Help with CNC cutting for Texas Woodworking Festival

I’m trying to make a prize wheel for us to use at our booth for Texas Woodworking Festival on 9/4 (and other events in the future) and I’d like to do the main wheel on the CNC, but I am not trained on there yet so hoping someone experienced can help!

I’ve got a model in the works in Sketchup (it’s the only 3D modeling software that I know fairly well), but before I spend too much more time on it I wanted to see if anyone would be willing to help me cut it. I’m designing it to where everything should be doable with a straight bit so I’m hoping it’ll be a fairly simple job once the file is converted to the right format. Here’s what I have so far:

Overhead view

Angle view

I have some 3/4" scrap ply at home that can be used for this (diameter is 24"). That inner circle near the edge is where I’m putting insets for the metal pegs. I’m also going to do some insets for super strong magnets I have (N40s) and make the prize slices (laser cut) have sheet metal on the back that way they are trivial to change out but super secure on there. The prize divider walls are slightly sloped downward for visual interest and hopefully to show fun transitions between layers of the plywood. I’m also planning to make a center cap piece with the Asmbly logo.

For the stand, I’d like to do something Asmbly made, and metal seems like potentially the cheaper route (as opposed to wood), but I also haven’t learned to weld yet :sweat_smile: I found a model in Sketchup that looks like it would be pretty simple. I already have casters that we can use for the wheels (although maybe it would be better without wheels?) and if there are any weight issues we can just put some weights on that bottom square area. The flicker part that interacts with the wheel would need to stick out further than this model shows, but otherwise I think this could work well and hopefully be a fairly quick weld job.

I am thinking for attaching the wheel to the stand, we can use a pillow block bearing of some sort (possibly mounted on that cross bar). With the current design I have for the wheel, the very center circle-ish area is 1/2" wide. I’m thinking that would make more sense being at least an 1" so that the pole connecting the wheel to the bearing is more substantial.

I know this probably sounds crazy ambitious to have done in 2 weeks, but if someone can help me get the wheel cut by the end of next weekend I’m confident I can get it all done. I can make the stand with wood if need be, so less concerned with that part, although if anyone wants to help with that I’m certainly happy to have help there too!

Hey Valerie! I can help you CNC this on Saturday.

Thank you Mollie! I didn’t have the file totally set right for the CNC and Joe offered to help so I think I am actually covered on the CNC part for the big wheel. I do want to do a separate center piece that stays stationary that has the Asmbly logo on it. If I sent you a 2D SVG file for that, would you be able to convert it to what’s needed for the CNC easily enough to help with that piece? It can stay pretty flat with just a taper/bevel around the outside edge.

I’m going to build the stand out of wood now too, so I’m covered on the metal part here as well. The spinning mechanism is turning out to be super interesting and elaborate. I think it will end up working well :crossed_fingers: :crossed_fingers:

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Yeah I think I could make something from the SVG file. Let me know what dimensions you’d like for the center piece. I probably have some scrap plywood that would work.

Sweet! I’ll email you the file. I’m think ~5" wide. Here’s a mock up of the final look from the files I have prepped:

I’m going to paint the prize slices before I laser them. The “FREE” and “$25 OFF” ones will be metallic colors. I’m thinking the wood sticker ones I’ll leave the wood natural finish (maybe satin poly) and the keychain ones I’ll aim for the Asmbly blue. I think it’s going to turn out really cool!

You could use hardwood for the center piece and instead of recessing the logo in the normal cnc fashion. You could actually make the logo protrude having a 3d effect like those helmets cutouts I did.

It wwould just give it a bit more flair a to status quo of the machine.