WELCOME TO CNC

Lesson 1: Welcome to CNC

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with JON-A-TRON

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In this class, youll learn everything you need to know to

design and create your own CNC cut projects, whether or
not youve got access to a CNC router. Well learn some
useful 3D modeling techniques, how to create joinery, and
talk about equipment and materials.
CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. Simply put,
it is a machine with a tool-holding head whose movements
are controlled by a computer. Laser cutters, water jets, and
CNC routers are all CNC machines. 3D printers are
technically CNC machines as well, but they
have additive tool heads (adding layers of melted plastic) as
opposed to subtractive ones like routers (subtracting from
stock by cutting or carving into it).
CNC machines are controlled using a very simple
programming language called G-Code. With a 3-axis CNC
machine, the computer tells the head to "move in the X axis
2.1 inches"... "move in the Y axis 1.3 inches"... etc.
This computer control allows you to quickly and accurately
cut out a wide variety of stock (wood, plastic, metal, etc.) in

just about any shape you can imagine. CNC machines can
carve complex 3D shapes, cut 2.5D contours out of panels,
and even cut out fabric or leather with a drag-knife setup.
CNC allows you to create a design in your CAD software,
create a CAM setup (Computer Aided Manufacturing), and
produce a physical copy of your design very quickly. One of
the added benefits is that you can change your design and
update your CAM setup to improve on it. You can also
produce multiple exact copies of the same object.

What You'll Learn

I think the CNC router is the most powerful DIY tool in the
world. Although 3D printers and laser cutters are great for
making all kinds of things, they're very limited when it
comes to size and structure. With a CNC router and enough
plywood, you can literally make a house. I made this 9'
tall semi-permanent shelter for two campers using $250
worth of MDF, some flexible metal flaps, wood screws, and
a CNC router...

Ungloo, Joshua Tree, CA, 2008

PROJECT 1: Relief Sculpture

You'll learn the ins-and-outs of CNC through 3 projects.

First, you'll use Fusion 360 with an add-in, and ArtCAM to create

a relief sculpture from a photograph. I'll demonstrate this

project on the Othermill, a desktop CNC machine, for this
project.

ArtCAM example

PROJECT 2: Dining Table + Chairs

With the basic concepts covered, we'll move on to flat-pack

design by making a full-sized dining table. We'll design it
in Fusion 360, a free-for-life CAD modeling suite complete
with a sophisticated CAM environment. We'll make this
project on the Shopbot CNC Router, a machine shop tool
that can be found in maker spaces worldwide.

Flat-Pack Dining Table

Finally, we'll get some practice with more complex geometry

by designing a flat-packed dining chair to go with the table.
Since we're using CNC, we can make as many copies as
we want in no time!

Flat-Pack Dining Chair

CNC Design & Fabrication Process

1. Design + Model

The first step is to create and model your design in CAD

(Computer Aided Design). We'll do this in Fusion 360, which

we'll introduce you to and provide download links for in the

next lesson.
When you're designing an object that you intend to cut out
with a CNC machine, it's very important to first know the
following:
1.

What's the size of your CNC machine's table? The size

of the table will limit the size of the stock you can cut.

2.

What's the size and thickness of your material? You

will always need to know this, but it's particularly important
when you're designing parts with joints that fit together.

3.

What's the length and diameter of your end mill? An

end mill is a cutting tool kind of like a drill bit or router bit
that's specifically designed for clean, precise cutting of
specific materials.
When you start your design knowing these three things,
you'll be able to make smart choices about how to design
the object.
We'll also get into parameters in the Fusion 360 design.
Parameters are just variables you can apply to any part of a
model. In our case, we'll use them to establish the thickness
of the stock for the table and chair projects.
2. CAM Setup

CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) involves taking one

or more 3D objects and creating a G-Code tool path that will
cut out or mill the parts as desired. Another reason we're
using Fusion 360 is that CAM is built into the software, so

all you have to do is switch from one workspace to another

to work on the CAM setup.
You'll also be able to change a design, then update the
CAM setup to work with the changes you've made. This
makes it easy to experiment and improve your designs as
you cut out parts.
3. CNC Machine Setup + Operation

With your tool paths finished, you'll learn how to safely

operate both a desktop and full-size CNC machine for the
best results in 2.5D cutting and 3D carving.

Tools, Materials, and Software

CNC Mill / Router: Not Required

Although it's great to have a CNC on hand to practice what

you learn in the class, you don't have to own one to
participate. The class is designed so that you can learn the
design, CAD, and CAM parts of the process in order to
prepare you for the day when you have access to a CNC.
There lots of CNC machines on the market and no shortage
of DIY builds on Instructables. Like most popular products,
they get better and cheaper by the day. Carbide
3D and Inventables both make easy-to-assemble kits for
less than $2,000.00 that I would highly recommend
investigating. Makerspaces and hackerspaces are popping
up all over the world and public libraries are jumping on
board as well, so pay attention to what's happening in your
neighborhood.
The material taught in this class is applicable to any CNC
mill or router you may have access to.
Fusion 360

This is an awesome CAD / CAM program that leaves

nothing to be desired when it comes to designing parts for
CNC fabrication. It's got a simple, intuitive modeling
environment, a sculpting environment for organic shapes,
and a CAM environment that lets you easily translate your
designs into g-code toolpaths that a CNC machine can
understand. Despite the fact that it's a professional-grade
3D modeling program with a great user interface, it's free
for life with an enthusiast license. If you make less than
$100K per year using it, you'll never have to pay for it.
Wood / Plywood

Although you can CNC cut almost any material, I'll be

demonstrating the process with solid wood for the carving
project and plywood for the table and chair. These
materials are available anywhere and are a great place to
start.

Join Us and Become a Hardcore Maker

I hope you'll join us and learn all about CNC. I really believe
that these are the best digital fabrication tools available
for makers. Whether you want to make small scale
sculptural objects, plaques or signs, furniture, or bigger
structures, you won't regret learning about CNC.

3D CNC RELIEF SCULPTURE - FUSION

360
with JON-A-TRON
Lesson 2: 3D CNC Relief Sculpture - Fusion 360
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In this lesson, we'll get acquainted with the basic concepts

of CNC by turning a photograph into a 3D relief sculpture. I'll
demonstrate this process using a script with Fusion 360.
What You'll Need

Fusion 360 (Mac / Windows- free for life)

What You'll Do

1.

Download and install Fusion 360. Sign up as a

Hobbyist / Enthusiast / Startup to get it free for life.

2.

Get a quick orientation of the user interface.

3.

Download and install a script that will let you turn a 2D

image into a 3D surface.

4.

Use the script to create a 3D surface for CNC milling.

Why Fusion 360?

Fusion 360 is pretty much all I use nowadays in terms of 3D

software. FULL DISCLOSURE: Fusion 360 is an
Autodesk product, and Instructables is an Autodesk
company, so this might seem like a biased choice. That's
not exactly the case, and here's why:
1.

It's easy to learn. The UI has been carefully designed

from the ground up to be clean, minimal, and simple. You
can go from zero knowledge about 3D modeling to making
simple objects in an afternoon.

2.

It's powerful. Once you get through the basics, there's

really no limit to the complexity of the things you can design
with it. It's easy to create simple models with it, but there's
nothing holding you back from modeling a fully articulated
gas engine if you want to.

3.

It's cross-platform. It's available on Mac and PC, and

it's proven to be very stable on both platforms in my
experience.

4.

It's great for CNC. Fusion has a super sophisticated

CAM environment that lets you create all kinds of tool paths,
which we'll get into later. It's really awesome to have the
CAD and CAM together in the same program, because
when you change your model, the tool paths update
automatically.

5.

It's free. If you make less than $100K per year using it,
you just renew with a startup license every year and keep
using it free of charge.

6.

It's not a web app. Though all your files are backed
up on the cloud and rendering is taken care of there, you
don't have to rely on a high-speed internet connection to
use the program.
I've been 3D modeling for over 13 years, and I can tell you
honestly that this program is perfect for the kind of work I
do: furniture, toys, machines, household products, etc. It
makes digital fabrication a breeze, especially laser cutting.
There are a number of other programs out there that could
be used to produce the same results, and if you're
comfortable with something else (especially if you've
already paid for it), there's no reason why you shouldn't
stick with it. But if you haven't spent any money or invested
time in another program, believe me when I say you won't
be sorry you went with Fusion 360.

You Got This!

3D modeling can seem intimidating if you've never done it
before. Like anything else, though, if you start slow with a

simple project and keep practicing, you'll be creating

complex designs before you know it.
Here are a few pointers to help you along:
1.

Be patient: 3D modeling can be frustrating in the

beginning because the process is foreign. If you can get in
the habit of asking yourself why the program isn't doing
what you want instead of getting mad at it, you'll learn faster
and enjoy it more.

2.

Learn the vocabulary: Like anything else, a quick

Instructables or Youtube search will likely answer your
questions quickly when you're stuck. Do they call it a "line"
or a "curve"? Is it a "surface" or a "face"? The tricky part is
knowing what to search for! Pay attention to the
terminology, and you'll learn much faster.

3.

Think in steps: Everything you create can be broken

down into a series of steps. The lessons in this class will lay
these out for you with all the example projects, but when
you move on to your own work, continuing to think this way
will be very useful. How do you eat an elephant? One piece
at a time!

4.

Solve one problem at a time: The most difficult part

of 3D modeling is translating what's in your head to what's
on the screen. If you think of your project as a series of

connected parts and tackle one of them at a time, you'll

save yourself from being overwhelmed.
If you practice regularly and challenge yourself, you'll be
designing your own work in a matter of weeks. I promise.

Get Fusion for Free

1.

Follow the link to download Fusion (don't use the App

Store on Mac).

2.

Enter your email and download the free trial.

3.

Install and setup a free Autodesk ID account.

