I want to CNC a giant t-rex skeleton out of 1” foam paneling, and if that goes well eventually CNC it out of plywood. I’ve got a 1/8” cut file that I’ve tested on the laser and the trex is appx 16” long and 10” tall. I’ve scaled the file up to fit 1” material so the resulting skeleton should be about 7 ft tall…I think? Since taking the class, I’ve only cut one thing on the CNC and that was with @sneezix help, so any suggestions or tips are welcome!
Awesome project! I don’t know whether foam is allowed but here are a couple other tips that might be helpful:
- The CNC can easily damage parts as it finishes separating them from the surrounding material, if the blade catches and throws the part. So either plan to use tabs or make sure you thoroughly attach the board to the bed so that each piece that will be cut out is independently held down, especially the smaller ones.
- If you can, add a couple small pieces with slots in the empty space between parts, and cut those out first on a separate toolpath. This will give you a chance to test the fit of the slots before the bigger cuts, to avoid wasting material.
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You can cut that material, however be aware that it makes quite a mess. Please be thorough when cleaning up and particularly the filter and bag on the dust collector.
Other than that, I hope it goes well!
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Please remember to clean the undercarriage of the gantry. Static electricity has caused that to get caked in foam in the past, it’s a mess.
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I was reading about the static issue, an anti-static spray might help or grounding the gantry or spindle…maybe? Gotta do more research