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

Select a material that is millable in the Nomad, and will fit in the Nomad.
1. Millable materials are these:
  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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2. 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
Attach double sided tape to the underside of the material. Cover approximately 75% of the area with tape.
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.
Turn on the machine using the small silver button on the right.

Preparing your model

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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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[ ] Your 3D model needs to be exported in STL format
[ ] 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

Log into the computer with your Netbadge account info
Load up the VCarve software
If this is your first time using the software, choose “offline”. The license file is in C:/Users/Public/
Once the software loads, select “create new file”