CNC WAVE Sushi Board

I was recently on a trip with my cedar strip canoe and couldn't help but feel inspired by the calm waves as the sun came up. I decided that I wanted to try and re-create those waves using my CNC machine and thought that creating a sushi board with a waved surface would look really cool.

• Computer for design work
  • Blender (used to create wave surface)
  • Fusion 360 (CAD/CAM)
• CNC Machine (I have OpenBuilds Lead 1010)
• Wood for Sushi board (I used black walnut)

I used the software Blender to simulate and ocean surface. I followed the YouTube tutorial below and updated the parameters until I was happy with the wave surface.

Export the surface as a Wavefront (.obj)

Useful YouTube Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEspv3L791M

Link to Blender's Ocean Simulation documentation

https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/modeling/modifiers/simulate/ocean.html

• Insert STL
• Orient Appropriately
• Open Mesh Editor
• Utility > Convert
• Convert to T-spline
• Re-scale
• Split body

In order to make the actual Sushi Board, I followed this work process:

1. sketch out the shape of the board
2. extrude just the parts of the sketch that I wanted to be wavy
3. split the extruded body using the wave surface as the splitting tool
4. extrude the platforms where the sushi sit to a lower level
5. use the loft tool to connect the platforms to the rest of the board
6. round the platform edges using the bevel tool

Toolpath work process

• Pocket - 0.25" end mill

• Parallel - 0.25" ball nose mill
• Contour - 0.25 end mill

I used butcher block oil to finish the wood since it will be an eating surface.