3D printers used to be finicky, rickety hobby kits that required a second hobby just to keep them running. My first machine, a RepRap Darwin derived RepMan, arrived as a box of laser-cut acrylic pieces and threaded rods. The only instructions were a PDF of 3D renders. I had to build the hot-end by hand, measuring the resistance of nichrome wire, wrapping it around a brass tube with Kapton tape, and encasing it in barbecue cement. We sliced files using an early, parameter-dense abomination called Slic3r, and printed exclusively in ABS simply because HDPE was worse.
Today, the landscape is unrecognizable. Modern machines boast heated chambers, textured plates with automated mesh leveling, dynamic motion control, and filament run-out sensors. Software like Cura and PrusaSlicer handles the heavy lifting with smart profiles and auto-generated supports. As a colleague recently noted: she wanted to make 3D objects, not take on 3D printing as a lifestyle.
This shift from "enthusiast project" to "reliable appliance" has rippled across the maker market. Laser cutters like Glowforge and xTool, driven by cheaper, more powerful diode lasers, have become highly accessible. UV printers are moving the same way. But one category has stubbornly resisted this plug-and-play revolution: the desktop CNC.
Making a user-friendly CNC machine is an order of magnitude harder than building a 3D printer. In 3D printing, the print head experiences almost zero load. You can rely on simple belt-driven extruders gliding on linear rods.
In CNC machining, the cutting bit is in constant, forceful contact with the material. If you use a standard belt-driven system to carve into anything harder than foam, the cutting tool deflects, the belts slip, and the part is ruined. This physics problem compounds rapidly with harder materials. Screw-driven systems might handle wood, but cutting non-ferrous metals like brass and aluminum—let alone steel—requires immense structural rigidity.
Until recently, consumer-grade CNCs (like the Genmitsu kits) were essentially engraving machines. They were fine for wood and capable of light surface passes on aluminum, but lacked the rigidity for full-depth metal cutting or true dimensional accuracy. Anything that could manage this was expensive and heavy with the userfriendlyness of a rabid badger. Although that has begun to change
A few years ago, Makera released the Carvera a fully enclosed, highly accurate desktop CNC capable of cutting metal. It featured an automatic tool changer, depth probing, and a 4th-axis module. But at $6,000 and 50kg, it was firmly in the professional workshop tier. They followed up with the Carvera Air, stripping the automatic tool changer to bring the price down to $2,500 and the weight to 30kg, but it was still a hefty investment.
Then a year ago they announced the Makera Z1.
Designed as an entry-level machine, the Z1 promised a footprint closer to a standard 3D printer (weighing 17kg) while maintaining the rigidity to cut brass and aluminum with 0.02mm precision and with a usable work area of 200*200*100mm in 3 axis mode. I jumped on the Kickstarter for the Z1 which had a base price of $899 although I picked the upgraded Z1 pro for a bit more money featuring closed-loop stepper motors to prevent lost steps, and ball screws instead of standard Acme lead screws for better rigidity and longevity. I also picked up the cyclone dust collector and the 4th-axis rotational module.
Fast forward to August 2026. A massive, awkward box arrived via UPS just as I was heading out to PAX West. It sat in my living room, taunting me, until I returned to find out if Makera had finally built the "Bambu Lab of CNCs."
The machine relies on Makera Studio, a new app that consolidates their older CAM and Control software. It includes automated modes for common operations and custom modes for advanced users as well as predictably for the current hell times some AI bullshit to make models for you. Makera is also attempting to build a Thingiverse-style repository where users can download and run CNC projects from them or other users with a single click.
Getting the machine online, however, was a headache. The Wi-Fi connectivity was finicky, struggling with special characters in my SSID. Even after a firmware update, it took significant fiddling to establish a stable wireless connection to my PC. For a machine aiming for the seamless "Bambu Lab" experience, network setup needs to be flawless.
For my first project, given I had just return from pax and had gotten some free dice, I designed a simple wood dice tray in FreeCAD. It featured a main pocket, rounded corners, and recessed holes for magnets to attach a matching lid. I decided to machine the thing out of some poplar I had lying about which is technically a hard wood although on the softer end of that spectrum.
