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Thursday, June 22, 2017
Digital CNC Router Enables Automatic Production
Digital CNC Router Enables Automatic Production
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Low Cost Desktop CNC Router with Weird Functions
Low Cost Desktop CNC Router with Weird Functions
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CNC Router Working for Craftsman
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A CNC Router is Spinning to Make the Sculpture of a Vase
A CNC Router is Spinning to Make the Sculpture of a Vase
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CNC Router with multiple functions in 1 machine
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Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Multiple Furniture Parts to Be Made Using CNC Router
Question: Why Not Make More Than One?
For every digital woodworker, sooner or
later you’re going ask yourself an important question: If you’re going to the
trouble of making something, why not make more than one while you’re at it? In
the previous post, I gave an
example of CNC Router part making by showing a shape being cut out of a board.
It was a simple triangle, but it demonstrated two important benefits of a CNCRouter. These tools have the ability to make accurate and difficult cuts.
But, I hinted at another part making benefit: repeatability. I cut out eight of
those triangles in less than 20 minutes.
A CNC Router’s accuracy benefits
woodworkers when you need repeatability. They are excellent tools for making
not just one part, but multiple, identical parts. So, instead of machining just
one stool leg for example, why not make the other three legs at the same time?
Or you might choose to make several stools, while you’re at it. Accurate part
making on a CNC Router is something that can be multiplied.
There’s more than one way to make parts
Making more than one part at a time
with a CNC Router is a big topic that I’ll cover in detail later on, but this
is a good time to introduce the basic concepts and methods of making multiples.
You have choices in how you approach this.
Like a lot of processes in woodworking,
there’s more than one way to do this. In general, the methods are a combination
of how you layout your drawings and how you set up your CNC Router machine. The
same approaches would be valid if you were using a laser cutter.
The first method is to
layout parts on a drawing of the board you’re cutting in your CAD program.
This method works just the way that it
sounds. In your CAD program, lay out your parts on a drawing of the board
you’re planning on cutting the parts from. Take the drawing of the individual
parts and move them around and lay them out on a measured drawing of the board
you’re cutting from until they fit, leaving extra room between the individual
parts for the bit to travel and extra along the sides for clamping the board to
the table. For example, with a 3/8” bit I leave at least a 1/2” gap between
parts. Prepare the actual board as you normally would — making sure the board
is perfectly flat on the bottom so that it won’t move when clamped to the
table. Position the board in place and begin cutting.
The second method is to setup accurate part registration of
blank stock.
If you set up the CNC Router, blank
stock, and your cut properly, you can easily make multiple, identical parts. To
do that, you need to first decide on an “origin point” that you reference to.
Usually, that’s the position in your CAD drawing where the X and Y axes
intersect. Then set up the same position on the CNC Router’s bed making that
your CNC Router’s origin so that they match.
Next you setup stops on the table so
that your blank stock is held at the same location every time. Then clamp, mill
and repeat until you’re done.
An example of three parts being cut on a CNC Router at the same
time.
Let’s take this idea even further
If you’re set up for it, you can take
the idea of repeatability even farther. I regularly mill up to 8 identical
furniture parts at a time on my machine. I can do this because my CNC Router’s
table is laid out for pin-register accuracy and I make good use of a
companion modular system of various clamping jigs and fixtures that I created
to take advantage of it. Thus, I can have multiple, accurately placed
positioning setups on my table and quickly mill several parts at the same time.
As I’ve said before, making accurate
parts with a CNC Router is one of the best uses of the machine. And now you
know that it’s not just about the accuracy of its cuts. The ability to produce
multiple parts makes a CNC Router an even more useful tool in a woodworker’s
workshop. The downside, of course, is that you’ll have fewer excuses to only
make one of your latest woodworking creations.
Craftsman’s Favorite CNC Router Kit
In our June 2007 issue we reviewed two-base CNC Router kits. You can read the
full review in Adobe PDF format by clicking here. One of
the CNC Routers in the test, from Craftsman, was nearly identical to the CNC
Router from Bosch. As summer
ended, we began to get calls and e-mails from readers telling us that the
Craftsman CNC Router was not to be found. Following up, we learned that Sears
had discountinued this model, and would be replacing it with a similar CNC
Router in a three-base kit, including a D-handle base along with the plunge
base and standard base. We’ve had the new CNC Router in our shop for a few
weeks, and here are my impressions of it, comparing it to the earlier kit and
the other CNC Routers we tested.
