ToolDance X1 on Kickstarter: Enclosed Desktop CNC Mill Built for Steel and Titanium
Spindle speed gets the headlines. Cutting stainless steel or titanium asks for something else: torque at low speed, and a frame rigid enough to hold the cut. The ToolDance X1 is a desktop CNC mill designed around both, for machining those metals on a workbench.
ToolDance, a team of former DJI and Siemens engineers working alongside CNC veterans, showed the X1 at IFA before bringing it to Kickstarter, and All3DP and engineering .com have both covered it. The ToolDance X1 price on Kickstarter is $2,999.
📈 Campaign: $10,266,663 raised from 2,030 backers, goal $50,000, 44 days left
💰 Super Early Bird: ToolDance X1 $2,999; X1 Flood Ultimate Bundle $5,398
📦 Delivery: estimated from March 2027
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Quick Verdict
Our verdict: 8.6/10
Who Is It For?
The X1 suits R&D engineers and product developers who prototype in metal. The X1 also fits designers and small studios running short batches of functional parts.
Main Strengths
A 1,500W S1-rated spindle and tool shanks up to 10 mm put steel, stainless steel and titanium within reach of a machine that sits on a bench.
ToolDance Studio picks the tools and generates toolpaths, feeds and speeds automatically for supported parts, and every generated operation stays editable, at no software charge.
The 9-tool changer, with a separate slot for the probe, runs multi-operation parts without a stop for each cutter.
The 400 x 265 x 180 mm work envelope leaves room for fixtures and several parts in one setup.
Bolt-on 4-axis and 5-axis modules and a flood-cooling stand let the same machine grow into rotary and multi-sided work.
Main Limitations
On a 120V circuit, ToolDance puts spindle output at about 900 to 1,000W, well under its rated output.
The 3-axis AutoCAM is in final beta, 3+2 AutoCAM is promised for delivery, and simultaneous multi-axis AutoCAM covers only reliefs and sculptures.
ToolDance was founded in April 2025, and the X1 is not scheduled to ship before March 2027.
Is the ToolDance X1 Worth Backing?
Back it if you are the engineer or small studio described above. Pass if your work is mostly wood and plastics on a 120V line. The spindle and frame built for hard metals are the reason to back the ToolDance X1 on Kickstarter.
ToolDance X1 Price on Kickstarter
The ToolDance X1 price on Kickstarter is $2,999, against a $5,999 MSRP, with the machine alone limited to 600 units. The X1 Flood Ultimate Bundle is the tier to take, at $5,398 against a $9,396 MSRP and limited to 700 units: it adds both rotary modules, the flood cooling and chip management module, and an accessory kit, ready for multi-axis work on delivery.
The ToolDance X1 tier plus those three modules at their add-on prices comes to $5,596, so the bundle saves $198. That saving is small; the case for the bundle is that $2,399 over the machine alone puts both rotary axes and flood cooling in the box, the sounder buy for multi-sided parts, while flat 3-axis work needs only the machine. Shipping is charged after the campaign, estimated at $300 to the contiguous US and $350 to $400 for most of Europe, with import duties and VAT covered. ToolDance will also handle the export permits China requires for 5-axis machines. It is $2,999 on Kickstarter.
You can also see machines that ship today in our desktop CNC machines guide.
What Is the ToolDance X1 and What Problem Does It Solve?
ToolDance X1: A Fully Enclosed 3-Axis Machining Center for the Workbench
The X1 is a 3-axis CNC mill that does its work behind a locked door. The enclosure stays shut during machining, a built-in camera shows the cut without opening it, and ToolDance Studio displays progress remotely. Its material list runs from aluminum, brass and cast iron to acrylic, POM, wood and stone.
Inside, the work envelope measures 400 x 265 x 180 mm on axis travel of 448 x 273 x 208 mm. Repeatability is rated at ±0.01 mm, and the base machine runs on 110 to 240V single-phase power. ToolDance was founded in April 2025, a year after a first prototype built in a garage, and around 100 engineering units went through machining tests in 2026.
Why Machining Metal Parts In-House Became the Problem Worth Solving
A metal part takes an afternoon to design and weeks to come back. Sending it out means a queue and a bill far above the stock it is cut from, and every design change restarts the cycle. Doing it in-house means learning to program a CNC machine.
With the X1 on a bench, a revised motorcycle mount is cut on site, in the metal the final part needs. The operator clamps the stock and leaves the cutting to the machine.
ToolDance X1 Key Features and Specs: Spindle, AutoCAM, Tool Changer and Expansion Modules
1,500W PMSM Spindle and Cast-Aluminum Frame: Steel and Titanium on a Desktop
The permanent-magnet synchronous spindle is rated at 1.5 kW continuous (S1) and reaches 24,000 RPM, with runout of 5 μm or less at 20 mm. It takes shanks of 4, 6, 8 and 10 mm or 1/8 to 5/16 inch and cutters up to 18 mm across. A reinforced cast-aluminum frame is designed to limit deflection and vibration in titanium and steel.
