I’m trying to make a piece as wall art and want to use the CNC to cut out a geometric design.
Can I buy a piece of wood at this size or will I have to glue a few slabs to make a 3 ft square? Also, which wood would be best to keep it light so I can hang it on a wall?
Thanks!
I think you will need to either buy Baltic birch plywood or rabbet/glue some planks together. It depends on the surface finish you are seeking.
Where possible you could hollow out portions on the back to lighten.
Large diameter trees of the type that would have produced this are just about extinct. I think you’ll have to glue something up.
Will Baltic birch plywood come in such a size?
3/4" is common but I understand it’s difficult to get in 1" thick. You could “laminate” two 1/2" pieces together. It comes in 5’ x 5’ as a common size and I’m guessing 4’x4’ also.
There is a good weight calculator here:
It includes many types of plywood and lots of different solid woods. Note that the plywood comparison is 1/2" thick.
Thanks John! Seems like 1/2" would be a better idea and I’d still be able to make the design I want.
Sorry one more question y’all:
Which type of wood would give me this white/stone color?
This is the piece I want to make- https://www.westelm.com/products/whitewashed-wood-wall-art-w1666/?catalogId=91&sku=6405802&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Wall%20Art%20%2B%20Mirrors%20>%20All%20Art
These are done in plywood. Two layers. One CNCed set on a back drop.
Looks like milk paint that was popular in the 90’s. Chalk paint now has a similar look.
They may even be lasered. The interior corners are too sharp for a CNC.
Maybe they were v-carved from the back side?
Clever idea @Bill 
The shadows don’t look like v-carving from the back. I second laser-cut.
Does Dallas Makerspace have a laser machine for making a piece of this size?
We have a laser with a bed that big. Challenge is going to be thickness. The laser gives a conical cut. You could cut identical 1/4" sheets and then stack/glue them after cutting. You could use 1/4" ply as the back, saving some weight.
[EDIT: Ask the laser experts … you might want to focus the laser partway through the depth to get the best cut on something thick]
The Tools page of the wiki is a good overview that points you to specifications and information about most, if not all, of the major tools that we own.
It is linked from the upper RH corner of the main wiki page.
We have ordered lenses for the 4" tube. In theory, the lasers should then cut 3/4". We will be able to test in 18-43 days.
Home Depot and lowes sell what they call project panels I believe, they are essentially just pre-glued up thick boards.
alternately, as mentioned here, there are a lot of plywood options.
@sbjensen i like that wall. And it is funny it’s the same inspiration.
@Phiaz23 thunder 63 fits pieces 1,600mm x 1,000mm or 63" x 39+"
@sbjensen Wow, that is beautiful! Exactly what I’m looking for 