The price of this kit is around $200,
similar to other tools in the group, and the same as the previous kit. The
motor had plenty of power, but it was louder and had more vibration than the
earlier one. The on/off switch can’t be reached without taking a hand off the
tool. It also has an electronic soft-start feature that takes several seconds
to reach operating speed. The motor housing is flat on top, so it will sit
upside down on the bench when changing bits. A spindle lock engages with a pin
for one-wrench bit changes. Changing bases was relatively easy, but with the
fixed bases, the fine adjustment override has to be pushed in before clamping
the motor in place. The override also needs to be pushed to remove the motor.
When this is done with the motor unclamped, the motor will drop if you’re not
holding on to it.
The plunge mechanism has a strong
spring, works smoothly and locks by pulling the lever down. The fine depth
adjustments are a little sloppy on all three bases, and can be reached from
above for adjustments when mounted in a CNC Router table. Unclamping the motor
to use the fine adjustment changes the height slightly, so zeroing in to a
final measurement can be awkward. The base plates hold standard template guides
and are made from a clear plastic that is flexible and not quite flat. All in
all the CNC Router would have rated in the bottom half of the group we tested.
There are some nice extra features; vacuum attachments, an LED work light and a
decent fence. If having the third base is more important than the quirks, it
might be considered a good value.
CNC Router to Do Bronze Products
CNC Router to Do Bronze Products
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Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Roctech Machinery Co., Ltd. CNC Router Supplier
5 Axis Multi-head Digital CNC Router
Multi-head Relief CNC Router
CNC Router Customized to Get Furniture Making Go Digital
I couldn’t find a CNC Router designed for furniture making, so I
had mine custom made. Now, woodworkers have some off-the-shelf choices that fit
our special requirements.
Part Two. Decisions to Make
I’ve been using CNC Router services
since the late ’90s to create patterns, jigs and fixture components and a few
furniture parts. After years of use, the potential of a CNC Router as a useful
tool in woodworking was obvious. But, if I was going to make the most of it, I
needed get my own machine. A couple of things were holding me back. Which
machine to buy was a complicated decision. I knew what I needed, but the
machine I wanted wasn’t available. That said, the major reason for the delay in
getting my own CNC Router was more about choosing and committing to an advanced
CAD software package that I could live with for a long time.
Big Machines Don’t Fit Well in Small Shops
Until recently, most CNC Routers were
expensive and designed for cabinet shops who use sheet goods and are sized 4×8
or larger. Like many woodworkers, my shop space is limited. Factory or cabinet
shop sized CNC Routers were just too big for my needs. Here’s why. The rule of
thumb for sizing equipment for furniture making is to size your power tools to
the average of your larger individual furniture parts. Your equipment doesn’t
have to handle the biggest piece you can imagine. When the occasional really
big part comes up, you work around the problem using alternate woodworking
techniques. Being flexible in how you accomplish a given task is an important
part of what woodworking is all about.
This same theory works for sizing a CNC
Router. If you consider everything you might make, you’ll find that most
furniture parts really aren’t all that big. I needed a CNC Router sized for
furniture making not cabinetmaking.
Deciding On CAD Software for Woodworking
I also had to commit to better design
software then I was using at the time. After a career as a designer, from
decades of experience I knew that good software is a critical. Great software
can do much more for you then just being a simple tool for making drawings. In
the right hands, it’s potentially a powerful creative tool. Once mastered, it
gives you new opportunities and take you in new directions. And so, the
software decision was the most difficult of the two I had to make. And, it’s
the reason I didn’t buy a CNC Router years sooner.
Why was it a hard choice? Because, if
you’re going to use digitally based tools of any type (CNC Routers, Laser
Cutters, etc.) you have to make a commitment to learn CAD software – the tool
you use to create your designs, and CAM software – for turning your drawings
into the tool paths and the instructions that the CNC Router follows. Because
of its enormous range of capabilities, CAD in particular takes a commitment to
dive in and learn it. I looked at many different professional packages over
several years but I needed to give the contestants a more thorough evaluation.
It took the commitment to get a CNC Router to force me to look deeper and
critically evaluate my needs and long term expectations.
