Yes, that’s planned! Both reels will be driven by stepper motors, so they will turn independently and recreate the movement of a real tape recorder.
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The large Nagra project is taking shape!
I’ve just finished machining the aluminium enclosure with MillMage. The whole box is made from 2 mm aluminium using a tab-and-slot construction, and everything fits together really nicely.
The large opening at the front will receive the Nagra-style front panel, with the screen and electronics installed behind it. Next steps will be the motorized reels, controls and electronics.
Here is a first look at my future Nagra-inspired audio setup.
There is still a lot of work ahead: designing and machining the front panels, building mechanism, adding the screens, electronics, motors, wiring, and much more.
MillMage is a huge help for a project like this, especially for preparing and machining all the aluminium parts accurately. There are still many hours of work to go, but that’s also what makes this project so enjoyable!
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A little update on my project
The enclosure is now assembled, the two reel motors are installed, and the 5" screen is working perfectly with Audirvana.
There is still quite a lot to do: wiring, motor control, electronics, finishing details, tape guides and heads… but it is really starting to look like the machine I had imagined.
Almost all of the aluminium parts were designed and machined with MillMage on my CNC, and once again MillMage has been a huge help for this project.
Next step: making the reels turn!
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This project will not disappoint
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Had to look it up.
“Nagra” means “[it] will record” in Polish, the mother language of founder Stefan Kudelski.
Thank you! I didn’t know that — very interesting. It makes the Nagra name even more meaningful. 
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While I’m waiting for the components I need to continue working on the large Nagra project, I’ve started machining the enclosure for the Audio Scope.
Since this project requires two large cuts, I wanted to make the best use of the sheet and avoid wasting the remaining material. So I used the available space to machine a small arcade cabinet, which will be fully functional!
MillMage is so enjoyable to use that it makes me want to find new projects for it every day.
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That engraving came out awesome - what did you use?
Thanks! I used a spring-loaded diamond drag engraving tool. It scratches the aluminium surface with light, constant pressure rather than cutting it with a rotating tool. MillMage handled the engraving paths beautifully!
Ha, ha. Too cool! Have you thought about anodizing any of these?
Thanks! I’ve thought about it, but I’ve never done anodizing myself and I don’t really plan to. I actually quite like the raw brushed aluminium finish, so I think I’ll keep it this way. it gives the project that vintage, handmade Nagra feel I was aiming for
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The mini arcade project is now complete and fully functional — screen, controls, sound and custom game!
The aluminium enclosure was machined and engraved with MillMage, and I’m really happy with the result.
Now it’s time to return to my audio streamer project!
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That came out really nice! What did you use to polish the aluminum? Did you apply a clear coat?
Thanks! For the mini arcade, I didn’t apply any treatment at all — it’s just raw aluminum plate.
For the audio streamer, I simply sanded the aluminum with 120-grit sandpaper to get that brushed finish. No polish and no clear coat.
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A little update on my current projects
The two aluminium reels should soon be turning for real. I still have a few decorative elements to install and I’m waiting for a few more parts before I can complete the mechanical assembly.
Inside the unit, the two stepper motors are already in place. A Teensy 4.1 will be the main controller: it will drive both stepper motors to animate the reels, read the front-panel controls and also act as a USB HID device for the computer. This means the physical controls on the front panel will be able to send commands directly to the audio software “Audirvana” while the Teensy simultaneously takes care of the reel animation.
While I’m waiting for the remaining parts, there’s no reason for the CNC to stay idle So this morning I’m preparing to machine the next project: the Audio Scope shown in the MillMage screenshot.
This will be another 420 × 300 mm aluminium enclosure, with two displays for the left and right audio channels and physical controls on the front panel. A Teensy 4.1 will also be at the heart of this project, acquiring and processing the audio signals before displaying the information on the two screens.
MillMage has really become my starting point for these projects. Designing the panels, engraving, cut-outs and enclosure parts and then going directly to CNC machining makes the whole process incredibly enjoyable.
More progress photos soon — and many thanks again to Colin and the MillMage team for the support!
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MillMage has really become my starting point for these projects. What I find most impressive is how effortlessly it lets you go from an idea to a real physical object. Designing the panels, engraving, cut-outs and enclosure parts, then moving directly to CNC machining, feels almost surprisingly straightforward.
It really shortens the distance between imagining something and actually holding it in your hands.
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