Introduction to the Assignment!
This blog post is dedicated to our CNC machining homework. This was my first time using this kind of fabrication process and I found it very interesting, yet frustrating. We were tasked with creating a CNC-cut piece cut of wood with any “noun” design of our choice. I enjoyed being given creative freedom in both the CNC process as well as in post-processing.
Finding my Noun
I began my homework process by searching thenounproject.com for something that caught my eye. I eventually settled on an image of a rocket that I thought was simple enough for the CNC machine to cut, as well as complex enough to give me a chance to have some fun with the post-processing aspect.
Using Easel Inventibles!
The next step of the process was downloading our image as a .svg file and uploading it to Easel Inventibles. After doing so, I was able to resize my image to fit the dimensions of my wood piece as well as adjust the depth of the cuts throughout the piece. The depth of my wood was more than the length of the 1/8” drill bit I used to cut out my design, so I had to replace the drill bit with a 1/4” bit with enough length to cut my design out of the large piece of wood.
Drill in Action
Cut out Piece
Post-Processing
After successfully cutting out the pieces, I began the post-processing process. I went over each piece with multiple grits of sandpaper in order to get it as smooth as possible. I then stained the piece with a dark oak color, but at this point, I realized I wanted to do more. I then taped off the “face” of each piece so that I could spray paint the cuts in the wood. I did this with two different colors, red for the flame part and metallic gray for the body of the ship. After this, I decided to use a paintbrush to flick white paint onto the pieces to make them look like stars in the distance. Finally, I was ready to apply a glossy clear coat. I was satisfied with the results.
What I Could Have Done Better
If I were to redo this assignment, there are a few things I would have changed. I would have decreased the depth of my cuts because this led to a longer wait time on the CNC machine as well as made it more difficult to get paint in the crevices. Additionally, I would have spray-painted the cuts before I applied finish to the face of the wood. This would have kept me from having to sand some of the spots where spray paint got on the face and reapply the stain.
Cost
2 3×3 pieces of wood (scrapwood)= $5
3 hours of my time= $60
CNC machine rental= $10/hour = $30
Online Software= Free
Stain + Finish + Spray Paint+ Paint Brush = $15
Total Cost= $110
This homework was one of the cheaper ones we’ve done, where again my time was the most expensive factor. This homework did give me a better appreciation of the CNC process where I can now see where it is very easy to mess up in many different ways.
