After reading through the manual for the CNC controller board I picked up on eBay, I discovered that I needed a 24v/2-6amp power supply. And then I discovered that such a power supply isn't exactly cheap unless you want to build one yourself.

From the start, I really wanted this to be a DIY project. I wanted to feel like I put this thing together myself and only ended up spending 1/5th the cost of an actual production CNC machine. However, trying to navigate through the the time/money continuum has been really tricky. I'm eating up tons of project time working on other projects that make money instead of cost money, so... I feel justified taking money from one project and dumping it into the other. It just feels more efficient. That said, I picked up a power supply on eBay for $58 after shipping. I could have gone cheaper and gotten an unassembled power supply, but the idea of being the grounding point for 24 volts and 5 amps (ie., DEATH) doesn't really sound appealing. So... I decided to go the safe route by purchasing a completed unit.


($596)