Now that we've had a chance to follow some of your posts on the forum, a word of caution. Although the CAD files that we released in the Download section are the very same that we used to build a functioning DIYLILCNC here in Chicago, please bear in mind that we were sitting right in front of our laser cutter when we ran those files. As many of you know, there's nothing so difficult as getting a CNC machine to run a file right the first time. For those of you that are preparing to contract out your panel cutting, we strongly advise getting in touch with the service provider first to talk through some of the potential issues.
Primary among potential problems is the tendency for stock (such as Masonite) to vary widely from its listed factory thickness. Even though we dealt with a consistent supplier, we found that 1/4" Masonite varies in actual thickness between .20" and .25". This won't affect the tab component of the project's joinery, but it will effect the slot component (found throughout the design).
Wherever possible, we recommend that you pick a service provider that you can visit in person. Failing that, try to get someone who is a fellow maker (and more likely to cut some small fit tests for free before you take the plunge).
It also seems that some of you are banding together in Canada and Australia to share build notes. That's great! Once you've identified good service providers perhaps we can list them on this forum. If we're really lucky, we can get them to keep the file on file, smoothing the way for future project builds.
