With more than 25 years in machining and 12 years operating CNC equipment, Wylder Barrows knows what separates a capable machine from one that merely completes a toolpath. After adding a Carvera Air to his home workshop, he began making small aluminum injection molds—and within approximately six months, the side business had paid for the machine.
“I’ve been a CNC operator, set up and programmer for 12 years but I have bent the knee to this machine, and it works awesome!”
— Wylder Barrows
For Wylder, the result was not simply about earning back the price of a desktop CNC. It showed that decades of professional machining experience could be turned into a practical second source of income—one small mold at a time.
Based in Texas, Wylder works as a professional machinist and has spent more than 25 years in the trade. During the past 12 years, he has operated CNC machines ranging from 3-axis systems to the enormous 5-axis machine he runs today, which he describes as being as large as a two-car garage.
Outside his full-time job, however, his production setup is much more compact. Using the Carvera Air, Wylder machines 6061 aluminum molds for plastic injection molding, soft-plastic fishing lures, keychains, and other small-scale products. What began as a long-standing interest in CNC machining and home injection molding is now developing into a growing side business.
More Than 25 Years in Machining
His work sometimes involves producing small injection molds used to prototype parts before they are sent into full production. This background has given him practical experience with CNC operation, setup, programming, toolpaths, workholding, and the relationship between machine construction and finished-part quality.
Long before buying a Carvera Air, Wylder had already explored CNC machining outside his workplace. He owned several imported machines, built some machines himself, and converted mini mills to CNC.
Those experiences taught him that simply having CNC-controlled motion does not guarantee a clean result. A machine can complete a toolpath while still leaving a finish that requires significant post-processing.
“In my opinion, rigidity is the most important thing I look for.”
Rigidity helps the machine resist unwanted movement and vibration while cutting. For mold work, where small surface imperfections can be transferred directly to the molded part, that stability becomes especially important.
Looking for a Better Desktop CNC Finish
Before purchasing the Carvera Air near the end of 2025, Wylder researched it extensively.
“I think I watched every video that was available that had to do with the Air.”
He had used less expensive desktop CNC machines in the past, but their finishing performance had not met his expectations. Because he already understood professional machining, he was not evaluating the Carvera Air only as a first-time hobbyist. He was comparing its results against standards developed over decades of shop-floor experience.
The surface quality of its finish passes ultimately won him over.
Once the machine arrived, another feature stood out: the ability to begin working without first rebuilding or extensively modifying the system.
“I like the plug-and-play aspect of the Air.”
For someone who had previously built CNC machines and converted manual mini mills, a more integrated workflow allowed him to focus on molds, toolpaths, and cutting conditions instead of treating the machine itself as another engineering project.
He began posting videos and photographs to show both the Carvera Air in operation and the finish quality it could achieve.
“A nice finish pass is what everyone is looking for.”
Turning 6061 Aluminum into Small Injection Molds
Wylder primarily uses the Carvera Air to machine hobby and small-scale injection molds from 6061 aluminum.
His projects range from molds for conventional plastic injection molding to molds for soft-plastic fishing lures. A typical mold is approximately 3 × 3 inches, although he has also completed a single-cavity mold measuring 200 mm square for a customer.
Some of Wylder’s own mold-based products are also being prepared for the market.
Depending on their size and complexity, his molds generally require between 3 and 15 hours of machining to reach the desired finish. A set of letter and number molds, for example, took an average of about seven and a half hours each, including facing, roughing, and finishing operations.
Because this is still a side business rather than his full-time job, Wylder organizes machining around his regular work schedule.
He might start a mold in the morning before leaving for work. When he returns home, he changes the tool so the finishing operation can run overnight. Early the following morning, the completed mold can be removed and the process begins again with the next one.
This rhythm allows long machining cycles to continue without consuming all of his available workshop time.
Why Surface Finish Matters in Mold Making
Surface finish is not merely cosmetic on an injection mold. The surface of the mold cavity is reproduced on every molded part, so machining marks can affect the appearance and feel of the final product. Depending on the application, surface condition can also influence part release and determine whether further finishing is required.
For Wylder, achieving a good finish depends on a combination of machine rigidity, toolpath strategy, speeds and feeds, and a carefully controlled finishing pass.
"Surface finish on an injection mold is very important. So that comes back to the machine's rigidity along with toolpath and speeds and feeds."
His practical recommendation is straightforward: take the finishing pass slowly and use a small stepover.
