CNC Router

HackPGH CNC General Use Policy

• CNC Router General Use Policy

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  • Users must be 15 years old to operate the CNC. Minors must always be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
  • Only members who have been signed off by a CNC Shop lead or Approved Trainer are permitted to operate the CNC. 
  • Due to the complexity and duration of time required to train members, the CNC is HackPGH’s only equipment that does not qualify for free ad-hoc training.  Three-hour training sessions for members are held once a month for the price of $50.  If you do not see a training session on the calendar, please post in #asktheboard or #cnc-users to request a date. 
  • Members must pass all requirements on the CNC Operations Sign-Off Checklist before independent use of the machine. Failure to utilize this checklist may result in liability of the CNC Lead or Approved Trainer in the event of machine misuse.
  • CNC Shop Lead(s) are appointed by the HackPGH Board. See the HackPGH Rules & Regulations for more information.
    • As of December 2024, Andre Schrock is the CNC Shop Lead.
  • Approved Trainers are defined by the CNC Shop Lead(s).
    • As of December 2024, Approved Trainers include: Andre Schrock, Spencer Zacher, Justin Richards, Rob Bedel, and Alex Reasinger.
  • All CNC Policy is to be defined by the Shop Lead(s) and approved by a majority vote from the HackPGH Board of Directors.
  • Failure to adhere to policy may result in loss of a member’s access to the CNC, as well as potential disciplinary action from the Shop Leads and/or the Board. 
  • The scope of this policy is for the operation of HackPGH’s Forest Scientific MakerFab CNC. However, all users are expected to only run files that they or another HackPGH member have designed the toolpaths for. It is not acceptable to run any jobs in which the user does not know the specifics of the toolpaths. 
  • Like all equipment, the CNC is expected to be returned to a maintained, safe, and clean  state for the next user upon completion of a job. This includes all items defined on the CNC Shutdown checklist, including but not limited to: 
    • Parking the machine; 
    • Fully shutting down the laptop (and putting it back in its case);
    • Shutting down the controller; 
    • Removing all projects, screws, tooling, and material from the bed;
    • Vacuuming all dust and chips from machine and surrounding area; and
    • Returning all bits and collets to their appropriate storage locations. 
  • Members are expected to report any machine malfunction or safety concerns promptly.  If appropriate, a Borked or Broken ticket should be applied to the CNC along with a post alerting others in the #cnc-users Slack Channel. 

• Courteous Use of the CNC Machine Policy

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  • Total machine usage should not exceed six hours in one session, and should limit their use of the CNC to three six-hour sessions in one week. Courtesy limits are subject to the average number of members who utilize the CNC, and are subject to change at the discretion of HackPGH’s Shop Leads or Board. Changes will be announced at least two weeks prior to taking effect so as to not disrupt current projects, unless it is an emergency or increase in courtesy limits.
  • Members should book their time on the CNC in Skedda at https://hackpgh.skedda.com/booking; daily and weekly limits are automatically applied. 
  • The Board and Shop Leads reserve the right to change or deny equipment reservations based on demand for the machine.  
  • If a user needs to utilize the machine more than the suggested courtesy limits, details of the project should be submitted to the Board or Shop Lead for written (Slack or email) approval (via Slack or email) on a project by project basis. A Board Member or Shop Lead will then book your approved time for you on Skedda. 
  • Classes and training sessions take precedence over personal projects.Check the calendar and/or Skedda for any scheduling conflicts. 
  • CNC jobs must be paused during any bi-weekly tours, Mondays and Saturdays at 7:30pm. 
  • No materials, workholding, or tooling should be stored on the bed unless the machine is in active use.
  • A job may be “paused” for up to one hour (for example, to allow the member to eat).  The work should be clearly labeled with a green parking permit during this time.  The “paused” time also counts towards the total job runtime.  
  • No work may be left on the bed overnight, or in excess of the 6-hour limit unless cleared in advance with the Board or the CNC Leads. The Board, or the CNC Lead who approves said extension is responsible for posting such an extension to the CNC slack channel #cnc-users. It is expected that if the member is availing themselves of this “courtesy extension”, that the member will return to the shop within twelve hours to complete the job.  It is the intent of this policy to allow a member, in pre-approved circumstances, to go home and sleep – but not to monopolize the CNC for extended periods of time.  
  • Members are encouraged to become familiar with indexing techniques so that they are able to remove their work from the CNC and replace it at a subsequent time. 
  • Work left on or adhered to the CNC bed in violation of the above policies and beyond the scheduled job time (as booked in Skedda) is subject to immediate removal by the Board, CNC leads, or any member wishing to use the CNC. 

  Example: If a member books the CNC from 10am to 4pm, but leaves the shop and cannot be found between 12pm to 3pm, their job may be removed as the operator is gone for more than one hour.  Likewise, if a job is not booked in Skedda and the parking permit for any project left on a CNC is expired (and not noted in the CNC channel as an approved “courtesy extension”), the job may be removed.  

  • Users are expected to optimize tool paths and bit selection to minimize job runtime.

• CNC Safety Policies

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  This policy is defined in the interest of community safety, as well as the protection of the machine.

