CAD / CAM / CNC and running a wood shop
Applying 2D design to 3D construction
Designers understand the concept of “S” curves and how critical they are to a composition. “S” curves are magical – they add allure to graphic design, paintings, sculptures and more. This is why people will prefer one design over another, without being able to define why they prefer it.
Yet, when it comes to construction, no one uses “S” curves. So, I decided it was time to add that to our process. Building curved walls using standard construction methods is time consuming and difficult. But with our products they assemble in minutes.
This is accomplished with CAD/CAM and running a CNC, then applying our proprietary construction process to the walls. For tighter radii we had to improvise – which was pretty funny – nothing like laying down on the job, literally!
Consequently I’ve used and trained others to use CAD (AutoCAD123 and Google SketchUp), CAM through CamBam and V-Carve, and CNC software using Mach3 and V-Carve. As we grew my position became more sales and marketing oriented I eventually left the shop duties to the production staff.
Mach 3 software is not automated. It forces you to get your hands dirty and crack open some feeds ‘n speeds information. I learned there is little about wood CNC’ing, so our processes were for the large part, experimental. The cuts, endmills, collets, cooling system, speed and feed rate were all determined by yours truly. With a CNC, however, you can create amazing things, like this covid screen below.
I’m not a power tool kind of lady. Some people can’t wait to start up their new tool, but when we finally got the machine built I stared at it for quite a few weeks. It’s scary to run something that’s going 17,000 RPMs with a cutting tool unless you know what you’re doing!
So as it turns out – yes you can bend wood! (Or at least create that illusion).
A Completed Project
Here’s a completed project using curved portable walls. If you’d like to see more examples of this finished exhibit click here. If you’re interested in seeing related graphic design samples from this time period, click here.
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