What separates a beginner CNC project from one that looks professional? Andy Bird welcomes back Kyle from Learn Your CNC, the show’s very first guest, who has more than 15 years of hobby and industrial CNC experience. Using real student projects as examples, Kyle shares simple ways to take your work to the next level.

In this episode:

• Small design details that set a project apart, like curved text, custom shapes, and added color
• Why your CNC should cut shapes nobody else can make, not just circles and rectangles
• Finishing and toolpath tips to cut down on sanding
• Using AI as a design tool without letting it replace your creativity
• Knowing when a design is done, and avoiding spending hours to save minutes
• Rapid Fire Q&A: running long carves safely, molding toolpaths in VCarve, choosing wood, workholding and fences, and why carve time estimates are off
• AI Feud: Andy and Kyle face off in a Family Feud-style game where AI wrote the survey

Report your CNC sales and help the community reach 10,000 sales at www.andybirdbuilds.com/10000

Find free resources, courses, and coaching at www.andybirdbuilds.com

Learn Vectric and AI design with Kyle at www.learnyourcnc.com

How do you make money with your CNC now and keep it going for the long haul? Andy Bird sits down live with returning guest Garrett from IDC Woodcraft, who has filled more than 50,000 router bit orders, to talk about the mindset, habits, and pricing decisions behind a profitable CNC business.

In this episode:

• Why fear of failure keeps so many makers stuck, and how to push past it
• How Garrett would land his first 10 customers if he started over today with only a machine in the garage
• Why getting known for a niche (like Jeep gear or wedding decor) beats trying to sell to everyone
• Over or Under: Andy and Garrett guess the prices of real CNC products, from a Funko Pop display to a $5,490 parametric room divider, and learn a lot about pricing for the right customer
• Rapid Fire Q&A: learning from failure, finding time with a full-time job, pricing beyond cost plus markup, and marketing online vs. in person

Report your CNC sales and help the community reach 10,000 sales at www.andybirdbuilds.com/10000

Find free resources, courses, and coaching at www.andybirdbuilds.com

Check out Garrett’s bits and gear at www.idcwoodcraft.com

Philip from Miller Made Workshop joins Andy in the shop to talk lasers: what to ask yourself before you buy, the real difference between glass-tube CO2 and RF lasers, and why wattage isn’t the number that matters most.

Philip runs both a $6K glass-tube laser and a $12K RF Thunder Laser, and he breaks down what you actually get for the extra money. That includes build quality, tube lifespan, air vs. water cooling, support, and downtime. If you run a CNC business and don’t have a laser yet, this one’s for you.

In this episode:

• Andy’s recap of IWF 2026, including SawStop’s new bandsaw and Harvey’s blade-saving saw stop technology
• Hobby vs. business: the first question to ask before buying a laser
• Glass CO2 vs. RF: beam quality, detail, tube life, and replacement costs
• Why an 80W RF can outperform a 100W glass tube
• CNC-mounted lasers: when they make sense and when they don’t
• Diode vs. CO2 for branding large projects
• LightBurn vs. manufacturer software
• A round of CNC Taboo: Philip and Andy vs. the live chat
• A CNC Kickstart course giveaway

Find Philip:YouTube and Instagram: @MillerMadeWorkshopmillermadeworkshop.comMiller Hardware and Tools

Learn more about anything mentioned in this episode: andybirdbuilds.com