Every so often, that console-modding Benjamin Heckendorn wanders away from his lair at benheck.com to share some interesting projects with Engadget.

In the past Engadget's very own Will O'Brien has demostrated how to build your own CNC (computer numericial control) cutting machine, and he also plans future articles on this subject. Searching the internet, you can't swing a nunchuk without striking plans for "do it yourself" CNC machines, motor kits being sold, etc. A CNC automobile is truly one of the ultimate projects a hobbyist can build and one of the all-time tools to accept in a shop when finished. Yes, fifty-fifty better than a speed foursquare. However, while much is said of what you tin cut with such a motorcar, the how part of blueprint cosmos isn't e'er as clear.

For today'southward How-To we're going to get through the process of designing a somewhat circuitous detail that can be cutting with a standard 3 axis homebuilt CNC automobile: a jointed "robotic mitt". This requires several blueprint methods drawn in multiple views, which will demostrate many of the techniques that are useful in preparing items for CNC cutting. At the very least information technology'south a good primer for vector artwork in general, if yous've ever been curious virtually information technology. And so let'due south accept a look at what's involved in prepping our CNC robot manufactory, shall we?

Ok, allow's go started designing a robotic paw in order to learn some 2D CNC design techniques. Certain we could have made something tiresome similar an acrylic figurer case, merely let's confront it, simulated robot hands are freaking awesome. Plus at that place'due south loads of nuances in it that will assist united states of america cover several aspects of design.

For this project we're going to blueprint everything to exist cut with 1/8-inch thick fabric using a i/viii-inch diameter chip. It's fun to become hog-wild with the designing simply when it comes correct down to it, you want to employ as few different tools (bits) as possible. On the software side, we'll be using Adobe Illustrator (AI) for blueprint because it'due south standard programme, common, and cheaper than AutoCAD -- and of class, is our favorite. Information technology can as well export files to a wide vareity of formats which is handy considering the vast array of CNC machine control software out there. Nosotros'll likewise use Adobe Photoshop for the outset step, but whatever paradigm program than can scan volition work fine.

Scanning a Reference Model

For starters we're going to need a reference. One very easy fashion to practice this, for whatsoever type of project, is to simply scan the item, in this example a hand. The reason this works is because scanned photographs nearly always retain the original dimensions in the resulting image file. Below is a trace of our mitt (save the kindergarten jokes delight) that nosotros've scanned into Photoshop. Equally yous can see nosotros also marked off the joints for later reference. (Yes we realized we missed the joints at the wrist, we're going to let those slide.) Remember, these same techniques will work for virtually annihilation you're designing a part for.

Clicking on the image menu and selecting image size will tell united states of america the backdrop of this object.

As nosotros can see the image is the size of a standard "letter" sheet of paper. The resolution, measured in dots / pixels per inch isn't that high only that'southward ok, the scale is correct. Allow's get rid of the extra crap on the folio...

  • Select the dotted box thing in the upper left corner of the card. This is the rectangular marquee selection tool, but nosotros only call information technology the "box affair". Nosotros also drink beer instead of wine.
  • Click on your paradigm and drag to pull a box effectually your object. Release the push to fix the box.
  • On the menu click image and then crop. The image will be cropped downwardly to the size of the box you made.

Now you accept only the portion of the epitome you need. Keep in mind that the image has been cropped, not resized. This means that fifty-fifty though parts of the prototype have been removed, what's left is yet at the original size and dimension.

At this betoken you may too want to accommodate your browse to make it await a bit more defined. Here's some methods of doing that:

  • Epitome is night or pencil lines to thin: Click image, then adjustments, then brightness / contrast. Apply the sliders to change your paradigm. If "Preview" is checked it will demonstrate the changes as you slide. If foreign colors emerge as you do this, abolish out and effort the post-obit first...
  • Colour artifacts in a blackness and white image: Click epitome, and so mode, and then grayscale. Now the prototype is black and white. Many scanners, even if you prepare them to grayscale, will however relieve the paradigm in colour RGB style. You can now do the brightness and dissimilarity adjustments with much improve results.
  • Unsharp mask: If you need to bring out details in your reference detail, this might do the trick. Click filter on the card, then acuminate, then unsharp mask. In general it's best to set "amount" to the highest, "radius" in the middle and "threshold" to the everyman, every bit shown beneath. Over again, check "preview" and the changes are displayed on the main window in real time.

