I have been using CNC to make stage Props  for my children’s school plays. I often design props using Alibre Design. I Then take the designs  and export them to Vectric Aspire. After I created the tool paths I loaded the G-Code into Mach3. I often use 1/8″ Luan plywood or MDF and cut the parts out on my CNC Router table.  Instant prop with little expense.

This is not the first time I have used CNC to make stage props for the local school plays. Earlier in the month I made a few props for my Daughter’s Production of “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”. I didn’t make as many things this year with the CNC router however we did get to make a few things. I assembled the pieces and mounted them to a base.

One project was a Coffee machine out of 4’x8’x1/8″ Luan ply. I used a 1/8″ up spiral bit to make the cutouts. If I did it again, I would use a down spiral bit because the luan splinters so bad. The coffee machine flat was mounted to 1/2″x 2″ boards and then hung from a French Cleat. There are several FLATs made this way and they allow quick scene changes. The flat also had plexiglass behind it.

We built a large wall unit which can be either an elevator (with working doors), a Coffee room, Boardroom, TV station or an executive office. We also built 7 or 8 desks, 9 sink vanities and a whole bunch of other stuff including a pirates chest, and a working TV camera.

This is a bunch of fun and a lot of work. However the real payoff comes when you see the look on the kids faces when they see the sets assembled for the first time.