DIY CNC/3D PRINT
As I have progressed through my career, I have found that one of my biggest passions is being able to see an idea come to life. Some of the most tangible examples of this are when parts are designed in CAD and raw material is either cut, dissolved, extruded, etc into that physical shape. As I learned more about some of these methods such as 3d printing and CNC machining, I wanted to find ways I could myself use these methods to bring some of my personal ideas to life.
My first DIY dive into this area for myself was purchasing a 3d printer. This was one of the greatest investments as it allowed me to bring anything that could fit onto the print bed to life and is how I have created a number of my ideas seen in this portfolio as well as the kitchen utensil gadget seen to the left.
A project that pushed me into CNC machining was one where I wanted to make a unique cutting board which didn't seem to exist on the market. The board would be flat with a juice groove like normal on one side, but with with 3 raised edges on the other, which would keep your food from spilling off. After some research, a DIY workshop near my house offered classes on programming and operating a CNC router. The router was the perfect choice for this as opposed to a mill as the workpiece could be mounted right to the table. Using the skills learned from the class, I used the router to cut my board out of a slab of polypropylene plastic (left). The board actually worked really well and I still use it at home.
The next logical step was to move to the CNC mill which could cut metal. I ended up taking a 10 week private CNC machining class which allowed me to become more comfortable when operating the machine. Through continuous trial and error I have programmed and machined numerous relatively simple parts that I have needed either for a particular project or just for fun (see bottle opener to the left).