Justin’s Marvelous Mountain | ENGI 210: Prototyping and Fabrication

Introduction

For this project I choose to create a landscape of Mount Baldy in New Mexico. I did a proficient project as I was already experienced with the CNC router.

Selecting An Object

I selected to make a landscape of Mount Baldy which is a mountain I have climbed in New Mexico.

Photo of Mount Baldy

I used touchterrain to download a model of mount baldy as a STL.

Preparing the G-code

I then opened the STL in VCarve and modified the size to fit inside a 2×4.

STL opened in VCarve

I followed the instructions in the documentation to determine which bits and settings to use. I ended up readjusting the settings twice – first to increase the spindle speed to its maximum, and second to reposition the part on the 2×4 for better clamping. I’ll explain more about why that adjustment was necessary in the next session. Despite these small tweaks, generating the G-code from the STL file was a smooth process.

Cutting the Mountain

Cutting out the mountain was anything but smooth. I had secured the block of wood from the sides, but it quickly became clear that the 1/4″ bit being an upcut was a problem – the piece of wood was violently ripped up almost immediately.

(Unsuccessful) Attempt 1

I tried several other methods to better secure the piece, including using double-sided tape, but none were successful. Eventually, I switched to cutting the landscape from a larger 2×4. This prevented me from pre-staining the piece black as I had originally planned – but that turned out to be for the best. The cut exposed areas where the stain had bled into the wood grain.

(Successful Attempt 2)

I still clamped from the sides, but the larger 2×4 provided more surface area to secure, allowing me to keep the clamps out of the bit’s path during all operations.

Freshly cut landscape

After an eternity I had 2 nice landscapes cut! (Each cut took almost and hour…)

Post Processing

I decided to keep the post-processing simple to highlight the landscape itself. As a first step, I sanded all the rough edges, taking care not to alter the landscape.

Sanding Time!

After sanding, I applied a light-colored stain. I definitely believe this was the best choice, as it highlights the natural wood grain while keeping the landscape untouched and distinct.