The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that wind generation could double by 2020 and double again by 2030. As the number of wind-energy-related jobs increases, the U.S. will need qualified candidates to fill positions at all levels. To help facilitate this process, in 2014, the DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) co-created the Collegiate Wind Competition.
Here at Bantam Tools, we believe one of the most important assets we can provide to CNC mill users is a robust library of support materials. Sharing knowledge is caring about community. To that end, we've been digging through our extensive Bantam Tools archive of support materials and unearthing some timeless gems to resurface and share.
Over on our YouTube channel, one of our most popular videos happens to be from 2015, and it's still proving to be useful, getting views and positive comments to this day. It covers Converting Gerber Files to G-Code with FlatCAM, a skill useful to any PCB designer and CNC mill user.
Topics: How-To, Gerbers, CNC, PCB Design, PCB Files
Digital calipers are your best friend when it comes to taking accurate measurements of small objects. In order to take accurate measurements, it’s important to know how to use calipers properly. For Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine users, calipers are downright indispensable for ensuring that your material dimensions in software are consistent with the material’s actual dimensions.
Using SVG files to create 2D parts is fun and easy, plus it's really accessible for those new to milling, especially students in K-12 classrooms, hobbyists, and folks in makerspaces. Conveniently, the versatile, reliable, and easy-to-use Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine supports importing SVG files like a champ. Here's a guide to the Bantam Tools Desktop Milling Machine Software's SVG workflow. We give you the basics and then explain advanced SVG setting and share tips for exporting SVG files from popular design software. Before you know it, you'll be milling your own custom designs with ease.
Also be sure to check out our full Engraving Dog Tags tutorial for a complete step-by-step walkthrough.
It's no secret that the Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine is an absolute champ at precisely milling PCBs, but with the wealth of materials it's capable of handling, the buck certainly doesn't stop there. Enter educator Noah Coleman. We first met Noah in 2017 when he was the Technology Coordinator in the Art & Technology Studies Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). He was in charge of running the department's digital fabrication lab and helping students realize their digifab projects.
We're so glad you’re reading this ode to fixturing. Why? Because fixturing your material to the machining bed is one of the most important steps of using the fast, easy, and reliable Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine. Fixturing, also known as workholding, is the means of securely attaching your material to the machining bed. Fixturing unlocks a whole world of good stuff, ensuring that you maximize the high level of professional precision the Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine affords you.
Topics: Tutorials, Circuit Boards, Tips & Tricks, Workflow, Support
With the professional precision and reliability the Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine offers, it can singlehandedly turn your classroom into an electrical engineering lab. We're confident that once you see what our easy, fast, and affordable Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine can do, you'll want one in your classroom.
There's something infectious about 80s synth music. You almost can't help but to get visions of classic Atari games. Bantam Tools content developer Emily Coker was intrigued by a synth project we put out about four years ago and wanted to give it a healthy refresh. The result is our new 8-Bit Capacitive Synth project (click link to see full project), a super fun build for anyone with a Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine, from seasoned pros to students.
Topics: How-To, Tutorials, Electrical Engineering, PCB Design, PCB Files
A while back, we spotted a gorgeous infinity necklace with matching wooden box that community member Riley Porter had milled on the Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine as a gift for his wife. We had to find out more, so we reached out and chatted with Riley, who happens to be owner of Synthetos and co-creator of TinyG, the motion-control system used in our mill. We found out that the necklace itself is made from reclaimed copper, the box top is a beautiful unstained amaranth wood, and the box top inlay is actually made from tinned PCB. Neat!
There’s a fairly new electronics publication called Diyode across the pond in Australia, and apparently, it’s “the first new magazine supporting electronics enthusiasts and makers that Australia has seen in 30 years.” Issue #8 just came out, and we’re thrilled that they did an in-depth review of our Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine and loved it.
Topics: Precision, Circuit Boards, Press, Electronics
Editor's Note: A solder mask is a thin layer of polymer applied to the copper traces of a printed circuit board (PCB) for protection against oxidation and to prevent solder bridges from forming between closely spaced solder pads. Community member, physician, and technologist Craig F. Feied has developed a great technique for applying solder masks to boards milled on his Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine, which he has documented and shared here.
Topics: How-To, Tutorials, PCB Design, PCB Files, Solder Mask