  User Presence Requirements

  • While the CNC is actively running, users are expected to remain in the wood or metal shop during the duration of the job. Users of the machine must be present for two reasons:
    • To E-Stop the Machine in the event of job failure or other emergency.  
    • To ensure community members are not unsafely interfering with the machine and creating a dangerous situation, intentionally or unintentionally.
  • Users are permitted to step away from the running machine for <10 minutes for personal breaks such as phone calls, retrieving personal items or water, smoking a cigarette, or using the bathroom. 
  • These breaks are expected to be limited, and not to be taken until the machine has completed at least 10 minutes of its tool path. 
  • If a user must step away for longer than 10 minutes, they are permitted to delegate observation and E-Stop responsibilities to another qualified member in the space. This delegated member must actively watch the machine. They do not need to be trained on the machine fully, but are expected to understand instances to initiate a job pause or E-Stop, as well as have the capability to do so quickly. The delegate must confirm this responsibility before the user of the CNC takes an extended break. The delegate must remain until the original user returns and is responsible for the act of leaving the machine unattended in the event the delegate leaves the space. 
  • In the event the User of the CNC must pause a job, they must turn off the spindle promptly. If the user would like to leave the space temporarily, they should place a parking ticket on the PC to indicate the time they left and expect to return.  See notes the section on “Courteous Use of the Machine Policy” for details. 
  • Users are permitted to use other tools in the wood or metal shop (within visual line of sight to the CNC control computer), but are not permitted to actively use tools in the Clean Side of the makerspace. 
  • Users are expected to be able to see or hear the failure of the machine if they elect to use other tools in the Metal or Wood shop. 
  • If a job is left unattended beyond the aforementioned limits, any member signed off on the CNC has the right to either pause or cancel the job. 
  • Failure to adhere to the User Presence Policy may result in a member’s access to the CNC being revoked, in addition to potential disciplinary action by the Board. 

• Accepted CNC Materials Policy

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  • Standard accepted materials include the following:
    • Wood and wood composites
    • Foams
    • Plastics
  • Materials outside of the above list must be approved on a project by project basis by either a Shop Lead or qualified Board member. This includes all metals, and all projects that may be a combination of an approved material and metal. The Forest Scientific MakerFab CNC is capable of cutting metal, but the requesting user must demonstrate knowledge and proficiency prior to approval.
  • If utilizing wood, the user is expected to review the material prior to use for any metal visibly and with a metal detector. It is understandable that there may be metal that is underneath the surface of the wood. 

• Workholding and Spoilboard Policy

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  • The CNC Shop Lead(s) reserves the right to determine what workholding options are built into the spoilboard. If alternative methods are desired, they should be requested and approved prior to installation.  
  • Users are only to utilize approved workholding methods as posted by the CNC Shop Lead(s).
  • All workpieces should be securely fastened prior to running a job. 
  • Any through-cuts should carve into the spoilboard no more than 0.050”. In the event a user repeatedly carves deeply into the spoilboard, this may result in revoked access and potential financial penalties for replacing the spoilboard and workholding. 
  • Users are expected to verify that any workholding is not in the toolpath prior to beginning a job.  A bit making contact with the workholding fixture is likely to be damaged and rendered unusable.  HackPGH tends to view a first occurrence as a benign accident, but multiple incidents indicate a lack of care by the operator. CNC Shop Leads and Board Members have discretion to require when an operator is responsible for replacing a bit in the event of damage. 
  • Users must remove workpieces and any screws and clamps immediately after completing their jobs for the day! 
    • Even if the user must return the next day to continue the same job, they must remove their workpieces and store them in approved storage locations. 
    • We recommend measuring where your workpiece and workholding items are located exactly on the spoilboard or taking a photo. That way when you reapply the workpiece, you won’t have to adjust any settings. 
  • Remember that as the operator, you are responsible for the tool path as well as feeds and speeds. 

• Tooling

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  HackPGH has a limited selection of available bits and collets. The bits and collets are maintained in two sets. Members are permitted to utilize their own tooling on the machine, but are not permitted to make other modifications to the machine or its components (including the software and controller) without written approval.  

  • Bit Set 1 – General Purpose Bits (Red Case)
    • These bits are available for use by all signed off members.  They range in quality and remaining life. There is still an expectation that they are treated with respect and care to maintain tool life. This includes storage as well as proper feeds and speeds. 
  • Bit Set 2 – Bits & Bits Selection (clear tupperware with blue lid)
    • Users will be given access to this selection of bits when a CNC Lead deems it appropriate. Users getting full sign-off from a CNC Lead do not automatically get access to this bit set. This policy is not in place to gatekeep quality bits, but to ensure Users practice their skills on the lower stakes bit set before using more expensive sets. 
  • Collet Set 1 – 
    • ¼” Collet
    • ⅜” Collet
    • ½” Collet
    • These should be kept in the red case.
  • Collet Set 2 –
    • This is a set of metric collets and an adaptor that fits inside the ½” Collet. 
    • These should be kept, along with the matching wrench, securely in the provided case. Any Collet should be returned to its yellow case after use. 

  • Users who damage any bits (whether from the red case, or from the Bits & Bits set) are expected to replace the bit with a comparable quality bit, as approved by the CNC leads, as noted above in the “Tooling” section.