solution for those retrofitting a mill, lathe, or router or building one from scratch. Now available at a discount from ComputerSculpture.com.
• ACS-Tech80 Home Page—Servo controllers and budget pci card
• Acumotion.com—MyTMill and MyTLathe retrofits for Sherlines, etc.
• Ah-ha!—Stepper control software and retrofit kits
• Ajax—Centroid type retrofit systems but no guarantees, limited support
• Allegro MicroSystems Inc.—Dual DMOS stepper drivers
• Alzanti—UK-based Stepper Motor Drives, Stepping Motors and Motion Control Equipment
• AMETEK—Rotron Brushless servo motors
• Animatics—“Smart” Motors with Integrated Controls built in
• API Controls and motors—Servos and Steppers
• Astrosyn—Hybrid stepper motors in sizes 16 to 42
• AutomationEXPRESS—Gecko drives, Servo Motors, Servo Systems, etc.
• Automation Intelligence—Digital Brushless AC Servo Systems
• Aveox—Brushless servo motors and drives
• Axxus—In Canada, Axxus makes a servo controller with power supply
• AXXUS AXY300 controller—Drives stepper motors in full and halfstep modes
• Bearing Engineers, Inc.—Offering the Advanced Vector servo system
• Belfab CNC—A control program for CNC mills
• Bodine—Electric Brushless DC Motors
• Camsoft—Makers of a PC-based machine controller
• Camtronics—Dan Mauch’s kits, controls, motors and info page
• Cardinal Engineering—Retrofit Systems from Roland Freistadt of IL
• Centroid—PC-based control retrofits by Machines in Motion
• Cnc kits.com—Intro to various economical solutions
• CNC PRO—Yeager Automation’s DOS-based CNC control system
• CNC Teknix—A new servo Controller from Australia
• CNC Controller dot com—Windows and Dos based controller software and hardware
• M.C.S.—CNC Control Parts, Machine Tool Parts—Robots. Dnc, cnc
• ClickAutomation.com—Servo and stepper motors, servo amps, power supplies, etc
• Control Techniques.com—Emerson motors, drivers and parts in the USA
• DCME—DC Motors with encoders, inverters, tachs, etc.
• Copley Motion Systems—ServoTube actuators resemble air pistons
• DAK Engineering—Turbo CNC shareware executes G-code programs in DOS
• DATRON—Electronic Homepage; servo motor, amp, and controller in one
• DeskNC—Real-time control software for DOS
• Direct Motion—Manufactures a Windows-based CNC system
• DivisionMaster Ltd—Stand-alone rotary axis controller
• Do it yourself—2-3 axis stepper control
• Electro Sales Co., Inc.—Motors including steppers and DC
• EMC—NIST’s free Enhanced machine controller runs in Linux
• Freednc.com—Software to control mills in DNC mode
• Gecko Drive—Small and inexpensive but high-performing stepper and servo motor drivers
• GE Fanuc—Industrial Controllers for Milling and Multi-Axis Motion Control
• Glentek—Servo motors and amps, etc.
• Globe motors—AC and DC servos and gearmotors
• Greco Systems CNC Minifile—A device for “drip-feeding” code into older CNC milling machines. If your machine has the ability to run directly from tape, this might run your large programs, saving a more expensive upgrade
• Industrial Hobbies—Makers of the Universal Servo Drive ; ballscrew, servo motor, encoder and timing belt in one
• JalaCNC—Freeware stepper control—no microstepping, though
• JRACO—CNC servo retrofit kits, Galil compatible software, motors, slides and amps
• J R Kerr Controller Boards—Makers of the Pic-Servo motion control card
• Jon Elson’s—Pico Systems analog Servo Amplifier
• Pico Systems—Universal Stepper Controller
• KCAM—Router and Drill Control freeware
• KDN tool.—Retrofit kits for Seig minimills
• Kollmorgen Corporation—Servo motors with sizing program, also linear motors
• Kuper Controls—10 axis motion control cards used in cinematography
• Controller Information—From Machinemaster.com
• The Motion Group—CNC Controllers and CNC Retrofit kits
• Polysci (now Moog)—Servo and Powermax stepper motors
• Hobby CNC Page—Dave Rigotti’s
• Shelbyville Design & Signworks—CNC servo retrofits for routers
• Shinano Kenshi—Motors: servos and steppers
• ShopCam—The home page of Shop Systems, with ShopCam software for controlling mills, lathes, or wire EDM machines. They also sell some miniature mills and lathes.
• Simple Step—The Simple Step Motion Control System
• Spectrum—Stepper Motor Driver—from Haydon Switch and Instrument
• Testra Corporation—Manufacturer of SyncroStep Motion Control Systems with Indexers and Drivers for Stepper Motors with encoders or not
• Lexica—PC-based CNC control—9 axes standard
• LiniStepper—Microstepping drive kit
• Machine Master—Is a control retrofit for Bridgeport’s BOSS 3 through BOSS 6 Mills
• Mann Made—In Ontario CA CNC via Yasakawa AC servos and DesKam, also slides, etc
• MCG—Italian Stepper Motors
• MDSI—Open CNC Machine Control from PCs
• PC-based CNC controller—From Microsystems of Buckhannon in West Virginia
• Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc.—Servo motors and motion control
• National Control Devices—Cheap servo controller also controls IO, converts serial-parallel runs macros, etc.
• OmniTurn—CNC lathes and retrofits for Hardinge
• Oriental Motor—Japanese Stepper Motors
• Phytron USA—Stepper Motors, Positioning Stages and Stepper Controls Manufacturer
• Quickstep—CNC Software for PCs
• RUTEX—Australian CNC pulse generator, plus inexpensive servo amps and plasma-cutter controls
• Sanyo Denki America—High Performance ISO 9002 Hybrid Two-Phase Stepper Motors
• Servo Motor Repair—Of all types!
• Servo Systems—Used Robots, X-Y-Z And Rotary Tables, Servo Motors, Step Motors, Motion Control and Robotics
• Stepperworld—Complete small stepper system, PS, motors, board for 349 bux
• Stepper3 LLC—Stepper motors and drives
• Super Tech and Associates—Developers of SuperCam, a non-G code machine control system
• Superior Electric—Motors and motion control equipment
• TechRep Components—Stepper and servo motors, plus contollers, etc
• Torque Systems—Servo Motors, Encoders And Related Products
• UniPhase Automation—Servo and Stepper Motors, Drives & Controllers
• US Digital—NEMA Size 23 Stepper Motor MS23
• Vigilant Products—4 axis motion control PCI boards, resolver to encoder translation
• Xylotex—Stepper control board works on 5v 1 amp Power Supply

Spindles and Variable Speed Motor Controllers

• JM Tools—Jepson Die-grinder
• Amazon.com—Makita RF11012 1⁄4 HP Variable-Speed Router
• American Science & Surplus—Treadmill motors for variable speeds
• NSK—Astro-e 250 spindle
• Colombo—Heavy-duty Electric Spindles
• CRP Industries—Perske Division High-Frequency high-end spindles
• D and R Autochuck—Ekstrom-Carlson and Firmec spindle motors, rebuilds for many router and spindle brands
• Dealers Electric—Variable speed VFD frequency drive package
• DeWalt—Heavy-duty cutout tool, might make a light-duty CNC spindle
• Dremel—Rotary Saw Kit
• Dumore Corporation—High Quality 35000 rpm die grinders, etc.
• Vision Engravers—Engraving Spindles 30k rpm continuous duty $500
• Friesen Electric—Electric Motor Control with Variable Frequency Drives
• Leeson.com—DC spindle motors controllable with SCR thyristors
• Centaur Tools—ADF collets extensions and nuts
• Kress Elektrowerkzeuge Produkte—Expert Line Recessing and shaping machine AKA 26000 rpm router
• Layman’s guide—To AC/ DC variable-speed motors here, plus motors
• Metabo Die Grinders—From Primetools
• Precise Spindles—From the Precise Corporation
• Precise Corporation—Makers of Precise spindles
• Porter-cable—Routers & Laminate Trimmers
• Paragrave Las Vegas—Powercrafter 400k rpm airtool
• A schematic Circuit Diagram—For constructing a Pulse Width Modulation DC motor speed controller
• Spindle Motor Imports—Precision Tool Imports International Inc.
• Techno Isel—Variable High Speed 1.25 hp Router motor
• CNC on a Budget—Cheap spindles, boards, etc
• TB Woods—E-trac sensorless vector AC converter for speed control of spindle motors

Motion Control—Leadscrews, Linear Rails, Gears, Couplers, Etc.

