For our final portion of the semester, we learned how to use the CNC milling machine. CNC stands for computer numerically controlled and essentially means the machine acts according to input programs to complete a task. Many different prototyping devices are CNC controlled including laser cutters, plasma cutters, 3D printers, and, what we are focusing on, milling machines.
The milling machine uses subtractive manufacturing to cut away at objects such as wood and wax. The machine we used for this project uses a Dremel head. The head has xyz movement while the part stays stationary. For this assignment, we were tasked to cut something and get familiar with the CNC mill.
We were introduced to TheNounProject for inspiration, but I ultimately decided to use a different pattern that I found on the internet. I am a huge fan of the Kansas City Royals, and during the offseason, we lost one of our best pitchers to a fatal car accident. Yordano Ventura, known to his teammates as “Ace” wore #30. Royals players have patches on their jerseys to honor him, so I tried to recreate that with my project.
Yordano “Ace” Ventura
We used a program called easel to develop the G-Code, and I imported the ‘KC’ symbol in, as well as using the text function already in easel.
Easel Workspace
From here, I exported the g-code and then it was time to use the CNC mill. I wanted the piece to be unique, so I decided to paint the wood before cutting so that there would be a contrast between the bare wood and the final product. When the piece was finished, I had to do a lot of sanding, and I applied a top coat to finish it off. Shown below is the piece throughout the process.
In the end, I wanted to add something a little fun, so I mixed up some Q300 plastic and filled in the gaps with the plastic. I don’t think I filled it in perfectly, because some leaked over and didn’t cure completely, but I like the way it turned out. In the end, I really enjoyed learning about the process of CNC machining, and I was happy with my final project, but ready to expand on the capabilities of the machine.