Once you have your reference particular looking decent and cropped it'south time to salvage, so we tin can place information technology into AI. Click FILE, Save AS then select a format and give information technology a name. As for the format anything's fine, we propose JPG, BMP, or PSD. Most programs can open at least the first two, and since this is a reference merely item it's not a big deal if it looses some item when compressed via JPG.

Bringing the reference detail into Adobe Illustrator (AI)

OK now you lot can boot up AI and we'll go this sucker into a layout.

  • With AI started, click file, new. Create a page size that's about 8 times bigger than your project. We used 36 x 36-inches.
  • Click view on the carte and so prove rulers. It looks nicer, and they're also used to pull out guidelines, more on that when the fourth dimension comes.
  • Click view once again and enable smart guides and snap to point. This volition come in very handy for this sort of work. Nosotros'll bring up other useful menus and boxes subsequently on.
  • Click file, and then place. Select the file of your reference item, in this example, nosotros've selected paw.bmp. The image will plop onto the screen.
  • Using the selection tool (default tool, or click V) you can drag the image next to the ruler to cheque its size. It should still be in its original dimension.

Now with our reference item in the programme we tin can draw on top of it. Adobe Illustrator, or any vector art program, works in real-world measurements and since the reference item image we placed is also original size we tin depict on top of it to accurately design our parts based off a real-world object. This may seem similar a inexpensive copout mode to design things simply if you have complex objects and don't feel like using the dial caliper on every crevice, it comes in quite handy. Ha, get it? Handy? Yeah. Sad.

Drawing objects onto the reference imageLet's offset by checking out the brandish modes of AI. At about times yous'll be in either Preview or Outline fashion. To switch modes, click view on the card and then select a way, Preview or Outline. (Binding a fundamental to this this part is very handy, cheque the AI Assistance file for instructions on that.) Hither'south the differences between the modes:

  • Preview shows everything, colors, strokes and images. However editing in this mode is a scrap more than difficult as you lot'll often grab objects you don't intend to.
  • Outline only shows vector lines. Images in this mode announced as boxes. In outline mode you lot have to click on actual vector lines of objects to grab them, which allows more than precise command.

We'll describe the paw using 2 views, top-downward (like we scanned it) and contour (the side view). This is very much similar architecture, except for nosotros've used the wrong terms and Frank Llloyd Wright is probably spinning in his grave. Oh well.

Here's a sketch of how we intend the metal "bones" to connect. The bones will be cut out of 1/eight-inch thick material and have screw and stop nut joints. Thus in the peak-downward view we'll blueprint the bones layout of all the fingers in relation to each other and fix their lengths, and in the contour view make the actual shapes we'll use to cut the parts.

My finger design. The center bone is a single slice, whereas the pinnacle and bottom bones are doubled-upwardly to create uncomplicated joints.

Let'south start by drawing some "bones" in top-down view. In AI, select the rectangle tool equally shown below.

Now you can click, drag and release to create a rectangle "bone" over a finger. This gets you the basic size to kickoff with merely isn't very precise, especially for CNC cut, so click window on the card and then transform. You'll become the post-obit box:

Here we run into the "os" we freehand drew is .205 x 1.024-inches. For starters the width needs to be changed since we intend to cut this out of 1/8-inch thick textile. So highlight the Due west (width) field and type in .125, the decimal value of 1/8th. While we're at it, I'm going to modify the H - peak equally well, rounding it off to i.1-inches. Now, before we go much further allow'south talk near setting colors.

Irresolute the color

Most objects in a new window default to white fill with a black stroke, the stroke existence a color drawn on the outline of the object. If you'd similar to change this, go to the window carte and turn on color and stroke. Beneath is a description of what these windows practice and how it applies to this project. For this project information technology'southward best to use a clear (no) fill up and a black 1-pt outline.

Fill color - the chief color of an object. Set to articulate past clicking on the slash if you'd like to meet through shapes. This is handy for what we're doing, since we're drawing over a photo.
Stroke colour - the color of the stroke outline. Blackness is the default and is fine for this. You lot tin can as well brand shapes with no color at all, though you'll yet run across them in outline fashion.
Ready Palette type - Choose from RGB, CMYK (as shown) and other modes. Not terribly important for this sort of vector work.
Palette - Click in hither to grab a color. Or click on the Fill up or Stroke box and enter a color manually using the sliders.
Stroke Thickness - Pretty self explanatory. i-pt weight works fine. Set it in one case and forget information technology.

Ok back to drawing! Hit 5 on your keyboard to become the choice tool. You can now click on and drag the bone around. Identify information technology in the center of the finger to represent the middle bone, on mine it matches up to the first and second joint. Now permit's replicate it!

