- Tools + Materials
- 🚨 Safety 🚨
- Part 1: File + Job Set Up
- Job Set Up
- Part 2: Creating Your Design
- Part 3: Creating Your Toolpath
- Part 4: Machine Set Up
- To connect the Nomad 3 to your computer
- Installing an Endmill
- Setting Job Zero
- Part 5: Machining
- Sub info
- Again Sub info [this is just copied and pasted]
- Part 6: Cleaning Up
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- Again Sub info [this is just copied and pasted]
- Part 7: Troubleshooting
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In this hands-on workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of CNC milling by designing and machining small charms and jewelry pieces. Participants will explore basic CAD/CAM workflows, tool selection, and machine setup, then bring their designs to life using a CNC mill. By the end of the session, each student will leave with a finished, custom-machined piece and a practical understanding of how digital designs become precision-made objects.
Tools + Materials
- a Carbide Nomad 3 desktop CNC mill, or a suitable alternative (>10k RPM spindle, > 50 mm/side working area, 1/8” collet)
- 1/32” flat end mill
- 1/16” flat end mill
- 90 degree or 120 degree diamond drag engraving bit
- double-sided tape, such as Scotch Permanent
- Painter’s tape, such as Scotch Painter’s Tap
- Cyanoacrylate (CA) Glue such as
- 20 ga or 24 ga non-ferrous metal such as copper, aluminum or brass (½ hard or full hardness)
- Scrap wooden boards
- Bar clamps
- Calipers
- Computer with the latest versions of Carbide Create and Carbide Motion
- a vector design software such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape
- a raster graphics design software such as Photoshop
- Sketch book and drawing and writing implements
🚨 Safety 🚨
Nomad 3 like any other desktop CNC milling machine is a serious machine that should be treated like any other power tool. Always follow safe-machining practices.
- Always wear safety glasses when your CNC machine is on.
- Always wear appropriate hearing protection. Hearing damage is cumulative and irreversible, so it is important to always err on the side of caution.
- Always keep the protective door closed while your Nomad 3 is machining
- Never leave your Nomad 3 unattended while it is machining
- Never reach into the machine with it is running
- End mills are sharp and should be handled with care.
- Always ensure the end mill is securely held by the collet before machining.
- Always use common sense.
In the event that you need to stop the machine right away, press the Power Switch to turn off the Nomad 3.
Part 1: File + Job Set Up
To begin any project on the CNC milling machine, one must must create a create a file with information for the CNC machine to understand.
Carbide Create is a free 2D computer-aided design/computer aided-manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software that is used to translate vector based designs into g-code.
The Design tab is where you create your work, which is then converted into toolpaths. This happens in two stages: setup and vector creation.
Job Set Up
Open Carbide Create. In the File menu select “New” to create a new project.
In the Design tab, under "Setup," click the cog icon.
Use a caliper to measure the thickness of your stock, or Z. Under ‘Stock Thickness’ type in that value.
Set your “Zero Height” or the zero for your z-axis. In our case, the top of the stock will be the zero for our z-axis.
Set your "Toolpath Zero"—the location of the zero coordinates for the x and y axes. Also known as job zero, toolpath zero is the origin of of your job. "Lower-Left" and "Center" are the most common options.
Under "Job", select "Aluminum" for any metal material. For "Machine", select Nomad 3. Adjust the "Retract Height" if you're using work-holding clamps or if your stock has surface features you need to avoid.
Click “Ok” to complete the job set up.
Part 2: Creating Your Design
Now that the job is set up, we will be using the CAD portion of the to create vector graphics.
Design a Nameplate
In the Design tab, under “Create Vector”, select “Text” icon to create a text-based vector.
In the text field, enter your desired text then select a font.
Adjust the font height. Somewhere between 0.5-0.75” is a good start.
Reduce the spacing percentage to move the letters closer together so that they just touch. This percentage will differ with each font.
Select the alignment that best suits your design. Center is common.
Click “Apply” to see the changes made to your design.
To add an arc to your design, select "Enable" in the Arc section. The default setting creates an upward curve. For a downward curve, select "Text on Bottom".
Use the arc handle to adjust the curvature of your text. The closer the handle is to the text the deeper the curvature.
For a successful design, every letter or feature in your design must be touching each other or connected in some way. Adjust your design so that the every letter is legible. Avoid feature sizes that are less than 1/16”.