• Kerk Motion Products—Lead screws, linear rails, etc.
• TBI—Taiwan Ball Screw Industrial Co., Ltd.
• A ball screw manufacturers directory—With ball and acme screws and nuts, repairers, etc.
• Automation 4 Less—Linear motion hardware, electrical components
• Bertelkamp Automation, Inc.—Aluminum extrusions, motion control systems, and components
• Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation—Linear motion devices, including modular sliding stages with drive-screws. Nice, but not cheap.
• CNC Linx on Yahoostores—Acme Lead Screws
• Comptrol—Ball Screw Components and Assemblies
• Dependable Acme—Acme Threaded Screws, Rods, and nuts
• Grifftek—Bill Griffin’s CNC supplies, including surplus ballscrews and rails
• Steinmeyer—Mounting a Ballscrew, from a miniature ballscrew supplier
• Exlar Roller Screws—An alternative to ballscrews
• BSA—Supernuts & Leadscrews, FineLine Ball Screws and Nuts
• Industrial Hobbies—CNC conversion kits include ballscrews, Geckos, power supplies, etc.
• IQS site—Linear bearings manufacturers directory list of links
• Jena-tec—Ballscrews, precision ballscrews, linear actuators, threads, gears, leadscrews, ballscrew repair
• JJC and Associates—Timing belts, pulleys gears rollers clamps, etc
• Lovejoy—Mini couplings for shaft motion transfer without damage from misalignment
• Macron Dynamics—Linear actuators, drives, positioners, motion components & systems
• Stock Drive Products—Mechanical Components, Timing Pulleys, Gears, Clutches, shafts, sprockets, Bearings, Brakes
• Motion Industries—Bearings, rails, and power transmission products
• Nook Industries—Ball Screws, Acme Screws and slides
• NSK—Bearings, Ballscrews and linear rails
• Ondrives—UK source of slides shafts, couplings and other linear motion products
• ProCom—Singapore based seller of z-axis slides ballscrews motors, etc.
• Hiwin—Linear slides, Rotating Nut Ballscrews, etc.
• Resources Un-Ltd—Motion control surplus
• Roton—Ballscrews and nuts, attractively priced
• Ruland—Jawflex Jaw Couplings—Spider type zero backlash
• Schneeberger—Linear technology: rails and screws
• Techno Isel—LP BallScrews—New Products
• Thomson Industries—Linear Motion and Control Technology, see 5⁄8” rolled ballscrews
• THS Engineering—CNC and motion control products and consulting
• Turnomat—Ball Bearing Gibs Page
• Universal—Lead screws and assemblies
• U.S.Digital—Optical Encoders, Inclinometers & Motion Control Components @ US Digital
• USA Tolerance Rings—For mating cylindrical objects to holes
• Baileynet—1 inch dia. induction hardened Hydraulic Cylinder rod 10 bux a foot, also Bearings, Mobile Components
• Elrod Machine—Z Axis CNC Quill Drive for Bridgeport retrofits
• Green Bay Manufacturing Inc.—Acme screws, nuts, etc.
• Industrial Surplus—Timing belts and pulleys
• Keystone Threaded Products—Rolled Acme leadscrews and nuts of various types
• L. M. Watts—Motion control parts for sale

Electronic and Electric Parts

• Circuits—Alan Rothenbush has developed an Emergency Stop circuit and other CNC innovations—see his page for wiring up the Gecko 320 drives
• IDEC—MX1C self-contained laser displacement sensor
• Switches Plus—44 Series Emergency Stop Switches
• All Electronics Corp—Electronic Parts and Supplies—New and Surplus
• Allied Electronics—Electronic Components and Equipment; good selection of enclosures
• Anderson Power Products—Presoldered and fluxed electrical connectors
• Automation Systems Interconnect, Inc.—Breakout boards, relays, power supplies, etc.
• AutomationDirect—Pushbuttons, power supplies, I-O cards VFDs, etc.
• Axxus—In Canada, Parallel port breakout board, plus relay circuit, etc.
• B and B electronics—Parallel and serial port isolators, RS 232 converters, etc.
• BEI—Incremental Encoders; Optical Shaft Encoder Products
• Bicron Electronics—Toroidal transformers for US and International markets
• Black Box—Twisted pair cables and connectors; custom cables available
• Bud Industries—America’s largest maker of standard electronic enclosures
• C and H Sales Company—Surplus electronic supplies
• Cherry Corp—Switches, sensors, electronic controls, etc.
• PDF—Continuous flex servo cable
• CWS—Coil winding specialists; Toroidal power transformers; custom winding
• Daedalon Corporation—Lab power supplies, etc.
• Digi-Key Corporation—Major supplier of Electronic components
• Dontronics—DIY KIT: 165 Printer Port to 8-Relay Outputs
• EKI—Custom Keyboards, Operator Stations, Industrial Computers
• Equinox Product Price List—Ethernet serial hubs, RS-232 connectors
• Future Electronics Active Catalog—
• Gcplus.com—Mic Connectors 2 to 8 pin
• Hammonds—Power Toriod transformers for power supplies
• Herbach and Rademan—Surplus Electro-mechanical & Scientific Equipment
• Hoffman Products—Electronic and electrical enclosures, wireways and troughs
• Hosfelt.com—Mic Connectors, various configurations
• Line filters for small motors—
• Young Industrial Surplus—Electronic enclosures
• Jameco—A Major Source of New and Out-of-Production Electronic Parts for Electronic Hobbyists
• Kim Controls—Stepper motor Cables, etc.
• Kronosrobotics—Robotic driver boards, etc.
• Lava Products—Dual Parallel-PCI
• LMDC Catalogue—Servo Components, opto limit switches amps motors, etc
• Logosol—Servo amps
• MECI—Source for Belden Infinity Industrial Control Wire and lots of other stuff
• MPJA—Power Supplies and industrial electronics
• Neutrik—Connectors, xlr, speakon, audio
• Kabelflex from Kebelshlepp—New Flexible Conduit, carriers
• Boondog—PC ISA Bus Quadrature Encoder Card
• PCI I-O Boards—Parports, analog out, etc
• PI Manufacturing—Sells soft spillproof keyboards, lots more electronic stuff
• Plastic Enclosures—New reduced pricing on standard enclosures
• PLITRON—Toroidal transformers, output transformers, power transformers
• PMDX—Makers of the PMDX PPort accessory module and breakout board, which isolates and protects the parallel port
• Star Case—Rackmount cases and ATA rack case shipping cases
• RP Electronics—Test Instruments, Power Supplies, Inverters, etc.
• Alpha Wire Company—Servo Cable
• TRC Electronics—Sinpro SPU130 Series, Table Top Switching Power Supplies
• Skycraft—Parts & Electronic Surplus cable, etc.
• Quatech—SPP-100—Extension PPorts for laptops
• Servo To Go, Inc.—A card which controls the ins and outs of servo motion—not a complete solution, but a piece of the puzzle
• Stepperworld.com—Fet-3 36 amp high power mosfets, etc.
• Surplus Center—Variable DC power Supplies 0-130vdc to 8 amps
• The Electronic Goldmine—Surplus electronic parts, motors, etc.
• Toroidal Transformers—For power supplies and isolation in various transformer applications
• Transformer Technology Inc.—Special unregulated power supplies, good for Gecko drives
• Tripp Lite—Line Conditioners regulate voltage up or down
• USB to Parallel IEEE 1284 Printer Adapter—Converter Cable
• Velleman Components NV—Makes the K8000 pport breakout board with multi IO channels
• Skycraft Surplus Wire & cable inventory—A source of Belden infinity multiflex cable
• Goos.com—Matsonic Mainboards for P4 processors
• Newark InOne—Braided .37 copper tube for shielding cable
• Overseas Electronics—Voltage converters for using 220v electricity on 110v machines or vice versa
• RENCO—Rotary Optical Encoders for Motion & Speed Control
• Switchcraft—High power connectors for panels and cords

