Hey there, fellow CNC explorers! Gather ’round as I set the scene as always: yours truly, a humble novice, stepping into the realm of CNC with the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store. Armed with little more than curiosity and a dash of optimism, I embarked on a quest to create butterflies.

But alas, as with any great adventure, there were obstacles to overcome. Cue the wood sticking to the sacrificial wood, turning what should have been a smooth sailing into a comical game of woodsy spin-the-bottle. Note to self: taping the bottom of my peice to the CNC base is no match for unruly wood. Tape the sides of the piece to the CNC base for extra stability.

Undeterred by my woodsy escapades, I pressed on, determined to fashion something magnificent from this chaos. With a simple buuterfly design in mind (thank you, Noun Project), I bravely dove into Carbide Create, armed with little more than my wits and a trusty circle tool. After some tinkering and resizing, I was ready to roll – or should I say, mill?

With my design prepped and my GCode saved, it was time to face the beast: the CNC machine itself. But wait, what’s this? The drill bit wasn’t the right size! A minor setback, easily remedied with a quick swap and a few unscrews later.

With the machine primed and ready, I tackled the task at hand, taping up my wood like a DIY pro and initializing the machine with the precision of a seasoned pro. And thus, the cutting began – first the inner shapes, then the outer cut as I learned the hard way that making the outer cut first would send your piece flying inside the machine.

Failed Cut Pieces

As the machine hummed and whirred, I couldn’t help but marvel at the magic unfolding before my eyes. Despite my first four failures, my finals cuts were crisp, the edges clean – a testament to my newfound CNC prowess.

But the adventure didn’t end there! Oh no, there were post-processing shenanigans to be had. Armed with a bandsaw and some sandpaper, I set to work refining my creations, smoothing out rough edges and adding the finishing touches of a blue spray paint and a clear coat.

Sanded Piece

Spray Painted and Clear Coated Piece

 

Cleaned Work Place after Sanding

And lo and behold, the fruits of my labor: two beautifully crafted wooden shapes, adorned with a delicate butterfly engravings – a testament to the wonders of CNC machining and the power of perseverance.

For the cost? Let’s break it down:

– Two wood planks: $4 (courtesy of Lowe’s)

– Double-sided tape: $19 (thank you, Amazon)

– Labor: $30 (2 hours of pure dedication, not counting the 3 hours of prior failure 🙂 )

Grand total? A modest $53 – a small price to pay for the joy of creation!