In order to build the PrintNC, you'll need some tools. This page will regroup all the tools you'll need to finish your machine.
The creator of the PrintNC has designed it specifically to make it accessible to people who only have basic hand tools available.
Here's a list of mandatory tools you'll need :
You'll need to drill and tap dozens of holes in metal parts, so you'll need a corded or cordless handheld drill.
Any power drill will do, but if you have multiple options, the smaller, lighter, less powerful one should be chosen as you will be holding it up for long periods of time and metal drilling works best with slow RPM.
You'll need to prepare a lot of holes. A transfer punch will mark the metal and will make your drill sit nicely to the correct location.
If you have to pick one size, pick a 6mm transfer punch. You may have to drill with a 6mm drill the 3d printed jigs in order to be able to use your transfer punch everywhere.
You can also 3d print some collar to use with your punch, in order to fit correctly the jig's holes.
Finally, you can also use a standard drill bit and tap it lightly with a hammer to mark metal parts.
You'll use them to drill the dozens of holes that the PrintNC will require.
Any set will do, but pick one with 0.5mm increment, as several holes will requires half diameters (for example, 5.5mm or 6.5mm).
Finally, buy a 4.2mm drill, as it's the required diameter for 5mm tapped holes.
As for quality, there's two schools of thoughts :
After drilling, you'll need to tap many holes, so buy some tapping bits.
You'll need an M5 and M6 tapping bit.
Drilling and tapping in steel will require some tapping fluid. Without it, you'll dull your bits way faster, and have increased risk of breaking your tapping bits
You only need 1-2ml per hole, so a small bottle is enough for a whole PrintNC.
You'll need to mark and annotate some parts.
Allen wrenches will be required to tighten the bolts during the assembly.
Buy a set with ball end, as some bolts will be complex to reach.
In several occasions, you'll have to cut some metal parts, so a hacksaw will be necessary.
This sections will regroup non-mandatory tools. However, having them can ease and / or shorten the assembly process.
This will allow you to screw / unscrew bolts with your power drill. This will save you a lot of time. Get a 100 long bit (M5 and an M6) not the short stubby ones.
Handy tool to make deeper marks in the metal with only one hand.
As you'll cut many metal holes, a drill press can come in handy, allowing you to drill faster and ensuring you that your hole is perpendicular to the surface being drilled.
Using the spindle clamp & Linear rails, bolted to a sturdy wooden board, it should be possible to jerry rig a drill press, based on the parts provided in the kit.
If you cut the steel tubes yourself, an angle grinder can really help you and speed the process.
You can find bits that are a combination of drill and tap bits. As the name suggests, you can use one bit to simultaneously drill a hole then tap it.
If used, they can shorten dramatically the length of your build. However, they are also trickier to use, and can break easily if misused.
If you decide to use some, pick couple of replacement bits, as you'll very likely break a few of them.
Another option is to use an impact driver, and an impact-rated tapping bit. These seldom (if ever) break, and complete tapping in just a few seconds.
You can buy a set of metric transfer punches, that will help you to accurately mark the holes from the jig.
Imperial transfer punches can be purchased too. While not exactly of the correct diameter, the small increment in size will ensure that you'll always have a size pretty close to the required diameter.