Everything I made with the CNC

As part of my ongoing restoration of maker.rip, I’m writing up the projects from the old version of this site that never got a post of their own.

Between getting the Ooznest WorkBee in the summer of 2020 and the start of 2021, I cut a lot of things on it. Most of them were gifts, a few were commissions, and some were an attempt at a business called Monumental Me: personalised displays for the home and office, where a coaching session helped you work out what the words should be, and then I carved them. The old site had a portfolio page for each one, which is a bit much for what amounted to a photo and a paragraph, so here they all are in one place. I’ve already written up how one of them came together if you want the process.

COHO vision statement

An early customer for Monumental Me, this vision statement display hangs in the offices of COHO and serves as a reminder of the company’s vision and why it exists. It was also my first go at filling a carving with epoxy, which didn’t go entirely to plan the first time round. The customer was kind enough to say:

We’re thrilled to have an incredibly beautiful, bespoke piece of art hanging proudly in the office, reminding the whole team of what we need to do.

T. S. Eliot quote display

Becky reads a lot of books (and I mean a lot), which means she has many (many) favourite quotes. So when I approached her with the offer of a quote display, we knew trying to whittle it down to a select one was going to be tough. We used the coaching consultation part of the process to discuss each of her shortlist, using it to understand what each one means to her, and before we knew it this offering by T. S. Eliot was the obvious choice, as it inspires her to be herself.

Be · Do · Have display

The Be · Do · Have process is a way of understanding what you would like to have, and works backwards from there, first to understand what you need to do to have those things, before landing on who you need to be to do them. The MDF test cut above had all three. But this one was for Caroline, who is already pretty content with what she has, and already knows what she did to get it, so the finished board only needed the one.

The Kiln sign

A gift for Worcester’s finest co-working location. The chipboard was a deliberate choice, as it matches their branding perfectly.

“Soviet” clock

Although inspired by clock designs I found on Pinterest, this particular design is 100% my own. Whilst unintentional, more than one person has mentioned that it looks very Soviet in style, which I put down to the choice of font. It was originally intended as a Christmas gift, but a small error during the build resulted in a snapped endmill and a scorched notch in the final piece, so I finished it by hand and kept it for myself.

Best Wishes & Warmest Regards

Inspired by the show Schitt’s Creek, this was crafted as a gift for my good friend Cos.

The cats have been fed

Based on a design by ChameleonCuttablesUS, this was a commission from my good friend Emma, who wanted it as a gift for someone else. It proved popular enough that within a couple of hours of posting it on Instagram I already had an order for another one from one of my followers.

Cribbage board

A cribbage board crafted out of yew, given to my father for Christmas. I’ve got memories of him playing cribbage while on various holidays in France, so I’d always wanted to make a board for him.

“We’re All Mad Here”

A Christmas gift for our friend Amber, a massive fan of Alice in Wonderland, crafted from beech and finished with silver spray paint.

Abstract cat wall display

Perfect for any cat lover that spurns the cutesy cat aesthetic, preferring something more modern and abstract. I made this 190×190mm display with the intention of selling it on Etsy. Highlighted in silver, I think the bold design really helps it stand out.

Bunny with bow tie and glasses

Perfect for any bunny lover with a touch of class and sophistication. Another 190×190mm display built with Etsy in mind, this time highlighted in caffè espresso chalk paint, where the subtle contrast does the work.