And, since this question will
inevitably come up, it’s important to clarify that 3D sketching software is not
the same as true CAD software. The accuracy, features, toolset, versatility and
potential of true CAD software – especially 3D CAD software – are critical
if your intended result is CAM files that will run on CNC Routers. That being
said, if you already have experience in 3D sketching, it’s a great place to
start as you head into the world of real CAD software.
The Cost of Software is Measured in Time. Not Dollars.
Certainly, CAD software like this can
be expensive but price wasn’t my first concern. From decades using
professional digital design tools I knew that the real cost in serious software
is not measured in dollars. The initial cost always takes care of itself over
time. The real cost is the time you put in to learn and someday master the
tool. If you value your time – as you should, then time should be a major
factor in your decision.
Because CAD software has so much
capability and tons of features expect an investment of your time over a number
of years. Digital woodworking involves creating the drawings that you’ll
ultimately machine. Experience has also taught me that better quality software
is often worth the added costs over a free or inexpensive solution.
Unfortunately, because software can’t be touched like a beautifully made
hand tool many people don’t recognize the value in it and automatically
gravitate to the lowest price solution. But, like other tools in the shop, free
or inexpensive software can sometimes be like living with any other cheap tool.
You often get what you pay for. Inaccuracy, limitations, reliability,
incompatibility and just plain being hard to learn and live with are
frustrations common in both the hand tool and software worlds.
The choice of CAD software is a decision with long term
consequences. In my case, I chose a highly capable 3D package with lots of room
to expand.
Treat Software Like a Major Shop Tool
A more realistic approach is to
consider that buying good CAD and CAM software is comparable to the process of
deciding on a quality fixed tool in your workshop. It’s worth serious
consideration and research on your part before you make a decision to commit.
One advantage that software has over
big, heavy shop tools is you can take it home and try it out. Free trials,
usually for 30 days or more give you a good chance to evaluate before you make
a decision. And, don’t just poke around but also use some of the training tools
that the software companies and YouTube provides.
So, What did I Do?
At the time, no CNC Router manufacture
made a machine available in the size, specification, level of precision and
with special tweaks I considered important for furniture making, so I
ended up designing the machine I needed and having it custom built.
For me the choice of CAD package had to
fit both my present and future needs, be a solid tool with a lots of
capabilities. And, be a tool I wanted to live with for a long time and
like any other favorite tools, be a program I really liked using. For
software, I chose a high-end but moderately priced 3D CAD program called
Rhino3D that I’m very happy with. And, for CAM software I chose RhinoCAM, an
advanced package that nicely compliments my CAD software. Because it’s so
critical to digital woodworking, software will certainly be an ongoing
topic in this blog.
Use CNC Router CAD to Create Six Tables
Digital woodworking comes with a lot of
moving parts: new hardware; new software; new methods and skills. But it’s the
machinery itself that gets most of the attention. CNC Routers, Laser Cutters
and 3D printers are all impressive machines. Watching them work, and the
resulting precision, is the main focus of this new way of woodworking. With all
that amazing machinery magically moving around, it’s easy to miss the most
important part of digital woodworking. As you get more used to this new world,
you start to realize that the most powerful tool is not the one you thought it
would be. Yes, the hardware delivers all the expected benefits of precision and
repeatability. But it’s really the software design tools and how you use them
that really opens up your mind to new methods, new ideas and a new way of
thinking. Despite computers and the fancy digitally controlled machinery, this
is where the real power resides in digital woodworking.
Case in point. Each year in late
spring, I teach a five-day class at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking that’s a hands-on
introduction to digital woodworking. Besides the basics of how the
software and machinery work, the main objective is to build a project using
these new tools. For that, each student makes a modern hall table — the
parts of which will be machined on a CNC Router. In a typical class, this would
mean building just one table design. But as a designer equipped with good CAD
design tools, I just couldn’t leave well enough alone. So I created six
different table designs for the students to choose from – and one of them is
simple; it’s meant to be a stepping-off point for motivated students to develop
their own variations.
