PwnCNC

10/03/2026

Three PwnCNC components. One complete CNC setup.

At the center is our 1.5 kW air-cooled spindle kit, installed on a 4×4 Dominator Core and paired with the yellow PwnCNC v12 dust boot.

The air-cooled spindle eliminates the need for a separate water-cooling loop, while the v12 keeps dust collection positioned around the cutter. The Dominator Core provides the 4×4 platform carrying the entire system.

This is what we enjoy most—developing CNC machines, spindle systems, and accessories that work together as one practical package.

Would you choose an air-cooled or water-cooled spindle for your CNC?

Happy Making!

10/01/2026

Should I finish this project?

The idea was to build a giant wall-mounted chess game using steel panels and magnetic pieces in PwnCNC black and yellow.

These pieces range from approximately 8 to 12 inches tall. Although they look substantial, they’re extremely lightweight. Sheet magnets attached beneath each piece would allow them to move around—and remain attached to—the vertical playing surface.

The chess-piece models aren’t my original designs, but I scaled them up considerably and adapted them for this slightly ridiculous experiment.

All the pieces are printed. Now I need to finish the wall and chessboard.

Would you play a life-sized game of wall chess—or should this idea remain in the “seemed reasonable at the time” collection? 😂

Happy Making!

09/29/2026

When you’re a maker, even the building becomes another project.

The small windows in our garage door needed inserts, so I printed transparent panels featuring the PwnCNC logo.

Then I needed yellow bollards to match the storefront—so naturally, I 3D printed those too, using our signature shade of yellow.

These aren’t products we sell. They’re simply examples of how CNC machining and 3D printing change the way you approach everyday problems. Instead of searching for something close enough, you start asking, “Could I just make exactly what I want?”

What part of your shop have you customized by making it yourself?

Happy Making!

09/28/2026

We’ve been busy rebuilding PwnCNC around what’s happening in our Lowell shop today. The new website is live!

You can now find our 3D filament and maker supplies, book our new hands-on **3D Printing Level 1** class, or send us a project for design, printing, or repeat production. And yes—we’re still building CNC machines and helping makers with spindles, ATCs, and upgrades.

Take a look around: https://pwncnc.com/

What would you like to make next?

Happy Making,
Daniel

09/28/2026

When filament doesn’t arrive in a retail box, we make one.

Push Plastic filament is supplied without individual boxes, but we wanted customers visiting our store to have protected, easy-to-handle spools—and still be able to see the filament color inside.

So we created our own retail packaging and use the CO₂ laser to cut viewing windows into every box.

A lot of the work behind running a maker store happens long before a product reaches the shelf. Sometimes making the packaging is part of the process too.

Happy Making!

09/26/2026

Adding another capability to the PwnCNC workshop!

I’m setting up this new vacuum chamber for an upcoming silicone casting project. The chamber removes trapped air from the mixed silicone before it’s poured, helping produce cleaner parts without bubbles or hidden voids.

This particular project involves designing and manufacturing a removable, high-temperature silicone protective wrap for an industrial machine component. First comes measuring and modeling the original component, followed by printed fit-test parts, mold design, silicone test pours, and finally the working prototypes.

It’s a new process for us, but it fits perfectly with what we enjoy most: combining 3D scanning and design, 3D printing, mold making, and practical problem-solving to create something completely custom.

More updates as the project takes shape!

09/26/2026

This is what sits behind the PwnCNC print farm.

It may look like a wall of colorful filament, but it’s really the material supply behind the parts, prototypes, displays, and customer projects we print every week.

Keeping this much filament ready takes more than shelving. Our dehydrators sit right here in the aisle so moisture-sensitive materials can be kept dry and usable when a project calls for them.

Having colors and materials on hand means we can spend less time waiting for supplies—and more time turning customer ideas into real parts.

Have something you need 3D printed? Tell us about your project.

Happy Making!

09/24/2026

How big could we print it? About three feet tall. 😳

This store-display project pushed the build capacity of our H2S printer—and the clever design might be even cooler than its size.

✅ Printed without an AMS
✅ Assembled by my son
✅ No tools
✅ No glue
✅ Three feet of droid

The model came from MakerWorld, and we printed it as large as our machine would allow. Now it has a permanent home watching over the PwnCNC store.

What oversized project should we try next?

Happy Making!

09/24/2026

09/23/2026

hould you choose a 110V or 220V spindle for your CNC?

The bigger voltage number isn’t automatically the better choice.

A 1.5kW 110V spindle can be an excellent upgrade for many hobby and mid-sized CNC machines... especially when you want to use your existing shop power and the machine cannot take advantage of a heavier, more powerful spindle.

A 2.2kW 220V system may be the better fit when you have:

• A larger, more rigid CNC
• Appropriate 220V power
• Heavier or longer production work
• Larger tooling requirements
• A machine capable of using the additional power

The decision also involves spindle weight, mount diameter, ER11 versus ER20 tooling, cooling, controller compatibility, and the correctly matched VFD.

We also cover an issue that recently came through support: why some plug-in GFCI devices can nuisance-trip with a VFD... and why required electrical protection and proper grounding should never be bypassed.

Read the complete guide and listen to the companion episode of The CNC Workshop:

https://pwncnc.com/blogs/news/110v-vs-220v-cnc-spindles

Are you currently running a 110V or 220V spindle, and what drove your decision?