  • With your selection tool, concur ALT and click and concur on an upper corner of the object. Drag it a chip and let get -- y'all'll see y'all've made a re-create. (This also works with layers in Photoshop, by the mode.)
  • Here's where Smart Guides come up in handy. Drag this new object to the lesser of the first object and the corners will "snap" to each other. You can snap any part of an object to another, which is very handy as information technology creates "exact" connections you can't do manually.
  • You can then copy this object with alt+drag and make the contrary site, as shown to a higher place.
  • Then you can take the bottom 2 objects and bring them to the top to make the top of the finger. You can do this 1 piece at a time, or select one object, concur shift, and so click the other to select them both. You tin so re-create and elevate them together. The standard ctrl-C and ctrl-V can be used to re-create / paste as well.

Now permit's scale the "bones" to fit the fingers. If you click on an object, or select several objects you'll see scale controls announced, as seen below:

  • For this case we want to make the bones fit the fingers, merely nosotros desire the join portions not to motility. Thus nosotros grab the top middle or bottom centre controls.
  • Click on the control with the selection tool and drag the os(s) to the acme you'd like. In this example, the top 2 bones accept been pulled downwardly, made shorter than the original object they were copied from, and the bottom two bones have been lengthed to reach the knuckle.
  • You lot tin can also resize groups of objects using Transform, but be certain to set the Reference Point by clicking the trivial blackness and white boxes in the Transform window. These set which edge of the object will stay put while the remainder of it changes shape. See below for an instance of changing the pinnacle:

At this point we could start copying the fingers and filling upwards the paw in height-down view, only first we need to put in joints. If yous're making something you're going to re-create it'due south all-time to make it as consummate equally possible right off the bat to save yourself time later. For this example we'll be using a 3/4-inch long size six screw for a joint, with a washer and a stop nut. Permit'southward draw one into the plan!

Drawing a representation of a screw, nut and washer into AI

  • Go to a blank spot on your design folio. You can hit H to bring upwardly a hand that lets you elevate the screen around or you lot can use the Navigator window (on the card, click window then navigator) to find your manner effectually the document.
  • Using a dial caliper or other such accurate device you can measure out the parts of the screw. (Harbor Frieght has cheap dial calipers, usually $xx or less.) Here's an example of how to do it...
  • Drawing the shank: The shank measures out at 0.73-inches long past 0.115-inches thick. Get your rectangle tool (click 1000) and but click on the screen, information technology will prompt yous for the dimensions since you lot didn't click and drag anything. Put in 0.73 for the width, 0.115 for the elevation.
  • At present let'due south draw the nut / washer. Measuring these together, it's 0.24-inches wide and 0.375-inches in height. In the case the height is also its diameter. Draw a box of this size.
  • This is a adept time to switch to Outline manner (view menu, then outline). You volition find the objects accept an X in the middle. This is the eye. With the selection tool (V), click the center of the nut / washer and drag it to the center of the screw shank. You tin now slide it left and right (to represent how far down it'southward screwed on) by dragging left and right. If smart guides are enabled information technology will stay on level with its original position. Pretty handy!
  • Now permit's describe the screw head. This might seem like overkill but it'southward not a bad thought when designing projects. We'll start by measuring the screw caput to find it's 0.265-inches in bore and 0.083-inches deep. And so it'due south kind of like a flattened circumvolve that's been cutting in half.
  • Get the ellipse tool (punch L on your keyboard) so nosotros can make a circumvolve. You can also observe it by clicking on the shape tool (where we got the rectangle mark) and holding it for a second -- shape options volition wing out the side.
  • Click on the screen and you'll be prompted for the size of the ellipse. Input 0.265-inches for the meridian (diameter) and 0.166-inches for the width. Nosotros've used 0.166-inches since it's double that of the spiral caput thickness of .083"
  • With the option tool, drag this circumvolve to the centre of the main shank, and then slide it right so it'south on the finish. Run across below:

Now let'southward slice that circle in one-half so it respresents the screw head. Make a square that'southward taller than the circle and at least half as broad. Position it with the right edge at the center of the circle, every bit shown below:

    • Click the window menu and enable the pathfinder window. You wil see a window like the i shown below:
    • With the selection tool, outset click on the circumvolve (1). Hold shift, so click on the foursquare (two). This sets the subtraction society -- the second object selected will be subtracted from the start.
    • Now click the icon shown as (3), then click expand (4). The square will be subtracted from the circle and presto - you lot have an authentic screw head.

