Machine Shop: Intro to CNC Lathe
Learn the essentials of the CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) Lathe and cut some metal!
Learn the essentials of BARN’s CNC lathe, and techniques for its safe operation. The following will be covered during the sessions:
- Understand CNC lathe basics beginning with the details of the machine and understanding lathe motion on the Z and X axes.
- Select and establish part-zeros, various cutting tools in the tool library, and Diameter- and Z-offsets.
- Learn Fusion 360's CAM (computer aided manufacturing) tools to generate G-code (the language that instructs the CNC machine what to do and where to do it). These skills are essential in machining complex parts beyond what one could achieve on a manual lathe.
- Load a model created by one of the students into Fusion 360, examine and prove the CAM setup and G-code, cut some air, and then cut some metal.
Instructor
Eli Backer is an artist, composer, and engineer who works in a wide range of media and is constantly making. A Bainbridge native, she holds a master's degree in glass from the Rhode Island School of Design, and a bachelor's in computer engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Her work can be found in the Cynthia Sears Artist’s Books Collection at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, at the Center for Book Arts in NYC, and at the Fleet Library in Providence, R.I. She finds setting type and working with the presses quite meditative. In the Print and Book Studio, this monitor can certify people to use these pieces of equipment: metal type setting, wood type setting, the Vandercook proof press, the provisional presses, and the Challenge press.
Related Events
Check out other events you might be interested in!
Machine Shop Orientation
Learn basic metal cutting, and the tools used for drilling, turning, milling, sawing, and grinding.
December 28, 2026
Welding: Cut House Numbers with CNC Plasma
Lay out and cut a house number or address with the CNC plasma cutter.
December 20, 2026
Machine Shop Orientation
Learn basic metal cutting, and the tools used for drilling, turning, milling, sawing, and grinding.
December 14, 2026