Which Parts to Cut with a CNC Setup
A shop owner has just bought a CNC machine, and wants to know what he should use it for. Short answer: "Everything." August 30, 2005
Question
I just received my first CNC to do nesting for frameless cabinets. What other parts do you let the machine cut other than the standard 3/4" walls, bottoms, tops, etc? How about nailers, stretchers, detached toe-kick cores, and 1/4" backs? Are these items you would let the machine cut also?
Forum Responses
(CNC Forum)
From contributor A:
Mine cuts almost everything in the shop - toe-kicks, stretchers, and nailers, especially if I can cut something on the edge and reduce waste.
From the original questioner:
I realized I could cut anything, I was just wondering if it was cost efficient to cut everything.
From contributor B:
You have to forget the old ways of machining parts. Your CNC will cut anything. Its no use doing a secondary operation for nailers, toes, etc as precision goes out the door and mistakes are ushered in.
From contributor A:
There are some things you might want to still do manually. Not many, but some. I still do a few things the old fashion way. You really have to look at each operation.
From contributor J:
Don't forget to machine your fluted columns, arches, and etc on the CNC too.