4.

When you open Fusion, select the Trial Counter in the

upper toolbar.

5.

In the next dialog box, select "Register for Free Use".

6.

Sign up as a Start-Up or Enthusiast (Free). You can

also Sign up as a Student or Educator (Free) if you're a
student or educator at a registered institution.

7.

Select the "I accept Terms and Conditions" checkbox

and click Submit.

The Fusion Interface

Fusion 360 has a great Youtube channel with lots of helpful
videos. If you're the type of person who likes to learn
software by going through every function it can perform, this
channel is a good place to start. The overview here should
get you pretty well oriented to the interface and give you an
idea of how the program works.
But before we dive into a full-fledged 3D model, I'll quickly
run through the interface.
PRO TIP: Use a 3-button mouse! It's so much easier than
using a trackpad.

1.

Application bar: Access the Data Panel, file

operations, save, undo and redo.

2.

Profile and help: In Profile, you can control your

profile and account settings, or use the help menu to
continue your learning or get help in troubleshooting.

3.

Toolbar: Use the Toolbar to select the workspace you

want to work in, and the tool you want to use in the
workspace selected.

4.

ViewCube: Use the ViewCube to orbit your design or

view the design from standard view positions.

5.

Browser: The browser lists objects in your design.

Use the browser to make changes to objects and control
visibility of objects.

6.

Canvas and marking menu: Left click to select

objects in the canvas (the space where you make your
models). Right-click to access the marking menu. The
marking menu contains frequently used commands in the
wheel and all commands in the overflow menu.

7.

Timeline: The timeline lists operations performed on

your design. Right-click operations in the timeline to make
changes. Drag operations to change the order they are
calculated.

8.

Navigation bar and display settings: The navigation

bar contains commands used to zoom, pan, and orbit your
design. The display settings control the appearance of the
interface and how designs are displayed in canvas.

Canvas Navigation
There are three ways to manipulate the view of your design:

Navigation Bar

ViewCube

Wheel button on a mouse

Navigation Bar

The navigation bar is positioned at the bottom of the

canvas. It provides access to navigation commands. The
menus on the right end control Display Settings and Layout
Grid options.
To start a navigation command, click a button on the
navigation bar.
Navigation Commands

Orbit: A set of commands that rotate the current view.

Look At: Views faces of a model from a selected

plane.

Pan: Moves the view parallel to the screen.

Zoom: Increases or decreases the magnification of the

current view.

Fit: Positions the entire model on the screen.

Display Settings
Set of commands that enables you to specify desired visual
style, visibility of objects, or camera settings, for example.
Grid and Snaps
Commands that allow you to specify increments, grid
settings, and show / hide the layout grid.
Viewports
Viewports are windows that display your design. You can
show up to four viewports in the canvas at once. Displaying
multiple viewports allows you to work in one view and see
the changes from other camera positions.
ViewCube

Use the ViewCube to rotate the camera. Drag the

ViewCube to perform a free orbit. Click faces and corners of
the cube to access
standard orthographic and isometricviews.
Mouse: Use mouse shortcuts to zoom in/out, pan the view
and orbit the view.

Scroll middle mouse button to zoom in or zoom out.

Click and hold the middle mouse button to pan the

view.

Shift Key + middle mouse button to orbit the view.

Trackpad: If you have a Mac with a touchpad or an Apple
Magic Mouse, you can use multi-touch gestures to navigate
the view.

Pinch to zoom in.

Spread to zoom out.

Two finger drag to pan.

SHIFT + two finger drag to rotate.

For more help with the UI, click here.
QUIZ QUESTION 1
How do you change the view of your model?

Use a mouse / trackpad and keyboard shortcuts.

Use the ViewCube

Answer!

Image-2-Surface Script
"Script" is shorthand for a bit of code that you can plug into
the program to give it a new tool that wasn't included by the
software developer. There are dozens of scriptsthat allow
you to do some pretty awesome things.
To translate a 2D bitmap image to a 3D surface for CNC
milling, we're going to use the Image-2-Surface script
written by Hans Kellner.

The script is very simple. All it does is translate

the value (level of lightness or darkness) of a bitmap image
to the height of a point on a mesh surface. The white parts
of an image will be the highest points, and the black parts

will be the lowest points. This script will work with any
photo, but I find it's best to use grayscale images because
it's easier to predict what it will look like in 3D.
INSTALL THE SCRIPT

First, download the Zip file attached belo and unzip it in a

location of your choice. I would advise keeping it some
place other than the Downloads folder, or any other folder
that is regularly cleaned out.
To load the script in Fusion, follow these steps:
1.

Start Fusion 360 and then select the ADDINS > Scripts and Add-Ins... menu item.

2.

The Scripts and Add-Ins dialog will appear and display

the My Scripts and Sample Scripts folders.

3.

Select one of the My Scripts folders, then click on

the + icon near the top of the dialog.

4.

Locate the ForceEffectImport.js file in the folder you

copied, select it, and click Open. The script should now be
installed and ready to be run.

Scripts and Add-Ins Menu

Fusion360Image2Surface-master.zip

Use the Image 2 Surface Script

RUN THE SCRIPT

After opening Fusion, I save the untitled file with a new

name.

With my file saved, and the Workspace set to MODEL, I go

to ADD-INS > Scripts and Add-Ins... I
select Image2Surface from the list and click Run.

CHOOSE A BITMAP IMAGE

The script opens a window where you can choose a bitmap

image. I'm using a topographical map of the Monterey
Canyons in Santa Cruz.
IMPORTANT: the image should be a small size. The higher
the resolution, the more points on the mesh, which means
slower performance or crashing. The image I'm using is
less than 300 X 300 PX and seems to work fine. Notice also
that the image is blurred- this makes for a smoother mesh.
To find good images for practice, just do a google search
for "depth map image" and you'll see lots of images that
are ready for this kind of work.
If you want to follow along, you can right-click and download
the image below and use it to create your 3D surface.

Santa Cruz Canyons File: 288 X 288 PX

SETTINGS

When you've selected your image, click OK and you'll get

the Image2Surface script dialog. Here's a breakdown of the
settings and what they mean. There's a lot of technical
jargon that we won't get into here, but I find that a good
place to start learning about this kind of thing is to just play
around with the settings and see what happens. The
settings shown in the screenshot below seem to yield
the best
results.

You may want to invert your image depending on what it is.

When your settings are dialed in, click OK, and the script
will make the surface. IMPORTANT: Export formatmust be
set to OBJ in order for the surface to be usable for CNC
work later.

Mesh created by the Image-2-Surface script by Hans Kellner

TROUBLESHOOTING

Is Fusion freezing or crashing when you try to run the

script? Chances are, your image is too large. Keep it under
300 X 300 pixels and it shouldn't be a problem. The smaller
the image, the faster the processing.

Convert Surface to T-Spline Geometry

The surface the script creates is a Polygon Mesh surface.
This type of surface is made up of facets with edges and
points. If you zoom in, you'll see that there are no curved
surfaces.
This type of geometry can't be used to make g-code
toolpaths, so we'll need to convert it to T-Spline geometry.
A t-spline is a type of NURBS geometry that works with
control points that affect a flexible surface.
You're going to need a T-Spline geometry to create your
CNC tool path, so click the CREATE > Create Form tool
from the menu. This tool takes you into
the SCULPTworkspace.
Next, click UTILITES > Convert and select Mesh Body in
the Selection Filter. Now click the mesh surface that the
script created and click OK. Now it's time to be patient and
let the program do its work converting the surface to a TSpline body- it might take a couple of minutes.
Click FINISH FORM and Fusion will go back to
the MODEL workspace.

PLACE THE SURFACE WITHIN A BLOCK

In order to better visualize what you're going to cut out on

the CNC, it's a good idea to create a solid form. First, select
the surface in the Bodies folder in the BROWSERon the
left-hand side of the screen. Then Right-Click anywhere on
the screen and select Move from the menu.

Looking at the surface from the side, rotate it 90 so that the

top of the surface is facing up.
The size of the surface is based completely on the original
bitmap image, so now you'll need to scale it to fit the actual
size of the piece you want to cut out. To do this, make sure
the body is selected in the BROWSER and go to MODIFY >
Scale in the menu. Click Point and select the model origin.
NOTE: You may need to turn on Origin in the browser in
order to see it.
Looking at the surface from the Top view, change the Scale
Factor so that the surface fits within the size of the piece
you want to cut out. I'm going to use a 3" X 3" piece of
wood, so I'm looking for a scale factor that will give me a
surface that's just slightly bigger than 3" X 3". I can see how
big it is on the layout grid.

Now that the surface is in place, create a box to represent

the material to be cut out. I'm using a 3" X 3" X .76" square,
so I go to CREATE > Box and click the model origin as my
starting point. The box command asks for a width, a depth,
and a height, which you can enter by typing a number and
pressing Tab.

I can see that the surface to be cut is actually taller than the
material to be cut, so not I need to scale the surface down
in the Y dimension. I use the Scale tool again, and
change Scale Type to Non Uniform. This option will let you
scale in any dimension independently. For Y
Distance, Choose a number that gives you some breathing
room for the surface to fit within the block.

To move the surface closer to the top of the block, Right Click > Move the surface up in the Y direction so that it's
just below the top of the block.

CREATE A SOLID SURFACE

With both the block and the surface in place, go to MODIFY

> Replace Face. Like every other tool in Fusion, it tells you
what it needs to work. First, select the Source Face, which

in this case is the top surface of the block. Then,

click Select under Target Faces and select the surface you
just converted from the original mesh. Click Okay, then turn
off the original body in the BROWSER and you'll see the
finished surface that you'll be making on the CNC.

Recap
So far, this is what we've covered:
1.

How to download and install Fusion 360 with a free

license.

2.

A quick orientation of the user interface.

3.

How to install a script for extra features.

