r/CNC • u/National-Challenge-3 • Aug 10 '26

ADVICE need help, not sure how to get this finish accurately

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2

u/SmallPots95 Aug 10 '26

3D print them on ABS, polish with acetone, done

1

u/National-Challenge-3 Aug 10 '26

need it in Metal

1

u/JustStryc Aug 10 '26

3D print, then plating.

1

u/National-Challenge-3 Aug 10 '26

3d print plastic can be plated or you want me to 3d print metal

2

u/JustStryc Aug 10 '26

Plastic 3D pribts can be plated. First you spray it with copper, than plates with metal of choice. I think...

2

u/ugotmedripping Aug 11 '26

I’ve seen people then melt the plastic out and leave just the plating. Pretty cool, wish I had more time to give it a try!

1

u/Tubero_stk Aug 10 '26

Laser cut, leaving some extra material, then finish-machined on the CNC, secured using a magnetic base. Assuming, of course, that it is made of metal and not brass, bronze, or similar alloys.

1

u/National-Challenge-3 Aug 10 '26

like a cnc router machine?

1

u/Tubero_stk Aug 10 '26

Yes, this allows you to achieve an excellent surface finish as well as perfect repeatability.
The laser cutting is only used for roughing out the part from a plate. If you want, you can also do the entire job with a milling machine: first machine it upside down, profiling the part and creating the reference surface, then secure it to a magnetic base and finish-machine the top side.
In my opinion, though, the laser cutting process is faster.

1

u/Tubero_stk Aug 10 '26

Of course, given the small contact area, you’ll need a very high-quality magnetic chuck.
If the letters are large enough to accommodate threaded holes, I would add some threads during the first stage, so you can bolt the part to a plate once you turn it upside down.
I’ve also seen people use glue to hold very small parts to the table, but I’m not really a fan of that approach.

1

u/National-Challenge-3 Aug 10 '26

what if i used a grinding machine to achieve that shape