The Ultimate Guide to CNC Carving Wood with a CNC Router

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CNC Machining

Table of Content

■ Introduction

■ Choose A Material That’s Right For You

■ Choose the suitable CNC router machine

■ Choose the right tool for the job

■ Set up the work area

■ Cut out the shape

■ Sanded the surface

■ Finsh with an oil stain

■ Conclusion

A CNC wood router is a computer-controlled router tool with a system supporting automatic carving, engraving, cutting, drilling, and grooving into the face of a piece of wood.

It is widely used in the manufacturing of furniture all around the world because of the following reasons:

  • High degree of automation
  • High productivity
  • Consistent quality
  • Processing complex shapes
  • Friendly with CAD/CAM

Some of the components of CNC wood routing machines are:

  • Separate head
  • Dust collection
  • Vacuum collector

Before you choose your next CNC carving wood machining service provider, you must know the key aspects that we will cover in this article. Let us now take you through these key points!

Choosing a material that’s right for you

Choosing the right material for your job is very important because it affects the whole process. The process of choosing the right material involves:

  • Bill of material
  • Performance requirement
  • Material cost
  • Testing of material

Bill of material (BOM)

A bill of material (BOM) is a list of parts and assemblies that are needed to manufacture a product. In BOM, a material is assigned to each part concerning its compatibility in assembly.

Performance requirement

Mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties are the first things to consider. This affects the functionality and life of the product. The steps for choosing the right material are as follows:

  1. Must ask the supplier for technical specification sheets of different materials.
  2. Select the material according to the application.
  3. Product material and design define the product aesthetics, so choose the material that meets the performance requirement.
  4. Structural elements are most important for the mechanical integrity of the product. The design requirement further includes the:
    • Performance
    • Reliability
    • Size, shape, and mass
    • Assembly
    • Industry standards
    • Government regulations
    • Intellectual property and cost requirements.
  5. Different types of wood have different surface finishes. So preferably choose best wood types that give higher surface finish quality.

Material cost

The availability of material and cost is the main concern. So for this purpose, first list down the different material executions and choose the material that meets the criteria at a lower cost. Also, consider the machining and manufacturing cost of the material.

Some other aspects when choosing material include:

  • Manufacturing requirements
  • IP protection
  • Environmental impact
  • ISO certification or other legal regulations.

Testing of material

The information in the datasheet is useful but not enough. It is important to test the material in different environments including its toughness in real-life use. There are wood composite materials that give similar results to some types of wood. For testing, make a prototype with different material combinations using CNC machining real wood. Then evaluate the results and find the materials that satisfy the product need.

After testing and evaluation, select and source the best material and add them to the BOM. If the design is complex, having more than one vendor for critical parts is recommended. This helps to improve the workflow of the entire project.

Another modern technique for choosing the material is material requirement planning (MRP), which is done through specialized software. It uses the information from inventory data and calculates the required material, which minimizes the lead time. The most common types of lead times are material lead time and production lead time. The MRP system helps in calculating many of these lead times.

The advantages of MRP are as follows:

  • Improves efficiency
  • Flexibility
  • Improves quality
  • Minimizes material and labor cost
  • More competitive product pricing
  • Avoid production delays and inventory stockouts
  • Improves the profitability of manufacturing operations

Choosing the suitable CNC machine

Computer numerical control (CNC) works on new technology and machinery. The most widely used machining unit is known as the CNC router machine. It is a CNC machine tool that is utilized for cutting different materials. Different materials that are machinable by CNC router machines are as follows:

  • Wood
  • Aluminum
  • Composites
  • Plastic
  • Foam

It is very similar to a CNC milling machine. CNC routers reduce waste and increase productivity, producing more complex wooden parts in less time than other machines.

Different types of CNC router machines used for woodworking are given below:

    • Sintron CNC 3018 Pro router kit

    • Mini CNC engraving machine

    • Vevor CNC wood router for Hobbyists

    • CNC 3020 wood carving and engraving router

    • JFT 6090 CNC router for wood

CNC Wood Router Working

A CNC router performs routing through CAD/CAM software and programming. There are two main types of CNC routers used in woodworking given below:

  1. Gantry style in which the router’s spindle is movable
  2. Fixed-bridge style in which the bed is movable

CNC routers perform operations in 3 axes (XYZ) with the help of a drive system based on three or four motors. It reduces the risk of human error and is perfect for production on a large scale. During CNC routing some important things to consider are:

  • Go through routing motion to ensure clamps are positioned properly
  • Routers are noisy and grubby so make sure you have ear and eye protection
  • For proper routing, you must ensure the router is completely stable and steady, with no wobbling or burning smells
  • Use a voltage regulator to avoid large fluctuations
  • Avoid strong electrical, magnetic, and other serious impacts on machine signals’ transmission

Some important specifications to consider when choosing a CNC router are as follows:

    • Number of axes
    • Table size
    • Frame Construction
    • Axis of travel
    • Maximum RPM of spindle
    • Spindle power
    • Automatic tool changing spindle
    • Use of appropriate software

Software used for CNC routers is listed below:

      • Easel software
      • VCarve Pro
      • DeskProto
      • Mesh CAM
      • CamBam
      • Open builds CAM
      • Linux CNC
      • Power mill

The specialized CNC routers used in numerous woodworking industries are:

      • Small CNC routers
      • Standard CNC routers
      • ATC CNC routers
      • Nesting CNC routing machines
      • 4-axis and 5-axis CNC machines
      • Stone CNC router machines

Choosing the right tool for the job

Tools have always been of significant importance in any machining industry. The use of the right tool makes a job much easier. They are an investment and help save time to complete the job and give a good finish quality. Remember not to buy all the tools in one go. At the start of business, develop the skills and buy tools according to the usage of the project.

