This week’s project was one where my design changed multiple times as I advanced through it.
I first started by looking at different designs i could use on the noun project. I initially wanted to cut a cute frog.
the file that I initially wanted to print
After downloading the svg file and uploading it to the computer next to the CNC machine, I adjusted its size and placed it at the center of my wood piece. However, I could not get the file to be printed out correctly. I also asked for a lab assistant’s help and we both could not figure out why only part of my design was being cut out.
a preview of what my piece of wood would have looked like
I then decided to change my design and print one of the mushrooms from Mario Kart (called Toad i think?). I was really attached to this design so I was a bit more disappointed when this one also did not work out. Here, the file was being printed out correctly but the first issue I had was that pieces of wood were being cut off by the drill bit.
As you can see, at the very top of the mushroom, a piece of wood got torn off 🙁 . I paused the print and took the piece of wood out of the machine.
Determined to print a mini Mario kart mushroom, I decided to modify the file so that the “white spots” on its head would no longer be there. I thought this would fix the issue of the pieces of wood being torn off.
When modifying the file, I accidentally made the outer circle be cut out before the design on the inside.
This made the piece of wood move when it was time to cut out the mushroom design so I had to stop the print.
After fixing the file again, I tried to cut the design out again.
A piece of wood still got torn off at the very end of the print…
I decided it would be wiser to choose another simpler design that would be cut out better by the CNC machine.
The design I ended up printing
I made sure to not make the CNC cut until the bottom of the piece of wood because I was scared it would make the wood move around. I used a small saw to take my pieces out of the wood, but this was rather simple because the bottom layer of wood was quite thin.
My stars taken out of the wood
I then sanded my pieces to make them smoother.
Cost Analysis
Softwood board: $8.87 (for 1 piece on Home depot)
Sandpaper: 6.98/4 (1 sandpaper piece)= $1.75
Labor: 3 x 7.25 = $21.75
TOTAL: $32.37
