AN OPENSCAD library FOR ALL YOUR CNC cutting needs

While there’s always the edge case, there’s a strong likelihood that if you’re utilizing OpenSCAD, you’re most likely working on a CAD design that you mean to 3D print at some point. Of program that’s not to state this is all you can perform in OpenSCAD, however it’s probably what it does best. If you wished to make creative models, or perhaps render what your new kitchen area will look like, there are other tools much better fit to such tasks.

But thanks to lasercut.scad, a library that [Brendan Sleight] has been working on for the last a number of years, we may have to reevaluate our preconceived dimensional notions. instead of designing parts for 3D printing, his library is all about producing parts meant for subtractive manufacturing. originally (as the name implies) it was geared towards laser cutting, however the job has since evolved to support CNC routers, vinyl cutters, as well as quite much anything else that can comply with a DXF file.

This “clip” joint is excellent for acrylic.
The library has functions for producing the common techniques utilized to develop things from laser-cut pieces, like finger joints, captive nuts, as well as assembly tabs. If it was something you when saw holding together an old wooden 3D printer set back in the day, you can most likely recreate it with lasercut.scad. It even supports a quite wild piece of rotational joinery, courtesy of [Martin Raynsford].

Don’t have a method of concentrating a adequate number of upset photons at your workpiece? No worries. The library has since been adapted to take into account a parametric kerf width, which lets you dial in exactly how much of a bite your specific tool will take from the material when it does the business. There are even special functions for dealing with extremely thin cuts, which [Brendan] demonstrates by assembling a box from sheet vinyl.

Of course, those who’ve utilized OpenSCAD will understand there’s not an “Export for CNC” button anywhere in the stock interface. So to really take your style as well as create a data your cutter can understand, [Brendan] has included a Bash script that will run the necessary OpenSCAD incantations to create a 2D DXF file.

[Brendan] decided to send this in after he saw the aluminum enclosure OpenSCAD library we covered recently. If you’ve got your own pet job that bends some piece of hardware or software application to your will, don’t be timid to let us know.