Six Tables are Better Than One
Creating six table designs is
definitely more work than one, but the tools for creating designs in CAD
software are very powerful. Once you realize that you can clone one table and
use its general layout and dimensions as a starting point for a new design,
things start to get interesting. And, because the process of creating a new
design based on an existing one is so flexible, you resist the natural inertia
to stop with just one. Creating in CAD is quite a bit different than sketching
out small thumbnail designs in a sketchbook where you naturally want to be
loose. I sketch and draw all the time. But once in CAD, you are working on
full-scale working drawings that, if created precisely, can be used for cutting
parts on a CNC Router. The big benefit is that you can produce lifelike 3D
renderings of different variations to evaluate before you commit to building
them.
You can take it a step further. With CAD
software and a CNC Router machine, it’s easy to make something you can see and
touch in the real world. Once I completed the six hall table designs, I thought
it might be useful for students to look at actual tables. So over a couple of
hours, I made half-scale versions of all six of the tables out of poplar.
Because I have to ship the models to the school, I made them knock-down so they
fit in a small case to be assembled on site. Now, students have a chance to see
the tables in person before making the choice of which full-size version to
build.
Learning More by Doing More
And that gets to an important lesson
about digital woodworking. Because of the power of CAD software, you can create
more than one design. You can create variations that you can try out on screen
in renderings or scaled models that can be machined on a CNC Router machine.
Renderings are terrific, but there’s nothing like seeing and touching something
in the real world. From a designer’s perspective, the benefits go well
beyond making alternate versions of the same table; it’s also about refining
your design. Any tool that encourages you to hone in and tweak the design and
the details is very powerful. If you’re methodical, your designs get better and
better as you refine them. This is the secret of automobile designers. They
develop their designs with highly skilled hand drawings, take them into CAD for
precision and to refine and tweak them. Next, they’ll make scaled clay mock-ups
to further evaluate and refine the design. Finally, they make full-size
mock-ups to see the work in different lighting situations and refine the
designs even more.
Digital Woodworking Tools are Powerful Creative Tools
The power of digital woodworking tools
in creative hands is considerable. Never is this more apparent than in the use
of CAD drawing software. Going beyond your first design, developing variations
and continual refinement are powerful techniques a designer uses to make a good
design into a great design. As I’ve said in the past, you don’t have to own a
CNC Router to get most of the benefits out of digital woodworking. Good CAD
software is a powerful tool that makes the process of variation and refinement
much easier. And that makes your designs better. Good design and CAD software
are the real secrets of digital woodworking. And whether you’re a hand-tool
woodworker, a hybrid woodworker or a newbie digital woodworker, using digital
design tools to develop and refine your designs is just as powerful.
Sunday, June 18, 2017
The Advantages of Laser Routers for Woodworking
Laser Woodworking
A pioneering craft for the 21st Century.
Each generation, a new technology in
woodworking enables us to work faster, with more precision and more creativity.
Carbide-tipped bits and a whole new set of portable power tools, for example,
have improved how we work and what we build. For the next generation, CNC lasers may also be one of those tools that transform our shops.
I’m a young, 21st Century woodworker.
When Epilog, a maker of CNC Router lasers, asked me to try out the Helix , a
mid-size machine from the Legend Elite series, I jumped at the chance. What can
it do? How does it work? How far can I push it? Dozens of questions came up.
I’ll introduce you to what I found, but one thing I’ll tell you up front:
There’s way more to this technology than meets the eye. After days of
experimenting, I only scratched the surface.
What is a CNC laser?
To understand a CNC laser, think of it
as having two components. First, there’s the CNC Router (computer numerically
controlled) part. You’re probably familiar with CNC Router machines–they’re
common in factories, and are making their way into small woodworking shops,
too. In woodworking applications, a CNC Router usually controls a router. OK,
let’s replace that router bit with a highintensity beam of light–a laser.
That’s the second part of the machine.
Consider a CNC laser as a type of
printer. A computer program moves the machine’s head. But the head shoots a
laser, instead of ink.
What can a laser do?
A CNC laser’s beam essentially heats
and vaporizes the wood it contacts. By adjusting the intensity of the light,
you can determine the depth that it cuts. Usually, the waste is just reduced to
smoke, but when the laser is set on high, you may even create a small flame!
You can fine-tune the depth-of-cut however
you wish, but think of it as having three levels: shallow, medium and deep.
They correspond to three diff erent applications: engraving, relief carving and
pattern cutting.
Lots of folks have bought a CNC laser
for engraving things like nametags, keychains and other quickly personalized
trinkets. It’s a great small business–there’s one in virtually every city in
the country. You can copy your own images or download them from the Internet.
