There are some really creative and stunning sign creations presented in this forum.
I’m curious about other projects open to a CNC creative.
Has anyone used their Onefinity CNC to create something other than a sign?
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Hi, yes, thank you, I’ve seen this thread. There are some great pieces of work. I started counting but then lost count but i’d say 1 in 10 is maybe not a sign or equivalent. I’m curious as to what else a CNC can put to.
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Practically anything you can imagine. Most of us on this forum are probably new to the hobby and are just now getting our CNC legs under us. I’ve gone from cutting out shapes → vcarve → 2.5d → reliefs → two sided machining that incorporates reliefs.
I imagine as the users on this forum mature in our use of the different cad/cam softwares then you will see more variety in what gets posted.
Unless or until onefinity comes up with a rotating 4th axis then expect all projects to be made in a way that reflects 3axis machining.
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Lately, I’ve been working on a kinetic art project completely cut on my 1F. I admit it is a fairly simple project for such a powerful machine but the result represents results beyond signs and the like. (I’ve used it for things like signs, cutting boards, etc, and find all of that to be really satisifying as well)
Just today I used it to cut some Corian bearing spacers, which I thought was something different too.
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Indeed there are many signs in the projects being presented but you are not limited to signs.
I am producing wall decoration (signs 
) but also a probe box, a monitor arm and toy coins.
I’m currently working on an enclosure for a CO2 detector.
So you have many options with your machine!
I like them, both the probe and the arm, thank you for sharing. They are using wood where other materials would normally be used. Are more engineering like opportunities available to us in wood with the advent of more affordable cncs?
I have a 3d printer, they’re great; for every problem, I see a 3d printer based solution 
. And yes, the opportunities with additive are different to subtractive technologies. But using wood first feels like it should be the preferable, more sustainable and natural option. So the probe is an excellent thought.
Makes me think that with the accuracy of a cnc, and getting double-sided routing to be an easier task (it looks tricky by all accounts), we could layer up several cutouts/engravings to achieve what might have been made with a 3d printer.
My son showed me a YouTube video of a chap who has made an enormous ball-bearing driven musical instrument. That looks like it used a lot of CNC.
(BTW, my Onefinity should hopefully arrive soon)
Kinetic art? That’s a new one on me. Is it in any way related to automata? Have you shared pictures of the finished project yet?
Automata have fascinated me. I have a fancy for replicating one or two on a large scale. Almost as garden features.
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I had to look up Corian.
You say you’re using it for bearings. What are its material properties like (good and bad)?
Did you find it easy to cut?
I agree; most of us are new to CNC…my Onefinity should arrive soon🤗.
I’m curious as to whether many new users with various backgrounds and problems to solve come up with different ways to use a wood (or other non-ferrous material) CNC.
Thanks for your comment.
I used wood because I have no past experience working with plastic. Generally speaking, I like wood more than plastic. In fact I hesitated to acquire a 3D printer but the ability to work with wood pushed me towards the CNC.
Still I have ordered Delrin sheets to try machining plastic, they should be delivered today or tomorrow.
Besides having made a ton of coasters, I’ve made a few radios. These were done on my x-carve, but obviously could have been made on the Onefinity. These all share the same FM receiver module I got from Amazon. All are made from Corian & oak.
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I probably should have posted this in the “post up them projects” thread rather than lurking on it.
My apologies for the quality of the photos as they were taken with the computer’s camera.
The blurr is during it’s spin whick I’m trying to increase above the current 22 minutes.
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Not actual bearings but spacers, think washers. It is extremely easy to work with, though it is imparative to use dust collection.
I’m of the mind that my 1F is every bit as great a tool for fabrication as my 3D printer or any of the other tools in the shop. It just has potential I’ve yet to realize.
BTW, I love Bill Blades radios!
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That’s kinetic art!
I like the design. Looks quite delicate. Sets a bit of a standard on fine carving.
The radios are pretty remarkable.
To get the depth, do you cut several and glue them together?
I imagine oak gives them a high-quality feel. I like oak but find it tricky to plane/route.
I was looking at sheet material here in the UK when I looked up what Corian was and came across bamboo. That looks like promising material for structural/engineering like projects. I then wandered into MOSO and found a place out in Swindon that sells sheet bamboo. I’m planning to get some in.
I’m looking into bamboo. A nod to sustainability. No idea what it’ll be like. I have a small desktop CNC that I might prototype on while I’m waiting for my Onefinity to arrive
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Thanks @AndyP Corian is a brand-name of material otherwise known as “hard surface” countertop material. Cuts beautifully.
You’re on the right track regarding construction. I designed different profiles as required to stack up the body to clear for the speaker & radio module. Here’s a pic of the first radio I did (which didn’t use Corian, just oak & poplar). But it shows the construction better.
BTW Phil, LOVE the kinetic art! Just recently learned about this.
Here’s the finished radio:
I ended up using a different back than what’s shown on the first pic.
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I haven’t got mine yet but some of the items I want to use my 1F for are raised panels for doors. If you are a woodworker you may have experienced the problem with doing it on a router table or shaper. To avoid the wood from splintering you need to make shallow passes. That means set the bit low, make a pass, raise the bit up 1/16", and make the next pass. You can try to take more off and most likely you’ll be successful but the one time you are not you now need to start all over again. With the 1F I can let it just do it’s thing while I work on something else.
Also I want to make things like serving trays. They will be similar to a sign because they will have inlays like a sign would have. Meat cutting boards have a trough to catch the juices that would also be easy with a cnc router. I think it comes down to what’s your background.