The Most Popular CNC Projects for Beginners and How to Get Started with Each
Computer numerical control machines have been used by the manufacturing industry for decades, but many types of CNC tools are now becoming popular among DIYers and individual designers and makers. You can make a wide variety of things for the home with CNC equipment. The first steps are learning how to use CNC tools and how to create designs using CAD software. You can then begin looking at the kinds of projects you want to complete.
Here are just a few of the most popular CNC projects for beginners.
A Sign for Your Home
Sign making with CNC equipment can be a good project for beginners to start with. You could create a sign to hang on your gate that displays the name of your house or a sign for the interior, such as one to hang on the bathroom door. The possibilities for signs and their designs are limitless. As with any CNC project, the first step is to pick out the material you want to use. Woods like walnut or oak are popular choices for signs. Next, use the CAD program to create the tool-paths. Then let the CNC machine do its thing. You could opt for a v-carve operation to create your sign’s lettering, in which case you could use a 90-degree router bit for a great finish.
You could also use dxf files to create the ideal image to include on your sign. The files can be used for anything, though, such as coasters and decorative furniture. You could create the image of a butterfly, a video game controller, or a stag. The options are almost endless. Once the CNC operation has been completed, remove the sign from the CNC bed and cut away any excess material with a handsaw. Then paint the letters and images on your sign, drill mounting holes, and apply a protective layer, and hey presto, you have your very own unique CNC-made sign.
Cubby Shelves
Whether you need to store items in your lounge or in your garage, cubby shelves can help you to keep your stuff organized and your spaces tidy. Cubby shelves can look great too, and with CNC tools, you can create a design to suit your particular taste and match your home’s décor. As with sign-making, choose the material you want to work with. You could choose wood, metal, or plastic. Then create a CAD program design.
Popular choices for CNC-created cubby holes include using eight pieces of material that are 12’’ x 12’’ in thickness. You will also want to ensure your chosen material is strong enough. You do not want your construction to crack once it is put together. Your cubby holes need to fit together comfortably to ensure both stability and usability. How you secure your shelves will depend on whether they are intended to be a permanent fixture or whether you want to have the ability to move them.
Scissor Chairs
There is something highly satisfying about making your own furniture. When you use CNC tools to make furniture, you ensure operations are carried out with the utmost accuracy and precision. One of the most popular furniture-making projects for CNC beginners is creating scissor chairs. As with other CNC projects, begin by choosing your material and then creating a CAD file. Once the individual pieces of your scissor chair have been created, it is a simple matter of painting the pieces, if you do not want to keep the aesthetic of the natural material, and putting them together. Use screws and glue as you see fit during that final stage. If you are leaving the material in its raw state, you may wish to add a layer of varnish.
