Hands‑on builds, CNC projects, shop improvements, and maker projects.
🎥 Video 📝 Overview This lesson marks a milestone in the CNC Crash Course series: the first real cutting pass. After learning G‑code basics, coordinate modes, spindle control, and Z‑zeroing, this is where everything comes together. The video shows the 3018‑style CNC making its first actual cut, demonstrating tool engagement, chip formation, and safe cutting…
🎥 Video 📝 Overview This lesson shows how to get a perfect, repeatable Z‑zero using a CNC touch puck (also called a Z‑probe). Beginners often struggle with setting Z‑height accurately, and even a small error can ruin a cut. This video demonstrates the correct workflow inside Candle (GRBL Control), explains how the probe cycle works,…
🎥 Video 📝 Overview This lesson shows beginners how to write and run a simple manual G‑code program directly inside Candle (GRBL Control). Instead of relying on CAM‑generated toolpaths, you type the commands yourself and watch the CNC execute them line by line. This builds confidence, reinforces earlier lessons (G0, G1, G90, G91), and helps…
🎥 Video 📝 Overview This lesson tackles one of the most common beginner CNC frustrations: the spindle only runs at one speed no matter what S‑value you enter. Many new GRBL users assume their machine is broken, but the real issue is almost always a wiring or controller‑capability mismatch. The video demonstrates why GRBL machines…
🎥 Video 📝 Overview This lesson introduces G90 Absolute Positioning, the coordinate mode used in nearly all CAM‑generated CNC programs. In absolute mode, every movement command references a fixed zero point—usually the workpiece zero you set at the start of a job. This makes toolpaths predictable, repeatable, and easy to read. The video demonstrates how…
🎥 Video 📝 Overview This lesson explains G91 Incremental Positioning, one of the two fundamental CNC coordinate modes. Incremental mode tells the CNC to interpret every movement relative to its current position, not from a fixed origin. Understanding G91 is essential for reading and writing G‑code, especially when troubleshooting or creating simple manual programs. The…
🎥 Video 📝 Overview This lesson introduces the two most fundamental CNC motion commands: G0 (rapid move) and G1 (controlled feed move). These are the backbone of nearly every CNC toolpath, whether generated by CAM software or written manually. The video demonstrates how each command behaves inside Candle (GRBL Control), how the machine responds, and…
🎥 Video 📝 Overview This first lesson introduces the essential first steps for operating a 3018‑style CNC router using Candle (GRBL Control). It’s designed for absolute beginners who want to understand how to home the machine, jog the axes, and send basic spindle commands. The video demonstrates the exact workflow you’ll use every time you…