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CNC for Woodworking: Machine a Custom Wooden 3D Gameboard

About the Course

Master essential woodworking skills, while building a custom game board you’ll cherish!

Learn foundational woodworking skills and level up to digital fabrication with the Shopbot while creating a bespoke wooden gameboard! Start this series by choosing from one of our templates or design your own. Dive into hands-on classes to learn woodworking and digital fabrication tools and leave with the skills to continue your woodworking journey.

This series includes:

  • Introduction to Woodshop: Begin in the woodshop to learn essential woodshop tools, including the band saw, table saw, drill press, and various sanders and hand tools.
  • CAD for CNC and CAM for CNC: Head into our classroom next to create your gameboard in V-Carve Pro, our vector software,  covering vector drawing, 2D and 2.5D modeling, and toolpathing, to design your gameboard.
  • Tablesaw + Wide Belt Sander: Learn the operation of the table saw and wide-belt sander to cut and sand your board game and pieces.
  • Miter Saw/Wood Milling I: Learn the safe startup and operation of the miter saw, jointer, and planner, and then practice the execution of rip, cross, and miter cuts.
  • ShopBot CNC I: Take your designs and boards to the ShopBot to carve out the final designs and details of your board game. During the final class, there will be plenty of time for loose ends, cleanup, and questions. Finish this series by digitally carving your V-Carve design file using the ShopBot.

Walk away with a completed board game, and the woodshop skills to tackle your next project! ShopBot is a CNC tool that is used in manufacturing, which enables you to quickly reproduce work, carve intricate designs, and speed up your workflow.

This series is ideal for:

  • Beginners wanting to get hands-on experience with core woodworking skills
  • Intermediate woodworkers who want to bridge traditional techniques with CNC technology

NextFab’s Maker Series is a two-month program that gives you up to 5 classes, unlimited shop access, and a cohort to learn alongside. All materials are included in the price. This Maker Series is currently closed. To be the first to know when our next series opens for enrollment, fill out the Maker Series Interest Form here.

Q. What is included in the Maker Series package?

A. Registration in a Maker Series grants you:

  • The scheduled classes and training to complete the selected project (over $600 of class instruction)
  • 2 months of active NextFab Membership, starting on the first class date (over $400 value)
  • Adobe at Home Access ($120 value over 2 months!)
  • Special member pricing to continue membership beyond the 2 months: $149/month (over 30% discount from standard membership)
  • A cohort of peers, new skills and confidence gained, and a sense of community within the Philadelphia creative ecosystem (priceless value!)

Q: Is the Maker Series right for me? I have ZERO experience!

A: Yes! The Maker Series programming was developed with the true beginner in mind. In six weeks, you could go from zero experience to confidently navigating an active studio and future projects.

Not only is NextFab’s Maker Series designed to teach you how to use the most common equipment within the area of your program, but also how to think about design when creating something from scratch. Knowing how to follow a blueprint or plan is incredibly valuable, but designing your own project plans is what will differentiate you from the hobbyist who is “just winging it.”

Q: If I am a previous member of NextFab, can I join the Maker Series?

A: Absolutely! If you are a previous member and looking to complete the class project or get a major refresh of skills you haven’t used for a while, the Maker Series is a perfect way to get your feet wet again.

Q: I have a schedule conflict with one of the class dates. Can I make it up?

A: Yes. The Maker Series package accounts for one (1) makeup class date per student at no additional cost. Advance notice/active communication with your instructor is required to coordinate when you can make up the lesson before the next scheduled class date. Subsequent absences from the pre-scheduled classes will incur an educational fee of $60/hr to make up the material.

Q: Should I join the Maker Series or join as a regular member and take classes?

A: This depends on your goals. If you are feeling inspired and want to learn new skills but don’t have a particular project in mind, the Maker Series is perfectly suited to get your feet wet and help you find your way in the craft.

If you have a particular project in mind and want to learn all the skills needed and complete your specific project, Monthly Ultimate membership ($319/mo) is your golden ticket. Ultimate membership comes with $200 of class credits monthly, so you can get started taking the classes you need, on your schedule. You can even book Private Training sessions with those credits if you need hands-on help completing your project.

What’s Next:

Request a Class

Let us know your prefered dates and times, and we’ll work with you to put something on the calendar. Please note we need at least 48 hours notice to schedule classes.