“A 0.02 mm to 0.05 mm stepover works great.”
The precise settings will still depend on the tool, mold geometry, material, and desired surface, but the principle is consistent. Roughing removes most of the aluminum efficiently; finishing then uses lighter, closely spaced passes to refine the cavity.
In many cases, Wylder performs very little post-processing after machining. Some customers polish the cavities themselves, while others use light soda blasting to create a matte surface.
He also experiments with more decorative finishes. On one fan-blade mold, he applied an engine-turned, or dimpled, pattern that transferred a distinctive texture to the finished surface.
These experiments show that mold finish can become part of the product design—not simply a machining requirement that must be removed.
A Keychain Mold That Created a Business Opportunity
One of the first injection molds Wylder made on the Carvera Air was a small farm tractor keychain mold. The idea grew out of a familiar problem for home injection molding enthusiasts: wasted material during color changes.
Wylder has practiced home and hobby injection molding for years. One of the machines he uses comes from Buster Beagle 3D, whose community includes many people purchasing plastic in relatively small quantities.
When switching from one plastic color to another, the remaining material in the machine must be purged. Throwing that plastic away felt wasteful, so Wylder designed a small keychain mold that could turn the purged material into something useful.
Instead of discarding the plastic, he could inject it into the tractor mold and give the resulting keychains away.
He shared the mold in the Buster Beagle 3D Facebook community. Other injection molding users recognized the usefulness of the idea, and he began selling the molds through the group.
It was a simple product, but it solved a real problem for a specific community. More importantly, it gave Wylder a practical starting point for testing whether his mold-making experience could support a small business.
From One Mold to Around 30 Inquiries
As Wylder shared more of his work online, people began approaching him about their own projects.
Around 30 people have contacted him so far. Some wanted custom molds made, while others needed general machining help, advice about Carvera Air toolpaths, or information about mold pricing.
Not every conversation immediately becomes an order, but the inquiries demonstrate a clear demand for his combination of machining knowledge and accessible small-scale production.
For customers developing specialized products, ordering a small aluminum mold from an independent maker may be more practical than working with a large production supplier. Wylder can also bring professional machining experience to projects that remain small in quantity but still require careful toolpaths and a high-quality cavity finish.
Within approximately six months, revenue from the mold-making side business had covered the cost of his Carvera Air.
“My mold-making side hustle has paid for the cost of the Air.”
The payback did not come from mass production or a single large contract. It developed through a series of relatively small molds, made around a full-time job and promoted through communities where Wylder already understood the users and their needs.
His story shows how a desktop CNC can become more than a hobby expense when it is paired with a specific skill, a clearly defined product, and access to the right customer community.
Adding the Makera Z1 to the Workflow
Less than a year after purchasing the Carvera Air, Wylder ordered a Makera Z1.
His decision was shaped by two factors: the dependability he had experienced with the Air and the accessible price of the Z1.
Once both machines are available, he plans to divide larger jobs between them. For orders requiring multiple molds, the Z1 can initially handle mold preparation while the Carvera Air machines the cavities.
“If I have a multiple-mold job, I plan on using the Z1 for mold prep and the Air for cutting the cavities until I get some time with the Z1 and see how my finish passes come out.”
This approach gives him additional capacity while allowing him to evaluate the Z1 under the same conditions that matter most to his work. As he becomes familiar with its finishing performance, the division of work between the two machines may evolve.
Running two machines could also make his before-work and overnight production schedule more efficient. One system could prepare stock or complete roughing operations while the other focuses on longer cavity-finishing toolpaths.
Building a Second Income, One Mold at a Time
Wylder still considers machining his profession and mold making his side business. But the distinction is beginning to shift.
The Carvera Air has already paid for itself. Customers are contacting him about custom work. He has products of his own preparing to enter the market, and a second Makera machine will soon expand his available capacity.
His immediate goal is to continue making molds for people and see how far the business can grow.
“I would like to keep making molds for people and maybe end up with a Carvera Air farm just churning out aluminum parts!”
That future may begin with more machines, larger order volumes, or products Wylder has not yet introduced. For now, the foundation is already in place: decades of machining experience, a strong understanding of surface finish, and a compact CNC workflow capable of running alongside a full-time career.
What started with a better finish pass—and a tractor keychain designed to prevent wasted plastic—has become a growing second source of income.
For an experienced machinist, the Carvera Air did not replace professional knowledge. It gave that knowledge another place to create value.
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