Part 3: Creating Your Toolpath
Now that we have created a vector-based graphic, we can assign each line a toolpath with a specific operation. A toolpath is the “route” the cutting tool will follow as it shapes the workpiece.
The Toolpaths tab is where you shift from design (CAD) to machine programming CAM (Computer Aided Machining). Here, you'll decide which operations to apply to your vector paths to cut your stock material. Follow the specific workflow below to accomplish this correctly.
The 2D toolpaths section outlines all of the operations that are available to create 2 dimensional toolpaths. The six toolpaths are: contour, pocket, v-carve, drill
Keyhole
Texture
Part 4: Machine Set Up
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To connect the Nomad 3 to your computer
Connect the USB cable to your computer
Start Carbide Motion on your computer. Press the power button to turn on your Nomad 3.
In Carbide Motion, connect to the machine
Home the machine
Connect the USB cable to your computer
Installing an Endmill
Recommended format: Each paragraph should have its own section with two columns. Left columns should have text and its corresponding image on the right column.
Avoid added multiple steps with more then one image if possible. On the phone the left column will appear first and then the right.
This is an example of the 2 columns being copied and pasted under the first instructions.
In the photo to the right you can see an example of what this will look like on the phone. Notice that the text appears and then the photo instead of all texts and then all photos.
Setting Job Zero
Recommended format: Each paragraph should have its own section with two columns. Left columns should have text and its corresponding image on the right column.
Avoid added multiple steps with more then one image if possible. On the phone the left column will appear first and then the right.
This is an example of the 2 columns being copied and pasted under the first instructions.
In the photo to the right you can see an example of what this will look like on the phone. Notice that the text appears and then the photo instead of all texts and then all photos.
Part 5: Machining
[Description on what is going to be covered in this step]
Sub info
Recommended format: Each paragraph should have its own section with two columns. Left columns should have text and its corresponding image on the right column.
Avoid added multiple steps with more then one image if possible. On the phone the left column will appear first and then the right.
This is an example of the 2 columns being copied and pasted under the first instructions.
In the photo to the right you can see an example of what this will look like on the phone. Notice that the text appears and then the photo instead of all texts and then all photos.
Again Sub info [this is just copied and pasted]
Recommended format: Each paragraph should have its own section with two columns. Left columns should have text and its corresponding image on the right column.
Avoid added multiple steps with more then one image if possible. On the phone the left column will appear first and then the right.
This is an example of the 2 columns being copied and pasted under the first instructions.
In the photo to the right you can see an example of what this will look like on the phone. Notice that the text appears and then the photo instead of all texts and then all photos.
Part 6: Cleaning Up
[Description on what is going to be covered in this step]
Sub info
Recommended format: Each paragraph should have its own section with two columns. Left columns should have text and its corresponding image on the right column.
Avoid added multiple steps with more then one image if possible. On the phone the left column will appear first and then the right.
This is an example of the 2 columns being copied and pasted under the first instructions.
In the photo to the right you can see an example of what this will look like on the phone. Notice that the text appears and then the photo instead of all texts and then all photos.
Again Sub info [this is just copied and pasted]
Recommended format: Each paragraph should have its own section with two columns. Left columns should have text and its corresponding image on the right column.
Avoid added multiple steps with more then one image if possible. On the phone the left column will appear first and then the right.
This is an example of the 2 columns being copied and pasted under the first instructions.
In the photo to the right you can see an example of what this will look like on the phone. Notice that the text appears and then the photo instead of all texts and then all photos.
Part 7: Troubleshooting
[Description on what is going to be covered in this step]
Sub info
Recommended format: Each paragraph should have its own section with two columns. Left columns should have text and its corresponding image on the right column.
Avoid added multiple steps with more then one image if possible. On the phone the left column will appear first and then the right.
This is an example of the 2 columns being copied and pasted under the first instructions.
In the photo to the right you can see an example of what this will look like on the phone. Notice that the text appears and then the photo instead of all texts and then all photos.
Again Sub info [this is just copied and pasted]
Recommended format: Each paragraph should have its own section with two columns. Left columns should have text and its corresponding image on the right column.
Avoid added multiple steps with more then one image if possible. On the phone the left column will appear first and then the right.
This is an example of the 2 columns being copied and pasted under the first instructions.
In the photo to the right you can see an example of what this will look like on the phone. Notice that the text appears and then the photo instead of all texts and then all photos.