Basically, any image that can be digitized can be engraved.
Cutting deeper into the wood with a
laser creates a three dimensional effect, similar to low relief carving. The
laser is extremely precise. You can create very intricate patterns, perfect for
medallions, awards, moldings or any design that will embellish a project.
Cutting deeper yet, you can go all the
way through a relatively thin piece of solid wood or plywood (up to 3/8"
on the Helix I tested). You’re not making images anymore–you’re making shapes.
Lasers are commonly used to make wooden clock parts, dollhouse furniture,
models, 3-D animal sculptures and more. For workshop applications, you can use
a laser to create extremely accurate plywood templates, based on CAD drawings,
for shaping parts on a router table. You could also use a laser for intarsia,
marquetry or scroll-saw patterns.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
There’s a wide community of Epilog users online (www.EpilogLaser.com),
supported and encouraged by Epilog to push the boundaries of what a laser can
do. If you buy a laser for woodworking, or rent time on one, consider yourself
a pioneer. Many applications have yet to be discovered!
How does the laser work?
The Epilog’s laser tube is located in
back of the machine. The beam of high-energy light passes through a series of
mirrors and lenses to a CNC-controlled head, which moves in an X/Y plane (Photo
1). The head moves in a totally sealed and safe compartment containing the
workpiece.
The Epilog interfaces with your
computer much like a printer. After you’ve set up your project in Corel Draw,
the software included with the Epilog (which can be used with a wide variety of
graphic-editing programs), you hit print and bring up a print driver screen,
which Eplilog refers to as the dashboard (Photo 2). The dashboard is where you
make your adjustments. The most important are speed (how fast the laser moves
over your material) and intensity (how strong the laser is, and how deep it
will cut). Once you’ve zeroed in on your settings for a particular project, you
can save and recall them at any time.
What does the Epilog require?
On the hardware side, you’ll need a
computer to run the Epilog. You’ll also need an exhaust system, to remove
particulates and odor from the machine’s exhaust (Photo 3). Most users in a fixed
installation opt to exhaust the fumes out of their shop with a hose or
ductwork, but portable filtration units are available for mobile applications
(like shows and fairs). Most lasers and fi ltration units only need 120-volt
circuits.
On the software side, the Epilog is
designed to empower even a novice computer user to get started creating
quickly. You don’t have to be an expert! Having grown up in the information
age, that part of the operation didn’t faze me, but I was surprised to see how
easy the software was to use at its most basic levels.
Types of Epilog lasers
Epilog has two lines of lasers: Zing
and Legend Elite. The major diff erences between the lines are capacity (the
size and depth of the bed), power (expressed in watts) and resolution (dots per
square inch).
The Zings are entry-level lasers with
smaller beds and lower-power, capable of cutting through 1/4" wood.
The Legend Elite series lasers have a
larger capacity, more powerful beams capable of cutting through wood up to
3/8" thick. Legend series lasers can also engrave at a faster speed than
the Zings.
Both lines of lasers have a
repeatability of ±.0005". Zing series machines engrave up to 1000 dpi; the
Legend series goes up to 1200 dpi.
The Helix I tried out has a 24" x
18" bed, a 60-watt laser. The exhaust system we used is about $3,000.
The bottom line
An Epilog is an investment, no doubt
about it. But it can be the foundation of a profitable small business or the
tool that propels your woodworking to an entirely new level. To find out more
about laser woodworking, contact your local Epilog distributor. He can probably
locate an Epilog in your area and help you contract some work or rent some time
on the machine. After seeing how quick and easy it is to personalize a project
or engrave an intricate design, you just might catch the laser bug. Our
photographer sure did–he achieved some remarkable results.
What A Laser Can Do
Engraving: The Epilog can burn a shallow picture or
drawing on wood. You can reproduce any digital image, including your own photo
or sketch.
Relief Carving: The Epilog can also be set to burn deeper, for
shallow relief carving. A laser can quickly and precisely duplicate intricate
patterns.
Pattern Cutting: Set to full strength, the Epilog can cut all
the way through material. You can duplicate parts large or small, such as these
interlocking puzzle pieces.
Inlay: Using pattern cutting and relief carving
techniques, the Epilog can cut out an inlay and the recess in which it fits.
