This week was about full-scale subtractive fabrication: learning how to safely run the shop’s CNC router and using it to mill something big. For the group part we characterized the machine and cutting parameters. For the individual assignment I designed and built a flat-pack wooden stand for my architecture models.

Assignments

  • Group: lab safety training; test runout, alignment, fixturing, speeds/feeds, materials, and toolpaths.
  • Individual: design, mill, and assemble something big (~meter scale). I made a wooden model stand.

Group assignment (1–6)

I was traveling during the main lab session, so I completed the group work later with Chris. We walked through safety, checked spindle runout and alignment, tried different fixturing strategies, and cut a series of test toolpaths on plywood/OSB using a 1/4" end mill to see how different feeds, speeds, and depths of cut behaved.

group test 1
1. Machine overview and first safety checks before cutting anything.
group test 2
2. Checking spindle runout and basic alignment with a dial indicator.
group test 3
3. Testing fixturing strategies on a sacrificial sheet.
group test 4
4. Plywood/OSB test cuts with different speeds and feeds.
group test 5
5. Inspecting edge quality and chip evacuation after a few passes.
group test 6
6. Final notes on which toolpaths and parameters look safest to reuse.

Individual assignment — flat-pack model stand (7–22)

For my own piece, I designed a flat-pack model stand. The idea was to have something that could be milled from a single sheet, assembled without glue in the lab, and later reconfigured in studio. Key steps: measure the real plywood thickness, set parametric joints, add dog-bones to inner corners, plan tabs and clearances, nest parts, then CAM separate pocket/profile passes for a 1/4" tool.

design sketch
7. First sketch of the stand: a simple cross structure that supports model boards.
cad layout 1
8. CAD layout of the main ribs and cross braces on a 4×8 sheet.
cad layout 2
9. Detail of the slots with parametric width and 6 mm dog-bones.
cam toolpaths
10. CAM: separate toolpaths for pockets, profiles, and tabs.
sheet setup
11. Plywood sheet fixtured and zeroed, ready for the first cut.
machine setup
12. Final machine setup check: origin, clamps, and dust collection.
13. First cutting pass: shallow depth of cut to confirm everything is aligned.
14. Full-depth profiling pass, watching for vibration and chip evacuation.
15. Final contour cuts freeing the parts from the sheet.
after cut
16. All stand parts cut, still held in place by tabs.
17. Breaking tabs and cleaning edges right after cutting.
dry fit 1
18. First dry fit of the main cross pieces on the floor.
dry fit 2
19. Testing the full assembly; joints are tight but still hand-press fit.
20. Short walkthrough of how the parts slot together into the final stand.
sanding
21. Sanding all contact edges to remove splinters and ease joints.
assembled stand
22. Finished model stand assembled and ready for use in the studio.

Notes

Stable recipe: 1/4" end mill, 2–3 mm depth of cut, climb milling for profiles, and generous tabs to keep parts from moving. The most sensitive steps were measuring real material thickness and making sure there was enough clearance in the slots—too tight and assembly becomes a hammer exercise.