Resources
Spare List
A spare list for keeping a desktop CNC productive, including collets, cutters, belts, fasteners and other workshop essentials worth having on hand.
How the Spare List supports a service week
Spare List helps desktop CNC owners decide what is worth keeping on hand in the workshop. It includes collets, cutters, belts, fasteners and other small parts that can stop a job cold when there is no replacement on the shelf.
Build the spare list around the parts that stop work first, not the parts that fail rarely. On a desktop CNC that usually means collets, cutters, drive belts, grub screws, limit switches and the fasteners that vanish during a strip-down. South African lead times matter here, especially when a small missing item can park a machine for days.
Record the spindle, gantry and cable runs before ordering or packing spares. That record helps match belt widths, collet types and connector styles when the machine has already had parts changed. A printed list near the bench also makes service week less guesswork and more checking against what is actually on hand.
Bench stock worth keeping
Small parts keep cutting jobs moving between major services. Good workshop stock control covers the bits that wear, loosen, chip or get misplaced during a rush. The best spare list names the machine area, the part size and the quantity on the shelf.
Use the spare list alongside machine photos, replacement dates and any notes on parts that were tested and ruled out. Before sending details, check model references, cutter diameters and belt markings so the request stays precise. If a problem appears under load, mention the material being cut and whether the fault happens on every job or only on one file.
- Collets matched to common cutter shanks
- Belts, screws and switch spares counted
- Consumables listed by machine area
Stock choices for South African workshops
A spare that is easy to buy overseas can still be awkward to replace quickly in South Africa. Keeping two or three of the small failure points on hand often makes more sense than waiting on a courier for a single collet nut or limit switch. This matters even more for school labs, shared maker spaces and part-time shops that cannot leave a machine half stripped for long.
Coastal workshops should watch rust on cutters, fasteners and uncoated steel items kept in open drawers. Inland dust works into rails, fans and connectors, so cleaning supplies and cable clips deserve space on the list too. Where power cuts are common, it helps to check which spares are needed after an interrupted job, especially if a cutter snaps during a restart.
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Service week checking notes
Use the spare list with machine photos, lead-time notes, and the items already replaced or ruled out. Keep the subject line clear and factual.
Review the list when the machine is clean and the covers are off, not after something has already failed mid-job. Mark what was replaced, what remains usable and what should be reordered before the next production run. That leaves a plain workshop record for the next person at the bench.