4.

How to generate a 3D surface from a 2D image for

CNC milling.
In the next lesson, you'll learn how to create a toolpath
(cutting instructions the CNC machine can read) in Fusion
360.

3D MILLING CAM SETUP - FUSION

360
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Lesson 3: 3D Milling CAM Setup - Fusion 360

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Now that you've got your solid object, it's time to make a
CAM setup. In the CAM workspace, we'll establish
the stock (the material to be carved out) dimensions,
choose a tool (an end mill in this case), enter the proper

settings for cutting, and create a tool path that can be run
on the Othermill.

Create New CAM Setup

First, switch to the CAM workspace in the workspace dropdown list on the upper left of the interface. Next,
click SETUP > New Setup. A generic stock will
automatically be created and represented as a translucent
box around the solid object.
The Axes will be based on the model environment in which
Y is the "up" axis, but for CAM, Z has to be the "up" axis. To
change the axis, just click on the arm of the Z axis arrow,
then click any line in the model Y axis. In the video, I click
the arm of the Z axis, then click the model origin
(NOTE: The model origin has to be turned on in
the MODEL workspace).
The CAM origin should now be set with Z as up, X pointing
to the right from this point of view, and Y pointing to the left
along the base of the model. If the X or Y axes aren't
pointing the right way, you can flip them by clicking the ends
of the arrows.

To set the origin, you can click Origin and select Model
Origin, or you can click on the origin point of the CAM axes
and click again on any point on the model.

Create New CAM Setup

The Stock tab will show a default offset in each dimension.

I set all of these offsets to 0 because I don't want to leave
behind any stock.

Create New Milling Operation

With our CAM setup complete, it's time to create a milling
operation. There are lots of options, but for a carved surface
like this, the best results will come from 3D Pocket Clearing.
Go to 3D > Pocket Clearing in the ribbon menu.

3D > Pocket Clearing

The machining operation menu is where all the settings are

entered to create the proper tool path for milling. The first
item on the list is the Cutting Tool. Click the Select button
and choose one from the list. The default list that's included
with Fusion is a good place to start, but you can always add

more tool settings and save your own when you get deeper
into CNC.
I chose a 1/8" ball nose 2-flute spiral end mill, but you could
cut a similar surface with lots of other types of bits. Ball
Nose bits result in smoother surfaces and are often used for
finishing passes after a rough cut has been done with a flat
end mill. For a project this small, I don't see the need to
create a rough cut first.

Select Cutting Tool

Tool Settings / Feeds + Speeds

When you're running a CNC mill, it's important to have the
proper settings. The basic settings can be summed up in
terms of "feeds and speeds".

DEFINITIONS

You will see lots of variables in the Tool tab of the Toolpath
window, but I want you to pay close attention to just these
two when you're getting started in CNC:
1.

Feedrate: The distance the spindle moves relative to

the time it takes to move along the workpiece.
Units are distance /

time, usually in/min or mm/min.

2.

Spindle Speed: The rotational speed of the spindle.

Units are revolutions per minute or RPM.

All of the other variables (Cutting Feedrate, Feed Per Tooth,

etc.) will update automatically when you adjust these two.
The goal here is to optimize the feeds and speeds so that
your work is cut as quickly as possible without breaking the
end mill.
If the feedrate is fast and the spindle speed is too slow, the
end mill will break under the lateral pressure:

If the feedrate is slow and the spindle speed is faster than it

needs to be, there will be little risk of breaking the end mill,
but the job will take longer than it needs to:

What you want is the Goldilocks zone: a spindle speed fast

enough to cut easily and a feedrate that's as fast as
possible without risking too much lateral strain:

Of course, the hardness of the material plays a major role

in the proper feeds and speeds. Metals need slower spindle
speeds to avoid overheating, for example. Rigid foam is so
soft that you can practically crank up the feedrate to full tilt
without worrying about breaking an end mill. Soft wood will
be somewhere between these two extremes.
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OTHERMILL:

General recommendations can be found in lots of places.

CNC manufacturers provide recommendations as do end
mill manufacturers. If you want to dig deep, there is no
shortage of feed / speed calculators out there that will help

you really dial in the perfect settings. In my opinion, though,

it's only really necessary to perfectly calculate all the
settings if you're doing production work.
I've found that the default settings from Othermill are a good
starting point.
These are their recommendations for Mahogany, which is a
good bit harder on the scale than Poplar, so it's safe to
assume these settings are a good place to start.
Tool: 1/8" flat endmill

Spindle speed: 10,000 RPM

Max pass depth: 0.050" (1.27 mm)

Plunge rate: 15 in/min (381 mm/min)

Feed rate: 20 in/min (508 mm/min)

Based on the recommendations above, here are the
final Feed and Speed settings for this milling operation.

Geometry
Next, go to the Geometry tab and click on the surface you
want to mill. The tool wants you to click on the bounding
edge of the surface as shown. There's no need to touch the
other settings in this tab for now.

Select Geometry

Heights
Next, click on the Heights tab to set the vertical dimensions
of the milling operation. Here's a quick rundown of what to
do here:
1.

Clearance Height: the first height the tool rapids to on

its way to the start of the tool path.

Once the stock top and bottom are set, we'll move
this manually to make sure they're not too tall for the
Othermill's small Z height.

2.

Retract Height: the height that the tool moves up to

before the next cutting pass.

We'll also move this manually to make sure

they're not too tall for the Othermill's small Z height.

3.

Top Height: This is what the tool path will recognize

as the top plane of the model.

To set it, select Selection under the From menu

and click on one of the top corner points.

4.

Bottom Height: This is what the tool path will

recognize as the bottom plane of the model.

To set it, select Selection under the From menu

and click on one of the bottom corner points.

Set Heights

Passes

The Passes tab is where you'll set the cutting passes. The
first important setting here is Tolerance, which you should
set to .001. With such a small machine and a small cut,
there's no need to have this setting any higher.
The second setting is Maximum Roughing Stepdown: this
sets the distance the tool steps in the Z direction as it cuts.
Stepover Concepts

Stepover distance is the lateral distance the cutting tool

travels when it is carving a complex surface or surfacing a
flat plane. When carving with a ball nose end mill, it's
important to choose a stepover that leaves as little residual
material (called scalloping) as possible without taking too
much time.
Using the Othermill, I performed a test using a 1/8" (3mm)
ball nose end mill clearing 9 squares with different
stepovers, increasing from 1/2 of the tool diameter up to
1/10 of the tool diameter. As shown in the graphic below,
1/8 produced the best results with the least amount of
time. At 1/7, the scalloping started to be visible, but at 1/9
and 1/10, the scalloping was practically indistinguishable
from the 1/8 pocket. CNC is all about optimizing for time
and quality. This kind of test can save you lots of time as
you use the tool more. The F3D Fusion 360 archive in this
step can be used to run the same test on any machine.

Stepover Settings

Smaller stepdowns will make for smoother surfaces, but if

they're too small the toolpath will take forever to cut. Here
are the settings to pay attention to:
1.

Maximum Roughing Stepdown is where you set the

stepdown for this file. In the demo, I went with 1/5 of the
diameter, or .025" to save time.

2.

Stock to Leave should be unchecked since we don't

want to leave any material. This might be useful if you
intend to cut the stock off with a saw when the milling
operation is done.

Set Tolerance and Stepdown

StepoverTest.f3d

Linking

Finally, click the Linking taband set Ramp

Type to Profile. Hovering over this menu shows a preview
of the type of operation- Profile looks like it will make
smooth transitions, but some of the others might work as
well.

Set Ramp Type

Now click OK and take a look at your tool path.

Toolpath Preview
Fusion will give you an animated preview of the tool path
before you send anything to a CNC machine. This is great
because it helps you catch errors before you cut anything.

Go to ACTIONS > Simulate and you'll get a timeline at the

bottom of the screen and a control window. If you turn
off Toolpath and turn on Stock, you can see a preview of
the milling operation. Errors and possible collisions will
show up in RED on the timeline at the bottom, so you'll be
able to make changes as needed to your machining
operation.

Post Process G-Code

Now that the tool path is set up, it's time to create a gCode
file (the set of instructions that the Othermill can read). Go
to ACTIONS > Post Process, and select "othermill.cps Generic Othermill" as the post processor. This will save
the gCode file in a local folder where the Othermill control
software can access it.

Recap
So far, we've covered making a surface from an image in
Fusion 360 and creating a CAM setup and toolpath.

In the next lesson, we'll explore ArtCAM as a 3D carving

alternative. You can skip ahead to **Lesson 4 if you want
to stick to free software.

3D CNC RELIEF SCULPTURE ARTCAM

with JON-A-TRON

As you can see, there are a lot of steps involved with getting
Fusion to work with this kind of model. In order for it to work,
the bitmap image has to be very small and carefully
doctored to give you the result you want, which is an entirely
different skill.
With ArtCAM, you'll get a fully functioning CAD/CAM
program that is specifically tailored to decorative
woodworking, and has some awesome features for 3D
carving.

Works with hi-res images

Allows for direct editing of surfaces generated by 2D

images

Has a full suite of vector drawing tools

Has easy, simplified toolpath creation

Has excellent toolpath simulation so you can get a

clear picture of what your carved piece will look like
For more info on ArtCAM, check out their Youtube channel.
The free version of ArtCAM will let you work with vectors
and 3D shapes, which is a whole subject on its own that we
won't get into in this class. The paid version ($40 / month,
no recurring payments required) allows you to bring in

bitmaps to create 3D surfaces and edit them, which we'll get

into here.
What You'll Need

ArtCAM (Windows only- 30 day free trial, $40 / month)

What You'll Learn

1.

Create a New Model in ArtCAM.

2.

Create a 3D Surface (relief) from a 2D image.

3.

Smooth an uneven surface.

4.

