Prior to this assignment, I did not have much interest in, and therefore experience with, the CNC machines. Similar to how we approached finding an impossible object for the 3D printing project, I just never thought that CNCing a piece would be the best and most optimal way to produce an object. However, through this assignment I was able to see the value and overall coolness in CNCing a piece.
To become familiar with the two CNC machines I attended one of the TA information sessions. In this session I learned how to use both the Nomad and Shapeoko, but I figured out that I preferred the Nomad machine. This machine is less daunting, and its setup is easier to navigate.
Preparing the file was very simple. When a symbol or shape is needed for an assignment, I usually go with a sun, and this time was no different. I elevated my image choice slightly by choosing a sunset over the ocean as I wanted to make the CNCing efforts worth it, without picking a design that would take a long time on the machine. I downloaded this image from the Noun Project and used Carbide Create to make the necessary adjustment to the stl to properly prepare it for carving.
To set up the actual machine, I started by taping a piece of sacrifice wood and my actual wood piece to the clamp and tighten it, ensuring neither piece of wood moved. After importing the Carbide file, I then homed the machine using the instructions from the assignment. The homing process was very simple as everything is mostly done by the homing device. Once the setup was done, I was able to begin the carve.
Carving my wooden pieces went well. The carve was very simple and only took around 15 minutes. I watched the carving process from start to finish and was very entertained. The machine works extremely diligently and is unaffected by the wood dust that piles on the piece, which initially worried me. My first cut turned out pretty perfect, aside from the outer circle not being complete carved out. My second cut, however, was unable to finish because the machine detected motion that I assumed was caused by the wood piece shifting in the clamp. Gratefully making a new second version was simply done by inserting a new piece, homing the machine, and resending the file. This second version turned out pretty good, however, just like the first, the outer circle was not completely carved out.
To remove the outer circle, I cut large chunks off of the piece of wood using the bandsaw, trying to get as close as I could to my sunset scene. Then, I tried to use the scroll saw to clean the edge, but it was really struggling to cut the wood. Therefore, I used a sander in the wood shop to completely smooth the perimeter.
I was then able to begin the decorative steps of post-processing. I started by spray painting my two pieces white and let the paint dry overnight. For filling the pockets with resin, I slightly had to wing the process as I missed the day of class where we were given a tutorial, but luckily, we are doing a similar project in Mech 203. After mixing parts A and B of the resin, I separated the solution into smaller cups and added my desired color. Filling the pockets with resin required precision and patience, which is why some of the pockets are a little overfilled, but I eventually figured out the best pouring technique.
The pieces turned out so cute, and I’ve grown very fond of the CNC machines. Making such a pretty and put together piece was simple, fun, and entertaining. I definitely get the appeal now.
Clean workspace:
Cost Breakdown: Raw Materials * Wood - $7.43 ($3.72 per ft. - $3.72) * Resin - $75.00 ($0.47 per oz - $2.65) * Resin Dye - $12.00 * Spray Paint - $4.00 Labor * 3 hours x 15.00/hour = $45.00 Tools * Nomad CNC Machine - Owned by the OEDK ($2,800) Total: $67.37
