For my CNC machine project, I teamed up with my classmate Katherine to create a tulip-themed design using the Nomad 3. Initially, we wanted to go with Katherine’s design, however, due to some issues with Nomad 3 (the adjustments of depth were difficult to manage) and details within the design we decided to proceed with my design (which was successful). I drew inspiration from the years I spent living in the Netherlands, where tulips are a national symbol. We selected a simple tulip SVG from The Noun Project and decided to enhance the design by adding a circular frame to give the design more dimension and visual interest.
Fig 1. Selection of design on the Noun Project
Fig 2. Carbide Create Design with circular vector
To start we imported an SVG file of a tulip in Carbide Create. In Carbide Create we added a circular vector around our design and scaled the final design to 3.5in x 5.5in. Once I was happy with the layout, I created toolpaths for the different elements of the design. For finer details like the stem, we used the #112 End Mill (1/16″), while the rest of the design was machined with the #102 End Mill (1/8″). The circle around the tulip was cut out using a contour toolpath assigned to the #102 End Mill.
Fig 3. #102 End Mill (1/8″)
Fig 4. #112 End Mill (1/16″)
Fig 5. Contour Toolpath #102 End Mill
Fig 6. Simulation of the final design
With the design done, we proceeded to work with the CNC machine Nomad 3. The first step was connecting the cutter to the computer and uploading the file. Next, we secured the wood (5.9in x 3.5in x 0.76in) onto the machine bed, ensuring it was firmly clamped. Using the jog tool, we set the zero point to align the cutter properly with the material. We also inserted the correct end mill into the collet to begin the job.
Fig 7. Setting up the Nomad3 cutter
On the first attempts, we ran into some issues in terms of the rotation of the wood, the design was cut vertically instead of horizontally so we quickly realized we had to flip the design to cut the design horizontally onto the wood. Another issue occurred during the contouring step: the wood lifted slightly because it wasn’t properly secured. To fix this, we reworked our setup to ensure the material was tightly clamped, preventing any shifting.
Fig 8. Printing the design in a wrong direction
Fig 9. The setup that solved all of our problems
Fig 10. Overcame all challenges and cutting
We repeated the process again, the process took under 20 minutes and we finally received two products we were happy with.
Fig 11. Tulip design cut
Fig. 12 The final product
To finish up the project we post-processed the design using Danish Oil (we left it to dry for 48 hours) and to get more of a shiny look we added Clear coat.
Fig 13. Post processing with Danish Oil
Fig. 14 Drying step
Fig 15. Final product
- Takeaways and lessons learned:
Always double-check the orientation of the design to avoid cutting in the wrong direction.
Securing the wood into the machine is a very critical step.
Verification of the correct end mill is inserted and properly tightened before starting the job.
| Cost Type | Cost | Price | Source | Quantity | Total |
| Materials | Wood
(5.9in x 3.5in x 0.76in) |
$27.25/1 piece
(1in*12in*96in) |
homedepot.com | 4 pcs | $4.55 (approximately $ 1.14 each) |
| 1/8 End Mill Cutter | $ 11.99/1 piece | amazon.com | 11.99 | $11.99 | |
| 1/16 End Mill Cutter | $19.99/ 5 pieces | amazon.com | 1 | $3.99 | |
| Danish oil | $25.06/947ml | amazon.com | 50 mL | $1.32 | |
| Clear coat | $6.47/ 340g | amazon.com | 50 g | $0.95 | |
| Labor | Prototyping Engineer (You!) | $17/hr | ziprecruiter.com | 6hr | $102 |
| Overhead | Facility Cost | $0.13/kWh | Electricity | 4hr | $0.15 |
| Facility Cost | $50/hr | Nomad 3 CNC Machine | 3 hours (counting the failed designs) | $150 | |
| Design | Iterations | $27.25/1 piece
(1in*12in*96in) |
Calculated above | 4 | $0 |
| Engineering and Development | $17/hr | ziprecruiter.com | 1hr | $17 | |
| Misc. | Sandpaper | $2.98/1pack | homedepot.com | 1 | $2.98 |
| Brushes | $1.87/1pack | homedepot.com | 1 | 1.87 | |
| Paper towels (to wipe on poly) | $0.98/ 140 sheets | homedepot.com | 10 sheets | $0.07 | |
| Overall Total | $296.87 | ||||
Finally, we cleaned the workspace and vacuumed the machine to keep everything in good condition for the next use.
