Inspiration

For my CNC assignment to cut out a simple wood figure, I have chosen a figure of a cactus from the Noun project library (credits to a creator named iconfield). The reason behind such a choice (we’re not in Arizona after all) was my recent disastrous and even tragic relationship with the cactus Doby. I have gotten Doby from a friend as Christmas White Elephant gift and was hopeful to have a long and productive coexistence with my pet. Remembering how poor and irresposible I am as a plantkeeper, I was betting that a relatively low-maintenance cactus would be an ideal fit for my gardening talents and skills… Well, three months fast forward – and Doby is dead. Somehow dry on one side and wet on the other (and also having little flies inside), his body went beyond the turning point. RIP.

So, my wood cacti (or cactuses, both are acceptable FYI) were a tribute of sorts to the short yet wonderful life of Doby.

Workflow

First, I downloaded the file from the Noun Project and edited some parts to simplify the figure. CNC is not very well suited for finer details so I got rid of them. I was also not looking forward to making pocket cuts taking into account time contraints for the assignment.

For my assignment, I used NOMAD3 machine, Carbide Create and Carbide Motion software. Working with CNC machine was quite tricky and it took me several tries to home it right! On the bright side, I have mastered the workflow with initializing, homing, and preparing the cut, so doing it for my final project was easier and faster. My first successful try resulted in a small and rough figure.

I increased the size, simplified the design, and got a successful cut:

For my post-processing, I filed the edges and sanded the whole figures for a final cut. I liked how my sanded wood texture felt in hands and how they looked (cactus made out of wood!), so decided to not stain or spray paint my figures. Overall, I enjoyed making my cacti and almost (figuratively) cried about my Doby in the process. The memory of the cactus will live on.

 

Cost Analysis

Cost type	Cost	Price	Source	Quantity	Total
Materials	Wood Plank 1/4′	9.87	HomeDepot	1	9.87
Labor	Engineer	$35/hr	Myself	1	35
	Worker	$25/hr	Myself	2	50
Overhead	Nomad3 CNC	$0	OEDK	2 hr	0
					0
Waste management	Cleaning	$10/hr	Myself	1 min	1.66
					96.53