As mentioned in the last post, I like to play with the big power tools. I’m currently learning and experimenting with a large CNC router that I finally finished.
A CNC router is controlled by a computer to finely move a spindle to cut away wood. It works on a similar principle to 3d printers, however instead of laying down plastic to create a finished item you remove material from an existing block.
For the most part I have been engraving pieces of wood, and then filling the pockets I make with resin. This produces some nice results once polished up. I’ve even managed to convert a QR code for our website into something that could be cut out on the CNC router.
There is a tendency for the resin to seep into the wood and give a ‘blurred’ look, however I’ve been testing putting a small amount of clear resin in first to line the sides of the cut and surrounding area, and then adding the coloured resin. The clear stops the colour being drawn into the grain of the wood.
I still need some trial and error to get the speeds right for the CNC, and it also needs some firming up as the X gantry has a little bit of twist due to the size of it (the rails are 1m x 1m, so I can cut a little over 800x800mm). I’m also trying out different bits in the spindle to give various patterns.