Tooling and Fixturing

• 2Link—Spring Loaded Engraving Tool for cnc milling machines
• ACCU-GRIND—Carbide endmills
• Amana Tool—Saw blades and router bits
• Antares, Inc.—Engraving cutters and d-shaped tools for acrylic
• ARROW TOOLING—Router bits, etc.
• Arthur R. Warner Co.—HSS Products, including quarter-inch inserts
• Bits & Bits Company—Signmaking and Engraving Tools, CNC Milling Tools, Resharpening
• Blake Mfg.—Co-axial indicator for hole centering
• Brubaker Tool—Cutting tools including endmills taps drills, etc.
• Carbide Depot—New and surplus carbide inserts, endmills and other tooling
• Carbide End Mills—Drills, Garr Cutting Tools, feed-speed charts
• Cutting Edge Technologies—Carbide and HSS Cobalt Endmills
• Data Flute CNC—Custom tooling
• Discount Tools—Cutting Tools for metalworking
• Drill Technology—Carbide tools, micro endmills, downcut and diamond cut router bits
• Sands Machine—Cast Aluminum Precision Tool & Jig Plate (discs)
• Century Tool—Insert-based lathe tools—some small ones
• CONICAL TOOL—Tapered spiral flute endmills stock and custom
• Craftsman Industries, Inc.—Precision ER Straight Shank Collet Chuck extenders
• Crown Catalog Group—Engraving cutters, single-flute carbide endmills, etc.
• Crystallume—Diamond-coated tools for hard or abrasive materials
• Drill Bit City—Resharpened Carbide Drill Bits, Precision Tools
• DuraMill, Inc.—Milling Cutters and End Mills
• Enco—A wide range of machine shop supplies, including tooling
• Discount Tools—End Mills including Ball Nose, Square End, Miniatures and Specials
• Chronos Ltd—Manual rotary tables and tailstocks
• Free book—On cutting tools and their use on metal—PDF format
• Hexel Corporation—The Hexabot hexapod positioning system
• Garr Tool—Manufacturer of Solid Carbide Cutting Tools
• Hanita—End mill information in detail
• Harbor Freight—Step blocks and holddown kits, other Asian tooling
• Hartlauer Bits—Router bits from Onsrud, etc with hints and tips
• Harvey Tool—Specialty cutting tools carbide and HSS
• Hermann Schmidt—Precision tooling
• Gordon Engineering Corporation—Quality Metalcutting Technology
• Gortrac—Cable & Hose Carrier Systems
• Grand Tool Supply—Metalworking tools—cutting measuring, etc. oddball taps
• HPI Heartech Precision, Inc.—Rotary tables, toolholders, presetters, accessories
• Centaur Tools—Precision Tooling Systems
• Kee Klamp—Structural pipe fittings with set screws for corners crossings, etc
• Kern Micro & Feinwerktechnik—German micro-machining experts with rotating & swiveling table
• M.A. Ford—Manufacturer of solid carbide and high speed steel cutting tools
• Micro 100—Miniature carbide endmills, etc.
• Mini-Bore—Indexable boring bars and inserts from Kaiser Tool Company, Inc.
• Minicut International Inc.—Cutting tools even indexable ballnose cutter
• Miteebite—A system of tool clamps
• MLCS—Adaptor bushings allow routers to use odd size bits
• Multi-Mat—Tacky hold-down material for engraving
• NEMI—Vacuum and pinch-block workholding fixtures 2-D digitizer, etc.
• Onsrud—Cutters and router bits
• NewTechManufacturing—Millabrator 2003 toolsetter
• PHASE II—Chinese machine tool acessories like rotary tables, etc.
• Plastool—Lathe tools for SHerline and Taig Lathes
• PreciseCut—Tapered endmills and intarsia engraving tools in small sizes
• PROHOLD—Workholding equipment
• Quick-change tool holders—For micro-lathes
• R.L. Schmitt Co.—Endmills: blemished and overstock liquidation
• Regal Cutting Tools—End Mills
• Rose Plastic—Packaging for cutting tools, etc.
• International Engraving Devices—Carbide end mills and cutters
• SP3—Advanced diamond tooling for machining graphite, fiber and metal matrix composites and other abrasive materials
• Spillage.net—Clamp kits and other aftermarket accessories for Taig, MaxNC
• National Tool—Sub Miniature Cutting Tools
• Thinbit—Cutting tools, inserts and toolholders grooving tools, threading tools, parting tools, boring, turning tools
• Thinkandtinker—Carbide Mechanical Etching Bits
• Toolsupply.com—VERTEX Precision Rotary Tables
• Vinyl-mate—Vinyl-cutting attachment for CNC router
• Vortex Tool Company Inc.—Solid Carbide CNC Router Bits, Boring Bits, Tool Holders, Collets, Inserts, etc.
• SGS Tool Company—Zcarb endmills, etc.
• American Carbide—End Mills, Burrs, Carbide Router Bits made in the USA
• Cutting Edge Technologies—Carbide & HSS Cobalt Endmills

Miscellaneous CNC and Machining Parts and Supplies

• Acculube Metalworking Lubricants—OEC Environmental Inc.
• American Grinding and Machine Company—“Brute” Machine Bases
• Bijur—Automatic Oil Pumps for machine lubrication
• Bootdisk.Com—Bootdisks to make modern Windows computers boot up in DOS
• Boondog Automation—
• BRECOflex, L.L.C.—Catalogs for timing belts, etc.
• BUWW Coverings Inc.—Way wipers, covers, enclosures, etc.
• Chaski Forum—Machine tools Buy, Sell, Trade, Wanted, Free!
• CNC Repair—CNC Repair Parts, CNC Machine Tool Repair, CNC Parts
• Digital Producer Magazine—For digital video news and information
• Emachinetool—Tools and Machine Accessories
• Engineered Lubricants Co.—Oils for machines and machining
• Epoxy Surface Plate—Self-leveling epoxy system, with instructions
• Gortite—Protective Bellows and Way Covers
• Gortrac—Cable & Hose Carrier Systems
• AllElectonics—Gearhead motor assembly used for Rab’s 5th axis
• High Quality Tool Inc.—Bridgeport mill replacement parts
• Igus® Inc. IGUS—Polymer cable carriers, linear bearings, flexible cable, etc.
• IMS Company—Injection Molding Supplies and Machinery for the Plastics Industry
• PhillyCAST—Epoxy-granite monolithic machine bases and the materials to make them
• ITW Vortec—Vortex tubes, Cold Air Guns, and other Compressed Air Solutions for Industrial Cooling, Cleaning and Conveying
• J&L Industrial Supply—155,000 item catalog of Metalworking and Industrial Supplies
• LittleMachineShop.com—Parts and accessories for mini lathes and mini mills: bellows, emergency stop switch, etc.
• LORD MPD—Rubber isolation mounts, etc.
• OMW Metalcrafts—Accessories for small lathes and mills
• Maryland Metrics—Metric sized parts fasteners tools, etc—rare finds in the US
• McMaster-Carr Supply Company—Huge catalog of industrial supplies, good phone service
• MILITEC-1—All-purpose synthetic metal conditioner and gun oil (evidently works great in Iraq)
• MSC Industrial Supply Co.—Major supplier of machine tool accessories with hundreds of thousands of items; they produce the Big Book
• Penn Tool Co.—Sells a wide range of tools and machine supplies
• SBM Tools—Bar Puller for CNC Lathes
• Shooting Star—DigitalReadout—3 axes 799
• Soundproofing.org—Practical Noise Control solutions & Sound Proofing Materials
• Stock Drive Products—Sterling Instrument Neg’ator Constant Force Springs
• Travers Tool Co. Inc.—Industrial and Machine Shop Supplies
• Trico—Makes mister also a leading manufacturer of lubrication, condition monitoring and spray equipment for rotating and metalworking
• Pro.Com Used CNC parts—Motors ballscrews drives, etc in Singapore
• KBC Tools & Machinery—Canadian and US tool supply
• Calearo—West Coast USA Industrial Tooling Supply, DRO Mechanisms
• CNC on a Budget—Paul Jones’ Router holder, Sherline-to-Taig spindle mounts, etc.
• DEVCO—Automatic oilers like SHOWA, BIJUR, VOGEL, etc.
• Drives Warehouse eBay Store—AC Variable Frequency Drives, DC Variable Speed Drives for spindle speed control
• EBay Store—JE Campbell Industrial Marketing Industrial Robots, PLCs, Electronic Components
• Emission Technologies—CNC laser cutter kit seems relatively affordable
• Euchner GmbH + Co.—KG Electronic Handwheels
• Trico—Automatic Cyclic Pumps for ballscrew and gibs lubrication
• TriTech Products—5-Axis add-on; spindle extender for 3-axis mills

