I’ll be honest, when I first came across rotary axis attachments for CNC machines, I did not “get” it.
It actually bothered me that we offered them as an add-on with Axiom Precision machines. I felt like it was a flashy accessory that no one be able to actually learn, it was too niche, and it was so limited (I felt the same way about 3D printers, but we’ll get to that another time).
As it turns out, it wasn’t the rotary axis that was limited… it was my imagination.
Like a lot of people stepping into CNC for the first time, I was thinking in two dimensions (pun partially intended). For years, I devalued the rotary axis, shied away from it, and often discouraged it. More recently, I’ve really started exploring its use a lot more.
A rotary axis opens up an entire new axis (more puns!) of creativity. It transforms your CNC machine from a flatbed router into a powerful 4th-axis carving machine. And there are a lot more people using them than I first thought. Here are just a few of the projects that I have seen (and now helped schools and small businesses create) using a rotary axis:
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Custom baseball bats
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Furniture legs
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Guitar necks
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Spiral staircase spindles
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Signage with cylindrical elements
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Custom tool handles
- Chess pieces
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Personalized awards
- Replica footballs and baseballs
And the list keeps growing.
For educators, it add a whole new element to your CNC program, without a large price tag. Students who grasp flatbed CNC quickly find new challenges in 4th-axis design. It pushes CAD and CAM skills further and introduces concepts that bridge into product design, industrial modelling, and engineering. That said, the learning curve IS substantial, so be sure that you know your classroom has the capacity before you invest into a rotary axis.
For small business owners, it is a game-changer. The kind of products you can create with a rotary toolpath instantly stand out in the market. You can offer customization that is harder to replicate and unlock a niche that competitors may not even see coming. My biggest problem was: because I knew it wasn’t for everyone, I assumed it wasn’t for anyone – and that is not the case.
So if you are on the fence about adding a rotary axis – or if, like me, you shrugged it off the first time – here is my honest advice:
Take another look. Maybe look at it from another perspective (or dimension – last pun, I promise!).
The rotary axis is not just an accessory. It is an opportunity to make products that flatbed CNC could never dream of. And that might just be the edge your classroom or shop needs.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out Tools Today as they introduce our Rotary Axis!
