Compass CNC
Hardware
handheld cnc router
SHOW HN2025
How HN took it
8 positive, 15 neutral or asking, 0 mixed, 6 critical, out of 29 comments about the project. Thread score +0.19.
Docs: 2 for, 1 againstPerformance: 0 for, 2 againstIdea: 0 for, 2 againstExecution: 1 for, 0 againstDesign: 1 for, 0 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Fun and rewarding to build; straightforward assembly.
From 2 comments
Had a lot of fun building one of the demo units. Straightforward build and incredibly rewarding to build your own machine.
lindsayrgwatt on HNI've always wanted a Shaper Origin, but the cost and subscription fee required for accessing some features always turned me off. I don't need it for anything other than fun hobby…
Ductapemaster on HN
Attractive concept for those who want portable CNC precision.
From 2 comments
It was a pleasure trying your demo at Open Sauce 2025!
jrmann100 on HNSize I assume - this should be able to handle massive projects at the same price, while a gantry router would be much more expensive. Or so I would assume, I didn't dig into this…
bluGill on HN
Objections
Gantry CNC routers are faster, more accurate and hands-off; use case unclear.
From 2 comments
Interesting project. I am sure it was a lot of work (and fun as well). I was introduced to the general concept when the Shaper Origin came out a while back. Here's my problem…
robomartin on HNNot really. I have done tons of manual wood working. I have 8 or 9 manual routers and a couple of CNC machines (real industrial ones, metal and wood). I have done just-about…
robomartin on HN
Mouse-style sensors may drift and lack absolute registration over large distances.
From 3 comments
The reason Origin uses tape is to maintain precise, absolute registration over large distances - so that you can for example machine a pattern the size of a kitchen table. I am…
recipe19 on HNYeah mouse sensors actively throttle update frequency at slow speed to mitigate drift, as they appear to suffer pretty much random walk steps of sort each time they generate an…
namibj on HNThe issue isn't an instant loss of tracking, but gradual accumulation of quantization errors from subpixel-alignment of features and similar "drift" sources. Don't get me wrong:…
namibj on HN
Demo video is hard to find and landing page lacks project photos.
From 3 comments
> You can find more info and the launch video at the listed URL. Maybe I'm a complete dumbass but I could not find a video at any of the URLs on this post using Chrome under…
CodeWriter23 on HNLooks like a very interesting project. A little feedback: I found a video of this in action in the forum link, but it should be on the landing page. Also, photo examples of…
sgc on HNCould be interesting, but I didn't see any /PICTURES OR VIDEOS/ of what I could create with this product.
chromatin on HN
Requests
Add photos or video of larger completed projects and accuracy examples.
From 2 comments
Looks like a very interesting project. A little feedback: I found a video of this in action in the forum link, but it should be on the landing page. Also, photo examples of…
sgc on HNCould be interesting, but I didn't see any /PICTURES OR VIDEOS/ of what I could create with this product.
chromatin on HN
Provide links to 3D printable part files or suppliers.
From 2 comments
Looks like a very interesting project. A little feedback: I found a video of this in action in the forum link, but it should be on the landing page. Also, photo examples of…
sgc on HNGreat feedback, thank you. The video is indeed on the landing page, but as people have mentioned it's hard to see (which is obviously a problem hahah). I am working on putting…
camchaney on HN
Keep a video on the homepage and reduce image sizes for faster loading.
From 1 comment
Beautiful. I made few CNC's in my previous life, started a CNC company and bankrupted. Bankrupt because I tried to make everything myself, including electronic circuits. Your…
tealpod on HN
Questions
How the FCC certification was handled for the control board PCB.
From 1 comment
It looks like you're selling your own control board PCB design as part of the kit. I'm guessing that it doesn't have Wifi by itself, so that would make it an unintentional…
fxtentacle on HN
Whether upgrades will be offered between revisions.
From 1 comment
Yoooooo. I am very seriously considering buying that kit. Do you intend to provide an upgrade path between revisions?
itsdesmond on HN
Alternatives named
Shaper Origin
From 2 comments
It's probably worth noting that a commercial version of this exists (Shaper Origin). It's a bit pricey but is remarkably nice for a variety of tasks that can't be handled by a…
recipe19 on HNThe shaper is super cool, but a little pricey understates it. You can get a very nice router for $300-ish; the Shaper Origin is 3k.
x0x0 on HN
Maslow CNC
From 2 comments
Is this anything like the Maslow?
spiritplumber on HNMaslow is self-propelled using cables. It's the same goal - expand the work area by getting rid of a rigid frame of the mill - but a fundamentally different way of getting there.…
recipe19 on HN
Handibot
From 1 comment
Also that there was a failed commercial attempt, which it turns out is getting re-booted: https://handibot.com/
WillAdams on HN