Information, News, and Homebuilt Projects

• Al Schoepp’s Page—Taig conversion with schematic, handy utilities, foundry work, etc. (see SHOP)
• The Basics of CNC—Training materials for prospective CNC operators
• Build your CNC Hot-wire machine—For cutting airplane wings from polystyrene foam
• Bill Barrows’ cnc-project—Cnc cut aluminum router
• The 3-D Buzz—Lots of tutorials, mostly about animation FX, also forums, job boards, etc.
• CAD Code forum—Mostly wood industry folks discussing their trade
• Chaski’s—Home machine shop forum
• CIMCO Feed & Speed Calculator—Downloadable freeware
• CNCgurus—A forum on a commercial site
• CNC Retro-Fit Links—A strong collection of links that makes this a good place to start for anyone contemplating the conversion of a hand-crank tool to CNC
• CNC upgrade—For Taig manual Micro Mill
• CompuCut—DIY CNC machines from the UK
• Converting an Ordinary DC Motor to a Servomotor—
• Country Bubbas DIY DRO kit page—
• Cutting Edge CNC—Tauseef has lots of information here on getting software and hardware working together to run a Sherline mill
• Cyberkinetics, Inc.—Researchers working on a brain-machine interface—this might be the future of CNC (scary!)
• Data Wales—Desktop CNC in Britain. Software notes (covering Rhino, DeskProto, and VirtualSculpt)
• Dave Hylands—Machinist Stuff including projects and CNC mods to Sherline mill and lathe
• Deadlywind—Max NC thrust bearing modification (JPG)
• Digitizing a conga drum with the DeskCNC Digitizing Probe—
• Dutro’s—Adventures in CNC retrofitting
• Easy Step’n—Book, Introduction to Stepper Motors and parts kit for the electronic hobbyist
• Full color 3-D printer—At the inventor’s site
• Fundamentals of Machine Tools—A basic guide from the U.S. Army
• Glaister Consulting—How to build rtlinux, run emc
• GoCADCAM CNC and Manufacturing information.—Forums, articles, etc mostly geared to CNC machinists
• Handy chart—Of keyboard, monitor and mouse pinouts, USB pinout, Mini USB pinout, IEEE 1394 FireWire pinout, digital flat panel port, VGA pinout
• Hans Wedemeyer’s—MaxNC 10 modifications and derogatory comments about the machine as it was
• Heidenhain—Position feedbackvia linear scales or rotary encoders, pros and cons
• High Pressure Oiler from grease gun—DIY instructions
• Home CNC—Jeff Davis’ site, with kits, plans, motors, etc.
• HomeShopAccessories—Plans for an automatic Sherline tool changer
• How to make a high-voltage power supply by ganging up 12v PC supplies—
• Igus Design Guide—How to use their cable-takeup chain
• I-logic—Speeds and feedsdatabase, plus other online utilities
• Imagine Robots—Sherline CNC Mill pictures and comments
• IMTS—The International Manufacturing Technology Show held annually in Chicago
• James Eckman’s Ronin Engineer Page—Taig mods and Metalworking tips, with bibliography
• One Half A Manifesto—By Jaron Lanier: Fascinating words from the well-known techno-pioneer
• Jon Elson’s Machining page—Includes the Conversion of a Bridgeport mill to CNC, with illustrations
• Jones on Stepping Motors—Everything you ever wanted to know about these puppies
• Jose’s—Projects and mods for the Taig
• CNC Machining magazine—From Haas
• An Industry Community forum—Devoted to servo drives
• Involute Gear Data—From the Model Engineers’ Workshop
• Ken Jenkins—Springloaded CNC Plotter Pen made from a mechanical pencil
• Ken Jenkins—Taig mill with Dewalt laminate trimmer spindle
• KT Marketing—Tim Goldstein’s site, with info on EMC (a free Linux-based CNC machine controller), various retrofit projects and CNC-related topics
• The Learning CNC—Home page
• Linux Documentation—Hardware compatibility, etc.
• LME Hexapod Machine—A concept for a different kind of carving machine
• Low Cost Laser Cutting—Paul Yarin’s MIT project
• Machinescraping Tools Videos, and FAQ—
• Machining calculation program—
• Machinist software—Software to aid the work of manual machinists
• Majosoft’s hobby site—Homebrew engraving machines, etc.
• Machine CNC—Homebuilt router and 4th axis from wood and hardware store parts
• 5-Axis Milling—For Marine Modeling—Stephen Hollister describes how to make Plugs, Molds, and Tooling
• Majosoft Home-made engraving machines—From the Netherlands, plus how to construct them
• Mark’s homebuilt CNC Router—
• Meshing Software Survey—
• Frank Hoose’s Mini Lathe Page—
• Mitch—Taig Lathe and Mill plus mods
• Modern Machine Shop—The online branch of Modern Machine Shop Magazine—full of info on machining practice and innovations
• MMSOnline—Online Metalworking Tools, Machining Calculators, and Engineering Utilities
• MMS Online article—Low-Pressure Spraying Coolant System
• MMS online article—Interpolating Curves
• MMS Online Feature Article—Mapping Your Way To Five-Axis Machining
• MMS Online Article—High Speed Machining from NURBS
• Motionnet’s Engineering Resources—Links to machines, software, and components
• Machine Tools Online—Virtual community for the machining industry
• Mold-Tech—All about texturizing steel molds for plastic parts
• Motion Control Programming—Using Borland’s C++Builder and Delphi Home of the ClemSoft CNC for Smartmotors (A full blown 3 axis system)
• Bill Mumford’s Homemade cnc mill retrofit page—With stand-alone 4th axis attachment
• My Taig cnc mill—One user and his cnc-ready Taig retrofitted with a Xylotex controller
• North American Model Engineering Society—(NAMES) Exposition, held in April in Wyandotte Michigan
• Numerisation—Scanning and 3-D conference in Paris
• Onsrud Router Bit—Selection Guide
• PC Presentations Productions—Electronic Magazine of Windows Graphics and Desktop Video
• Phone-Soft Internet Directory—Annotated CNC Hardware/Software links
• 3-D Photography—Scanning, subdivision surfaces and surface light fields
• Planet 3-D—Bryce, Poser, Amorphium, POV-ray resources, textures, reviews, tutorials, and more
• PRIME—The Pacific Rim Model Engineering Expo, where miniature machinists strut their tiny stuff.
• Proxxon CNC Conversion—
• Quick Change Tool Post shopmade—
• Rainnea Graphics—Rab’s home-built 5-axis router
• Rapid Prototyping Journal—A peer-reviewed journal with articles on RP advances
• Ron Thompson—CNC Adventures retrofitting a sherline
• Servo Noise Trap—
• Sherline—A Sherline mill modified to have a ballscrew in the Z axis
• Siggraph Exhibition and Conference—This big annual computer-graphics exposition is well worth attending
• SDP-SI—Belt and pulley calculator
• Sheldon’s homebuilt Taig CNC stepper control box—
• Sinumerik—Illustrated PDF gives info on G-coding, etc.
• Spirolaterals—A web-based program for generating Spirolaterals, mathematically generated figures which exhibit a fair amount of variety upon changing some simple parameters—not 3-D, but fun.
• Stafford’s Elegant Diamonds—How we do custom jewelry design using CAD technology
• The Motion Group—STEPPER MOTOR BASICS
• “Mister Rogers”—Teaches us about the RS 232 pinouts
• Steve Blackmore’s CNC Page—Taig retrofit, control boards, schematics, etc.
• Tap Drill Sizes, etc.—Charts, plus tooling
• Thesis Development of a Multiple Axis Position Control System—Function of the Slave Motor Drivers
• One man’s start on a Taig Mill Manual—Gibs adjustment
• Homebrew Taig conversion—With homemade timing-belt mounts plus bellows (JPG)
• Taig Micro Mill—Speeds and feeds chart based on empirical experience
• Info on Tapers and Collets—From Dr. Spiff
• TRIG-MAN 2000—Shop math spreadsheet program, feed-speed, etc.
• Truing big parts on a sherline—Looks dangerous to me…
• 3-D Artist Magazine—Was a print publication for artists interested in 3-D graphics, with industry contacts, 3-D dealers, service bureaus, schools, classifieds, and artists online. It has ceased publication, but back-issues are still available, and the links still work
• 3-D Artists—Hub for graphics types, with forum, links, job center, etc.
• Toile Metisse—Christian Lavigne presides over this European nexus of interest in digitally-influenced art, even organizing a recent show for the French Senate.
• US Digital—Encoder Frequently Asked Questions
• Visual Magic Magazine—Mostly concerned with animation
• WAPICS—Table des Matieres du Site—Building a CNC mill (fraiseuse) from scratch—in French but illustrated
• Wiring the Gecko 320s—By Tim Goldstein
• WOODWEB’s CNC Forum—Message Index
• Wrathall’s Seig lathe CNC conversion—
• ZDnet—Reviews of computers, peripherals, and other hi-tech products

Machines with Potential for Retrofitting

• CLISBY—Extremely small machines from Australia; similar to Sherline but really tiny
• Harbor Freight Tools—Gearhead mill with dovetail column
• Meridian Used Machinery—In Farmingdale, NY
• Seig—Korean micromill
• Penn Tool Co.—Top Tech Bench Knee Mill, R-8 Spindle
• House of Tools—Force Ten mill with dovetail column 1677 USD
• Grizzly Industrial—Sells tools made in Asia, including a minimill
• HGR Industrial Surplus—Used Machinery, Machine Tools, Machine Equipment
• A7 Equipment Brokering—Surplus machines
• Cowells—Machine tools from UK—small mill, lathes, etc.

CNC Mills

• CNC Junior—A cnc-converted mill-drill package with powerful 650 oz/in motors, now available at a discount price at ComputerSculpture.com
• Microproto—The new site for Taig CNC mills and lathes, now available at a discount price at ComputerSculpture.com
• The Sherline Lathe, Mill and Precision Miniature Machining Page—California-based Sherline makes an extensive range of tools and accessories for machining on a small scale. Sherline products are now available at a discount price at ComputerSculpture.com
• Desktop Mills Compared—An attempt to make order out of chaos, listing the features of various smaller CNC mills side by side, along with articles on various CNC-related topics at the home page
• Nick Carter’s Taig lathe site—With articles and pictures showing the different ways people use their miniature machine tools.
• Milltronics Manufacturing—Big heavy-duty machines, equipped with Centurion controls
• Wells-Index—Milling machines, vertical, horizontal, knee-type, cnc, manual, for drilling and boring
• Light Machines—CNC mills, including Benchman, ProLight, etc.
• Hurco—Metal Cutting Fabrication Systems
• Dynamechatronics—Benchtop mills plus VMCs, etc.
• CNCut—Scandinavian stone-cutting, poilishing and engraving machines
• Datron—Highspeed CNC Machines, micro tooling
• Mighty USA Inc.—VMCs, turning centers and some motion-control products, like ballscrew kits
• Boeing—Used Equipment and Machinery Homepage
• Cielle—CNC machines for jewelry, engraving, etc. including 4th and 5th axis on some models
• CNC Automation—CNC Milling Machines and CNC Control Retrofits for kneemills and bedmills
• CNC AUTO—CNC Milling Machines and CNC Control Retrofits for kneemills and bedmills
• ACCURAM—CNC minimill and CNC 9x20 Lathe with MaxNC CL motion system
• Desktop CNC Servo Mill—Supercam’s Taig-gecko servo retrofit
• Emco Maier—Austrian makers of the PCMILL 55
• EquipMatching—Classified ads for used CNC equipment, etc.
• Future fab home—Mini CNC mill, plus various custom machines
• G&L Machine Tools—Gidding and Lewis’ big horizontal machining centers
• Gemvision—Revo540 4-axis mill with high speed spindle
• Haas—Makes toolroom mills, VMCs, Trunnion Tables for Five Axis Machining
• Incredible Machine—Precision Industrial Engraving
• Intelitek—Products—Spectralight, Benchman, and Prolight desktop mills
• MicroKinetics Corp.—Cnc machines and retrofit kits
• Minitech—Mini-Mill-3 linear rails ballscrews servo and highspeed spindle on a desktop mill
• Model Master, Inc.—Makers of modelmaster mills, etc.
• Pathfinders HexVantage Machine—5-axis milling with a hexapod
• Red-Cam Manufacturing—CNC Milling Machines RIM 9400 (looks like a Bridgeport)
• Rhino Robotics Ltd.—Miamitown, OH makers of small CNC mill and a robot arm
• Brian Mumford—Sherline CNC mill pre-release information
• Steven Haerr’s CNCTrader Corporation—For used CNC routers and mills
• Tecnologie di Bovere Graniti—Stone sculpting via CNC
• The Engraver’s Network—Laser machines, routers, and reconditioned Dahlgren engravers

