Week 7 - Hamidah Rahimi - Computer-Controlled Machining

The process

Individual assignment:

01: Make balancing toy

01 | I wanted to do something I could use at home, so I decided to make a toy for my daughter

02| I asked my daughter to stand on an A3 paper to take the measurements.

03| I made the design on https://easel.com

04| Used 6mm cardboard. Based on the current situation in Kuwait and the war in the Gulf, it was not easy to get wood sheets to cut actual-size pieces

05| Used 6mm cardboard. Based on the current situation in Kuwait and the war in the Gulf, it was not easy to get wood sheets to cut actual-size pieces

06| I started setting up the device to start carving

07| I started setting up the device to start carving

08| I used the sensor to calibrate the height of the cardboard sheets

09| I connected the brush and vacuum dust collector

10| Turned the vacuum on

11| Then I started cutting my first prototype

12| The pieces connected at the back

13| From the front, those shapes were engraved

Not bad

Feedback: I did not have access to wood to make a full-size version of the project
Challenge:

Reflection

What worked

Choosing a balancing toy for my daughter made the assignment something I'd actually use at home.
Measuring her on an A3 sheet gave me real dimensions to design around.
Designing in Easel and setting up the machine — height calibration, dust collection — went smoothly.

What didn't

With the regional situation, I couldn't get wood sheets — I had to use 6mm cardboard instead.
That meant the piece is a prototype scale, not the full meter-scale build the assignment asks for.
The group section (runout, alignment, speeds and feeds) isn't documented on this page yet.

What I'd do differently

Source the material earlier so I can cut at full meter scale as intended.
Test joints and fit on scrap before cutting the final pieces.
Document the group machine-testing alongside the individual build.

Key learnings

CNC machining starts well before the cut — measuring, CAM toolpaths, and machine setup are most of the work.
Material availability shapes what's possible; a prototype in cardboard still proves the design.
Dust collection and height calibration aren't optional — they affect both safety and cut quality.

Assignment items

Fab Academy Rubric — Have you?

Tools