CNC Router for Gone Boarding Truckee High School CTE

Moderation state
funded
Grant Applicant
Michael Bensley
School Site
Truckee High School
Grant Category
Career Technical Education (CTE)
Grant Date
2025-03-31T12:00:00
Description

A computer numeric controlled(CNC) router is a robot that cuts wood into intricate patterns. At Truckee High School we have a CNC router that was purchased in 2005 by a previous woodshop teacher. In addition to its age the router is only able to cut material that is at most 4 feet long.

In our Gone Boarding program at Truckee High School we are using computer aided drafting equipment to design skis and snowboards and then craft them from the ground up. The large hurdle that we are facing is that the objects that we need to cut are larger than 4 feet long(Most skis and snowboards exceed this size).

Benefits of Program

Currently in Gone Boarding we serve approximately 100 students a year and create upwards of 150 boards a year. The boards range from skateboards, snowboards, skis, surfboards, paddleboards, and several others. Students engage in deep thinking, collaboration, hands on construction techniques, computer aided drafting and design. In addition to building, students get the opportunity to test their creations on the snow, concrete and water. In the world of traditional academics Gone Boarding provides a home for students to move their hands and brains in a different way.

Success of Program

The Gone Boarding program was implemented at Truckee High School in 2018 and has been running successfully ever since. In addition to creating and testing hundreds of boards we have gotten better every year. Over 7 years we have brought in new board options to our menu including pow shredder(bindingless snowboards), skimboards, custom dimension snowboards and fully custom skis. The addition of more intricate builds has created the necessity for better equipment including the requested CNC router. 

Our partners are immense and keep growing every year. Currently Vans, GoPro, Channel Islands, Burton, Moment Skis, Rocker Memorial Skatepark, Tahoe Dave's, and Minus 7 Snowskates are some of our partners. Each year the program finds more and more success through student learning. 

Implementation

The implementation of this tool will be seamless. As mentioned above we will be using this tool to design skis and snowboards. Once set up we will be milling out ski cores and snowboard cores. We will be cutting ski and snowboard bases. The uses of this tool are endlessly beneficial to our program. In addition to skis and snowboards the CNC router is capable of making tools such as jigs for fin boxes for surfboards, cutting out skateboards, carving designs into any type of wood and soft metal. Any model that myself and my students come up with in our computer aided drafting software can be brought to life by the CNC router. 

Can you share this grant with your grade level or subject team?

Yes. I will be able to share the CNC router with several other CTE programs on campus such as the welding pathway and the engineering pathway. In the engineering pathway at Truckee High, we use a computer aided drafting program to create three dimensional objects. The program that we use works seamlessly with the CNC router to bring our three dimensional objects to life. The welding program would benefit from the CNC in router as well. In the program students create large projects such as tables that require wood. The router would be able to cut these pieces of wood to the perfect size for the metal creations. This router also has the capacity to etch designs into soft metals. This would give the welding program the ability to put logos and words onto their creations. 

 

Sustainability
The cost of the router is a one time cost. It will not require additional funding moving forward. The technology imbedded in the router will serve the school for years to come. The computer on the router is able to be updated with new software when new advancements come out. I plan on serving a long time in my position and will see to it that this tool brings life into many different projects over my career.
Amount Funded
$15538.00
Individual Budget Items(s)
$14337 - CNC Router including tools and parts
Shipping
$0.00
Taxes
$1201.00
Other funding sources

There are many CNC routers on the marker that range from eight thousand dollars to forty thousand dollars. In my research, the machines that fell under the ten thousand dollar mark either had poor performance, poor support or the machine had poor reviews. I looked for a machine in the range of ten to twenty thousand dollars. In my conference with AVID CNC I found confidence in their machines and in their support team. The machine is built strong, capable of doing all the things I need it to do and the support team is on call to help me when I need to fix the machine. 

File Uploads
Avid CNC Quote NW73768.pdf (133.31 KB)
Supporting Links
This is the site where the router will be purchased
Here is an example of what it looks like to router a ski core. It is a differen…
This is a link to several videos of what the machine is capable of doing.
Notes

The Gone Boarding program continues to get better. I am committed to making new and more creative designs each year. This allows me to give my students more options in their path to creation. A CNC router is a tool found in all board/ski manufacturing shops. I believe that my commitment to this program and my students combined with state of the art equipment will continue to inspire learning and passion that can not be replicated elsewhere. When students look back on their education there is no doubt that their memories will land on Gone Boarding.