CNC Routers, Engravers, and Plasma Cutters

• ShopBot—The CNC WorkShop RoBot—Manufacturers of the ShopBot, a CNC router that arrives in kit form—just add a table, a router, and some Unistrut, and you’re in business.
• New Hermes—CNC Engraving machines
• Torchmate—CNC plasma cutters and shape cutting machines—some assembly required
• CNC Automation—Custom Built CNC Routers
• Vision—Entry Level Engravers from Vision, also lasers and routers
• EDM Network Inc.—New and rebuilt electro-discharge machining centers
• C.R. Onsrud—CNC and Inverted Routers
• Multicam CNC routers—Including some really large and heavy ones.
• Gravers.com—International Engraving Devices
• Pacer Systems—A UK-based maker of CNC routers and engraving machines
• Machine Tool Camp—CNC Router plans for cutting Wood and Aluminum
• BMR Automation—CNC Routers low-cost CNC gantry routers 4 x 8 for 5600
• Thermwood—CNC Routers
• Vinyl Technologies Inc.—Routers, stencil-cutters, etc.
• 3score—CNC Machines, CNC Routers, Router Tables & CNC Laser Engraver Systems.
• PracticalCNC.com—CNC Routers/Plasma cutters
• Align-rite tools—Including routers and laser-scanners that mount on them
• Anim8or—Free 3-D animation software
• Axyz Automation UK—Specialsing in Routers & cutting tools
• Bob Campbell—CNC Router Plans, SoundLogic Breakout Boards, etc.
• Camtech Indsutries—CNC Routers and Lasers, some tilt-up models for stonework
• Cheap CNC Routers—Wood frame 12 x24 x6, MaxNC motion control
• Zoltar—Plans for a homebuilt router, foamcutter
• CNC crafters PC Crafter—Small router
• CNC in Motion—Makes CNC routers, etc. sells geckobased stepper controller
• CNC Router plans from Data-cut—
• CNC Routers by CNC Auto-Motion—Standard & Custom Built CNC Router Manufacturer—digitizing and 5th axis options available
• CNTMotion—Cnc routers, tool changer, long Z-axis, custom machines
• DataCut—Sells plans for a 3-axis router powered by a Flashcut controller
• Diversitech—The Auto-Rout system: 2-D cnc router plans, kit
• FlexiCAM USA—Routers and engravers
• Home-built CNC plans—For sale, using storefront aluminum and hardware store parts
• Komo—VR Mach III heavy-duty routers with 5-axis option
• Larken CNC—ShopCam routers in Canada
• Newing Hall—Engraving Machines, Engravers & Equipment
• Pacer Systems—CNC Routers for routing and engraving, in the UK
• Precix—Advanced CNC Router and Laser Cutting Technologies
• Pro-Technology—TEKCEL K-Series servo-driven router from Australia
• Quintax—5-axis CNC Router Manufacturing
• Route-a-bout—Desktop CNC wood router
• SCMI, and Morbidelli—Woodworking machinery including slant-bed routers
• Standard Router, Inc.—CNC Routers products and equipment
• Streamline Automation—Canadian MFR of foam-cutting CNC systems
• Xenon Research—Small cnc routers from Europe
• Aeronaut Automation—Large Format Industrial Plotter Cutters
• Quality One Engravers—Quest CNC Engravers new and used, plus repairs, tooling and accessories

CAD and Graphic Software

• Innovate—From IronCad is a fullfeatured parametric solids modeling program with advanced mechanical-design features. An excellent complement to surface modeling programs, now available at a discount from ComputerSculpture.com.
• Alibre Inc.—Makers of Alibre Design. Low cost and easy to learn, this solid modeler offers the ability for widely separated users to collaborate on a design online. Now available at a discount from ComputerSculpture.com.
• AccuTrans 3-D—File translation between 3-D formats; Successor to STLTrans
• Advanced Jewelry Technologies—CAD Jewelry blanks and kits
• Advanced Rhino Training CDs—From James Carruthers—build a plane
• 3-D Canvas from Amabilis—A free 3-D modeling and animation tool
• Anatomics—BioBuild software yields STL files for Analysis and Reproduction, especially for medical applications
• ArtCam Jewelsmith—A jewelry oriented version of the popular (but expensive) 2-D to 3-D CAD/CAM software
• Ashlar-Vellum—CAD, NURBs Surface and Solid Modeling Software
• AutoCad—Autodesk is the maker of 3DS MAX, a popular modeling and animation program for the PC. Autodesk also makes Autocad, one of the first products to bring 3-D modeling to the desktop.
• Auto cad 2000—IntelliCAD 2001 software with download
• Autodesk—QuickCAD for 2-D Drawing (inexpensive)
• AutoTrace—Convert bitmap to vector graphics in Java
• Beadscape—Mac software for beadwork design
• Blender—Is a Linux-based free 3-D modeler that is becoming increasingly popular for web applications
• BRL-CAD—Army Research Laboratory—Linux-based solid modeling system—free and open-source but you have to register first
• CAD-CAM Components, Inc.—Geometry works 3-D for cylinder surfaces
• CADchat.com—Discussion forums for the CAD community
• CADCrafts—A California-based retailer of 3ds Max and associated plugins, videos, and plotters
• CADfix—Translation and data repair software
• CADopia IntelliCAD—Inexpensive 2-D CAD
• CADMAX—A program broken into a series of “modules” which seems to be mostly for CAD, with some IGES translation and NURBS capability, and a focus on generating dimensioned drawings.
• CadSoft Online: EAGLE Product information—A system for automating the design of printed circuit boards
• CadStd—Cad Standard Lite freeware and inexpensive Pro software
• Caligari—JewelSpace1—Advanced 3-D Modeling Software for Jewelry Designers by the makers of Truespace
• Steve Abbott’s—Computer Drawn Celtic Knotwork
• Chartist, by Novagraph—Chart and diagram software
• CrystalGraphics—Plugins for Microsoft Office
• CNC Utilities—Convert bmp colors to heightfields
• CutList Plus—Woodworking Software
• D Sculptor—Claims to be able to produce organic forms by photogrammetry
• The official DANCAD3D®—Beta Test Web site
• Daylon Graphics—Leveller® Heightfield Editor
• DeskArtes—3-D software for RP, good for repairing STL files
• Digital Goldsmith Matrix—GemVision jewelry design plugin for Rhino
• Digital Terrain—Modeling and Mapping Digital Elevation Model
• Discreet—Makers of Gmax, a free 3-D content creation prog for gamers
• Dolphin CadCam—Now offering free CAD download
• Electric Image—Universe 5.0 suite of modeling animation and rendering applications, such as Amorphium
• IMSI—The DesignCAD Family of Products
• Materialise Software—STLzip compresses STL files much better than Winzip
• MeshWorks—Advanced Mesh Editing Software, including Rhino plugins
• VectorWorks—2-D Drafting and 3-D Modeling CAD for the Mac
• 3-D Modelling—With solidThinking
• 3Dconnexion—Windows driver for spaceball, etc
• 3DESIGN—Type3 offshoot jewelry program from Vision Numeric
• DXF-SVG—Gear Generation Utility v0.96
• DXM—Digital ‘X’ Model triangulation software converts contour map data to polygon DXFs
• Product Information: ElectricImage Modeler—Coming soon is a solid/NURBS hybrid modeling engine, which sounds interesting.
• Electronic Template System—Make accurate stone countertop templates, etc. with a digital camera
• Eovia Home Page—Amapi, Carrara and other modeling-rendering programs
• Form Z—General purpose solid and surface modeler for PC and Mac by auto.des.sys
• 4DVISION—Producers of 4dPaint, a program which allows one to paint on 3-D virtual objects. They also sell Sculptor ProTools, a free-form modeling program based on their own “HyperNURBS”.
• Free GIS and CAD Software—From GeoCommunity
• Freebyte—Mechanical Engineering Software
• FreeCAD—3-D CAD with Motion Simulation
• FreeCAD.com—A link to free CAD, CAM and CAE programs
• French CAD-Cam program—
• Geargen—And other downloadable CAD programs
• GemCad for Windows—Faceting software for gemstones
• GemVision Matrix—Rhino-based jewelry software
• GeoFrac2000—Landscape and terrain generation
• Glass House Software—Makers of Powerstation CAD-CAM, Wingraver Pro
• Global Mapper—Views and converts DEM and other geo formats
• Golden Software Surfer—Map interpretation software
• Advanced Rhino Training CDs—From James Carruthers—build a plane
• IMSI—Free Turbocad learning edition
• IMSI ScanPro—Raster to vector converter
• IntelliCAD by CADopia.com—The IntelliCAD 2001 source for CAD users
• Kurtz-Fernhout Software PlantStudio—Make 3-D plant models schematically
• Lamina Design—Software unrolls compound-curved surfaces—still in alpha stage
• Max3D—3-D Luvr—A source for finding plug-ins for 3ds Max, with some tutorials as well.
• Micropath Corporation—DEM converter software Map Explorer and USGS data
• Minos—A free 3-D modeling program
• The Moray—Rendering engine
• NewTek Television—Makers of Lightwave, an animation program, and the Video Toaster, for desktop video editing.
• Ninos—A French CAD-Cam program
• Nevercenter.com—Silo, inexpensive 3-D modeling software
• OpenFX—A freeware modeler with plugins available
• PhotoModeler Pro 5—Beta Features include Rhino 3dm export
• Demonstration of “PicTree” 3-D Pictures—From Octree Corporation A viewer/encoder system for “voxels”, a cubic “voulme unit” that can replace polygons when representing an object in 3-D.
• PIXELS: 3-D—A rare find—a 3-D program for the Mac!
• Poser 4—3-D character and figure animation and design software
• POV-Ray—the Persistence of Vision Raytracer—A raytracing rendering tool that is available as a free “public beta” download. Often used with Rhino, it works on most platforms, including the Mac.
• Pstoedit.net—Convert PDF and EPS to DXF, LWO, RIB, HPGL, etc.
• PTC—Makers of Pro-Engineer; powerful but complex software for engineering applications
• Qwerks—TraceART raster to vector converter
• QCAD—Multi-platform CAD from Ribbonsoft
• Realsoft—Makers of Real3d
• Reflex Systems Inc.—High-Resolution Human Synthesis Software
• The Renderman Repository—A site devoted to Pixar’s rendering engine
• Rhino 3-D—NURBS modeling in Microsoft Windows
• Science Specialist, Inc.—Makers of 2-D to 3-D heightfield conversion program, 20 dollar shareware
• SensAble Technologies: Home Page—Developers of a “force-feedback” modeling tool, which gives the sensation of actually touching a model as it’s being created.
• Sheet Layout—Woodworking program
• Sheet Lightning—Sheetmetal design sw in 3 versions from cheap to midpriced
• SoftCAD—Inexpensive 3-D CAD
• SolidsModeling.Com—
• SolidThinking—NURBS and Polygonal Modeling and Rendering for Mac and PC platforms
• SolidWorks—High-end solids modeling program
• Steve Abbott’s—Software for computer drawn Celtic knotwork
• STLFIX Service—Free automatic fixing of faulty STLs, also point clouds to STL
• Strata.com—3-D software that runs on Macs
• 3Dconnexion—Windows driver for spaceball, etc
• 3-D Gate—Online magazine with reviews of 3-D CAD programs
• Think3—Cad for product design
• Toonboom Technologies Inc.—The next generation of 2-D cell animation software
• TracTrix—Raster to vector conversion software
• VextraSoft—Raster to vector conversion tools
• VX CAD-CAM—Solid surface hybrid modeler with CAM modules
• Weber Systems—Synergy Silver CAD CAM Parasolid based system works in Linux
• TurboCAD—Widely used design software from IMSI
• VectorWorks—Modeling, rendering, and architectural software
• Visviva Software, Inc.—3-D authoring software for multimedia applications
• Wings 3-D—Free polygon modeler exports 3ds OBJ and VRML
• Simtel—Geargen v1.10; DOS Design tool for gears
• Xara3D—A limited graphics program for web-site use
• X-dimension 3-D explorer—Allows one to open many varieties of 3-D files
• Web 3-D—Info on the X3d standard, an open 3-D language for 3-D communication in real time; a successor to VRML
• ZBRUSH—Seeing is Believing (or not…)

