It’d be great to have a repository of designs we can cut with one sheet of 4x8 plywood. There is a wonderful sense of accomplishment when we put our M4 to work. Having a source of proven designs would also help newbies along.
Why full sheet projects?
Well, I have other CNC but nothing comes close to Maslow’s scale. Being able to cut big projects is one thing that sets the M4 apart. My thought was simply to have a ready resource to allow owners to flex the tool’s capability.
An easy start would be projects posted in Discourse.
Better still, does such a file resource already exist?
I’d be happy to learn I’m simply late to the game!
I agree, after assembly I spent days anxiously looking at different plans trying to decide what to be the first cut. I wanted something functional but with some style… I chose a parts box, designed for 1/4 in. plywood, and then discovered my plywood was 11/32 :-). Mistake, but valuable lesson to be learned….a “first cut” primer would be great.
I made this model for a small black board in fusion but I’m in the process of rebuilding my frame so I haven’t had a chance to cut it yet. What types of designs would you like to see? I wouldn’t mind making nc files for new users to run
I was able to take Paul Jackman’s Adirondack chair plans and cut the chair, footrest, and table from one sheet. Plus I had the Maslow pre-drill the screw holes to make assembly easier. This thing is very comfortable!
@tryon and @Dan1, these are great examples!
One sheet of ply, a good design, a gratifying result.
What a wonderful way to enjoy learning to use your new tool.
A repository of such designs promoted to new Maslow users would do much to build an excited corp. I’m not suggesting a CutRocket or Design&Make but instead a curated set of select projects targeted at new users and available for download. If each had “Pointers for Success” bundled then all the better.
Make sure to include things at the 1’x1’ and 2’x’2 scales, so that there is less of a barrier of entry. This being aimed at letting new users have ready to use files shouldn’t also burden them with not being able to test with scrap they might have on hand and having to get a full sheet. Plus, there have been a few people who haven’t had frames large enough for full sheets.
Can I get a CNC file, or at least an SVG to use to cut out some templates on my CNC? Yes, the full size template that is included with the plans is a PDF format, but you can pull the SVG data off of this because all of the lines for the parts are SVGs.
I did make some changes to the plans such as flattening the dip in the seat curve and adding a contoured seat slat at the back to remove a gap between that one and the curved back.
From there I shuttled it into Fusion and made the cut paths. The only issue I ran into was getting the drilling operation correct with my bits, which burned a bit on the first attempt. And yes all the drill holes are marked on the plans except for a very few specific ones that change based on how the chair comes together. I did leave a 2" border of material around the entire setup so the Maslow would not tip.
Total machine time was around 4 hours per chair using a 1/8 bit. Then of course finishing by hand with a roundover, sanding…
Taking a closer look at the construction I can see there are no interlocking pieces. My concern was starting with an SVG where stock thickness is critical for interlocking pieces, such as with box joints. Seeing none of that I guess precise dimensions aren’t so critical. I’ll go buy the design, thanks for sharing.
Might you be open to working with Paul to bundle in your one-sheet cut files in with the purchased design?
I would happily pay a little extra on top for a Maslow One-Sheet version so you can get compensated for your work too.
These kinds of projects are perfect “quick win” starters for someone like me who wants something confirmed to work great while getting used to a new-to-me tool.