How It Works
1. The Epilog laser’s head moves like a printer. It will scan back and
forth or follow a continuous line, depending on how it’s programmed.
2. The Epilog’s settings are adjusted in a printer driver window on your
computer. By adjusting rate, frequency, intensity and other parameters, a
variety of materials can be engraved or cut.
3. The laser beam produces smoke and fumes, so you’ll also need an external exhaust
system or a portable filtration unit.
4. The future for CNC laser woodworking is wide open. This
shallow relief carving, based on a photo of a tree, cuts through one layer of
plywood to reveal the layer below. It’s a beautiful effect that we found with
creative experimentation.
Ways to Digitalize CNC Routers for Woodworking
There are a lot of ways to do
woodworking.
For example, there’s more than a dozen
ways to make mortises and tenons. The same is true for almost everything a
woodworker does. For any given task, everyone finds a way to do it that fits how
they work or a particular situation. For most of us, woodworking is a
combination of hand and machine tools and techniques. If you’re making a living
as a furniture maker as I do, you probably tend to be more pragmatic in your
choices and lean a bit harder on machines for added efficiency, accuracy and
time saving.
As if there weren’t already enough
options, there’s something new to consider. Thanks to lower prices and better
designs, woodworkers can now add digitally controlled tools to their workshop. Yes,
we’re talking about computers, software and CNC routers. How they work and the
range of what they can do for woodworkers is unlike anything we’ve seen in the
past.
I’ve discovered that with the right
approach and a clear understanding of how to use digital tools in conjunction
with hand tools and power tools, they can be great additions to a shop – the
best of all worlds.
So, let’s take a peek into the world of
technology, CNC Routers and digital wood-working.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
4 Axis CNC Router for Wood
4 Axis CNC Router for Wood
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A Wonderful DIY CNC Router - Dailymotion影片
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Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
Why do I Worship my CNC Routers
People react with shock and horror when
they learn I have electric CNC Router machinery
in my Kentucky workshop.
After
all, I’ve been writing almost exclusively about handwork for almost 20 years
now. And yet anyone who is more than an acquaintance knows that I adore heavy
iron, and that I coddle my CNC Router machines like prize French bulldogs. So
what’s the deal?
I
like all the woodworking tools, from chisels to CNC routers. I want to know
them all – inside and out – so I can do my best work with the smallest amount
of stupidity swirling around in my shop. Here are two simple examples:
Stupid:
Making a jig to cut a compound angle on the table saw.
Not stupid: Knifing a line and cutting the compound angle with a carcase saw.
Not stupid: Knifing a line and cutting the compound angle with a carcase saw.
Stupid:
Processing 200 board feet of rough lumber with a jack plane.
Not stupid: Using an electric jointer and planer to do the work in an afternoon.
Not stupid: Using an electric jointer and planer to do the work in an afternoon.
Perhaps
I’m just trying to be efficient, but I don’t see it that way. I choose
different tools or machines to remain a furniture maker at all times. I don’t
want to become a machinist where jigs, numbers and precision measuring tools
guide my work. And I don’t want to be a donkey, using the little time I have on
this earth to do a mindless chore (ripping 12/4 maple) out of some affectation.
CNC Router Means Digitally Controlled Woodworking
These Two Can Be a Great Combination
For
many years, Popular
Woodworking has been an important resource for learning and an
inspiration to many woodworkers – including myself. Whether it’s a new
technique to learn, a skill to perfect, a tool to consider, a design to be
inspired by or a plan to build, the publication has been and continues to be as
important to woodworkers as any tool in the shop.
One
of the great things the magazine does for its readers is to introduce them to
the joys of woodworking through an emphasis on the importance of craftsmanship,
developing skills with hand tools and good techniques with power tools.
Expanding what we know and what we can do is how we all become skilled and
passionate woodworkers.
In
recent years, the magazine has taken a step beyond tools that you can touch and
introduced woodworkers to a software based drawing tool: SketchUp. And, it’s
along those lines that leads to what my job will be as a contributor. For
readers interested in new tools and techniques I’m going to take you farther
down that path and introduce you the new world of digitally based tools, show
you what they can do in woodworking and explain how to use them.