Scanning Equipment and Services

• Roland Digital—Has a line of piezo-electric 3-D touch-probe scanners that work well for small textural objects. Some models also have milling capability. They also offer a relatively inexpensive laser-scanner, which can scan objects in the round without touching them. All these products are available at a discount price at ComputerSculpture.com
• MicroScribe—A division of Immersion Inc., makes a hand-operated 3-D digitizing arm, which will record points in 3-D space for reconstructing objects in the computer. Now available at a discount price at ComputerSculpture.com
• Aculux—Makers of the Laser Ranger, a laser rangefinder with an external trigger, possibly suitable for use as a digitizing probe on a CNC router.
• CYBER F/X Inc.—3-D Digitizing, Reverse Engineering, Rapid Prototyping, and CNC-Sculpting by Richard Cavdek, digitizer to the stars, is also willing to take on custom work. Richard’s NURBS surfaces in IGES format import very nicely into Rhino.
• 3-D Image Solutions—Dimension 3-D scanners liquidation
• 3-D Photography on your desk—Jean-Yves Bouguet’s 3-D Shadow scanning
• Cyberware Home Page—The originators of the laser-scanners used in motion pictures. Although they still only work on UNIX machines, they have come down somewhat in price. If this is still too much, they have service bureaus listed on the site.
• Cyra Technologies, Inc.—Makers of Cyrax scanners; good for scanning large and distant objects
• FARO Technologies, Inc. WebSite—Another maker of digital arms for 3-D digitizing. They have a range of arms from small desktop units (the SpaceArm) to larger (and correspondingly more expensive) tripod mounted devices.
• Geometrix, Inc.—Face scanning systems, etc.
• InSpeck—Has a line of halogen light scanners which, they claim, can even capture the hair of a live model—something that has proved very difficult in the past. Rotate Mark McGuire’s head and see what you think…
• Laser Design Inc. (LDI)—3-D laser digitizing / scanning systems and services
• Laser Rangefinder—Swiss Precision Sensors for the industry—by Baumer Electric AG
• Minolta Corporation, ISD—The Japanese optics giant is getting into 3-D scanners, with the Vivid 700 as its latest offering. They aren’t breaking any price barriers, though…
• Paraform 3-D Scanning Software and Services—These people are developing some new surfacing software. Check out their “Points to Polys” program, for converting point-clouds to polygon surfaces, which is available as a free download to qualified applicants.
• Polhemus—A promising design; a laser-scanner with a hand-held head, which can be directed at hidden parts of a 3-D form.
• Raindrop Geomagic, Inc.—Producers of “Wrap” and “Wraplite”; an expensive program (and a somewhat cheaper version of same) for converting “pointclouds” into polygon surfaces. and Decimator, for reducing those surfaces’ polygon count.
• The RapidForm 2000—Reverse modeling software, for converting polygons to NURBS, repairing and refining surfaces
• REALVIZ—2-D to 3-D from photo sequences
• Renishaw—Specialists in coordinate measuring and digitizing with touch-probes
• Scansite—3-D Laser Scanning for Reverse Engineering and Animation
• Scantech—Scantech makes laser scanners that attach to your 3, 4, or 5-axis CNC machine, for capturing, reverse-engineering, and copying parts. Interesting examples of work done in stone and other materials, based on scanned originals.
• Shapetracker—Hand-powered 2-D CNC Template tracing Digitizers
• Structured Lighting Technology—Also D Sculptor for photometric processing of organic models
• Techno-Isel—Laser Scanner mounts on router spindle for 3-D digitization
• B3-D—Scanning and CIMM Consulting and Sales
• A Survey—Of programs that create meshes from point-clouds, etc.
• Isiweb—Photomodeler 5 photogrammetric software italian lang site
• Model Master—Laser scanner with adjustable lenses for very high resolution
• MultiCam—3-D Laser Automatic Surface Digitizer
• UZR 3-D—Photogrammetric software
• XYZ RGB—3-D Scanning Solutions

