Hi Folks! I am a new member and I would like to make mancala game boards for my school classroom. I am not super great with a traditional router. (My grandfather was a carpenter so I have some personal experience/failure in woodworking and I know hand routers and I don’t get along great. 
) Since I am a member now I am kind of hoping I can take some classes and learn how to get a CNC machine to do it for me with more professional looking results! I know I definitely need to take Woodshop 101 for general shop usage permission, but would like some advice on what machine would work best for this particular project. Then I can plan training classes accordingly. Thanks so much!
1 Like
You could definitely cut the boards on the Multicam CNC. After wood shop 101 you’d need to take the Multicam CNC class, which has a classroom portion and a hands-on portion. After that you design and plan a Multicam project, have it reviewed by an instructor, then cut it on the Multicam to show you can operate the machine without hurting yourself of the machine. After that you’re free to use the machine!
Edit: May be small enough to cut on the Shapeoko as well, which is owned by @Team_Creative_Arts, and also requires training to use.
Definitely use the CNC if you can. Round nose bit for all of the pockets since getting curvature when you’re grabbing stones would feel nicer and easier. If you’re doing a hinged unit have the end pockets terminate ‘past’ the end of half of the board. Then run a profile to cut the single board or 2 halves.
If getting certified on the CNC is going to take too long, make a template on the laser cuter with the pockets cut out and use a bearing bit to carve out your holes.
2 Likes