CNC for Dummies? No

There was an interesting conversation on Linkedin where somebody asked a questions along “is there a book called CNCs for Dummies?” At first I said, “hey, my book is coming out, it will help you tremendously” but then I realized something deeper. The whole question is wrong.

If you are learning or want to learn how to use a CNC table router, laser cutter & engraver, plasma cutter, waterjet etc… you are one of the SMART ones. Dummies are people who ignore technology and put their head in the sand hoping the growing onslaught against manual labor and increasingly technical design process somehow passes them by.

As for my upcoming book, I never for an instant though of it as a “CNC for dummies” type of process – I don’t believe in teaching down to the most common denominator, you have to teach up to learn! My books aren’t technical for a reason, I’m not technical but that doesn’t mean I fill it up with junk either. I wanted to write a book that covered things so that my parents could read it and get a general understanding of CNC machines, their differences and benefits AND design something neat afterwards without being bogged down by industry lingo that is best left to career engineers. I’m not an engineer, I’m not a designer… I’m just a guy who learned a lot on his own and wants to share it with the world.

I want to share my passion for the space, there is no methodology really to my workflow, I just use simple steps that have proven themselves time and again in the past… whether they are right or wrong in the long term, we’ll see but there is no dictate to any of it. It’s an evolution that I think would have not have existed if I had formal knowledge and education in the field I’ve thrown myself into.

I’ve now ordered my first physical proof and I hope to get it end of next week… very excited with the potential of CNCKing.com: Rise of the CNC ~ Ultimate CNC Design Course.