Create and simulate a CAM toolpath.

If you'd prefer to stick with Fusion and don't want to
pay for software, just skip ahead to Lesson 4.

Create New Model

New Model

To start a project in ArtCAM, just click on + New Model on

the Welcome screen.

Create New Model

Model Dimensions

The New Model dialog will open with options for the
following settings:
1.

Dimensions: This is the width and height of the

model. This should match the dimensions of the stock you

intend to cut out. In the class example, the stock will be 3" X
3".
2.

Resolution: This is the level of detail that the model

will use. Higher resolution will mean that the surface being
created will have finer detail. The default is 1000px X
1000px which is fine for our purposes.

3.

Job Origin: This is the location of the model origin. It

defaults to the bottom left corner, which is usually the best
choice because it will match the origin of the CNC machine.

4.

Units: You can select mm or inches here.

Set Model Dimensions

User Interface

For this lesson, all the tools and settings we'll be using can
be found in the following regions of the user interface.

User Interface

Create Relief from Image

Import Image

Go to Relief > Import > Import to select an image as the

base for the 3D object. Any image will do, but black-andwhite images make it easier to predict what the 3D surface
will look like.

You can download the Zip file attached in this lesson if you
want to follow along.

Import Image for Relief

Select any Image

Relief Image Settings

When you import a relief, Tool Settings will automatically

pop up. ArtCAM will translate a bitmap image into a 3D
surface by translating the value (blackness or whiteness) of
each pixel to the height a point in 3D space.
1.

Origin Position: When the bitmap image is imported,

it will be placed against the origin that was set when you

created your model. The origin position should correspond

to the model origin so that when you scale the image, it will
stay on the origin. In the example, that's the lower left
corner.
2.

Width / Height: These are width and height of the

surface created by the image that was imported. Se these
to match (or at least fit) within the boundaries of the model
you've started. In this case, the image should be at least 3"
X 3". Since it's a little bit wider than it is tall, set the shortest
dimension to 3". It's okay if it's a little bit wider, the extra will
be cut off.

3.

Z Range: This is the delta (the difference between the

highest and lowest values) of the points that will make up
the mesh surface of our 3D object. If the range is set to
0.5", a white pixel will be set to an elevation of 0.5", and the
height of a white pixel will be set to 0.0". It's important that
this range be set to a value less than that of the
thickness of the stock to be cut. Since the piece I'm
going to cut will be .76" thick, 0.5" is a safe depth to cut.

Set Relief Dimensions

Paste

When the image is properly set up, click the Paste button in
the dialog. ArtCAM will create a machinable 3D surface
from the image.

Paste to Creat Relief

Smooth The Surface

With most images, you'll notice that the surface created isn't
very smooth. This is a function of the variation that happens
in most images- white pixels make high points, black pixels
make low points, and unless an image was created
specifically to create a uniform 3D surface (that's called

a Depth Map, and there are tons of them online), there will
be plenty of errant pixels.
To fix this, ArtCAM has a handy tool called Smooth. Click
the Smooth icon in the Relief Editing toolbar and you'll get
a tool settings dialog. This tool will decrease the difference
between the high and low points on the surface without
changing the relationship between them. The result is a
smooth surface that still has the recognizable character of
the image.
1.

Radius: This is the size of the brush you'll be using to

smooth the surface. A larger radius will smooth a larger
area with each stroke.

2.

Strength: This is the degree to which the tool will level

out the points. A low strength will change the height of each
point by a short distance, whereas a higher strength will
move the points further.

3.

Smoothness: This setting changes the character of

the edge of the brush. A high smoothness will make the
smoothing effect fade to zero at the edges, and a low
smoothness will make a sharp edge on the brush.
Play around with these settings and see what the effects
are. If you use this tool over the whole surface using the

image provided in the Zip file, you'll get a very smooth

result.

Use the Smooth Tool

SantaCruzDetail.jpg.zip

Create Toolpath
Now that your surface is nice and smooth, it's time to make
a toolpath. In this process, you'll select the area to carve,
select the end mill you're going to use, set the thickness of
your stock, and pick the style of cutting.
Create Machine Toolpath

First, go to the Make toolbar (upper right corner) and click

the Create Machine Relief Toolpath.

This will bring up the Machine Relief Toolpath pane where

you'll enter all your toolpath settings as seen below.

Select Cutting Tool

Click Finishing Options and a tool database will open.

This is where you'll select your cutting tool. It comes with a
wide variety of common end mills, but you can also import
tools or create your own. I'm going to use a 1/8" (~3mm)
ball nose end mill, so I click on that one and click Select.

Material Setup

When you select Click to Define Material... you'll get

the Material Setup window. This is where you define
the Material Z Zero and the Material Thickness. Z Zero
tells the tool where its starting point is. The Othermill I'm
going to use to cut this part has an automatic zeroing
feature that works with the end mill touching a conductive
build plate, so I select Bottom Offset here.
My material thickness is .76" (19mm), so the Bottom Offset
value is automatically set by subtracting the maximum
depth of my surface cut from the thickness.

Tool Clearance Strategy

Under Tool Clearance Strategy, select Spiral in Box. This

will create a spiral pattern from the center that will stop at
the edges of the material. The other options here may also
yield good results, so it's worth it to test them in the next
step, Simulation...

Simulate and Create Toolpath File

Now that you've got your toolpath setup, it's time to simulate
it to see how it'll look when it's cut out. ArtCAM has
exceptionally high-quality simulations as compared to a lot
of the other CAM software I've used- you really get a clear
picture of how the material's going to look once it's cut.

To run a simulationl, right-click on the Machine

Relief toolpath in the Projectwindow and select Simulate
Toolpath.

The Toolpath Simulation window will pop up and let you

make adjustments if necessary. The defaults here should
be fine to start with.

The simulated surface shows you in very fine detail how the
surface will turn out. It shows the **scalloping effect created
by the round profile of the end mill and helps you anticipate
how your part will look once it's finished.

The simulation will help you make tweaks to your toolpath if

necessary. You might, for example, choose a different Tool
Clearance Strategy in the Toolpath settings, or you might
decrease the **Stepover and **Stepdown distances in
the Tool Settings.
Save Toolpath

When you're satisfied with the results of your toolpath

simulation, click the Save Toolpath button in
the Project window.

This will bring up a new dialog that will let you save the
toolpath with a Machine File Format of your choice. The
Machine File Format is the type of file that ArtCAM will
export, and will be specific to your machine. If your machine
doesn't show up in the list, g-code format is pretty much
universal. Save the toolpath file, and it should be ready to
load into your CNC control software.

Recap
In this lesson, we explored ArtCAM as a tool for creating
CNC wood carving designs. You learned how to create a 3D
surface from a 2D image using the suite of Relief tools, and
you went through the process of creating a toolpath and a
simulation in order to preview the results before you waste
any material.
In the next lesson, you'll learn how to setup and run a
desktop CNC machine for carving small parts.

DESKTOP CNC SETUP +

OPERATION
with JON-A-TRON

In this lesson, you'll get your feet wet with CNC milling by
focusing on a desktop CNC. I'll be demonstrating on
an Othermill, a common small-scale machine that's mainly
used for making PCB circuit boards. This machine can do
everything a larger machine can, it just has a smaller build
platform.

Tool Change + Homing

Changing Tools on the Othermill

Like every other CNC mill, the Othermill uses collets and
collet nuts to attach the end mill to the spindle. It's important
to insert shaft to the proper depth as described in the
graphic below.

To insert a tool, insert the collet into the nut, then insert the
shaft so that the flutes are exposed while keeping the shaft
in the collet at the maximum possible depth. Use a pair of
wrenches to tighten the collet. Don't tighten with too much
strength though- this can strip the threads.
Home Axes

With the tool in place, you will need to home the X, Y, and Z
axes. Homing tells the machine where the zero points are

on each axis. The Othermill has proximity (prox) switches

for the X and Y (horizontal) axes, so this can be done
automatically. The Locate button in the Configure menu
will allow you to automatically home the X and Y axes.
The Z axis cannot be homed with a prox switch because
the depth of this axis depends on the length of the tool
inserted into the spindle. The Othermill has a conductive
platform that will automatically set the proper Z zero height
when the end mill touches the plate.
To set this height, click on Change under
the Configure menu, select the type of tool from the list
(1/8" ball nose end mill in our case), then move the X and Y
axes as necessary to locate the tool over an empty spot on
the bed. Click Locate Tool, and the machine will move the
spindle down until the end mill touches the plate. This will
automatically locate the proper Z axis.
If your CNC mill doesn't have a conductive Z
function, just put a piece of paper between the bed and the
end mill, then nudge it down until you can move the paper
with a little bit of resistance.
This process will depend on the CNC mill you're
working with, but the concepts are more or less
universal.

Fixturing Stock
In order for a CNC mill to cut out a tool path, the stock must
be properly fixtured to the bed. There are lots of different
ways to do this which include vices, clamps, hot glue, and
many other methods. Since our part is so small (3" X 3" X
3/4"), double-sided tape is sufficient for a firm hold on the
bed.
Be sure to properly align the stock with the bed on of the
corners. I'm choosing the bottom left corner of the bed
which is X=0 / Y=0. Also, be sure to account for the
thickness of the tape and add it to the thickness of your
stock when you're setting up your cut.

Running Machine / Cleanup

With the stock fixtured and the machine homed, you can run
the gCode you created in Fusion 360. To run a file, just
click Open Files in the Othermill dialog box and select the
G-Code you exported from Fusion 360 in post processing.
Note that the Othermill control software lets you specify
which corner the material is in ("at left of spoilboard origin").
My piece of wood is .76" thick, but I've changed it to .77" to
account for the double-sided tape on the bottom of the
wood.

