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Batching - Maximizing Output On Your CNC

  • 11 hours ago
  • 6 min read

In this video, Morgan shows you how to batch out items to maximize output on your Onefinity CNC using his Gen2 Elite Foreman. If you invested in a CNC to make and sell physical products, stick around - this video will show you how to maximize your time, your material, and start raking it in!



This project is just one of many that Morgan will be batching out in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for the follow up video where he sets out to sell these items at the local craft market.


Today we’ll cover:

• Best practices for batching out small items

• Indexing

• Material placement and workholding

• Design strategy

• Toolpathing strategy

• Finishing techniques for red oak


🔹 PRODUCTS & TOOLS USED IN THIS VIDEO


🛠 Machine:

Onefinity CNC Gen 2 Elite – https://www.onefinitycnc.com/product-page/gen2eliteseries


🌀 Bits & Tooling:

Cadence Manufacturing 1/4" "Jenny" Spiral Compression Bit– https://www.onefinitycnc.com/product-page/the-jenny-bit-double-pack


Bits & Bits Long Reach 1/8" Downcut Spiral Bit - https://bitsbits.com/product/425-dnc125lr/



🧠 Design Software:


🪵 Materials:

Bottle Openers - https://amzn.to/4feZKuq

Adhesive backed cork - https://amzn.to/3ROyeKn

White tinted paste wax - https://amzn.to/4o1BLBk



Batch More. Waste Less. Make More with Your Onefinity CNC.


When people buy a CNC, they usually have a goal in mind.

Maybe it is to finally start that side hustle.Maybe it is to make their small business more efficient.Maybe it is to stop making one-off projects and start producing products they can actually sell.


No matter what the goal is, one thing matters fast: throughput.

How many parts can you make?How consistently can you make them?How much material can you save?And how much time can you free up while your CNC does the heavy lifting?

That is exactly what this video is about.


Morgan from Onefinity walks through the process of batching CNC projects — creating multiples of the same product efficiently, consistently, and repeatably. The example project is a batch of custom bottle-opener coasters, but the real lesson applies to just about anything you want to make and sell with your Onefinity.


Why Batching Matters for CNC Businesses


If you are trying to make money with a CNC, one-off projects can only take you so far.

Custom work has its place, but batching is where your machine really starts to feel like a production tool. Instead of setting up a project, cutting one item, cleaning up, then starting over again, batching lets you produce multiple pieces in one run.

That means:

  • Less setup time per finished product

  • Better use of your material

  • More consistent results

  • More time to sand, assemble, finish, pack, or prep the next job while the CNC is running

  • A more realistic path toward selling physical products at markets, online, or to local customers


A Onefinity CNC is not just a machine for hobby projects. With the right workflow, it can become the center of a small production shop.


Start with Smart Workholding and Indexing


One of the most important lessons in the video is the value of an indexing system.

Indexing simply means having fixed, repeatable physical locations on your machine bed. When your material always goes back to the same known position, you can swap parts in and out without starting from scratch every time.


In the video, Morgan creates a grid of holes in the wasteboard. Because the CNC cuts the grid itself, those holes are aligned to the machine’s X and Y axes. That creates reliable reference points for locating material, setting stops, and repeating the same setup over and over again.

This is huge for batching.


When you know exactly where your material is going to sit, your design in the software can match the real-world layout on the machine. That saves time, reduces mistakes, and makes repeat production much easier.


Use More of the Machine Bed


Another major key to batching is using as much of the machine bed as possible.

Instead of cutting one coaster at a time, the project is laid out across multiple boards. Each board is positioned using the indexing system, and the design is copied in the software to match the physical layout on the wasteboard.


This is where a larger-format Onefinity really shines.

More cutting area means more parts per run. More parts per run means fewer interruptions. Fewer interruptions means you can work on other parts of the process while the machine keeps producing.

That is the difference between a CNC that simply makes parts and a CNC that helps you build a workflow.


Design for Production, Not Just Looks


A great-looking product is important, but when you are making items to sell, the design also needs to make sense from a production standpoint.

