Building the Future: Michael's Journey to Creating a Dual-Function CNC Machine

Introduction

In today’s rapidly evolving maker landscape, DIY innovation has grown beyond a hobby—it is shaping the future of light manufacturing. Michael Barry, an industrial design engineer and long-time UK maker, earned first place in a national DIY competition by building a truly impressive machine: a dual-function CNC engraving and fiber laser cutting workstation. Drawing from over a decade of experience designing industrial cutting systems, Michael created a device that merges mechanical milling stability with the micron-level precision and speed of fiber laser processing. This blog follows his journey from early inspiration to award-winning execution, while capturing his insights on iteration, cross-domain engineering, and the maker community’s role in driving progress.

Main Story

A 10-Year CNC Obsession That Sparked a Bigger Idea

Michael’s interest in CNC began more than ten years ago, fueled by curiosity for digital fabrication and motion-controlled machining. His earliest ambition was to build a personal CNC router that could perform reliable milling and engraving. The idea was practical, achievable, and centered on working primarily with wood and plastics. But as Michael spent years studying industrial cutting motion systems, power delivery, and precision kinematics, he realized a truth common to many great maker projects: a frame built for precision can always evolve to do more.

The turning point came when he encountered fiber laser technology through SkyFire’s component ecosystem, which revealed a new path. Fiber lasers offered what hobby CNC alone could not fully deliver—higher processing speed, minimal mechanical wear, superior beam quality, and near-micron cutting precision. Instead of abandoning CNC for laser, Michael made a more ambitious decision: merge both technologies into one rigid, unified machine platform.

The result was a compact but powerful workstation capable of:

High-accuracy 3-axis CNC milling
Integrated fiber laser cutting for faster and finer processing
Multi-material compatibility, including wood, acrylic, polymers, and selected thin metals

For Michael, this was not simply a technical upgrade, but the moment his long-held CNC project became a platform for manufacturing flexibility, designed with true engineering intent.

Industrial Engineering Thinking at the Core of Maker Innovation

Unlike many hobbyists, Michael did not approach his CNC build as trial-and-error tinkering alone—he carried an industrial mindset shaped by waterjet cutting machine development. His job required designing high-pressure cutting equipment with strict tolerances, robust motion systems, and reliable energy delivery. Waterjet systems operate in harsh environments where vibration, frame flex, and motion drift directly impact accuracy. These constraints forged Michael’s greatest asset as a maker: the ability to transfer industrial precision principles into personal fabrication projects.

He integrated three core philosophies from waterjet systems into his CNC-laser hybrid frame:

Structural rigidity first – the frame must eliminate flex before precision can scale
Motion accuracy is non-negotiable – mechanics, calibration, and error compensation must work as a system
Energy stability determines results – whether it is high-pressure water or high-density laser, the power source must be predictable, clean, and controlled

Merging these principles with fiber laser power control required careful module isolation, thermal consideration, and synchronized electrical routing, ensuring that milling vibration and laser energy delivery could coexist on one platform without interference. Michael credits this interdisciplinary design approach for allowing his machine to achieve both stability and speed—qualities that helped him secure the championship.

Winning the Competition Without a Perfect Starting Blueprint

The DIY competition tested more than creativity—it tested persistence and execution under uncertainty. Michael faced obstacles at every design layer, including:

Selecting materials that balance stiffness, machinability, and thermal tolerance
Designing a spindle mount that doesn’t compromise laser alignment
Stabilizing power delivery for the fiber laser module
Maintaining signal integrity for motion control
Protecting wiring against vibration and EMI noise from laser electronics

Michael often reminds new makers that complex builds rarely begin with a perfect plan. Instead, success comes from building a version that can run, collecting data, improving the mechanics, and validating the results through iteration. The maker community played a key role in keeping him moving forward, offering feedback, encouragement, and problem-solving suggestions when progress slowed.

After months of design refinement, Michael won first place and received the $3000 award. His victory, he says, belongs to more than one person—it belongs to the ecosystem of makers who contributed knowledge, answered questions, and inspired improvement. With the prize, Michael plans to purchase a SkyFire welding system, enabling future upgrades in metal joining and fabrication, while expanding his machine’s processing capabilities beyond cutting and engraving.

Maker Advice That’s Practical, Direct, and Built for Growth

When asked what separates makers who finish projects from those who stall, Michael gave a simple but powerful principle:

“Start now. Improve along the way.”

He explains that makers grow fastest when they:

Treat their first prototype as a baseline, not a final build
Let testing guide mechanical improvements
Learn from failures instead of fearing them
Stay active in communities where knowledge moves faster than perfectionism
Share results early to accelerate feedback loops

Michael encourages new makers to build confidence through small projects first, but to treat every build—big or small—as a learning cycle that increases future capabilities.

The UK Maker Scene: High Costs Today, Huge Potential Tomorrow

Michael observes that the UK carries a proud tradition of engineering innovation, but sourcing affordable components and fabrication tools remains a challenge for independent makers and small workshops. However, he also sees rapid change:

Maker spaces and workshops are growing in number
Online manufacturing education is becoming more accessible
Open-source communities are shortening the learning curve
Fiber laser technology is dropping in cost while increasing in reach
More individuals can access industrial-grade fabrication without owning large factories

Michael believes the next wave of UK makers will not just build machines—they will build small-scale manufacturing capability, powered by shared knowledge and modular equipment ecosystems.

How DIY Competitions Can Do More Than Rank Winners

For future maker contests, Michael proposes improvements that keep innovation strong without intimidating beginners:

Maintain professional-level tracks, but introduce entry-level or “foundation” categories
Create opportunities for experienced makers to mentor newcomers
Add guidance segments focused on process, not just scoring
Let competitions become knowledge loops instead of just ranking ladders

His belief is clear: maker competitions should inspire growth, not just award outcomes.

Maker Spirit Defined by Sharing, Not Just Building

Michael sees the maker movement as a culture built on three equal pillars: Create. Learn. Share. The machine is never the only product—knowledge is the product too. Success and failure are both valuable, but the long-term impact of a maker lies in what they return to the community.

“Maker culture is not just about building machines—it’s about enabling the next person to build one better.”