Moving the model into Makera Studio immediately highlighted the inherent differences between 3D printing and CNC machining. 3D printing is additive and forgiving. CNC machining involves spinning a razor-sharp piece of metal at thousands of RPM and slamming it into solid material. Get the feeds and speeds wrong, and you will snap the bit, ruin the part, or damage the machine maybe even damage yourself, possibly all of the above. Furthermore, unlike a 3D printer bed, a CNC workpiece has to be securely clamped down or else it could break free and cause damage death dismemberment etc so is usually secured with clamps. The software doesn't know where those clamps are, so you have to manually ensure the tool path avoids them. For the feeds and speeds Makera provide a library of suggested values for different material types for all the many bits they provide for the machine. For anything you use that isn't in their database or isn't quite the same as they are expecting you would need to manually select these variables.
I skipped Makera's automatic 3-axis mode as the simulated paths looked risky and opted for manual setup. Here I hit a frustrating undocumented quirk: Makera Studio accepts standard STL files much like any 3d printer slicing software, but you cannot select specific faces to generate toolpaths on an STL. You need a .STEP file to do that. A quick trip back to FreeCAD to reexport the file solved the issue, but a simple software tooltip could have saved me a lot of googling.
I set up a ramping spiral cut for the magnet holes, a standard pocket clearing for the tray, and a contour cut with auto-generated tabs to free the final part. I did a quick simulation to see if things looked good then loaded the paths into the machine over wifi. After running the built-in laser probe to sweep the bounds of the cut and verify it would clear my clamps, I kicked off the job.
The cutting process was impressively smooth. Swapping to the 1/8-inch single-flute end mill was effortless thanks to the quick-release lever, and the machine automatically probed the tool length on a built-in bed sensor. The machine was surprisingly quiet; over the sound of the vacuum, you could barely hear the bit cutting the poplar.
Near the end of the 19mm deep contour cut, I realized my 12mm-long bit was cutting it uncomfortably close. The plastic collar on the spindle looked like it was about to bottom out against the wood. I hit the e-stop just to be safe and finished the last sliver with a flush-cut saw. The final part looked fantastic—accurate dimensions, perfect magnet fit, and only minor tool marks in the pocket that sanded out.
While the machine impressed me, the official Makera dust extractor did not. It hooks up via two hoses: one blows air to clear chips from the bit, and the other is supposed to suck them down into a collection bin beneath the dust collector machine. The blower worked fine, but the extraction was abysmal. The CNC's interior was left completely caked in wood chips and dust. It works fine when you disconnect it and use it manually as a shop vac, but as an automated, integrated system, it fails completely.
So Is it the Bambu Lab of CNC?
Not quite and it may never be, largely due to the nature of the technology.
Makera has built an incredibly capable, rigid, and accessible machine at a groundbreaking price point (now $1,099 for the base Z1 and $1,499 for the Pro). For the hardware alone, it is a triumph.
But the "click-and-print" dream falls apart on the software and community side. You can't just download a CNC file and run it the way you do an STL. Even if you have the exact same machine as the creator, you need the exact same cutting bits, identical material hardness, and the exact same clamp placement. There are simply too many destructive variables for a true "click and forget" experience. CNC machining fundamentally requires the user to understand what the toolpaths are doing.
Makera Studio still needs bug fixes and UX improvements, and the dust collector isn't worth the money. But if you are willing to learn the basics of CAM and respect the physics of subtractive manufacturing, the Z1 Pro is a massive leap forward for desktop fabrication. Is it for everyone, no it's a much more niche tool than a 3d printer for someone who likes to make things and has always wanted to be able to make small metal parts its perfect and there is almost nothing like it at this price point. That may change as I've seen several other "bambu labs of CNC" projects popping up so competition may heat up and promote more innovation in the field.
As for me so far I'm pretty pleased with the machine, a little let down by the dust collector, and hopeful the software improves.