For this project, I chose a noun from TheNounProject that could be efficiently cut by the Carvey CNC machine. I chose an airplane.

After importing the SVG file into Easel I got started on my first cut. I used a 1/16″ bit.

The problem with this cut is that it does not look very clean. I thought it might have been due to the track speed of the bit so I slowed it down to 15in/min and it worked just fine.

In this picture, the cut on the left looks a bit cleaner than the one on the right. The only difference between the two cuts is the wood itself, so the quality of the wood is also important.

Cost Analysis

I used about 0.3 ft^2 of plywood which costs $2.36, setting the price of wood at $7.87/ft^2.
Labor time was about 2 hours. Assuming $15/hr, that’s $30 for labor cost.

Total Cost: $32.36

Conclusion

Through this project, I learned the fundamentals of using a CNC machine. I learned how to work with SVG files and some little tricks one can do to get a cleaner cut.

ENGI 210 Table – Number 22