For the Othermill and most other desktop CNC machines, a

computer must remain plugged in to run the tool path via
USB. You can pause the job, meaning it will resume where
it left off if you click the Play button, or you can stop the job
by clicking Stop.This will reset the spindle position and
won't let you restart from where you left off. This toolpath
takes about 1.5 hours as indicated in the progress bar.

Finished Product

With the toolpath settings we created, the piece comes out

kind of like a topographical map. With a smaller stepdown
value, the layers would be less pronounced.
What did You Make?

Did you carve your own CNC design? Show us what you
made in the Class Projects section below.
In the next lesson, we'll learn how to design flat-pack
furniture for large scale CNC cutting projects.

FLAT PACK TABLE DESIGN

with JON-A-TRON

This lesson will demonstrate a step-by-step method of

designing a flat-pack / friction-fit table for CNC fabrication.
You may want to skip this lesson...

If you're just interested in CAM setup and don't want to learn

about flat-pack design, you can skip ahead to the **next
lesson. The full table model will be provided.
But if you stay with us, you'll learn a lot...

I've been doing flat-pack / friction fit projects for more than
10 years. I've learned a lot of tricks that I'm about to pass on
to you, and if you stick with me I think you'll learn some
really useful concepts and techniques that will serve you will
with any kind of fabrication, especially CNC.

FLAT PACK / FRICTION FIT

You're going to design a table that's flat-packed and frictionfit. Flat-pack refers to its being made of interlocking flat
parts, and friction-fit means it can be assembled so that
the friction between the pieces will hold it together without
any fasteners.
The example in the lesson has 7 parts in total. Two legs,
four stiffeners, and one table top. The stiffeners provide
lateral stability to keep the table from twisting or wobbling.

Sketch the Table Top Profile

Most things in Fusion are best made by creating 2D
sketches, then turning those sketches into 3D objects. For a
round tabletop, that means drawing a 2D circle, then
extruding it to give it thickness.
Create Component

A component is an encapsulated part that can have one or

more 3D bodies or 2D sketches in it. You want each of the
table parts to be its own component because it will allow
you to manipulate and manage the whole model more
easily.
Go to CREATE > New Component, and give the
component a name like "tabletop". Keep the default settings
there (Empty Component) and click OK, and you'll see that
your new component has shown up in the Browser and that
it's activated. While it's activated, anything you make will be
within this component.

Create a Sketch

Go to SKETCH > Create Sketch, and click on the bottom

plane of the model space. This will bring you into the Sketch
environment. The view will change to the Top view.

For this sketch, all you'll need is a circle. Go to SKETCH >

Circle > Center Diameter Circle and click on the model
origin as your start point.

Type in 42 for the diameter and you'll have a 42" (1066mm)

table top. Click the Stop Sketch button on the upper right
to leave the sketch environment.

Create 3D Part / Use Parameters

MEASURE YOUR PLYWOOD

Before you design anything, you need to know exactly what

the thickness of your plywood is. 3/4" (19mm) plywood is
a nominal dimension, meaning the actual thickness will vary
a bit. This can be an infuriating problem if you're not
prepared!Never make assumptions, always measure twice
and cut once.

You should always have a set of digital calipers on hand to

measure the wood. Close the jaws on the sheet as shown
to get an exact measurement.

CREATE A THICKNESS PARAMETER

Any time you're making flat pack furniture, you almost

certainly should use a parametric thickness. In 3D
modeling, parametric means that a variable has been
established that can be changed later, automatically
changing any part of the model that used the parameter.
Plywood thickness changes from batch to batch, even from
the same supplier, so if you use parameters, you can just
change the parameter to adjust all of the parts instead of
doing it manually- this will save you hours of work!

To set a parameter, go to MODIFY > Change

Parameters, click the green plus-signnext to User
Parameters to create your thickness parameter.
1.

Name: The name you'll use to enter the parameter in

any number field. This should be as short as possible
because you'll be using it a lot, so pick "t" for thickness.

2.

Unit: Defaults to the units your file is working in, but

you can use any unit you want and it will automatically
convert.

3.

Expression: This is the value in selected units of the

thickness of your plywood. This will be different for
practically every batch of plywood, so use digital calipers to
measure your plywood to get an exact measurement. Mine
is .76.

4.

Comment: This is optional, but if you've got a really

complicated model it's a good idea to make a note about
what the parameter is for here.

EXTRUDE SKETCH

Now that you've got your parameter set, you can extrude
the tabletop profile sketch you made previously. Go
to CREATE > Extrude, select the circle sketch profile, then
type "t" in the Distance field in the EXTRUDE dialog that
comes up. Operationshould be set to New
Component. Click OK and you'll have a tabletop
component.

You can go back to MODIFY > Change Parameters and

change the parameter value to see the thickness of the
table change.

Move Table Top Component

The tabletop was made on the floor of the model, so we'll
need to move it to the proper height. Click on the tabletop,
then right-click and select Move from the popup dialog.

You'll get a manipulator that will let you move and rotate the
part. Drag the Up arrowto move the table up, then
enter 28" (710mm)- that's the standard underside height for
a dining table.

Sketch Leg Profile

CREATE A SKETCH

With your tabletop in place, it's time to draw the first pair of
table legs. To do this, like pretty much everything else, start
with SKETCH > Create Sketch. Pick either the Front or
Side plane to sketch in. You'll get a warning about parts
having been moved. Be sure to click Capture Position. If
you click "Continue", the tabletop will move back to the
bottom plane.

PROJECT TABLE PROFILE

Remember that when you're in the Sketch environment,

you're only creating lines. Parts of the 3D objects and other
sketches that might be visible can sometimes
be snapped to, but they don't represent lines in the sketch
you're working in.
You're going to need the line representing the underside of
the tabletop to make the profile of the legs. To get this, go
to SKETCH > Project / Include > Project. As with any tool,
hit ESCAPE to get out of it.

Click on the underside edge of the tabletop, and you'll get a

pink line with points at each end. Click OK to exit the
Project tool.

CREATE LEG PROFILE BOUNDARY

With the projected line, you can now make a rectangle to

create a boundary for the profile of the legs. You could
always just draw the legs however you like, but I like to start
with boundaries that relate to other objects as a way to
control the geometry. To make a boundary, just go
to SKETCH > Line and complete the rectangle with the
projected table line as the top. You could also use
the Rectangle tool in the SKETCHmenu.

Table legs should always touch the floor so that there's a

significant gap between the foot and the edge of the table
as seen from above. Did you ever notice how your kitchen
cabinets have a kick underneath them? This recess lets you
belly-up to the countertop without stubbing your toes.
The idea is the same for tables. Work backwards from the
rectangle you just made to create this recess. Go
to SKETCH > Offset, unchenck Chain Selection, and
select one of the vertical lines. This will offset the line
parallel to the original by a distance you specify. A 4"
(100mm) offset will give you enough room to avoid stubbing
your toes without sacrificing too much stability. Notice by
pulling the arrow that you will probably need to enter

a negative value since you're offsetting to the inside of the

rectangle.
Think of this line as the outermost possible distance the leg
can go from the center of the table.

DRAW LEG PROFILE

Now that you have your boundary complete on the left side,
you can start drawing your table leg profile. To make them
slanted, draw a Line from the bottom point of the line you
just offset and move the other point so that it makes an
angle. An 85 angle (meaning 5 off of the vertical line)
works well for style and stability. You can make this angle
any arbitrary angle that's close to 5, but if you want to be

precise, hit the Tab key and enter the degree in the degree
box, then hit Tab again to lock it. You'll see that you can
now drag the mouse to make the line longer or move it
around the origin, but the angle will be locked. Click the
other end of the line when you're satisfied.

This line will be the outermost edge of the table leg on the
left-hand side. To give the leg thickness, go to SKETCH >
Offset and offset the line you just drew. 3" (76mm) is about
the minimum that will be stable with off-the-shelf soft
plywood in my experience. When you've dragged the arrow

in the correct direction, give it a value of 3" (76mm) and

click OK.

The pair of table legs is going to be a single, connected

part, so it's going to need depth to give it stability. To do
this, just go to SKETCH > Offset and offset the line you
projected from the underside of the table. This should also
be at least 3" (76mm), but don't go too much deeper or
you'll hit your knees on it!

At this point, the leg profile is finished aside from all the
crossing lines. Remember, a 3D object comes from an
extruded sketch (just like you did with the tabletop), so you'll
need a closed profile for the table legs. You can clean up
the crossing lines by going to SKETCH > Trim and clicking
on the line segments that you don't need. As with any tool,
hit ESCAPE to get out of it.

With your leg profile finished on one side, you can avoid
drawing it again on the other side by mirroring it. To mirror,
you'll need a centerline. Go to SKETCH > Line and draw a
line down the center of the leg profile. You'll see a triangle
symbol when you're snapping to the center of the top line.
It's important that this line is vertical and centered on the
drawing.

To mirror the leg profile to the other side, go to SKETCH >

Mirror, then select the lines that make up the leg profile on
the left side. Click on Mirror Line, then select the centerline
you made in the last step. You should see a preview that
gives you a symmetrical pair of legs. Click OK, and you
should have all the lines you need to make your 3D part.

If you use the Trim tool again to clean up the profile, you
should see a closed profile like the one shown below. This
is what you'll use to create the 3D leg part. Click Stop
Sketch to get back to the modeling environment.

Create First Leg

With your leg profile complete, you can now make a 3D
part. You can go to CREATE > Create Component to
create an Empty component to work in. This will save you
having to deal with the other parts of the model- you'll be in
the activated component you just made, which will gray-out
the other parts as shown below.

Go to SKETCH > Extrude and click on both of the profiles

separated by the mirror line. If you pull on the arrow, you'll
see that the 3D part will be extruded in one direction only.
You want the table leg part to be aligned with the center of
the table, so you'll need to do an extrusion that does
in both directions and still has the tthickness parameter.

