Small Table Top CNC Ideas?

[Mr. Dude]

What are some cool things that could be made with a small table top CNC?  I've got a 3 axis machine with a table size of about 12" x 6" to make stuff.  Cuts plastic and wood pretty well... metal not as well but it will do it if you take small cut paths.

I'm just having a hard time trying to figure out what use I can get out of this thing.  What would be some cool things to make on this little machine? 

[HaRuMaN]

5" question mark blocks (like in Mario) for wall shelves...

Space Invaders to hang on the wall...

[yotsuya]

Arcade keychain holders.

[Howard_Casto]

Buy some scrap plexi at your local hardware store.... cnc designs on to it and sell it as those cheap, plexi, led signs you see on ebay.  Sell enough and you've made your money back on the machine.

[Mr. Dude]

Those are some pretty cool ideas. I like the idea of making some cash back to pay for the machine. 

Maybe I could do something on the lines of lokesen's nanocade http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108702.0.html?  Or even Bender's micro DK cabinet http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,111395.0.html?

[yotsuya]

I got $20 cash in hand for a 12" x 6" simple keychain holder with a custom design cut into it.

[Howard_Casto]

Those are some pretty cool ideas. I like the idea of making some cash back to pay for the machine. 

Maybe I could do something on the lines of lokesen's nanocade http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108702.0.html?  Or even Bender's micro DK cabinet http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,111395.0.html?

Both great ideas, but remember, you'll still have to design the files and put the thing together after it's cut out. 

[ChadTower]

Buy some scrap plexi at your local hardware store.... cnc designs on to it and sell it as those cheap, plexi, led signs you see on ebay.  Sell enough and you've made your money back on the machine.

I was thinking the same thing.  Those signs would be super easy to bang out once you've got the CAD done. 

[Mr. Dude]

Wow! I went and browsed ebay real quick and I agree that those signs would be fairly easy to do.

Yotsuya,  I would make a keychain holder for you.  No problem. 

Good point Howard, those both look like they took some quality time and effort to put together.

[yotsuya]

Wow! I went and browsed ebay real quick and I agree that those signs would be fairly easy to do.

Yotsuya,  I would make a keychain holder for you.  No problem. 

Good point Howard, those both look like they took some quality time and effort to put together.

What format do you need the file in?

[Mr. Dude]

Wow! I went and browsed ebay real quick and I agree that those signs would be fairly easy to do.

Yotsuya,  I would make a keychain holder for you.  No problem. 

Good point Howard, those both look like they took some quality time and effort to put together.

What format do you need the file in?

I'm pretty flexible really.  If it's something you already have designed up in CAD I prefer .stp or .iges for 3D or.dxf for 2D.  If it's something you want me to create then just a .png of your idea would work.

[NiN^_^NiN]

You could make animated signs like the old school Neons

I've done this myself and it comes out well

You could just have lit up arcade characters you just have to separate the colours onto different plexi sheets like a stencil

I have done this a few times and did this in my car too (Hadn't wiped all the fingerprints off yet)
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/aussie_ninja/plexi/litlogo4.jpg

You just use a led strip to light up the plexi and you have separate colours I did blue and white but it works well for pieces going on top of each other and arcade or video game characters would work well.

A good one you could do is the Space Invaders monster just have white leds for the outline and then the red or yellow for the colour


I always wanted to make a full size plexi cabinet but used the led and engravings on the side to have it light up like proper side art and the control panel too 

[yotsuya]

Wow! I went and browsed ebay real quick and I agree that those signs would be fairly easy to do.

Yotsuya,  I would make a keychain holder for you.  No problem. 

Good point Howard, those both look like they took some quality time and effort to put together.

What format do you need the file in?

I'm pretty flexible really.  If it's something you already have designed up in CAD I prefer .stp or .iges for 3D or.dxf for 2D.  If it's something you want me to create then just a .png of your idea would work.

Gimme a day or two to throw it together. Thanks.