CAM and Simulation Software

• Delft Spline Systems—In the Netherlands, Delft Spline is the developer of DeskProto, a very sophisticated yet easy-to-use program for translating CAD geometry (as dxf or stl files) into NC tool paths that CNC milling machines can use directly. The new 4.0 version of the program has added many interesting features, like support for 2-D linear engraving, waterline toolpaths, and N-sided milling. Now available at a discount price at ComputerSculpture.com
• VisualMill 5.0—From MecSoft—Deluxe 3-D machining software This program does it all—2-D and 3-D milling, with support for 21⁄2-D operations like pocketing and drilling, in an easy-to-use Windows environment, which allows toolpaths to be previewed in motion. VisualMill imports Rhino 3dm files as well as polygon formats like STL and DXF, and outputs standard g-code. Included in the price, you get a custom post-processor written to the specifications of your milling machine. This comes in two versions: Basic and Advanced. The basic version deals with 3 axis milling; the advanced version has support for a rotary 4th axis and many remachining functions. Now available at a discount price at ComputerSculpture.com
• RAMS Software—2-D and 3-D milling and router toolpaths from Rhino, still available at a discount price at ComputerSculpture.com
• IMSI—TurboCADCAM 2-D and 21⁄2-D CAD and CAM for mills and lathes, now available at a discount price at ComputerSculpture.com
• Ability Systems—Companion Software—hpgl to g-code
• The accu-carvsystem—CAM and wire EDM solutions
• Alphacam—High-end 3-D machining software from Licom in the UK
• AutoCAD/CAM/CNC—Suppliers of AutoCode, mechanical CAM software which runs inside AutoCad 14.
• Ace Converter—Yeager Automation’s DXF to NC open-source C freeware
• Alpha-G—Lathe G-code from DXF files—free software from Cairo University
• AutoCut Research—DXF to G Code Conversion Systems for CNC Machine & Controller Upgrades
• AutoEditNC 3.0—Free NC Code Editor with feed/speed calculator
• Bezarc®—Illustrator DXFs to toolpaths
• Bitmap to G-code program—Free but Linux-only I think
• BobCad CAD/CAM—A relatively low-cost system for generating part drawings and toolpaths.
• C N C Logic inc—Quebec-based CAD CAM solutions
• Cncezpro—CNC simulation software
• CADEM—India-based CNC company, has Capsturn and Capsmill CAD-CAM and DNC for CNC machining.
• CAM Expert—2-D DXF conversion and toolpath generation
• Cimatron—CAD-CAM software for Manufacturing—quick tooling
• CNC ez PRO—A revolutionary real-time 3-D simulator for CNC Machining.
• CNC Portal—Freemill, free but limited 3-D CAM from MecSoft
• Machinist’s toolbox—CNC Machinist Software
• CNC Programming Tools—Dxf to gcode, Holes to G-code, bolt circle code, etc
• CNC simulator—From I.I.S.R. Ltd.
• CNC Simulator returnware—Simulates toolpaths free but expires periodically
• Cstep—A downloadable program to run a plotter or router in 2-D from HPGL drawings
• CutViewer—Lets you preview your toolpaths free
• Cadcam Software from DELCAM of the UK—. Delcam provides cadcam solutions for 3-D machining and toolmaking, 3-D designing and modeling, mold making, inspection and reverse engineering.
• Desktop cnctimer—Freeware utility estimates time to run a NC file
• DeskART—The Deskam family of products, including DesKam, DeskArt, DeskNC, and DeskEngrave
• Devcam.com—New CAD CAM program from Australia for 2500 bucks
• Discriminator—CNC editor
• Dolphin—2-D, 21⁄2-D and 3-D milling software from the UK, generates mill, lathe and edm code
• Edgecam—CAD-CAM software designed by Pathtrace
• ESPRIT—CAD-CAM solution for CNC machining and G-code programming of mills and lathes
• Excalibur—XCAD, XCAM with NURBS
• EZCAM—CNC CAD-CAM now with web-based CAM, Rhino 3dm support
• FastCAM—Inc. Lots of “Fast” software, like FastPlot, FastNest, FastCut, etc.
• FeatureCAM by EGS—CAM software recognizes features of 3-D files
• Finnieston Group—BioSculptor Orthotic and Prosthetic CAD-CAM Systems
• FILOU—MXCNC simulator, does DXF conversion too
• Free CNC Utilities—Padder Wrapper and Scan2cnc
• GALAAD—Integrated CAD-CAM software for Windows
• Gcode2000—TTFtoDXF, BarNester free translation and nesting programs
• GenGCode—A program that generates G-code for simple shapes—no CAD required
• GFMC—Software for cutting model airplane wings from polystyrene foam
• Gibbs—3-axis milling, solids modeling software—for Mac as well as PC
• Glass House Software—Makers of microcimm and powerstation xpert 2.5 and 3 axis CADCAM for under 300
• Graphitech—Makers of Cimagrafi, a high-end 2-D art to 3-D toolpaths program
• HPGL to motion control software for hobby use—
• Image To G Code—Make photo engravings with your CNC
• PicEngrave Beta Software—Engrave a photo from an 8-bit black and white bitmap—shareware
• IMService—Sells Vector CADCAM, line and arc based machining software.
• ImageCarve—Software converts images to G-code to be carved with your CNC router
• KCAM Router-Mill Control—Kellycam g-code translator
• Kentech Inc.—Machine Shop—Kipware CNC Software converts from one controller format to another
• Lathe Quick Code—By Wayne Hill
• Licom’s AlphaCAM—Now with 5-axis programming
• MadCAM—3-axis milling, mold and die plugin for Rhino
• Mark Thomas—GenGCode makes G-code for simple shapes from dimension inputs
• MasterCam—A leading high-end CNC program favored by machine shops
• MultiCAM—CNC Lathe CAM Software
• Majosoft’s engraving software—Free to hobbyists
• MeshCAM—Simple inexpensive CAM software for 2-D conversions and some 3-D
• MetaCut—A toolpath optimization program
• Microcimm Software—Powerstation 2000, Wingraver Pro, etc.
• Millit—CAM for hollow objects, with automatic tabs and cavities
• Millwizard—A low-priced model-to-toolpath program from the UK.
• Moldex 3-D—Has CAE analysis tools for mold fill and flow, also Rhino Plug-in
• NCCS—2 to 5 axis toolpaths, with modeler
• Nuform—From A.S. Thomas—3, 4, 5 or more axis machining software
• Open Mind—Hypermill CAM to 5 axes compatible with Think3
• Picasoft—Suite of interesting 3-D CNC products from France
• Posthaste—Configurable Post Processor generates posts for any machine, any system
• Powerstation 2000—New version supports solids—free download
• Quick-Link—A NC code editing program
• Rainnea Graphics CNC Toolkit—5-axis toolpaths using 3dMax script
• RSM Trace Software—Converts TIFF to g-code, dxf, or HPGL
• Rudy’s cnc freeware—XY only G-code
• Scanvec Amiable—Makers of Enroute router CAM and signmaker software
• SeaGull Technologies—CAM for the Mac, plus homebrew routers
• Sescoi USA—Makers of WorkNC CADCAM for molds tools and dies
• SprutCam—Russian CAM program makes toolpaths from NURBS surfaces
• SURFCAM—3-D CAM software
• TahlCAM—CNC plugin for AutoCAD
• TopSolid®—CAM software from Europe
• Type 3—A highly-regarded high-end Cad-cam system
• VERICUT—Simulation software for milling machines
• Vero International Software—The VI Group. Solid and surface based CAD CAM software for the plastic injection-molding industry. Its VISI-series software claims to be an integrated solid and surface, 2-D and 3-D, design and CAM system based on the Parasolid kernel.

Models and Data

• 3-D art—2-D and 3-D art resources for cg artists, especially furniture models
• Brands of the World—Actual company logos for reference only—not clipart
• Building environments dot com—Furniture models from mfrs
• 3-D CafÉ—There are many models in the 3-D CafÉ as well as tutorials, a job board, forums, etc.
• DeLorme—XMap 4.0 GIS datasets with topographic views, USGS maps, Satellite Images
• Digimation—3-D models Catalog
• Flashfire—3-D model sales, custom 3-D modeling, 3-D model conversion, even some free 3-D models
• The 3-D Model Forge—Sci Fi and Military Models
• Help3d—Models by membership
• Highend3d.com—Maya community, also xsi, shake, aliaswavefront, and high end 3-D resources
• 3-D Lapidary—Gem Models For Use In 3-D Art
• Free GIS Data—Geological Data Depot
• Mr.Furniture—Lots of furniture models for architects and interior designers
• 3-D furniture models—For sale from Kit 3-D
• MICRODEM—Peter Guth’s program for displaying and manipulating DEM files
• Micropath Corporation—USGS DEM files for sale, also converter
• Another 3-D models shop—Some as low as 99 cents each
• 3dmodelz—Some free
• PlanIT 3-D—Meshes textures store gallery, sounds software, etc.
• Poitra—Has some really nice models of antiquities for sale, among other collections
• Portal Obras—Collection—Models & objects (3ds max & textures)
• The 3-D studio—Free pre-textured models, mostly for 3ds Max
• TuKu Vectors—Rose engine and spirograph patterns as vector graphics for CNC
• Turbo Squid—Free and priced models in various formats
• Ultra3D—Free 3-D models of contemporary furniture
• 3dup—Free models in various categories—furn, arch, nature, etc.
• USGS—Geographic Data Download
• The Viewpoint model bank—With over 5000 textured models made with 3ds Max in mind
• Virtual Anatomy—Skeletal and other models
• Visible Productions—_Anatomy models, also Virtual Sculptor program for working with them
• Web2CAD.co.uk—Parts from multiple manufacturers in CAD format

Digital Output Alternatives

• ProtoShape.com—Bathsheba Grossman (also under Computer Sculptors, below) has launched an artist-run prototyping service, featuring a Sanders II Modelmaker FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) machine, which builds up layers of a waxy plastic that burns out completely, making highly-detailed lost-wax castings directly from STL files possible at last.
• Albright Technologies, Inc.—Rapid Plastic Prototype Molding and Low-Volume Production These folks have developed a new system for producing rubber molds (yes, you heard that right) for plastic injection. This means the mold is less complex to make, and a short run of parts in nearly all engineering plastics is correspondingly less expensive.
• 3-D-Cam—Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Tooling, Stereolithography Service bureau
• 2L Inc. machining—CNC machining and moldmaking. Machine Shop specializing in complex 3-D surfaces using the latest solid modeling CAD-CAM software.
• AccuArt—Scanning and RP services in Bradenton FL
• Advanced Technologies—Custom 3-D printing with z-corp machine
• Alt’s Tool & Machine—5-axis machining plus fabrication in San Diego
• BNT Studios—Subtractive RP Slide Show, pictures of steps in modeling and milling an action figure
• Daniels Engraving—Engraving and foam sculpture carving
• Direct Dimensions—A reverse-engineering to solid output service bureau catering to sculptors as well as industry
• DORNFELD—Is a contract machine shop specializing in precision miniature parts
• Master Machine—A job shop in Canada specializing in molds
• Double O Laser Services—Custom and stock laser-cut parts
• Dynacept—Rapid prototyping, tooling, and molding
• Emachineshop—Send in your designs and have them machined in a variety of materials using a number of techniques
• Quickparts.com—Instant Quotes for Rapid Prototypes
• Janicki Machine—5-axis milling—mostly marine molds and plugs
• JCADLine—Turn your jewelry sketch into a 3-D model, or an actual piece of jewelry
• JewelTech—RP for jewelers—solidscape, 4-axis CNC, metal molds, casting, etc. in WA
• William Kreysler & Associates, Inc.—In Petaluma, California, Wm. Kreysler has built his own machines for carving foam on a large scale, a technique he uses for his own architectural-scale fiberglass work and offers to sculptors on a cutom basis.
• M2 Systems—Service bureau for cad-cam and RP jewelry production
• MicroSystemsGeorgia—CAD model makers, CNC operators, and design consultants
• Mollicam patterns and molds—Boat plugs a specialty
• North End Composites—Fiberglass and Composite Development
• Rodeo Marble Corporation—Custom waterjet stonecutting from CAD files—who said digital art can’t last?
• The 3-D Factory—RP services for jewelers
• Cymro Jewelworks—A 3-D service bureau in Florida offers a range of techniques from RP to lost wax casting and moldmaking
• LGM—In Colorado makes full-color RP models for architects
• M2 Systems—In Connecticut uses a Solidscape 3-D printer to make models for jewelers
• Satellite Models Home Page—A prototyping house that offers CAD model development and CNC machining on their 10-foot by 5-foot 5-axis milling machine. Exhibits and sculpture enlargement a specialty—check out their Bernini reproductions.
• Scitech—Makes custom models using various RP techniques like stereolithography and 5-axis CNC milling
• Shapetracker—Cuts parts on a 3-axis router
• Shared Replicators—Stereolithography and other RP services in OK
• Shops at GOCADCAM—
• TGC—CADCAMCNC SERVICES AND TRAINING
• Toybuilders—Now kids can design their own toys, send a digital file to this company, and receive the real thing in the mail, painted and ready for play.

