I stumbled on the Maslow YouTube late one night and was immediately intrigued. I am not a CNC guy, not comfortable with computer issues other than going to Apple Discussions to ask questions. What I am is a very accomplished DIY’er who can run electrical circuits, plumb a bathroom, tile it too and build all the cabinetry in the kitchen. It was a happy coincidence that I found Maslow as I was trying to figure out the best way to get some plywood routed for decorative panels in a porch I’m screening in. Maslow seemed to be the answer so I bought one.
The thing has not even been shipped yet and I’m wondering if I’ve bit off more than I can chew. Just jumping around the posts on the forum has my head spinning. For example what seemed to be a simple post “Bit Swapping Tips” turned into a discussion using terms I have no idea of what they mean or how they apply.
Can someone talk me off the ledge? How do I wrap my head around this device?
@gstuartw1 Welcome to our group. Put down the screw gun and back away, no one will get hurt. So really I will lay it out best I can. I will have to edit this post several times. My battery is about to die …
The Maslow is a kit, as such each experience is unique. CNC is a large learning curve with it’s own vocabulary.
Here is my friend Winston Moy to help out:
If you break it all down to small chunks it’s easier to take in.
start learning a drawing program. start with a very simple one like easle and have fun. If it doesn’t work out you can always resell it. Now that they have stopped making kits they are in high demand.
Welcome, @gstuartw1! The Maslow is a pretty unique machine, introduced to the world less than two years ago, so we all were new to this not too long ago. I doubt you’ll find a friendlier community to support you as you go through the process. There is indeed a lot to take in with all the conversations on the forums, but we continue to work to make the directions a little clearer, so if you find something confusing, ask away!
I would recommend that you add yourself to the Maslow Map. You can see if there are other Maslow users near you, which could be helpful if you run into problems.
I feel like a note of explanation is in order here. Bar and Hannah, the creators of the Maslow, are taking a break from fulfilling orders, because doing that was taking all their time, and leaving no time for things like strategic thinking, or a personal life. I believe they are hoping to come to an arrangement where the Maslow is still available as a kit, but they don’t have to do all the logistics, like ordering parts, packing and shipping. So until that solution is in place, there is a dearth of kits available.
If you’ve been reading in the forums, you may have seen me asking all kinds of silly questions. There are so many people that have been so helpful to me on here!
They have been patient and though I don’t sound as skilled as you… I’ve made strides and learned lots. I just try and keep the perspective that “This stuff all makes sense even if it sounds foreign.”
Like how not everyone thinks about how you have to level the cabinets when you install them, but to you it’s second nature. All the lingo means something and that is encouraging to me because on the other side of the education hump sits me cutting whatever I have the imagination for!
My advice is to approach this like a hobby and to have fun learning. I too had no CNC experience prior to getting my Maslow. If you think you are going to set it up and immediately start cutting perfect furniture parts or parts for a boat; I thing you will be disappointed. But if you approach it as a new experience with and a hobby to learn then you will have a great time.
As others have said; start learning a CAD program; the CAD/CAM is the toughest bit to learn. Like @TheMerryYeoman has said there is a lot of help here on the forums and in the community.
Building the Maslow and starting the process of figuring out how to use it has been one of the most intimidating and cool things I have ever done. A lot of stuff on this forum is above my head, but you do not need to know everything to make the machine work for you. Jump in! Wonder awaits!
Take it in bites and steps… the CAD and CAM are by far the most difficult and time consuming aspects, but they’re infinitely repeatable once learned, and to a larger degree than you may realize, applicable to nearly ANY CNC machine. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPoCi1qJ9yM)
Also, recognize that ‘your machine’ will be unique. It might be based on a common design, but in assembly, calibration, operation, etc, it will be unique. This should encourage you to solve problems one at a time, as they can’t be avoided.
I love the way this is expressed, @Dustcloud . Wonder awaits indeed! And your " intimidating and cool " is what I tried to express in my “about me” opening statement.
