Bill’s Story Zero CNC Experience to Gallery Quality Rocking Chair in 6 Months
QUICK FACTS
⏱ Time to Complete: 6 months (1 month learning, 5 months building)
🔧 Tool Used: 4'x8' ShopBot CNC Router ($50,000+ machine)
💡 Key Learning: Practice on scrap before touching irreplaceable material
🎯 Starting Point: 40 years woodworking experience, zero CNC experience
💰 Cost to Outsource This Chair: $8,000-$12,000 to a specialty shop
📍 Location: 757 Makerspace Norfolk
The Problem
Bill had a rocking chair design in his head. Sculptural. Complex 3D curves. Dual-sided CNC machining. The kind of project most furniture makers send to a $10,000 specialty shop.
He wanted to build it himself. Out of 100+ year old Honduras mahogany. One of the rarest, most expensive woods you can work with. One wrong cut ruins hours of work and wastes irreplaceable material.
Bill had 40 years of woodworking and boatbuilding experience. But zero CNC experience. And no $50,000 CNC router sitting in his garage.
Two ways this goes:
He pays $10,000+ to outsource it and never learns the skill
He finds a way to learn CNC and build it himself
He chose option 2.
What Bill Did
Month 1: Learn without consequences
Bill spent his first month at 757 Makerspace running the ShopBot CNC on scrap material. Learning toolpaths. Testing fixtures. Making mistakes on wood that didn't matter.
No pressure. No wasted shop rent. No $50k machine sitting in his driveway.
Months 2-6: Execute the build
Once confident, Bill machined the mahogany using complex multi-angle, dual-sided setups. Each cut was planned. Each fixture was dialed in. His woodworking instincts (grain direction, material behavior) translated perfectly to CNC work.
After machining, he shifted to hand finishing the part where 40 years of experience took over. Softening edges. Blending transitions. Bringing warmth to digitally machined parts.
“I knew if I messed up the first side, I would have to start over with new material. The makerspace gave me the ability to practice until I was confident enough to commit… and I built two of them just in case.” -Bill, 757 Makerspace Member
CNC work in progress showing multi-sided and angled setups
The Result
Two gallery-quality sculpted rocking chairs. Built with his own hands. On a $50,000 CNC he didn’t need to own.
Here's what made it possible:
✅ Access to a $50k+ CNC without buying, maintaining, or housing it
✅ Permission to fail for a full month on scrap material with zero financial pressure
✅ Members who'd already solved his problems - fixture advice, toolpath optimization, setup troubleshooting
Bill's membership: $199/month
The CNC he used: $50,000+ (plus space, power, maintenance, insurance)
Outsourcing this project: $10,000+
He got the infrastructure to finish what most makers abandon in month two.
Final rocking chair fully assembled and finished
Is This You?
You've got decades of experience in your craft. You've got a project that needs tools you'll never own. You need space to learn wrong before committing to the final build.
Two ways this goes:
You keep sketching ideas and never build them
You book a tour, see the tools, and figure out if we're the right fit
No sales pitch. Just an honest look at whether your project is possible here.