    Positioning the screw onto a joint

    Ok now let's get this screw downwards into the joints!

    • Start by grouping the shapes that brand upwards the screw/nut. Select all screw objects, then go to the object menu and select group. Now they all move every bit one. To separate them only go to the same bill of fare and hit ungroup. Notation: Objects grouped together will all re-create together if you do an alt-drag or ctrl-C copy.
    • Elevate the spiral by its center and place it on the center of the center os. Then drag it up to make the acme joint.

    • Adjacent, ungroup the screw parts (object menu and ungroup)
    • Select the shank and spiral head and drag them to the outer edge of a bone. So drag over the nut / washer to the reverse border.
    • The result represents how the spiral will fasten to a part, as shown below. For clarity nosotros have colored the basic yellow, the spiral lite grayness and the nut/washer dark grayness.
    • Place screws on each joint.

    Now you tin re-create the entire finger and place all four on the hand, as shown beneath. We adjusted the bone length for each finger, but each is built the aforementioned way. As for the thumb, we'll be drawing that in using the dissimilar view since it'due south opposable to the principal fingers. Once the lengths of the bones are gear up information technology'due south time to move onto the next step.

    Creating the profile view using the top-downwardly every bit a reference

    With the top-down view fingers out of the style it'south time to redraw them in profile view, in the shapes they'll exist cut as. While it might seem like a lot of reworking you tin can actually employ copies of top-down objects for nigh of the contour reconstruction. Once more, any CNC project, non just robotic hands, can be washed this mode.

    • Select an entire finger and alt+drag a re-create of information technology off to the correct. With smart guides enabled it should stay level with the original.
    • Make yet another re-create simply to the right of this one.

    • Erase i of each "double bone" and then in that location is a single box per bone. Line these up vertically, while making sure non to modify their horizontal position.
    • Select the three main bones and modify their width to 0.4-inches each. This is the depth of each finger.
    • Create a 0.four-inch broad circumvolve and place this at each joint. To middle it, use the middle 10 of a bone then elevate it downwards to the border of the foursquare.
    • At the center of each circle place a smaller 0.125-inch diameter circle. This is the spiral hole. Both of these circles should line up with the peak-down view screws.
    • Erase the top-down view screws. It should now look like the following:

    Now that we take our side-view finger, let's round off the tip:

    • Select the rounded rectangle tool from the toolbar. It'due south in the same place as the squares and circles.

    • Click and drag a rounded rectangle over the top rectangle of the finger.
    • Y'all tin also input the parameters for the rounded rectangle, including the corner radius. For this example, permit'southward make the corner radius 0.2-inches, which is one-half the width of the finger. Thus, it will create a rounded tip.

    Next we'll want the top of the finger to be rounded, merely the bottom straight.

    • Scale the rectangle downward so the top of it goes to the center marking of the rounded portion.
    • Next, select the rectangle, then the rounded rectangle.
    • On the Pathfinder window, click the "Add to shape" box and and so Expand.
    • A new shape is formed. Note how this is the reverse of the object subtraction we performed earlier.

    You know have a side view of a finger. We'll repeat these steps for the other 3 primary, non-thumb fingers.

    Separating the fingers for CNC output

    In lodge to gear up a design similar this for CNC output we must dissever the parts. Some of the shapes are used for multiple parts, and so we must brand more copies.

    • Brand iii more than copies of the finger off to the side.
    • On each copy, delete the parts you don't need. Every bit seen beneath, each section has the round joint and the screw hole.
    • Next, combine the rectangle finger portion with its rounded portion(s) by using the "Add to Shape" command as shown above. This will get out each piece with a main shape and a screw hole.
    • Now yous tin can put the finger portions aside for CNC. Of course, go on in mind for the "double bone" pieces you'll need to make ii of each slice.

    • Nosotros tin at present utilize one of these profile view fingers to create the thumb in the superlative down view. Bring a finger over and rotate it to the correct angle by using object menu, transform and rotate. Enter a value for the rotation, positive numbers are counterclockwise, negative clockwise. About 30 degress of tilt should do it.
    • You can also rotate an object or grouping of objects by putting the selection tool only outside of the corner scale controls. The cursor volition show up as rounded arrows and you tin and then click and drag to free rotate.

    Designing the "body" of the mitt

    Now that we have the fingers drawn in both views and set up for cutting, nosotros demand a master hand body to adhere everything to, lest it first looking like a graphic symbol from Wii Sports. We'll begin past making another version of the hand, a profile view with the fingers fastened.