The router bits used for CNC woodworking are listed below:

      • V-groove bits
      • End mill bits
      • Ball-nose bits
      • Fly-cutting bits
      • Two flutes spiral bits
      • Flat bottom bits
      • Corn teeth end mill
      • Drill bits
      • Tapered ball nose bit
      • Three-dimensional irregular router bits

When choosing the right CNC router, the type of material and project are two main factors that always take into consideration. The following are the tips for selecting the right tool for the job:

      • Tool type and features: While choosing the tool, you must consider the machining features that the tool offers exclusively.
      • Size and sharpness: It has an important role in making versatile finished products in variable shapes and sizes while maintaining accuracy.
      • Expertise in handling: It is important to ensure that at least basic knowledge is gathered in handling the specific tool to reduce injuries.
      • Effectiveness and efficiency: Selection of the right tool for the job increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the whole process.
      • Conformance: Last but not the least, regular inspection of the tools after every successive operation is important for long-term conformity to international standards.

Setting up the work area

Many products that various manufacturing industries use and sell are made with the help of computerized numerical control (CNC) machining system. CNC carving wood offers a high degree of accuracy and quality.

While setting up the work area for CNC carving wood, the following steps are very important to consider:

      • Pre-start
      • Load tools
      • Mount part to bed
      • Set tool length (Offset Z)
      • Set part’s offset in XY plane
      • Load program on CNC machine
      • Test run
      • Start program

The safety procedure is as follows:

      1. Turn off the machine before loading the tool holder
      2. Read all instructions before using a CNC router bit on wood
      3. Stay alert when operating a CNC router bit on wood
      4. Make sure that the workpiece is perfectly clamped before starting an operation
      5. Maintenance of computer numeric control (CNC) wood routers increases the tool life and accuracy.

Cutting out the shape

CNC wood carving opens up many possibilities, but everything starts with 3D model design and setting up the right program on a CNC machine. After that, the selection of appropriate cutters is a very important aspect.

To extract the desired shape from raw material, different types of carving are used and these are:

      • Chip carving
      • Bone carving
      • Wood carving

The process of carving is mostly done through the engraving technique.

The method of cutting out the shape from raw material is as follows:

      • Very firstly make a 3D model in CAD/CAM
      • Setup tool path strategy
      • Create the program (G and M codes)
      • Transfer the program to the CNC machine control panel
      • Ensure the offset positions of the tool and workpiece
      • Setup spindle RPM and feed rate concerning the material or part nature
      • Start the program
      • Start surface finish by using special routers

The finishing cut is the main and last step and then the part reaches the inspection stage. To achieve the desired shape, one must ensure that the surface finish is up to the mark. To improve surface finish some key points are:

      • Adjust speed and feed rate
      • Adding up chip breaker
      • Positive rake angle
      • Maintain rigidity
      • Use an air cleaner

Sanding the surface

In technological advancement, wood sanding is done through an automatic power woodworking tool that uses a sand roller and pressure rollers. This is also known as a CNC wood sander. It is also suitable for grinding and polishing all kinds of solid wood doors, carved parts, and furniture parts. There are four different types of CNC wood sander machines and these are listed below:

      • Ordinary sander machine
      • Heavy-duty sander machine
      • Overhead sander machine
      • Double-sided sander machine

The advantages of CNC wood sanding machines are:

      • Simple in construction and reasonable
      • Feeding and thickness of the sanding machine are adjustable
      • Rapid positioning and high accuracy
      • Improves production efficiency
      • High stability and easy to control
      • Offers the polishing on both the top and bottom sides
      • Provide good flatness on the surface
      • Independent operations, convenient usage, and maintenance

Finish with an oil stain

The most commonly used method for wood carving is through oil and stain. Tung oil finish is another great option for the protection of carved wood. To finish the part with an oil stain, the following steps will be helpful:

      1. Dust the wood carving with cotton cloth.
      2. Wait for the natural drying process.
      3. Apply mineral oil to clean cotton cloth.
      4. Wipe the whole wood carving part with an oil-soaked cloth.
      5. Wipe the piece several times until the oil no longer soaks.
      6. Wipe the excess oil from the part with a cloth.
      7. Allow the wood carving to dry.
      8. Repeat the process after every six months.

Conclusion

We hope this article provided valuable insight about the knowledge of CNC carving wood. Now, before you setup your next online consultation for wood machining, your knowledge will be helpful for negotiation and achieving affordable rates. Market competitive price negotiation along with technical support is what we proudly offer to carve your ideas into realities!

Worthy Hardware is a CNC manufacturing and sheet metal fabrication company,including CNC machining services,CNC milling services, CNC turning services, laser cutting services and stamping services.Call us +86-76989919645 or email us [email protected] for more discounts for your projects.

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