I am using my CNC router mostly to make
small parts out of solid wood, MDF and plastic. Until recently, I had never
done any 3D work with it. Then I saw a photo from one of the students in Build a CNC Router, and
I was inspired to try something new.
Randy Winn posted a couple of photos on
Google+ of some carvings he did with his CNC router. He carved two scenes
into some walnut frame-and-panel doors.
Here’s how Randy did it. First, he
purchased some 3D artwork from a company online that specializes in
downloadable files that can be used for CNC work. Next, he imported the file
into some special software that generates code from the shape. He had to do a
little work in the software; it doesn’t create the code automatically.
Randy exported two separate files for
each carving: one for a roughing pass with a ¼” spiral end-mill and another for
a finishing pass with a 1/16” tapered ball-nose bit. He says the carving was
surprisingly smooth when it came off of the router and didn’t need much
sanding. Each carving took about two hours of machining time. Imagine trying to
do that by hand in two hours.
After I saw Randy’s photos, I
immediately bought a tapered ball-nose bit online and started trying to come up
with some ideas for 3D projects I could do with my CNC router. Here’s the funny
thing: it’s not easy to decide on a project when you have so many options.
I started playing around with Fusion 360, the software
I use to design most of my work. I tried to come up with something useful, but
eventually gave up on that idea and created an interesting shape that would
allow me to experiment with 3D routing. You can see it on the left.
This part required three different tool
paths: a roughing operation that cleared away most of the waste material, a
finishing pass with the tapered bit to do the shaping and a simple 2D contour
cut around the perimeter of the part to free it from the stock. With Fusion
360’s built-in CAM, I didn’t have to do any programming. The software did it
all with just a few mouse-clicks.
Now that I have the right bit, software
and inspiration to do 3D work with my CNC router, the only thing standing in my
way is the inability to decide what to do next. I could try some carvings, make
some cool shapes out of wood or play around with other materials like aluminum.
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