Hello, world! It’s been quite the semester, but we’ve also learned so much along the way. I’ll miss writing these blog posts, but, for now, here’s my CNC project!
This piece was definitely one of the highlights of my year. I faced some difficulties using the CNC machine, but I think the results were well worth it. For this assignment, I decided to commemorate one of my favorite classtime doodles, an eye cloud (or, more lamely known as an iCloud).
got that drip
eye… eye see you
For the sake of simplicity, I chose to forgo the drip. I slapped together some files from the Noun Project to create my design, et voilà!
I also thought it would look cool to stack the resin or have some parts of the wood peeking through, so I adjusted my toolpaths accordingly.
Using the Shapeoko CNC machine was a bit of a challenge, but I think I’ve really expanded my capacity for patience throughout this class. The first couple passes started cutting in the air right above my wood piece, so I prayed to all the gods above that things would come out okay. It seems I failed to pick the right gods, because it ended up looking like this:
The remaining wood was too thick to snap off, nor did I trust myself to saw it off without also relieving myself of a couple fingers. I spent the next few hours experimenting with different settings on Carbide Motion. I was worried about carving beyond my sacrificial wood, so I gradually upped my stock thickness from 0.68 to 0.75 inches. After a few false starts, my cloud children were finally free.
clean workspace! the formatting of this blog post was, ironically, the most frustrating part of this assignment.
How much did this project cost?
- Raw materials
- 3 wood blocks: 0.75” x 3.5” x 5.5”: $12.70
- epoxy resin: $29.99 for 32 ounces: $0.94
- pigment: $12.99 for 30 colors: $1.30
- Tools (from the OEDK or my dorm)
- Carbide Create
- Carbide Motion
- Shapeoko CNC
- chopsticks
- sandpaper: $3.99
- plastic cups: $4.00
- Labour
- $15/hour for somewhat skilled work
- ~ 6 hours: $90
Total: $112.93
