About the Book
What happens when your design looks right on screen but the CNC router cuts the wrong size, depth, or position?
New CNC users often get stuck between design software and the machine. A file may import at the wrong scale, toolpaths may cut on the wrong side, work zero may be set from the wrong point, or the machine may stop because the tool, depth, feed rate, or connection was not checked. These problems waste material and make simple jobs feel harder than they should.
This Guide shows you how to move from setup to finished cut with a clear workflow. You will learn how to install MillMage, prepare designs, choose tools, plan toolpaths, preview G-code, connect your router, set work zero, run jobs, and solve common cutting problems.
The Guide uses direct instructions, realistic project examples, labeled diagrams, visual aids, checklists, tool-setting guidance, and troubleshooting steps. It covers engraved signs, profile cutouts, pocketed trays, V-carved text, reusable templates, and safe shop routines.
Built for real CNC work, each section helps you make the next decision with less guesswork.
What's inside
- MillMage installation and first-launch setup
- Workspace, panels, layers, and project settings
- Drawing, importing, cleaning, and editing designs
- End mills, V-bits, drill bits, and tool libraries
- Feed rate, plunge rate, spindle speed, and pass depth
- Profile, pocket, drilling, engraving, and V-carving operations
- Tabs, cut order, depth control, and toolpath direction
- G-code preview and error checking
- Material setup, clamping, work zero, and clearance
- Machine connection, job sending, pause, and stop controls
- Engraved sign, cutout, tray, and text-carving workflows
- Fixes for poor finish, wrong size, lost position, and deep cuts
- Dust control, eye protection, emergency stops, and shop habits
Who's this guide for?
- First-time MillMage users
- Hobby CNC router owners
- Woodworkers adding digital cutting
- Makers learning CAD-CAM workflow
- Home workshop users
- Small-shop operators
- Learners moving from simple cuts to repeatable projects
By the end of this guide, you will be able to:
- Set up MillMage and create a machine profile
- Build and organize CNC-ready designs
- Import and clean SVG, DXF, and image files
- Choose tools and enter safer starting settings
- Create profile, pocket, drilling, and V-carve operations
- Preview toolpaths and catch errors before cutting
- Secure material and set X, Y, and Z work zero
- Send, pause, stop, and monitor CNC jobs
- Diagnose connection, finish, depth, and position problems
- Save templates, tool data, and repeatable workflows
Clear instructions, practical support, and visual checks help you approach each CNC job with better control from the first setup to the finished piece.
Start building cleaner, safer, more repeatable CNC projects.
