This week’s assignment was to use the X-Carvey in the MakerBar to CNC Mill a cut out of a noun from The Noun Project. I choose Michaelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as my favorite color is orange and we have similar names. After downloading the file as an SVG file, I was able to import it onto Easel where I was able to change the cut depth of certain tool paths and add a shape to make the outline of the cut as can be seen below.
Initial formatting of Easel drawing
From then on, I took the wood provided for the assignment to measure. After inputting dimensions lower than measured for the length and width of the wooden block, the thickness was input as a higher value to make sure the shape is cut out fully.
Measuring the Dimensions With Caliper
After the measurements were complete, the block was clamped down onto the carvel as can be seen below. 
The clamping process took a little bit of practice to get down and the first piece ended up stopping prematurely as the block moved free from the clamps towards the end. This was fixed by the second print but another issue arose. The 1/16 inch drill bit was not able to fully cut the circular outline even though it was specified in Easel. As such, the first two prints did weren’t fully cut out, and to make matters worse, an upcut drill bit was used so the quality of what was made wasn’t desirable.
First Two Failed Prints
After thinking of a solution for some time, I found a way to get my desired print. I would use both a 1/8 and 1/16 inch drill bit for the print. After clamping down the wood, I would use a 1/16 inch downcut bit to do the shallow cut of the noun after removing the circle outline in Easel. After that carve was finished, I would edit the drawing on Easel to only have the circle outline without the noun and use the 1/8 inch bit to cut it. This process was a success and it fortunately worked on my first two attempts.
Two Cool Ninjas Side by Side
It’s important to note that I vacuumed after each carve and made sure to return all clamps and screws to their designated locations after I was finished.
Cost Analysis
For the cost of the project, approximately 30 square in. of 3/4 in. wood was used for the first two attempts and an additional 50 square in. of 3/4 in. wood was used for the last two. Home Depot sells 1152 square ft of 3/4 inch birch plywood for $31.58. From this, the raw material cost is equal to:
((30 square in. + 50 square in.) /(1152 square in.)) * $31.58 = $2.19.
The first two carves took 30 minutes to carve and the last two took 45 minutes totaling 1 hour and 15 min of machining. Assuming that 1 hour of machining on the Carvey is $15, the machining cost is $18.75 Troubleshooting the clamps and drill bits along with vacuuming, cleaning up, and adjusting the Easel drawing took a total time of 1 hour, and 30 minutes. Giving a value of $10 per hour of my own time (based on lab assistant wages) would give a labor cost of $15.
The total cost of the assignment is:
$2.19 + $18.75 + $15 = $35.94