To do this, set Direction to Symmetric, and Distance to

t/2. This will extrude the part in both directions by a value
of 1/2 t, which totals t.

You should end up with a new 3D part with a thickness of

your t parameter that's aligned to the center of the tabletop.

Create Tab Feature

This is a flat-pack / friction-fit design, so we're going to need
some interlocking features- tabs and slots. The top of the
table leg part will slot into the underside of the table with a
tab.

CREATE SKETCH

To create a tab, go to SKETCH > Create and select

the front face of the table leg as your starting plane.

The tab should be centered on the top part and have gaps
on the sides- if it's too wide it'll be too difficult to build. Go

to SKETCH > Line and draw this gap at about 6" (150mm)
along the top edge.

Draw another 6" line on the other side, then draw a tab that
looks about half way through the depth of the table top.
Make sure all the angles are 90! The cursor should snap to
90 automatically.

USE PARAMETER FOR TAB HEIGHT

Remember, all your parts are parametric, meaning you

need to make sure they'll update properly when you change
a material thickness. The tab needs to be exactly half as
deep as the thickness of the material. To make this work in
a sketch, go to SKETCH > Dimension, and click on the
top line of the leg part and the top line of the tab part. A

real dimension will show up, but you'll need to change it

to t/2. This will give you a tab that's 1/2 the thickness of
your material and will update when you change the
parameter. If the parameter was entered properly into the
dimension, you should see "fx: " then a number value. In
my case, it's 0.38" because that's 1/2 of .76".
Click Stop Sketch to get back to the modeling environment.

EXTRUDE TAB

Go to CREATE > Extrude and extrude the body back to

meet the back face of the leg part. You should enter t for
the Distance here as well to make sure the parameters are
being used everywhere. Operation should be set
to Join by default.

Use Leg Tabs to Create Pocket

Now that your leg is done, click the circle next to the TopLevel Component in the Browser. This will be the first item
in the list. At this point you should have two components
under the top level- the leg and the tabletop.

COPY BODY TO NEW COMPONENT

Next, you'll need to make a copy of the table leg for the
second leg component. If you copy the component in the
browser, you'll have two copies that are connected, meaning
if you change one the other will change to match. If you
copy the bodywithin that component, you'll get a new,
independent copy of the leg in that state.
Click the arrow next to the leg component in the browser,
then click the arrow next to Bodies in that
component. Right-Click on the body, then Copy+Paste it.
You'll now have a new body in the Bodies folder under
the Top-Level Component in the Browser.

Right-click on the body you just made, then select Create

Components from Bodies. You'll get a new component
that you should name something like "leg 2".

ROTATE LEG

Right-click on the new component, then

select Move. Move the Rotation Arc on the Manipulator to
rotate the leg by 90. You'll now have two legs at a rightangle to each other.

CREATE POCKET IN TABLETOP

Now that the leg components are in place, you can make
the pocket in the tabletop. Go to CREATE > Combine, and
select the tabletop as the Target Body. For Tool
Bodies, select both of the table legs, and be sure that Keep
Tools is checked- if it's unchecked, both of your legs will
disappear.

If you turn off the leg components in the Browser (click

the lightbulb next to them) You should now see that your
table has a pocket on its underside.

Create Interlocking Features

The next step will be to create an interlocking feature
between the legs. The trick here is to make a tab on each
leg that's half-way through the depth of the top part. This

will keep the legs in place but won't sacrifice too much in
the way of stability.
CREATE SKETCH FOR SLOT

Start by creating a Sketch on the face of one of the table

legs.

Go to SKETCH > Project / Include > Project and

select Bodies in the Selection Filter. Click on the leg part
that's crossing the sketch you're drawing in, and you'll get
two lines that match the thickness of the leg.

To draw the cutout, draw a Rectangle from a top point to

the intersection between the lines on the opposite side of
the bottom.

With that in place, bisect the rectangle with a Line from

midpoint to midpoint (the triangle icon means you're
snapping to a midpoint). Click Stop Sketch to get back to
the modeling environment.

EXTRUDE TAB CUTOUT

Turn off the crossing table leg component in

the Browser, then go to CREATE > Extrude and select the
top part of the tab sketch. Pull the arrow into the
component so that it cuts through, and you'll see that this
will be a negative value. Enter t for the Distance, and
leave Operation on Cut.

SUBTRACT TAB CUTOUT FROM OTHER LEG

There's no need to repeat all these steps for the other leg.
Go to MODIFY > Combine, select the leg without the cut as
the Target Body, then select the leg with the cutout as
the Tool Body. Be sure to have Keep Tools checked.
You should now have one leg with a cut at the top and one
leg with a cut at the bottom.

Draw Stiffener Profile

This table would stand at it is, but it would wobble like crazy.
There's nothing to keep the legs from bending against the
short dimension so you would basically get a twisting

motion if you were to push on the tabletop. To prevent this,

we'll need some stiffeners.
Go to CREATE > New Component to make an empty
component to work in. Next, create a Sketch on one of the
leg faces. You'll need a centerline for this part, so just draw
a Line roughly down the center of the leg.

In the Sketch Pallette on the right side of the canvas (it

might be nested, if so just click on the double arrow), click

on Parallel under Constraint. Click one of the table leg

lines first, then click the centerline you drew before. This
will allow the centerline to move but will keep it parallel to
the leg line. You should see a couple of double line graphics
showing you they're constrained.

To make sure the line is centered, go to SKETCH >

Dimension, and click the leg line and centerline. Enter a
value that's 1/2 of the width of the leg, which is 1.5" (38mm)
if the leg width is 3" (76mm) as shown.

This line represents the center of the stiffener from the side.
To give it thickness, go to SKETCH > Offset and offset it by
a factor of t/2 in both directions.

Draw a Line from the intersection at the top of the outer line
so that it meets the inner line at a 90 angle. This will be the
top of the stiffener.

Next, Offset the top line by 14" (355mm) to make the

bottom edge of the stiffener. It needs to be at least this deep
to keep the table from wobbling.

You should now have a closed rectangular profile, select it

to be sure there aren't any gaps in the lines.

Create Stiffener Component

CREATE A 3D BODY

Use the side profile you just made to Extrude the part. Be
sure to use the tparameter and extrude it in the correct
direction. The Operation should be New Body.

When that's done, Extrude both faces of the new body by

a Distance of 3" (76mm).

CREATE CUTOUT SKETCH

Like the table legs, this stiffener part will need a slot to
interlock it with the legs. To do this, create a Sketch on the
face of the table leg, then use the Project tool. Make
sure Bodies is selected in the Selection Filter, then project
the side face of the stiffener to create a rectangle that's
constrained to the shape.

Draw a Line connecting the midpoints of both of the long

lines that make up the rectangle. This will give you a profile
you can use to create a cut in the stiffener that's half way
down its length.

EXTRUDE CUTOUT

Use the CREATE > Extrude tool to select the cutout profile.
If the stiffener is turned on in the browser, you probably
won't be able to select the profile you want. Hit the down
arrow to cycle through the possible selections with the
cursor hovering over the profile until the profile is
highlighted, then click on it.
Extrude this profile into the stiffener using your t parameter.
This should give you a cutout that's centered on the piece.

CREATE TAPERED PROFILE

The stiffener needs to be tapered at the end to keep knees

from knocking into it, it should also be narrower at the top.
To make this profile, create a Sketch on the face of the
stiffener.
Draw a Line from the midpoint of the bottom line to give
yourself a top point to aim for.

Offset the line on the side of the cutout by a distance of t. Be sure Chain Selectionis off.

Draw a diagonal Line connecting the two points to create a

tapered profile.

Draw a vertical Line at the midpoint of the cutout to give

yourself a mirror reference.

Go to SKETCH > Mirror, select the diagonal line

under Objects and the vertical line for the Mirror Line. This
should give you a symmetrical tapered profile.

With your profiles finished, go to CREATE > Extrude and

select the profiles you want to cut out of the stiffener. Use
the t parameter for the thickness here as well.

Multiply Stiffeners and Create

Interlocks
MULTIPLY STIFFENERS

Now that you've got a usable stiffener, it's time to copy it in

place at each of the four legs. To do this, go to
CREATE > Pattern > Circular Pattern.

Set Pattern Type to Component Bodies, select the

stiffener under Objects, select the model up
axis under Axis, and set the Quantity to 4. This should
give you four stiffeners in the correct place at each leg.

CREATE INTERLOCKING CUTS

Now it's time to cut the profiles of the stiffeners out of the
legs so they interlock. To do this, go to MODIFY >
Combine, select one of the table legs as Target Body, then
select the two corresponding stiffeners as Tool Bodies. Be
sure to have Keep Toolschecked or your stiffeners will
disappear. Repeat this step with the other leg component.

This will leave behind a small wedge at the top of the

cutout, so just select those faces and extrude them so that
they cut all the way through the top of the leg.

When you're done, the legs and stiffeners should look like
the picture below.

Fillet Sharp Corners

Sharp corners tend to split and chip easily, they're sharp to
the touch, and, in my opinion, they don't look as nice as
rounded corners. To round off the corners, go to MODIFY >
Fillet, and select the edges of the legs and stiffeners to fillet
them. You can do multiple parts at once, but in the video,
you'll see that I did a few different fillet radii for different
parts. The tapered points of the stiffeners should be about a
.25" (3mm) radius to keep them from being shortened too

much. You'll see that when you fillet the edges on one of the
stiffeners, all the other ones will change automatically, since
they're all copeis of each other.

