[sdiy] CNC for synth DIY?

[cheater cheater]

So one thing I was thinking of regarding CNC is creating press dies
for plastics. They are a little simpler than injection molds. You
essentially take an amount of thermoplastic, heat up the die, then
press it together, and let it cool. Good if you're only doing small
runs rather than thousands. You can start with granulate or with a
coupon (a continuous piece you've cut off of something else with eg a
bandsaw). Doesn't require any of the complex injection molding stuff
like the screw, the delivery system, etc. This could be used for stuff
like front panel elements (knobs, lcd brackets, led holders, light
pipes, decoration).

Another thing where cnc could be useful is making basic hardware like
brackets in case you need something special.


On Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 10:25 PM cheater cheater
<cheater00social at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I was wondering what people would use a CNC mill for if they had one,
> for synth diy stuff. It seems like almost all the hardware is already
> easily available or made.
>
> I know front panels are one suggestion (eg one manufacturer makes
> front panels out of brass) but I'm sure there are other, maybe even
> more creative, uses of a CNC mill, so I'm curious.
>
> Injection molds for light pipes? Gear systems for concentric
> potentiometers? Surprise me.