Bill’s Story Building a Sculpted CNC Rocking Chair from 100+ Year Old Mahogany

QUICK FACTS

⏱ Time to Complete: Several months of learning, testing, and refining

🔧 Favorite Tool: 4’x8’ ShopBot CNC Router

💡 Key Learning: Precision in setup matters as much as the cut

🎯 Skill Level: Advanced woodworker, first but advanced CNC project

📍 Location: Norfolk

The Challenge

Bill came to 757 Makerspace with decades of woodworking and boatbuilding experience, but zero CNC experience. He set out to build a rocking chair that most furniture makers would send to a specialized shop or avoid entirely. The design required complex 3D geometry, dual-sided machining, and multiple angled setups where a single miscalculation could ruin hours of work.

He chose to work with 100+ year old Honduras mahogany. Rare, expensive, and unforgiving. One wrong cut would waste irreplaceable material.

For someone with Bill's traditional craftsmanship background, this project represented a chance to bring together woodworking skill, boatbuilding precision, and a completely new digital fabrication skillset. There were no shortcuts and very little room for error.

The Project

Working out of our 757 Makerspace Norfolk location, Bill treated CNC like any craft worth learning by starting from the ground up. He spent his first month learning CNC fundamentals on scrap material before touching the mahogany, building confidence with toolpaths, fixturing, and alignment before committing to the final stock.

His woodworking instincts translated well: understanding grain direction, anticipating material behavior, and recognizing when something felt off in a setup. His boatbuilding experience helped him think through the complex multi-angle geometry and visualize how each piece would come together.

Once ready, Bill executed a complicated multi-angle, dual-sided machining workflow. Each setup was carefully planned and dialed in, and every component was surfaced and shaped with intention.

After machining, the project shifted to hand finishing, the part where Bill's decades of experience shined. Edges were softened, transitions blended, and surfaces refined by hand to bring warmth and life to the digitally machined parts. The result is a seamless blend of CNC precision and traditional craftsmanship.

“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 Outcome

The finished rocking chair is sculptural, balanced, and timeless. A piece that feels equally at home in a gallery or a living space.

Bill had 40+ years of woodworking and boatbuilding experience. But without a $50,000+ CNC and a place to practice for months without burning through his own shop time, this chair doesn't exist.

Here's what made it possible:

• Unlimited access to professional-grade equipment he'd never own outright - The 4'x8' ShopBot CNC alone costs over $50k, plus installation, maintenance, and space

• Permission to fail - A full month of practice on scrap material with no pressure, no wasted shop rent, no equipment depreciation on his dime

• Members who'd already solved the problems he was about to hit - Troubleshooting fixturing issues, toolpath optimization, and setup sequences with people who'd been there before

Some places might give you access to tools. We gave Bill time, space to learn wrong, and people who'd been there before. That's the difference between finishing a project and abandoning it in month two.

Bill's monthly membership starts at $199. The CNC he used costs $50,000+ (and that's before space, power, maintenance, insurance, etc…). By joining us he got more than that at a fraction of the price.

Final rocking chair fully assembled and finished

Is this you?

If you're an experienced maker ready to go deep on a complex build and you need the infrastructure to actually finish it let's talk.

Book Your Project Consultation - We'll walk through your idea, show you the tools you'd use, and let you know if we're the right fit. No sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about what's possible.