DIY CNC Aluminum Floating House Numbers

Give your home a unique personality by creating your very own custom Aluminum Floating House Numbers.

Here's an easy way to create house numbers out of aluminum using the CNC Carvey.

Materials:7 ½” X 11 ½” X ⅛” Aluminum Plate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Double Stick Tape, 4” X 24” X ½” walnut board, 8 (quantity) M4 X .70P X 30mm metric stainless steel socket head cap screws and 8 (quantity) ½” spacers

Create a file within Easel. You can import a SVG file or just create your numbers directly in Easel which is what I did here. Activate the TEXT tool to type in the numbers. Create text in the desired font and adjust text size to 5” using the ruler on the edge as a guide. Set your cut depth to .136 and to OUTLINE. You can set the number of tabs on your cut. Click on the tabs and drag along the outline of your text to place them other than the default location. Place tabs on straight edges of the outline to make it easier to hand-cut once complete.

For cutting ⅛” thick aluminum plate. Set the material thickness in the program as .136. You set the material thickness 1/100th of an inch thicker to ensure that the CNC Carvey cuts all the way through.

If you are working in a Makerspace where you have a specific time reserved, I would advise you to do one cut at a time. One number at 5” tall approximately takes 40 minutes to cut. Adjust your design accordingly.

*Please check the minimum size that your state law requires for emergency responders to locate your home in case of an emergency.

Once your file is ready to carve, prep the aluminum plate with double sided tape on the reverse side to adhere to the waste board. Follow the prompts in Easel to clamp down your material. Apply Isopropyl Alcohol to the aluminum surface before cutting and throughout the carving process. Alcohol allows the bit to cut smoothly into the aluminum.

Use a hand saw with a metal cutting blade to remove the tabs.

Use a metal file to smooth edges and file down tabs. File downward in one direction, lifting file up away from material between each pass on the aluminum surface.

I am using a 4” X 24” X ½” walnut board as my mounting base. Follow the dimensions listed on the image to evenly space out 5” aluminum address numbers on mounting base. Start with a pilot hole and drill holes in the aluminum numbers the same diameter as your hardware.

The spacers are an aesthetic choice to add visual depth to the overall home address plaque. I have 3D printed ½” cylindrical spacers here. If your house numbers are are located in a shaded area you can 3D print spacers instead of purchasing spacers.

Click the link to retrieve the STL file for printing the spaces that I have made here. 4MX 1/2" spacers

I am using M4 X .70P X 30mm metric stainless steel socket head cap screws. After drilling your holes in the wood, Sand and apply three coats of polyurethane before you attach the numbers.

The finished product is ready for install!