Rapid Prototyping

• 3-D Cam—Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Tooling, Stereolithography
• 3DE—Rapid Prototyping service with SLA-500 and SLA-5000 plus CNC in Pompano Beach FL
• ART—Rapid Prototyping with a 3-D systems SLA-250-40 stereolithography machine
• Stratasys—Dimension 3-D Printer builds parts in ABS plastic
• Envision Tec.—Perfactory RP system with Mask Projection and Digital Light Processing
• Protosystech—Rapid Prototyping Services in India
• Rapidcast Technologies—Rapid prototyping and foundry services combined
• RePliForm, Inc.—RepliKote metallic coating for RP models Prototype and Replica Tooling
• Solidscape—ModelMaker and Patternmaster 3-D rapid prototyping systems
• Stereolithographers, LLC—Medical Models, etc via RP
• 3-D Systems—Makers of the Actua 2100 thermopolymer-based “concept” prototyper, as well as conventional SLA machines.
• 3DSNASUG—3-D systems Stereolithography users group
• Direct Dimensions—Rapid Solutions to 3-D Problems RE scanning prototyping, etc.
• DPT—Rapid Prototyping using Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Rapid Tooling
• Howstuffworks—A simple explanation of How Stereolithography (3-D Layering) Works
• NineDots Inc.—Canadian Rapid Prototyping WebSite
• Protomarket—A place where consumers and vendors of Rapid Prototyping services and machines can meet in cyberspace
• RPDRC—The Rapid Product Development Resource Centre in Hong Kong put out this guide to RP, with special emphasis on architectural modeling
• SARE—European foundry research bringing RP to metal casting
• “Scale Models from Thin Air”—An August 2000 article in Architecture Week examines the work of several architects using new technology to build better models
• Soligen—Has developed technology to create a ceramic mold for casting metal directly—no wax is harmed in the process!
• Stratasys—Makers of the Titan, a machine that uses SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) to build up relatively strong models by fusing layers of engineering plastic powders like ABS and Polycarbonate
• New Manufacturing Technologies—At Sandia National Labs
• The Rapid Prototyping Family Tree—Links arranged schematically, by process
• University of Utah—Rapid Prototyping home page, with many links
• The RP&T Centre—Lots o’ links from the University of Warwick, UK
• Wohlers Associates—Consulting firm into RP with extensive links
• Castle Island—Worldwide Guide to Rapid Prototyping and Solid Freeform Fabrication
• Z-Corp—The makers of what they claim is the fastest “3-D printer” on the market. Using ink-jet technology and a starch-based powder, it makes models comparable in surface finish to a sand-casting
• Z-Corp (Applications)—Cast metal directly into RP mold made with plaster-ceramic powders

Examples of Computer Sculpture

• Andrew Werby’s—Computer-mediated jewelry and sculpture, using Nature as a Starting Point.
• Leo Saul Berk—”Deep, Dark” 3-D representations of underground spaces
• Rinus Roelofs—Mathematically-based models realized via Rapid Prototyping
• 3dCNC—UK-based scanning/CNC carving firm shows how sculptures are carved on a 5-axis machine
• Brit Bunkley—”Displaced Animals”—farm animals with various 3-D images superimposed
• Daniel Rozin—Tele-Mechanical Mirrors
• Elona VanGent—Digital Terata (aka monsters)
• Nicolai Klimaszewski—Digitally-carved photographs
• Universal Joint Design—Classic mathematical models made physical via Rapid Prototyping
• Emily DuBois—Woven Works use computer-controlled looms to translate photography into tapestry
• Vladmir Bulatov—Mathematically-based sculpture in metal and wood
• Will Tait—CNC wood carvings from the Urban Forest
• Article—“The International Impact of Digital Sculpture” by Robert Michael Smith
• Digital Pumpkin Carving—Lumenlab shows you how to illuminate yourself from within
• The Art of GIS—How 3-D terrestrial datasets were used to create a site-specific public art project
• E-form—A travelling show in China where digital sculptors from around the world showed their work
• VirtualSculpture—Paul Higham makes sculpture based on large data-streams like the Dow Jones Averages
• Article—“Extreme 3D Data Capture and Prototyping” by Dan Collins
• Amy Youngs—Prototypes for Hermit Crab Shells
• Boston CyberArts—”Mind over Matter” exhibition with 8 artists
• Carlo Sequin’s directory—mathematically-inspired abstract sculptors
• Castle Island’s Art and Architecture directory—Premier Rapid Prototyping sourcebook lists places to find digital sculpture
• Scantech—Barry X Ball demonstrates how he uses scanning and CNC technology to create heads in marble
• Gil Bruvel—”From Virtual to Actual Reality”—a sculptor explains his high-tech processes
• George W. Hart—An index to his work in geometrical sculpture
• Bert Simmons—”Pseudorealistic” paper portraits
• Digital Sculpture—Art Metalwork in Silver & Bronze—In Santa Cruz, CA, Bathsheba Grossman creates mathematically precise forms that intertwine in space, which she realizes by combining the latest Rapid Prototyping techniques with the ancient art of lost-wax casting.
• A 1999 show—At the Computer Museum in Boston showcases various different approaches to the use of digital technology in art
• Keith Brown—Of Fast-UK brought together many pioneers of computer-influenced sculpture for the Manchester Intersculpt show. More pictures.
• Stewart Dickson’s—Work in mathematically-based model making and the “concretization” of abstractly-derived forms
• Sue Dorman—Techno series black plastic jewelry from FDM machine
• Intersculpt—A world organization of computer sculptors!
• See the 2nd Digital Sculpture Competition—And how the competitors fared
• An Essay—“Fluid Borders: The Aesthetic Evolution of Digital Sculpture” by Christiane Paul
• Another ISC article—Details how women sculptors including Mary Visser and Mary Bates use computers in their work
• The Art of Motion Control—Bill Shapiro’s Egg-bots, plasma-cut sculptures, engravings, robotic sculpture, etc.
• AM98—Carlo Sequin’s writeup of the Art and Math conference
• The CALM Project—UK artists explore rapid prototyping as an output alternative
• Demand Designs—Custom cnc jewelry and machining
• The digital giraffe—An accomplished digital printmaker takes on the challenges of 3-D modeling
• Explorations—Stanley Lechtzin at Tyler has been leading the way, training the next generation of jewelry designers in the lastest CAD and RP techniques.
• “Gonads of the Rich and Famous”—George Hart’s ball-shaped openwork forms developed using RP techniques
• Jon kammerer’s—Wooden guitars have no square edges—their thin rounded shells are CNC-milled from solid blocks using Surfcam
• The Orchid Jewelry Making List—Featuring CAD Jewelry Designer Jesse Kaufman
• Michael Keighery—Techno Potter see CNC mao-lifesaver
• Tom Longtin’s Home Page—Tom Longtin uses some new rapid prototyping processes to build organic-looking parts from computer files.
• Artwork of Harry McDaniel—Neptunian Frolic—Harry used Rhino to build a digital “wireframe” model, which he duplicated in actual wire to form the structure underlying the complex organic forms of this concrete sculpture.
• Phil Orenstein’s 3-D Modeling—Mathematically based 3-D models made using a CAM system
• David Peasley—USGS Topo Carvings
• Rainnea Graphics—Celtic and Pictish Art carved wiuth CNC equipment
• Stereolithography Sculpture—Micheal Rees uses stereolithography to create sculpture derived from anatomical scans and abstract geometry combined.
• Satellite Models—See examples of sculpture enlarged via 5-axis CNC milling
• Art, Sculpture from Scansite—Showing, among other things, a large statue of Duke Ellington being carved by machine.
• Carlo Sequin’s—Digitally based sculpture, some realized using stereolithography techniques, also his “sculpture generator”, a C++ program to develop some tricky topographies in 3-D
• Solid Terrain Models—This California company made some striking high-relief maps (of Mt. Everest, among others) on view at the National Geographic Society’s Explorer’s Hall
• Telesculpture 2003—Allowed many artists to send in work by email, which were built and exhibited at the Exploratorim in San Francisco
• Woodforms—A UK-based sculptor explores the possibilities of woodcarving using CNC tools and scanned natural forms