Thanks to the 3D printing revolution and home workshops, there is a built-in availability of traditional subtractive CNC tools, especially routers and milling machines. Speaking of which, are you looking for a bench grinder? Try the Bantam Tools (formerly Othermachine) or Carvy or Carbide 3D Nomad benchtop routers. A small, multi-axis, general-purpose sander? Maybe an NC bag. A router for a store? Maybe Shapeoko, X-Carve, ShopBot or... you get the idea. The [Rundong] MatchSticks tool is a CNC master tool that can be classified as a milling machine , but it does not work as a normal machine . The computer also controls the carpenter.
At first glance, the MatchSticks probably look like a Pocket NC with a large Makita router attached. For Z-axis movement, there is a transparent X-axis fixed plate with holes for mounting gantry-mounted equipment. Beneath a large, handy handle at the top, the router is attached to its own Y-axis carriage – interestingly, a tablet can be attached to the other side. And consider the surprisingly small size for such a large machine. What is the problem? MatchSticks doesn't work by setting up the whole stash at once (which you need a good joiner for), it's actually a tool to do the hard part and teach the person how to do it. chill out
The complete process of creating MatchSticks is as follows:
- Select a theme for editing in the built-in interface and set the necessary parameters (size, etc.).
- The MatchSticks tool suggests the materials you want to keep, and then suggests trimming and preparing them with other tools.
- For any part that requires CNC machining, the tool will help the user align the material on the bed and then make the cut.
- Once everything is set for the final match, MatchSticks provides handy instructions on where to hit the hammer.
This allowed [Rundong], [Sarah], [Jeremy], [Ethan] and [Eric] to create a very small machine without compromising many features. It is like a single purpose software. Why rebuild what a table can do when the user probably has a table saw that cuts material better? MatchSticks is a complete machine built with the goal of making difficult things easy.
It's worth noting that MatchSticks was developed for the ACM Conference on Human-Computer Interaction to explore human challenges in computer systems, so it's not yet a commercial product (we're looking forward to it!). For more details about the project, its goals and results, see the full research report here. Your intro video will cut off after the break.
Thanks [Ethan] for the tip!