In the video, the coasters are designed around a common market-friendly size: four inches in diameter. They also include a bottle opener on the underside and a laser-cut cork backing, making them more unique than a basic round coaster.

But the design decisions are not just about appearance. They also affect machine time, tool changes, and material yield.


For example, Morgan uses a 1/4-inch spiral bit for most of the machining, then switches to a 1/8-inch spiral bit for the final cutout. Normally, tool changes add time. But in this case, the smaller bit allows the coasters to be nested closer together, increasing the number of finished pieces that can be cut from each board.


That is the kind of decision that matters when you are trying to sell what you make.

Sometimes one extra tool change can actually save material, improve yield, and make the overall project more profitable.


Keep Toolpaths Efficient

When batching, small inefficiencies multiply quickly.

A toolpath that wastes two minutes may not matter on one part. But if you are making 50, 100, or 200 parts, those extra minutes add up fast.

The video demonstrates several practical toolpath decisions, including:

  • Cutting only the areas that need to be reduced in thickness

  • Avoiding unnecessary full-board flattening

  • Grouping vectors by operation

  • Using the fewest practical number of tools

  • Laying parts out to reduce waste

  • Matching software layout to the physical indexing system


This is where CNC business owners can really gain an edge. The machine matters, but the workflow matters too.

The more repeatable your process is, the easier it becomes to quote jobs, track costs, calculate profit, and scale your production.


Combine CNC Routing with Other Processes


The coaster project also shows how a Onefinity can fit into a larger production workflow.

The main coaster body is cut on the CNC router. Then a laser is used to engrave the cork backing and cut the center opening. While the laser is running, other work continues at the router table and finishing bench.

That is a smart production mindset.


Your CNC does not have to do every single step. The goal is to build a workflow where each tool does what it does best. The CNC handles repeatable cutting. The laser handles engraving and cork cutting. Hand tools and finishing supplies handle the final details.

With the right setup, you can have multiple parts of the process moving at once.


Finishing Can Make a Simple Product Stand Out


The video also shows how finishing can turn basic material into something more premium.

Morgan uses off-the-shelf red oak boards, a material many people can find locally. Instead of leaving the coasters plain, he uses a finishing process that highlights the grain with black dye and white tinted paste wax.

The result is a product that looks more unique and more marketable than a basic unfinished coaster.


That matters because selling CNC products is not just about cutting shapes. It is about creating something people see value in.

A simple project can become a sellable product when you combine good design, repeatable machining, clean finishing, and smart presentation.


The Real Test: Will It Sell?


One of the best parts of this video is that it is not just theory.

Morgan is beginning an experiment: making different CNC products, tracking the real costs, tracking the time involved, taking them to a local farmers market, and seeing what actually sells.

That is exactly the kind of information CNC business owners need.

Not every project that looks good on the machine is worth producing. Some items may take too long to finish. Some may have too much material waste. Some may not sell for enough to justify the time. Others may surprise you and become repeatable money-makers.

The only way to know is to test, track, and adjust.

And with a Onefinity CNC, you have the machine foundation to do exactly that.


Turn Your CNC into a Production Tool


Batching is one of the clearest ways to move from hobby use to business use.

When you set up an indexing system, standardize your material, optimize your toolpaths, and design products with production in mind, your Onefinity becomes more than a CNC router.

It becomes a repeatable manufacturing system.


Whether you want to sell at farmers markets, launch an online shop, supply local businesses, create personalized gifts, or build a serious production workflow, batching helps you get more from every hour in the shop.

And that is what Onefinity is built for: giving makers, woodworkers, and small business owners the tools to create more, waste less, and build something real.


Ready to Make More with Onefinity?


A Onefinity CNC gives you the cutting area, rigidity, accuracy, and repeatability needed to batch products with confidence.

From one-off custom pieces to repeatable small-business production runs, your machine can help you turn ideas into finished products — and finished products into income.


Watch the full video, take notes, and start thinking about what you could batch on your own Onefinity.

Your next product line might be one setup away.

 
 
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