Yes,
we’re talking about the world of CAD (computer aided design), CAM (computer
aided manufacturing) and CNC Routers (computer numeric control). That’s a lot
of acronyms and it can be a little confusing. So, when it comes to using these
tools in woodworking, I prefer to lump it all together and call it: Digital
Woodworking. Digital technology and woodworking may sound like a little strange
combination at first, but I’ve found that with the right approach and some new
techniques these two can work together beautifully.
At
first it may seem odd that computers could be considered proper tools in a
woodworking workshop, but as we already know, there’s a lot of ways to do
woodworking. Just as hand tools are right for some tasks and power tools are
appropriate for others, digital tools can find their place in a modern
woodworker’s shop. I really believe that the combination of different
approaches is ultimately the artistic sweet spot for creative woodworkers to
explore.
So,
what does all that mean to you as a woodworker? Certainly, if you’re a
dedicated hand-tool-only woodworker, Digital Woodworking may not mean as much.
But, just as many hand tool craftsmen and women appreciate the benefits of a
few power tools on occasion, woodworkers of all types might be curious about
what can be done with new tools like CNC routers. Or Laser Cutters. Or, other
exciting tools coming your way soon. Where technology and woodworking intersect
will be the primary focus of my blog posts and articles for the magazine.
Other Woodworking Topics I’ll Cover
I
also plan on writing about other topics, too. I’m a full time furniture maker
who produces a lot of pieces in a small shop. Therefore, I have to be hyper-efficient
in my work. I love finding ways to work better, quicker and more
accurately. I’m constantly thinking about every single step, every movement and
every technique I use and try to improve on them. I’ve found that in teaching
woodworking classes, there’s a number of methods, techniques and skills that
professionals use to be more efficient, more accurate and less prone to
mistakes that are just as valuable to passionate woodworking hobbyists in their
home shops. I’ve seen plenty of mistakes happen because some of these
principals aren’t observed. I plan on sharing as many “tricks of the trade” and
techniques as I can.
The
final subject I’ll be covering is design. Before I got into woodworking, I had
a long and successful career in design. Being a designer has been invaluable to
me as a woodworker and becoming good at design should be important to you as
well. Too often, there’s a key misunderstanding about what design actually is.
Despite what a lot of people think, design is not an instinct based or gut
feeling means of expression. It doesn’t work that way. It’s a real skill with
numerous visual techniques that good designers master and use repeatedly in
order to get excellent results no matter what visual problems there are to
solve.
Just
like woodworkers learning to hand cut dovetails, the basics of design and how
to apply them can be learned. Circling back to my main topic, it just so
happens that design is the trick, the hidden secret, that special sauce,
when it comes to getting the very best out of Digital Woodworking. Really. The
same is true for all woodworking, for that matter. Just more so when it comes
to the digital world. Since good design is important I’ll share techniques and
tips wherever I can.
What’s Coming Up
In
upcoming posts and articles I’ll discuss how I started in woodworking and how
digital technology has been an important part of my work from the beginning.
I’ll talk about what I do in my shop with these digital tools. Down the road,
I’ll cover hardware like CNC Routers, Laser Cutters and other specialized
tools, computer based tools like CAD, CAM and other specialized software. I’ll
explore exciting upcoming technology, interesting new projects you can make
with digital and/or traditional tools, a new workbench design, custom flexible
toolboxes, ways to learn this stuff and many new techniques and skills and
tricks that are unique to working with wood and digital tools. Plus, a way that
you can take advantage of CNC Routers to make your patterns even if you don’t
own a machine by using outside services. There’s definitely a lot to cover.
Looking
down the road, I can tell you up front that Digital Woodworking comes with many
of the same woodworking problems to solve, several new skills to learn and many
old and new challenges to overcome. Fair warning. This kind of woodworking will
never be as simple as clicking a mouse. That’s because woodworking is quite
complicated. What would be the fun in “simple”, anyway? We’re woodworkers. We
like to be engaged, challenged to improve our skills and we like to build
things. Going digital offers all those things, too.
Finally,
I want to thank Megan, Jon and Rodney of Popular
Woodworking for the
opportunity to introduce the readers and fellow woodworkers to Digital
Woodworking. It’s a big step for a magazine focused on woodworking to enter
this new world. And, just as it was in the past when power tools first showed
up in woodworker’s shops, it’s a natural step for the magazine to introduce and
explore new technology, as well as support the readers along the way.
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