Which hardware for new projects.

[4x4Scout]

I have two new projects I want to work on this winter with my son.

The first is a 3d printer with a bad board. It is just a little thing but I need something to control it.  What do you guys suggest.

The second project is a bit more daunting but I'd like to give it a go. I want to setup a CNC table for my used Plasma cutter.  The mechanical part is easy and will probably be 4 foot by 4 foot with nema 23 steppers on an aluminum framework mounted over a steel table.  I need something to control that and software for it. What do you guys suggest.

I understand the 3d printing will be a bit different in that it needs a slicer program. I think CURA is the name of an affordable one. Just not sure if that also creates the Gcode. Need to do some reading on that. Still the core of any CNC is software that feeds gcode to the hardware that controls the motors. Just not sure which is best for which application.

[Steve Stallings]

Your 3D printer likely has a single board with the control processor,
the motor drivers, and the heater controller all integrated together.
Unless you really want to get into conversion to Mach software, I would
suggest that you pursue a replacement of similar design.

The slicer is what reads the STL model file and generates the G code.
There are several that are free.

Mach4 will have a 3-D printer mode to accommodate the G code quirks
needed for controlling the material feeder, but it is beta code at the
moment.

Plasma cutters need torch height control if you are cutting anything
more than thin sheet metal. Currently PMDX does not offer a torch
height control.

It is possible to use an external one such as the Proma SD model with
our PMDX-424 board and Mach4, or you can use a Proma 150 with a
PMDX-126 board if you have a computer with a parallel port and run
Mach3 software.

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