Recap

We covered quite a lot in this lesson. Give yourself a hand if

you stuck with it and modeled something!
Your finished table should look something like this:

Did you design a table or something similar? Show us what

you made in the Class Projects section.
V

CNC ROUTER CAM SETUP

Lesson 8: CNC Router CAM Setup
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with JON-A-TRON

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Now that your design is finished, it's time to get into the
CAM environment. CAM stands for Computer Aided
Manufacturing- it's the process of translating the design into
instructions that the CNC router can use. The process
breaks down like this.
1. Create Machining Setup
In this part of the process, we'll set up the general
parameters for our machining operations. This includes
width, length, and thickness of the material as well as
X,Y, and Z coordinates.
2. Create Pocket Tool Paths
The pockets on the underside of the table top will be
the first cuts you make. It's good practice to do all the
smaller cuts and drilled holes before the main contour

cuts because they're less risk of pieces getting pushed

out of place.
3. Create Contour Tool Paths
With all the pockets finished, you'll create a tool path to
cut out the profiles of all the table pieces. You'll also
learn about creating tabs to keep the pieces in place
while the router is cutting.
4. Post Process
With all the toolpaths finished, you'll learn how to postprocess the data into a format that a CNC machine can
read.

Create Machining Setup

The first step in creating tool paths is creating a machining
setup.
To create a machining setup, switch the workspace
from MODEL to CAM. You'll see the toolbar change at the
top of the screen with a new set of options.
1. CREATE NEW SETUP: Next, click the New Setup icon
under the SETUP menu. In this menu, you'll set the X,Y,
and Z coordinates and establish the dimensions of the stock

to be cut.

2. SET WCS ORIENTATION: You should see a yellow box

appear around the parts that are visible on the canvas. The
Work Coordinate System (WCS) will also appear as an XYZ
axis. Z needs to be the up-axis from this point of view, so if
you click on the arm of the Z axis, then click on any vertical
line that's visible in the model, Z will become the up-axis.

The Y axis should point along the short side of the

rectangle (away from the FRONT plane on the View Cube)
and the X axis should point along the long side of the
rectangle (away from the SIDE plane on the View Cube).
This WCS orientation will be consistent with the coordinates
on the Shopbot.
The WCS origin should be set to the bottom-left corner of
the stock boundary so that the axis arrows point along each
edge of the stock. Click the white ball on the WCS origin,
then click the ball on the bottom left corner of the stock
boundary. This will move the WCS to that point.

3. SET STOCK BOUNDARY: Next, click on the Stock tab

in the Setup window. The defaults leave a .04" offset on the
top and sides of the parts. Set the Stock Top Offset to 0"
so that the thickness is exactly that of the plywood panel.
Changing the Stock Side Offset to 1" will give you a 1"
wide margin around the perimeter of the parts. This is a
good way to make sure your parts will fit on the 48" X 96"
plywood sheet with enough material to spare around the
edges.

Click OK, and you should have a new setup in the browser.

Choosing End Mills

To make a tool path, you have to know which end mill you're
going to use. An end mill is a kind of router bit with
properties that make it better at cutting for specific
applications. Here's a breakdown of the most common
kinds of end mills. Here are some key words to pay
attention to.
1.

Shaft Diameter: The shaft diameter describes the

width of the cut made by the end mill. Common imperial
shaft diameters range from 1/64" to 1 1/2" with steps of
1/64" in-between. For the table, we'll stick with a 1/4" shaft
diameter to keep things simple.

2.

Flute: The flute is the sharp edge of the end mill. An

end mill commonly has one, two, or four flutes, but there is
a wide variety to choose from. Flutes can be straight,
meaning they're parallel to the length of the end mill shaft,
or they can have a spiral profile along the length of the
shaft.

3.

Profile: The profile of the end mill is the shape of the

profile of the bit looking at it from the side. There are many
different kinds of profiles, but the most common are ballnose and flat.

4.

Cut Direction: There are upcut, downcut, and

compression cut end mills, which I'll describe below.

The downcut spiral end mill has a flute that's oriented so

that the cutting edge pushes the material down as it cuts.
This end mill results in a very clean top surface with
plywood because the veneer is cut in a downward motion.
However, since the end mill pushes the chips down, they

tend to get compressed, which can result in burning and

sticking when cutting plywood. When cutting aluminum,
these end mills can actually cause heat welding to occur.
The type of end mill is best suited for thinner materials like
1/4" - 1/2" since there is less space for the chips to be
compressed.

The upcut spiral bit does the opposite of the downcut spiral.
The cutting edge of the flute is oriented up against the
material so the chips are ejected, preventing burning. When
cutting all the way through, it results in a clean cut on the
bottom of the material, but also has a tendency to lift the

material up. Another downside to this end mill is that it tends

to delaminate the top of the material.

Compression spiral bits are a combination of upcut and

downcut bits. The lower third of the bit has an upcut

orientation, and the upper two thirds have a downcut

orientation. This end mill results in clean cuts on the
top and bottom of the material while avoiding the burning
and lifting issues of downcut and upcut bits. The catch is
this: you have to cut full depth for it to work effectively, and
you have to ramp your cuts.
The smaller the shaft diameter, the more it's affected by
stress. The general rule of thumb is that the depth of the cut
remains 1/2 of the diameter of the tool. Of course, most
makers push those limits, but that rule gives you a good
picture of the limitations of the end mills. The denser the
material, the more force is fighting against the end mill as it
cuts, and give enough force the end mill will break.
In my experience, if you're cutting 3/4" plywood, a
compression spiral bit should be at least 1/2" . This is
great if you're going to go back and do a finish tool path with
a 1/4" bit, but if you're only doing one project at a time and
want to keep it simple, it's best to keep it simple and use a
1/4" bit.
The Bottom Line

If you're not doing production runs of a project, it's okay to

take your time and stick with a smaller diameter bit. In my
experience, the downcut spiral endmill is the best choice
for flat-packed plywood furniture. The flute orientation gives

you a clean top surface, and the bottom surface is

compressed against the bed. This gives you clean cuts on
both sides. The kerf does tend to get a bit gummed up, but
you can always pause the job and clean out the chips and
sawdust.

Pocket Clearing Toolpath

With the setup finished and your end mill chosen, you're
ready to make your first toolpath. The pocket should be
done before any of the other cuts because as contours are
cut out, the parts become less stable. Go to 3D > Pocket
Clearing in the toolbar to create a pocket toolpath.

The first tab is where you'll set up all the tool settings. First,
go to Tool > Select and choose a generic flat 1/4" end mill
from the list. There is a button on the upper left side of this
window that lets you filter by end mill type. This generic tool
will give you a starting point. Next, you'll set the feeds and
speeds.
When you're running a CNC mill, it's important to have the
proper settings. The basic settings can be summed up in
terms of "feeds and speeds".

FEEDS + SPEEDS

You will see lots of variables in the Tool tab of the Toolpath
window, but I want you to pay close attention to just these
two when you're getting started in CNC:
1.

Feedrate: The distance the spindle moves relative to

the time it takes to move along the workpiece.
Units are distance /

time, usually in/min or mm/min.

2.

Spindle Speed: The rotational speed of the spindle.

Units are revolutions per minute or RPM.

All of the other variables (Cutting Feedrate, Feed Per Tooth,

etc.) will update automatically when you adjust these two.
The goal here is to optimize the feeds and speeds so that
your work is cut as quickly as possible without breaking the
end mill.
If the feedrate is fast and the spindle speed is too slow, the
end mill will break under the lateral pressure:

If the feedrate is slow and the spindle speed is faster than it

needs to be, there will be little risk of breaking the end mill,
but the job will take longer than it needs to:

What you want is the Goldilocks zone: a spindle speed fast

enough to cut easily and a feedrate that's as fast as
possible without risking too much lateral strain:

Of course, the hardness of the material plays a major role

in the proper feeds and speeds. Metals needs slower
spindle speeds to avoid overheating, for example. Rigid
foam is so soft that you can practically crank up the feedrate
to full tilt without worrying about breaking an end mill. Soft
wood will be somewhere between these two extremes.
Tool manufacturers will have their own recommendations for
their tools to make this step a bit easier. The numbers below
are based on the following tool by Onsrud:
1/4" 2 Flute Downcut Spiral #57-910

Chip Load Recommendations by Manufacturer

Geometry
Next, click on the Geometry tab. This tab is where all the
settings for the geometry to be can can be found. For our

purposes, the defaults don't need to be changed. Click the

profile at the bottom of the pocket in the table top, and it
should highlight green, meaning it has been selected as the
boundary of the profile to be cut out.

Heights
This tab is where the top and bottom of the cut operation
are established. It also has settings for the height the tool
should move to in the Z axis to travel safely while it's not
cutting. Here are the definitions:
Clearance Height: The first height that the tool rapids to
on its way to the start of the tool path. Must be set above
material top.

Retract Height: The height the tool moves up to before

the start of the next cutting pass. Must be set above
material top.
Top Height: The height that describes the top of the cut.
Bottom Height: The height that describes the lowest
point of the cut.
Top Height

Under Top Height, click the From dropdown menu and

click on Selection. Now click on any point on the top of the
material to set the top height.
Bottom Height

Under Bottom Height, click the From dropdown menu and

click on Selection. Now click on any point on the bottom of
the pocket to set the bottom height.
You may set the Clearance Height and Retract Height to
whatever you please as long as they are both above the
material top. Keep in mind that the higher the Retract
Height, the longer the job will take.

Passes
This tab has all the settings for how the machine passes are
generated. We only need to concern ourselves with a
couple of settings here.
Tolerance

When a CNC machine cuts a curve, its path is tessellated

(made up of lots of very small straight lines).
The Tolerance sets the length of these lines. A loose
tolerance will be faster and have a more noticeable

tessellation effect whereas a tight tolerance will be slower

and come out smoother.

I always set this to .001 because I don't mind waiting a little

longer for a smoother cut.
Maximum Roughing Stepdown

This is the depth the tool steps down at each pass. In

general for wood and plastics, stepdowns shouldn't be more
than 1/2 the tool diameter to avoid too much stress on the
end mill, which might cause breakage. For metals, this ratio
may need to be even less than 1/2 the tool diameter.