    • Click on the upper rule and elevate downward -- you'll create a guideline. Ready this on the heart of the centre finger joint of the top-down view.
    • Make a copy of the contour view middle finger and drag information technology to the left of the main hand. Identify its bottom joint on the guideline - it is now level with the primary manus.
    • Draw a tall 0.125-inches broad rectangle and center it to the finger, this will represent the dorsum of the manus.
    • Make a copy of the index finger and rotate information technology thirty degrees for the thumb. Use some other guideline to align it to the thumb of the principal drawing.
    • The drawing below shows what this will look like -- we're creating a side "congenital" view of the object. The thumb is a niggling off simply we'll go to that later.

    Now let'southward make some knuckle attachments:

    • Zoom in on the knuckle of the side view finger.
    • Copy/paste the 0.four-inch joint at the bottom and resize information technology to 0.v-inches. Center this larger circle on the original articulation.
    • Make a copy of this 0.5-inch circle and resize it to ii-inch acme, same width. Place this on the original joint also. It should now look like the following:


    • Brand a rectangle bigger than the top half of the alpine circle. Place it over the top half of the circle, with its bottom edge lined up to the circle eye. This will be the subtraction rectangle.
    • Brand a copy of the back of the manus piece (tall rectangle in above photo) and place it onto itself.
    • Select the subtraction rectangle and so the re-create of the back paw piece (using shift). Grouping them together.
    • Select the tall circle, agree down shift and then select the items yous just grouped.
    • Use the Pathfinder window to subtract these from the tall circumvolve, as first described in the spiral section.
    • Select the resulting shape, then concord downward SHIFT and select the 0.v-inch circle around the joint. Add these shapes together.
    • Finally, select the resulting shape and SHIFT select the center 0.125-inch circle. Practise a copy / paste and you lot'll have your knuckle attachment. The thought is it'll slide downward onto the back hand slice and be welded/glued in place.
    • This knuckle piece will fit the four chief fingers then build it in one case and then just make copies.

    Thumb attachment

    We need to make a special knuckle for the pollex since it won't comport much like a thumb without it. The pollex tilts in and out but also up and down to some extent, thus nosotros need to add a second centrality of rotation to its joint. We'll start with the pinnacle-down view of the paw.

    • Draw a 0.5 x 0.v-inch circle and place it on the bottom articulation of the thumb. This is the wide joint for the thumb, more about it later.
    • Draw a 0.375-inch wide past 0.5-inch tall rectangle and place it on the centre of the circumvolve and to the right. (Come across cartoon below.) This represents where the first joint attaches to the second.
    • Side by side, place a 0.125 10 0.8-inch rectangle to the right of the concluding one. This is the rotating disc to which the pollex is attached.
    • Immediately to the right of this identify a copy of itself. This is the stationary disc which will be affixed to the back of the manus. It and the rotating disc are continued via a screw through their middles.
    • Identify a big rectangle over all of this with its left edge to the left of the rotating disc, and its lesser not much lower than the disc. This is the starting of the back of the hand, which we'll work with at the end.

    Now allow'south depict this in the other dimension, similar we did for the knuckles of the other fingers.

    • Make a copy of the peak-down view alphabetize finger to employ for the thumb but practise not rotate it.
    • Place a 0.125 wide by 0.five-inch loftier rectangle at the bottom joint. This is the same as the 0.v x 0.5-inch joint fron the previous view.
    • Motility the screw/nut off to i side and copy the rectangle yous merely drew to both sides of the double-sided os. This represents a wider joint than the rest of the fingers.
    • Put a 0.8 x 0.8-inch circle on the center of the heart rectangle. It should now look similar the following:

    What we take washed is make the joint attach on the outsides of the double bones as opposed to the insides like the balance of the fingers. (Nosotros'll have a unattached disc in the centre to go on the bones spaced correctly.) Widening the joint like this volition allow use to put a screw on the within so the rotating disc can connect to the stationary 1. Now let's draw the rotating discs in this view:

    • Make (2) 0.viii x 0.8-inch circles and line them up with the base of the thumb. These will exist used for the rotating and stationary discs.
    • Place ane of the circles level to the thumb's bottom joint and just a little to the left (below) the back of the hand.
    • Draw a box the same height of the circle, from its center to the right hand border of the back of the mitt. This represents how the stationary disc will have a tab that goes though a hole in the back of the hand for attachment.


