Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by 71a54xd on Saturday June 26, 2021 @09:04PM (#27647562)

Fun fact, all CNC machines sold in the United States with more than 5 axes of travel have to be registered with the ATF and have a permanently attached GPS tracking unit. This is even true if you have zero intention of using your CNC to manufacture anything reminiscent of a firearm or firearm component. This is why it's common to see 4.5 axis CNC machines or a plethora of "upgrades" that grant 5 axis capability post purchase.

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Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by GravitasFailure on Saturday June 26, 2021 @09:25PM (#27647670)

I believe you're thinking of the GPS/Gyro locks that certain high end Japanese CNC machines have, and the ITAR compliance issues many CNC machines are subject to for export. The locks were implemented because somehow Iran got their hands on some Mitutoyo machines despite sanctions. Either way, it's the State Department and Department of Commerce that get involved and the ATF has nothing to do with individual machines.

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Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by jrockway on Saturday June 26, 2021 @09:40PM (#27647754)

I was thinking about the Mitutoyo incident, but I think those were coordinate measuring machines, not mills. (5-axis implies milling, but Mitutoyo doesn't make mills. CNC is a generic term that really applies to any sort of machine controlled by a computer -- we have CNC sewing machines at the local makerspace ;)

As for geo locks on mills, I have heard about those. My understanding is that they're a software licensing thing -- sell the machine, move it to a new shop, the software stops working. That ensures you can't get your money for the machine on the secondary market, and that new customer has to buy a brand new one directly from the manufacturer. Just your standard DRM scheme to improve corporate profits. Also good to have that equipment on board so that you can switch to a subscription plan if the economy gets bad.

I don't know if all 5 axis machines require registration with the government. I have looked at these before: https://pocketnc.com/ and they don't say anything about it. Could be too tiny for anyone to care about, though.

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Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by r3trohack3r on Saturday June 26, 2021 @09:09PM (#27647585)

Fascinating. I searched “ATF register 5 axis cnc” and came up dry. Do you have a reference?

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Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by ff-- on Saturday June 26, 2021 @09:13PM (#27647607)

That's not true. Machines with enough axes to be used in firearm or aerospace machining are subject to export controls, though.

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Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by Turing_Machine on Saturday June 26, 2021 @09:21PM (#27647644)

You can make firearms with bog-standard lathes and milling machines.

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Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by R0b0t1 on Sunday June 27, 2021 @12:43AM (#27648662)

Shhh.

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Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by throwaway2048 on Saturday June 26, 2021 @11:08PM (#27648187)

you don't need a 5 axis milling machine to build a firearm, even a modern one like an M4

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Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by Grakel on Saturday June 26, 2021 @10:11PM (#27647894)

It's perfectly legal to manufacture firearms, although you must have a license to sell them if you have manufactured them for that purpose.

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Re:Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin ... by mnouquet on Sunday June 27, 2021 @12:34AM (#27648618)

If you need more than a good bridgeport mill to make a firearm, you don't deserve to be in a shop... All you really need to make an AR lower is a drill and some aluminium plates. Heck, pakistanies are making a plethora of firearm with nothing but files...

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