Since my tool is 1/4" , I set the Maximum Roughing

Stepdown to .125".

Direction

The direction options for CNC milling

are Climb or Conventional. This describes the direction of
the spindle's travel in relation to the rotation of the end mill.
Remember that the spindle rotates clockwise when
considering the following options.

With Conventional milling, then end mill contacts the stock

on the left side of the tool. This means that the chip size
effectively starts at zero and increases towards the end of
the rotation. This generally yields the best results in terms of
finish quality and accuracy.

With Climb milling, the end mill contacts the stock on the
opposite side, meaning the chip size starts at the maximum
and tapers to zero at the end of the rotation. This puts more
strain on the tool and can decrease accuracy if the stock
deflects. This method can offer better results with softer
plastics and some metals, but in my experience it does
nothing to improve wood cutting.
It bears mentioning that when you're cutting a line through
the stock such that there's material on both sides, the
direction shouldn't make a difference since the result will be
the same no matter which direction the tool travels. With the
table project, it will only make a difference in the pocket
cuts, not the contour cuts.
Stock to Leave

I don't want to leave any stock when I make my cuts, so

I uncheck this option.

Linking
This tab has all the settings that tell the machine how to
move from one cut to the next and how to lead in and out of
each cut.
I've had good results with all the defaults left as-is, but I like
to change one: Ramp Type. When the pocket is cut, the
tool ramps down into each path instead of plunging to a

certain depth and moving laterally. This creates less stress

on the end mill.

The default Helix Ramp Type does not seem to be the best
choice for the long, skinny profiles of pockets like the one
on the table, so I would advise switching this to Profile. The
ramping is more gradual this way and seems to have
smoother results.

Simulate Tool Path

When you click OK, you should get a tool path preview that
looks like a series of blue lines stepping down into the
pocket. Fusion lets you simulate this tool path so you can
catch any errors before you waste material.

Fist, select one or more tool paths in the browser, then click
on Actions > Simulate. I like to view the simulation with
only the Stock box checked. You can navigate to the
beginning of the tool path using the timeline controls and
adjust the speed.

Create 2D Contour Toolpath

To cut out the profiles of the table parts, you'll make a 2D

Contour toolpath. This kind of toolpath follows a contour
line and cuts at one specified depth.

Choose 2D > 2D Contour in the toolbar to start the

process.
TOOL

The settings in this window will be identical to those in the

3D Pocket Clearing toolpath you created previously.

Geometry
Contour Selection

Click on the Geometry tab and select the contours at the

bottom of each of the table parts. A red arrow will appear on
each selected contour. These arrows indicate whether the
tool path will cut on the inside or outside of the line. We'll
check these to make sure they're all outside cuts after
setting up our tabs.
Tabs

Tabs are bridges between the part being cut out and the
leftover stock of the plywood sheet. They keep parts in
place while the end mill is making the cuts. Without tabs, a
couple cutout will result in a loose part that will be damaged
by or even thrown off the bed by the spinning end mill.
Check the Tabs checkbox, change Tab Width to .375", and
leave Tab Height at .0625". Wide, shallow tabs like this will
hold the work well and will be easy to remove after the
cutting job is done.
Tab Distance is the distance between each tab on the part.
The default is 2". meaning a tab will be placed on every part
with a 2" space between them. That would be far more tabs
than necessary. In general, small parts need around 2 tabs,
and larger parts need more. My gut tells me that each leg
should have at least 2 tabs, and the table should have at
least 6. This setting is very much up to your discretion. The
goal is to balance less work time with a more stable cutting
operation.
I set the Tab Distance to 12". This gives me 2 tabs on each
stiffener and ample tabs on the other parts.
Inside / Outside Arrows

Now that you've got your tabs, you'll be able to clearly see
whether each contour cut is on the inside or outside of the
line. Go to the TOP view in the Viewcube and zoom in on

each part. Clicking the arrow on the contour line will switch
the tabs from inside to outside. Obviously, they should all be
visible on the outside of the part.

Heights
The settings here are mostly the same as the ones we
covered in the Pocket Toolpath material, but there's an
additional setting to pay attention to:

Feed Height: This is the height the tool rapids to before it

changes to the feed / plunge rate to enter the part. This
isn't a concern for us because all of our feed rates are the
same. Regardless, this height must be set above the top
height of the toolpath, otherwise you'll get an error
message.
Top Height

Under Top Height, click the From dropdown menu and

click on Selection. Now click on any point on the top of the
material to set the top height.
Bottom Height

Under Bottom Height, click the From dropdown menu and

click on Selection. Now click on any point on the bottom of
a part.
You may set the Clearance Height and Retract Height to
whatever you please as long as they are both above the
material top. Keep in mind that the higher the Retract
Height, the longer the job will take.

Passes
Tolerance

Under the Passes tab, set Tolerance to .0001" as before in

the Pocket Toolpath. This setting is particularly important
here because these toolpaths have lots of curves.
Multiple Passes

With the end mill we're using, we need to make our cut with
multiple passes. This ensures that we're not putting too
much stress on the end mill, which might cause it to break
or start a fire from the heat caused by too much friction.
The rule of thumb is that each pass should step down by
1/2 the diameter of the tool.

Linking
This tab has all the settings for how tool paths are linked
together and how the transitions are managed. The default
settings should work fine for our purposes, but keep in mind
there are some very sophisticated controls here for more
complex toolpaths.
Ramps

Ramps are an important feature to enable in this tab. They

make the tool enter the material at a gradual angle which
helps reduce the lateral stress on the end mill and prevent
the stock from being nudged out of alignment.

Post Processing

DEFINITIONS

Post processing takes the toolpath you've programmed in

the CAM environment and translates it to G-Code. G-Code
is a type of numerical control programming language that
the CNC machine can use to cut files. It's very simple- a
bunch of commands that control the gantry and spindle.
Here are some of the commands and their definitions:
TR: Turn router on
J3: Jog tool in 3 dimensions (not cutting)
M3: Move tool in 3 dimensions with router on (cutting)
Just about any machine can run raw G-Code, but it's best to
post process your toolpaths with code that's specific to the

machine. Depending on the CNC machine, there may be

special settings that are important for safety and best
results. Shopbot has its own G-Code based language
called OpenSBP. If you're interested, you can take a look
at Command Reference file available on their website. If all
goes well, you'll never have to look at the G-Code, but as
you get more advanced knowledge of the subject, it can be
helpful to look at the code and troubleshoot.
INSTALLING POST PROCESSING FILES

If you're running a CNC machine that needs a specific post

processor, go to the manufacturer's website and to find their
post processing file. If you're running a Shopbot, just use
the shopbot-sep6th2016.cps file attached here and follow
these steps.
1.

Download the shopbot-sep6th2016.cps file attached

in this lesson.

2.

Go to myhubs.autodesk360.com and sign in. You will

automatically have an account when you sign up for Fusion
360.

3.

On the top left of the page, click the down arrow and
select A360 Drive.

4.

Click on the CAM Posts folder and add the shopbotsep6th2016.cps you downloaded here.

5.

Open Fusion and click on your name in the upper right

corner of the window, then go to Preferences.

6.

Go to General > CAM and make sure Enable Cloud

Libraries is checked.
POST PROCESS TOOLPATHS

Now that your post processor is installed on the cloud and

linked to in your preferences, you can post process your
toolpaths using the following steps.
1.

With either your Setup or an

individual Toolpath selected in the browser, go to ACTIONS
> Post Process in the toolbar.

2.

Select Source > My Cloud Posts and Post Process

> shopbot-sep6th2016.cps.

3.

Click OK and save the file.

I always add the diameter of the tool to the file name to
avoid mistakes later. The file will be saved with
an SBP extension which can be opened natively in the
Shopbot controller software.

shopbot-sep6th2016.cps

Bonus!

I designed and made a layout for a flat-pack chair to match

the table. Why not make a CAM setup for this file and make
a whole dining set? Just download the Fusion Archive
attached here and follow the same method we covered in
this lesson to make tool paths.

Table Class Archive.f3d

Recap
In this lesson, you learned how to create a CAM setup and
export toolpaths for CNC cutting. You learned about feeds
and speeds, cut direction, pocket and contour cuts, and
how to post process G-Code.
Let us know if you've got any questions- this part takes a lot
of attention and a lot of

WRAPPING UP
with JON-A-TRON

Well done! If you stayed with us the whole way through,

you've learned enough about CNC to get going on your own

projects. Remember that this kind of work takes lots of

practice and you'll probably make a lot of mistakes the first
several times you make projects.
Stick with it, keep practicing, and pay close attention at
every step. Keep experimenting, and you'll get more
comfortable every time you use the machine.

Inspirational Projects
Now that you've got a handle on the process of CNC
carving and cutting, there are some awesome projects on
instructables that would be fun to recreate with your own
spin.

Caldera Table by PATHfab is a beautiful solid wood table

with a milled out top surface. It's got pockets in in one of the
corners with milled aluminum lids as seen above. If you do it
right, you can make interconnecting parts like this fir
perfectly, all based on one 3D model.

How to Carve the Lunar Surface with CNC by cdorety is a

3D relief sculpture of the Lunar surface. You can use the

technique you learned in Lesson 2 to translate a 2D depth

map to a 3D surface, then mill it out.

Zip Tie Lounge Chair by wholman is a unique take on flatpacked furniture that uses zip ties to fix the pieces together.
It's cheap and easy to cut on a CNC, and from the looks of
it it's probably pretty comfortable too.
Get to Work!

Now that you're fully schooled by the class and inspired by

the awesome projects above, it's time to get your hands
dirty and start making your own projects.
What have you made? Create an Instructable and show the
world.
CLASS PROJECT
Share a photo of your finished project with the class to complete the
lesson!