ToolDance's lab figures, each validated in at least 30 minutes of continuous cutting with a 6 mm cutter, put material removal in Grade 5 titanium at 1.4 cm³/min with air cooling and 3.6 cm³/min with flood coolant, and in 304 stainless steel at 1.8 and 5.1 cm³/min. These are validated settings, not the machine's maximum.
ToolDance Studio AutoCAM and DFM Analysis: From Model to Machining in Three Steps
Studio starts from a STEP or STL model and a DFM check that flags sharp corners, undercuts and pockets deeper than the tool library can reach. AutoCAM then sets the strategy and cutting parameters, and a simulation checks for collisions, gouges and remaining stock before any cut. Every generated operation opens in Interactive Programming for adjustment. AutoCAM and DFM use heuristic algorithms computed on your own computer.
ToolDance's worked example is a pair of aluminum fishing pliers from 178 x 58 x 15 mm stock: $42.31 and 2.5 hours in-house, counting stock and electricity only, against a $440 Xometry quote and 15 days. An optional cloud AI feature, offered separately, turns a reference image into editable 3D geometry.
9-Tool ATC, RFID Recognition and 3D Probing: Setup Without Stopping the Job
RFID recognizes each tool in the magazine, and a tool setter comes in the box. Changes run automatically from roughing and drilling through chamfering and engraving. Third-party cutters fit through official ToolDance adapters.
Before a job, the X1 probes the workpiece and sets its own work offsets, while a 3D sensing system uses deep-learning vision to locate the stock and fixtures. A workholding assistant in Studio suggests clamping positions and walks through the setup in 3D.
4-Axis and 5-Axis Modules With Flood Cooling: Rotary and Multi-Sided Parts
The 4-axis module uses a direct-drive motor with a cross-roller bearing, a holding brake and a high-resolution encoder. It takes work up to Ø120 x 160 mm with its tailstock, or Ø50 x 230 mm without. The bolt-on 5-axis module calibrates against the included sphere and handles 160 x 160 x 105 mm in 3+2 positional work, or Ø140 x 105 mm in simultaneous machining.
The flood module aims three coolant nozzles at the cut, separates chips through a four-stage filter into a 20-liter basket, and doubles as a welded steel stand engineered for static loads up to 500 kg.
Should You Back the ToolDance X1 on Kickstarter?
The X1 brings a small machining center to the workbench, for prototypes and short runs. In the campaign's own demonstrations, that means parts such as a graphics card shroud or a grill topper.
Its makers built three generations of prototypes before the campaign. At $2,999 against a $5,999 MSRP, with the Flood Ultimate Bundle the configuration to take, the ToolDance X1 is on Kickstarter.
FAQ about the ToolDance X1 on Kickstarter
Does the ToolDance X1 run at full power on a 120V outlet?
No. ToolDance puts spindle output at roughly 900 to 1,000W at 120V, below the 1,500W S1 rating. The machine accepts 110 to 240V single-phase power, so no three-phase supply is needed.
Can the ToolDance X1 work offline?
Yes, after setup. Registration and machine binding need an internet connection, then core CAM functions and machine operation work offline. Optional cloud AI features, online services and update downloads still need a connection.
Can you use Autodesk Fusion or Mastercam with the ToolDance X1?
Yes, through G-code. Toolpaths from third-party CAM run on the X1 when exported with a compatible post-processor and sent through ToolDance Studio. ToolDance plans post-processors and plugins for Autodesk Fusion, Siemens NX CAM and Mastercam after the first machines ship. Simultaneous multi-axis machining of mechanical parts relies on this route.
Does the ToolDance X1 support rigid tapping and through-tool coolant?
No to both. The X1 drills and cuts threads by thread milling instead of tapping. Air blast comes standard, flood coolant needs the optional flood module, and coolant through the tool is not supported.
How does the ToolDance X1 compare with the Makera Z1?
The Makera Z1 costs less, and Makera rates its repeatability at 0.002 mm, to ±0.01 mm for the X1. The X1 has a 400 x 265 x 180 mm envelope against 200 x 200 x 100 mm, a 1,500W spindle against 150W, and steel and titanium on its list, metals Makera advises against without machining experience.
How does the ToolDance X1 compare with the NestWorks C500?
Both are desktop CNC mills with tool changers and steel on their material lists, and the C500's standard Kickstarter package was $2,799, below the X1. The C500 is reported at 800W and 18,000 RPM, to 1,500W and 24,000 RPM on the X1, which also offers a 5-axis module the C500 lacks; see our NestWorks C500 review.
About the Author
Jonathan
Co-Founder & Reviewer at GizmoCrowd
Jonathan is Co-Founder of GizmoCrowd and a crowdfunding strategist with over 15 years of hands-on campaign experience on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
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