For this assignment, we were tasked with creating two of the same nouns using a CNC machine. I figured it would be fitting to create computer hard drives since they are about the same size as the blocks of wood we are using.
I began by importing and adjusting the drawing in Easel. I originally wanted to have the entire platter carved out, but the estimated 2 hours of cut time said otherwise. So I decided to just outline the shape, while carving out the two small circles to represent the axis of the moving parts. After inputting the dimensions of the wood and other cut settings, I was ready to start carving. I used a 1/16th fish tail bit and the fan. When the cut finished, I noticed that I had made some features too small which resulted it being extremely delicate.
After a few quick adjustments, I was ready to cut again. This time, the results were more acceptable. I readied the piece for spray painting by sanding the surface and covering certain areas with tape. The curved edges took some time to cover completely, but the process was relatively straightforward.
I waited a full day to ensure the spray paint has enough time to cure. Then, a lab tech helped me cut away the excess wood using a band saw. The general geometries are done, now it’s time to sand the piece.
I first used the belt sander to make the edges symmetrical. Then, I manually sanded the piece, starting with 220 grit sand paper and up to 1500grit. The resulting hard drive has no sharp corners and feels smooth to the touch. With the second hard drive, I added one small difference between the two copies, which is the way the center cut-out is painted. Otherwise, I used the exact same process to make the second hard drive. Now, I can run them in RAID 0!
Cost Analysis:
The pine blocks would cost around $5. The range of sand paper I used costs around $20 in total. The CNC machine costs around $30 per hour. I spent about 1 hour using the machine so the machine cost would be $30. I spent about 4 hours making the two pieces, and if my rate is $10 per hour, the labor cost would be $40. The spray paint costs $4.27 at Home Depot. Therefore, the overall cost to make these two pieces is $95
http://www.craftparts.com/blocks-squares-wooden-square-cutouts-wood-c-209_213.html