    • Put a 0.125 10 0.125-inch circle in the heart of the larger circle. This will set the heart indicate, which volition be lost when the objects are combined.
    • Use "Add Shape" in the Pathfinder window to combine the circle to the rectangle and make the stationary disc piece. The modest hole we drew allows up to place other things to the middle of where the circle was.
    • Using the other 0.eight x 0.8-inch circle drawn earlier, center it on the stationary disc to correspond how the rotating disc volition attach.
    • At present we tin adhere the joint of the thumb to this disc to become the 2 axis movement nosotros need.

    Separating the pollex for CNC output

    The thumb itself can be "broken down" for CNC output similar the other fingers. For the double articulation, practise the following:

    • On the side view, where we were last, make a copy of the rotating disc and center pigsty, and then stationary disc / tab and its center hole. Remember, copy / paste is your friend when doing this sort of thing, information technology keeps y'all from destroying the original pieces.
    • At present, on the top-downward view, grab the 0.5 x 0.five-inch articulation effectually the thumb, the 0.125 x 0.125-inch hole in the eye and the rectangle connected to the right of it. Copy these off, and combine the big circle with the rectangle. Duplicate this (to make both sides)
    • Finally, from the same joint, grab the 0.5 x 0.5-inch circler and the 0.125 ten 0.125-inch hole and make a copy. This is the middle disc that spaces out the double basic of the thumb.
    • The resulting CNC-fix thumb parts should look similar the post-obit:

    Back of the mitt
    Now we accept everything, finger-wise, except a way to connect them together! Earlier nosotros drew a slice to represent the back of the manus, as a placehole while we made the thumb joint. Now let'southward expand that to connect all the fingers together. For this instance we're assuming the back of the manus is a single 0.125-inch thick piece of material. Nosotros'll practise this in the top-down view.

    • As with the thumb, place 0.125-inch wide by 0.5-inch high rectangles at the base of each finger -- this represents the center of the knuckle. The bottom of this rectangle also shows where the back of the hand ends and the joint begins.
    • Below each finger depict a rectangle to represent where the knuckle will adhere. (Check up to a higher place, the knuckle is the piece that looks like some sort of Klingon state of war-bract.) Thus, this rectangle must exist big enough to hold the knuckle, top-wise. The peak of the rectangle should run into up to the lesser of the 0.125 10 0.5-inch rectangles drawn in the previous step. We made rounded rectangles on mine for a nicer look.
    • Draw several rectangles to connect the knuckles and "fill in" the back of the hand. The result should expect like the following:

    You tin so select all the rectangle and dorsum of the mitt pieces and combine them to make a solid shape.

    Arranging parts for CNC cutting

    We'll cover this more than in a later on article but here are the main things to proceed in mind:

    • Make copies of everything when y'all deconstruct them for output. This keeps you from wrecking the originals. "Undo" doesn't cure all ills.
    • It's handy to group objects together, such as a finger portion and the screw holes that go with it. This makes it a lot easier to select and conform pieces when you're laying them out for the tabular array.
    • Keep in mind the width of the bit when laying out parts for cutting. If yous're using a ane/8-inch diameter bit, have at to the lowest degree ane/4-inch between parts to avoid chatter and damage. Bank check out the file links for an example.
    • To check the spacing between objects, select everything and click object on the menu, and then path, starting time path. Enter the bore of the bit, and an outline representing the tool path will exist created. You can then see if anything'due south going to "hit" Disengage the outline once you've check it (since information technology kind of makes a mess of things).

    All the parts for the CNC hand, laid out for cutting with a 1/8-inch diameter flake.

    Files for download

    You can download a consummate vector file of this entire project to poke, prod and edit at your leisure. Take a await at the finished parts and compare information technology with the tutorial to gain a better understanding of how everything was accomplished.

    AI, version 10 - Opens in versions of Adobe Illustrator from 2002 onward. Also opens in recent versions of Corel Draw.
    DXF - Opens in diverse programs such every bit AutoCAD. Is too used by many CNC control programs.
    DWG - Another AutoCAD type file format
    EPS - Generic file format, opens in well-nigh anything, even some toasters.

    Determination

    Now that nosotros've discussed how to design CNC-ready parts in multiple views yous should be able to take this knowledge and apply it to projects of your own. In a future How-To sequel to this project, our ain Will O'Brien volition demostrate how to take these sort of files and cutting them using his custom-built CNC machine. (Don't worry nosotros think he'south just about finished with the projector thing.) Stay tuned!