Retrofitting A Boxford A3HSR CNC - Part 1: Open Source Control Hardware & GRBL Conversion FluidNC

Can a £16 AliExpress CNC control board really outperform industrial hardware from 2004? 🛠️

In Part 1 of this retrofit, I’m "liberating" my Boxford A3HSR CNC Router from its proprietary 20-year-old electronics. By swapping the original boards for an MKS DLC32 Max and upgrading the power system to 48V/1,500W, I managed to push this machine to 5,000 mm/min—that is 5x the original factory speed!

Whether you're into combat robotics, DIY machining, or just love a good electronics teardown, this video covers the full conversion process from old-school industrial logic to modern FluidNC / GRBL control.

In this video, we cover:
✅ Why I’m upgrading from a GenMitsu 3020 for combat robot armor.
✅ Gutting the 2004 Boxford electronics cabinet.
✅ Installing the MKS DLC32 Max & DM860 Stepper Drivers.
✅ Setting up FluidNC firmware and calibrating steps per mm.
✅ Testing the new variable speed spindle control.

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If you found this helpful, please Subscribe! In Part 2, I'll be hacking the original front panel buttons to work with the new digital brain.

⚙️ PARTS LIST USED IN THIS BUILD
Makerbase MKS DLC32 MAX: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008887323153.html
DM860 Stepper Motor Drivers: https://amzn.to/4bDAHz2
LJ8A3-2-Z/AX-5V Inductive Sensors: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32799328501.html
PWM Converter 0-10V: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010719802065.html
Phase Angle Controller: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002164340838.html

⏳ CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
01:51 It's Heavy
02:48 Powering It On
05:15 Old Electronics Cabinet
06:11 The Old Electronics
08:10 The New Electronics
09:49 Basic Testing
12:07 New Electronics Cabinet
19:15 Limit Sensors
21:10 FluidNC Firmware
26:45 Full System Testing
29:00 Conclusion
29:42 The Next Project (Front Panel Hack)

#CNC #Retrofit #Engineering #FluidNC #MKS DLC32 #Boxford #CombatRobotics #Workshop #DIYCNC #ElectronicsEngineering

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