Summary

The focus of this chapter was on some basic settings for your CNC machine and how to optimize them. We have also learned how to confirm our machine is operating to expectations by running some test patterns. As we progress and your experience with your machine grows, you will develop your own test workflow as well as optimum settings for your projects, materials, and end mills. There are many variations here because not all of our 3018 machines are the same (and if you are using something other than a 3018, you definitely have your own tweaking to do).

The next chapter is the opener for a series of special projects. We will have the opportunity to try our hand at setting cut depths and/or depths per pass and look at how we might make the same thing out of different materials. This will allow us to investigate the settings we have discussed here and see what the effects are when we cut soft wood, hardwood, foam, acrylic, and other materials.