Cool Things To Make With A CNC Machine
Written by Brian B

10 Cool Things To Make With A CNC Machine

From pocket knives to board games, this a list of 10 fun and unique items you can create at home with a CNC machine!

Phone Case

CNC machines will allow you to create custom and durable cases for any type of cell phone. Regardless of how many jacks, speakers, ports or cameras the phone has, these machines enable you to make a case fitting any phone. Add some custom engravings or names on the case to really make your creation stand out. 

  • Material needed for cut: Wood.

Coasters

Are you looking for a simple project when you are first starting out with your CNC machine? Try creating some drink coasters for the family kitchen or coffee tables. Feel free to experiment with several different shapes, sizes and patterns. 

  • Material needed for cut: Wood.

Engravings

Do you want to make a keychain or some sort of keepsake for yourself or as a gift for a friend? Use your CNC machine to create a custom engraving. The beauty of this process is you can use pretty much any material you’d like for the creation. We suggest using wood or metal, but plastic and acrylic materials will work as well. 

  • Material needed for cut: Wood, Metal, Acrylic Or Plastic.

Pocket Knives

Much like creating a CNC yoyo, a pocket knife is a project that can take a long time and require precision at all times. Sharpening the metal will require focus, but it will make you more efficient with the machinery in the long run. Get the essential parts done first, then enjoy the creativity involved with engraving the outsides.

  • Material needed for cut: Metal.

Pocket Knife

Board Games

Make your board game collection unique by creating pieces yourself. Use metal to make a chess board that is distinct from others. Games, such as chess, monopoly and snakes and ladders are perfect projects. 

  • Material needed for cut: Wood Or Metal.

Jewelry

While most DIY’ers tend to use metal for any jewelry creations, it is possible to turn wood into a piece of jewelry, as well. With CNC machinery, you can create rings, bracelets, earring, necklaces and more! Save money this holiday season by making your own jewelry for loved ones. 

  • Material needed for cut: Wood Or Metal.

Yoyo

This is one of the more unusual items one can make, yet one that can be passed down from generation to generation. Creating a CNC yoyo can be a bit difficult, though. You’ll want to weigh and balance the metal for optimum performance, while also making sure the string fits tightly around the ball bearings. 

  • Material needed for cut: Metal. 

Signs

Typically, we suggest using wood as your material to create a sign with a CNC machine. Signs can create a great first impression as you enter a home or workplace. Make your area stand out with a wood sign that includes a greeting or quote. 

  • Material needed for cut: Wood.

Wood Sign

Item Holder

No matter what you have in your home, garage or backyard, everyone could use an additional place to put some miscellaneous items. Too many times we will misplace keys, glasses, etc. Make sure that never happens again by building an item holder with your CNC machine. A nice piece of wood with several holes, rings and shelves could keep all of your small items organized. 

  • Material needed for cut: Wood.

Gift Boxes

Gift boxes are generally pretty simple to create, and the result can be truly magnificent. A well-crafted gift box can be used for years. Plus, you can turn the box into a storage box or container in addition to a gift box. 

  • Material needed for cut: Wood.

CNC Machine Shops Near Me

Do you want CNC machining services instead of attempting these projects on your own? Well, East Valley Precision, based in Chandler, Arizona, is here to help!

Equipped with over 40 years of experience, East Valley Precision has been offering top-notch customer service and machinery work throughout the valley. EVP specializes in CNC milling, turning, surface grinding, engineering and water jet cutting. This company also has extensive experience in machining aluminum, stainless steel, titanium and plastics. With customers from the medical, semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries, you can rest assured that any of your needs can be taken care of by EVP.

East Valley Precision – Custom Machinery Specialists

East Valley Precision offers custom CNC Machining in the Chandler, Arizona and surrounding areas. When you need precision CNC machining and milling contact East Valley Precision. Call us at 480-288-6601 for more information or use our form for a quote.

CNC ROUTER SERVICES NEAR ME
Written by Brian B

CNC Router Services Near Me

If you are searching for “cnc router services near me” or “cnc shop near me“, look no further than East Valley Precision.

This article will detail the various CNC router services and processes commonly used today.

CNC Router Services

Equipped with over 40 years of experience, East Valley Precision has been offering top-notch customer service and machinery work throughout the valley. EVP, located in Chandler, Arizona, specializes in CNC milling, turning, surface grinding, engineering and water jet cutting. This company also has extensive experience in machining aluminum, stainless steel, titanium and plastics. With customers from the medical, semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries, you can rest assured that any of your needs can be taken care of by EVP.

CNC routers are perfect for the following tasks:

CNC Router Machines

There are great examples of CNC routers being able to manipulate all forms of materials. A lot of woodworkers tend to leverage CNC routers in their work to sever and mold all types of wood. If you would like to design any chairs, etc, CNC routers are a necessity. You can do all sorts of shaping and sliding to make clean cuts. With the cuts and measurements, you can easily craft bolts and screws, meshing them together to create amazing pieces of furniture.

Comparatively to other CNC machinery, these CNC routers are extremely effective at crafting exact materials. These routers can be typically found in manufacturing houses and be purchased for other private purposes.

CNC Router Process

CNC machinery runs on a series of pre-programmed scripts and commands. When using these machines, follow this 3-step process:

  1. A Vector image is created which does not have a G-Code attached. This vector is a form of a DXF extension that has details compared to the x, y and z axis, which help determine the resulting image that will be produced.
  2. Take the produced vector from before and translate this into a G-Code.
  3. A New CNC system will then take that script and formatted G-code, then translating that inside the machine’s system.

CNC Routing Gallery

Take a look below at some of East Valley Precision’s latest projects:

Types Of CNC Machine

CNC machines were originally controlled by analog computers, and later, digital computers.

There is a whole line of CNC machines that are entirely electronic. Most commonly CNC’s include some form of ultrasonic welding, laser etching, and hole crafting. Here is a list of the more common CNC machines being used today:

CNC Mill

CNC milling is a machining method that utilizes computerized controls and spinning multi-point cutting devices to remove material from a workpiece. The end result will be custom-designed parts or products.

Lathes

This particular machine rotates a piece through an axis of rotation (x and y respectively) to perform various processes. These tasks include cutting, knurling, sanding, drilling, deformations and turning.

Plasma Etching/Cutting

Plasma Etching is the elimination of silicon, plastic, or other non-metallic materials using plasma which is produced by exciting ions in a gas; typically oxygen and CF4. Those ions crash into the material at an atomic level and remove it without needing chemical acids.

Electric Discharging Machine (EDM)

Electrical discharge machines (EDM) use a nontraditional technique where material is removed from a workpiece via thermal energy. A lot like processes such as laser cutting, EDM doesn’t require mechanical pressure in the removal process.

Water Jet Cutters

A waterjet cutter uses high-pressure streams of water to eat away at a slender line in the piecework. Used for cutting a wide range of material, including tool steel and titanium to foam, a granular abrasive is implemented to the waterjet. This will increase the jet’s cutting power. Since the abrasive is implemented at the nozzle, it is easy to change between just water and abrasive waterjet cutting.

East Valley Precision – Custom Machinery Specialists

East Valley Precision offers custom CNC Machining in the Chandler, Arizona and surrounding areas. When you need precision CNC machining and milling contact East Valley Precision. Call us at 480-288-6601 for more information or use our form for a quote.