The Nomad is a small, high resolution CNC machine.

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When using this guide, please look out for warnings such as this. Failing to follow these crucial details could result in breaking the machine.

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Getting started - material setup

1. Select a material that is millable in the Nomad and will fit in the Nomad.

   The following materials are millable

   1. All wood
   2. Most plastics, including: ABS, Acrylic, Polycarbonate, Delrin, HDPE, PEEK, PVC
   3. Some metals, including: aluminum, brass, copper

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   When milling metals, check the specific metal because there are different types and some are more millable than others. We do not recommend starting with metals if this is your first time using a CNC.

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   <aside> 💡 The Nomad is not optimized for cutting large metal parts. If you plan to have large metal projects, the CNC router in our Wilson Hall MOS maker space will be a much better option.

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   1. The maximum millable size is 8”(X) x 8”(Y) x 3”(Z)
      1. If you are unfamiliar with 3-dimensional coordinates, X is left-to-right, Y is front-to-back, and Z is up-and-down

2. Attach double-sided tape to the underside of the material. Cover approximately 75% of the area with tape.

   

3. Adhere the material to the bed. Make sure it is straight. You can use another piece of stock (as long as you know it is square) to line it up. Or you can use a ruler / combination square from the rolling tool cart.

   

   

4. Turn on the machine using the small silver button on the right.

Software Setup

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This guide assumes you already have a 3D model you wish to CNC. If you need help preparing a 3D model, please contact [email protected]

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Keep in mind that this CNC mill is 3-axis only, so it can only mill topographically, i.e. anything on the bottom of the model, such as the legs of an animal, will not be milled

Before we start cutting, we need to convert the 3D model into G-code by programming various cutting toolpaths.

Fusion 360 is our primary CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) software we will be using.

The following files are compatible:

• Native Fusion files designed in Fusion 360
• STLs made in other software or downloaded from the internet
• STEP files created in other software or downloaded from the internet

Native Fusion 360 files are the easiest to work with, followed by STEP files. STL mesh files are a little more complicated to work with

First, launch Fusion on your computer. If you don’t have that installed, you can download it here: https://www.autodesk.com/education/edu-software/fusion