Market guide
Start with the part
Geometry, material, tolerance and batch decide the CNC before table sizeA large work area does not guarantee rigidity, Z clearance, cutter reach or an efficient setup. The working brief starts with representative parts and follows them from stock through finished inspection.
01
Geometry
Use the bounding box and every required face
Record length, width, thickness, edge machining, joinery and whether a part must be flipped or tiled.
- Clamp
- Subtract clamps, fixtures and safe cutter clearance.
- Flip
- Define locating features for accurate second-side work.
02
Material
Match rigidity and spindle to the cut
Hardwood, plywood, plastic and aluminum create different force, heat, chip and dust requirements. A machine that can mark aluminum may not remove it productively.
- Sample
- Run the exact stock and surface finish.
- Tool
- Use the cutter diameter and stick-out needed by the part.
03
Batch
Separate craft from production
One assisted part can tolerate active tool changes and slower feeds. Repeated sellable work makes setup time, recovery and unattended reliability valuable.
- Time
- Record active and machine minutes.
- Yield
- Include scrap, tabs, finishing and inspection.
Evidence used
First-party sources behind this guide
- 01Current Shapeoko CNC routersCarbide 3D · checked August 15, 2026Open source
- 02Current LongMill and AltMill rangeSienci Labs · checked August 15, 2026Open source
- 03Shapeoko 5.1 Pro shop reviewFine Woodworking · checked August 15, 2026Open source