CNC Shops

Update: CNC Orientations will conclude Friday, October 24th.
Please sign up for the waitlist here if you were unable to book an orientation.
Making Center Orientation Waitlist

Beginning Fall 2025:
CNC Orientations and Technician Consultations are now held in Room L301 through the entrance of the new Laser Lab in Room L300.

Note: All students must complete the online and in-person components of the orientation in order to access the shop for project work.  Class introductions are not a substitute for the in depth, hour-long, in-person orientation.  Orientations are limited to three students at a time and are in high demand.  Please book as far in advance as possible and please cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend.  Your fellow students will thank you.

Please note that two no-shows or late arrivals to CNC consultations will result in a two week ban from CNC. We are enforcing this rule in order to create a more accessible shop for our Parsons community.

Aspire and Fusion360 have been added to the computers next to the 3D Print Lab (L200-PMC05 and L200-PMC07). Students are allowed to create their CAM files here, but still need to book a consultation to review their file and submit to the queue.

Students and faculty are required to complete an orientation before using the lab.

Completion of the Wood Orientation and working knowledge of CAD is a prerequisite for taking the CNC orientation.

Orientations are in two parts:

1. An online Canvas course and quiz which you MUST complete. If you have not taken the General Making Center Orientation, please do that first in order to gain access to the CNC Shop module.
   To find the CNC Shop Orientation on Canvas, sign into the “Making Center Trainings and Authorization” course in Canvas using your NetID/password, go to the Modules section, and complete the “CNC Shop (Digital Tools)” module. Upon the completion of online orientation, you will be able to schedule the in-person orientation at the end of Canvas training.
2. A 60 minute in-person orientation where you will set up a test file. You will find the link to book your test cut at the end of the Canvas module.

You must complete both the online and in-person orientation in order to gain access to L3 CNC Shop. 

Note for faculty:

The lab no longer offers class orientations, however we do offer a limited amount of 30-minute lab introductions. During the introduction we allow your class brief access to the lab to familiarize with the space and machines, this is not a training period. Class introductions are not a substitute for the in-depth in-person orientations. Due to high demand, we cannot guarantee every class this accommodation. Faculty are expected to attend the introduction and take the orientation ahead of time. Please give us one to two weeks advance notice so we can clear the calendar. To request a lab introduction, email the lab at cnc@newschool.edu.

After you have completed the orientation, you must schedule a consultation each time you want to write a CAM file and submit to the queue. You must have a finished CAD model before making a consultation. One student per consultation. Refer to the “Project Submission Protocol” section for details. A consultation is a 90-minute meeting where we will.

• • Review your CAD model
  • Discuss machine/material options
  • Write your CAM file
  • Submit your file to the queue
  • Pay for material (if purchased from the CNC Shop)

Roland Consultations

Due to the more advanced nature of writing CAM for the Roland, it is required that before booking a Roland consultation, students have prior experience in our CNC shop. We do not carry materials for the Roland in our store, meaning that you will need to prep/outsource your own material. Please do so beforehand and bring the material in for consultation due to the limitations of Fusion360 (Roland CAM program).

Note: In general, your file will take a few days to cut. During finals and midterms this time can be much longer. We cut in order of the queue. We will email you when your file is ready for pick up. We cannot guarantee a specific time or deadline. Please refrain from asking about when your file will be done. 

If you miss your appointment or you’re 30+ minutes late, you will receive a warning. After 2 warnings, you lose access to the CNC space for two weeks. After 4 warnings, you will lose access to the CNC Shop for the rest of the semester.

The CNC Shop reserves the right to reject submissions, especially if they can be processed in another shop.

If using the 4×8 Shopbot, your file MUST include a 1” border to secure your material to the bed.

Max thickness is 2″ for wood and MDF on the 4’X8′ Alpha Shopbot.

If using the Roland, your file MUST have an additional 4” of material (3” on one end, 1” on the other) to properly be secured to the machine.

All material MUST be flat and/or planed.

Due to limited stock and equitability, each student may only purchase up to three full sheets of plywood and MDF per semester. We no longer carry foam (expanded polystyrene, pink panther Foamular) in our Material Store.

If your file requires a large amount of material, you must provide your own material.

Max Material Dimensions:

Projects are processed in the order they are received. Please check the log below for current status.

Welcome to the CNC Shop! CNC machining is a subtractive manufacturing process in which computer software controls machinery such as mills, lathes, and engravers. At our shop, we machine a variety of materials such as wood, foam, and plastics to create 3D forms. You may stop by any time to ask us questions about material choices, file preparation or fabrication processes; for longer in-depth discussion about using the CNC machines for your projects we prefer that you book a consultation.