Within about eight months, Leo estimates that the outsourced panel work avoided by using his Carvera Air had already exceeded the machine’s purchase price. Along the way, he produced more than 100 panels for prototypes and production units at Strange Science Instruments. Using the same G-code months apart, he found that the panels remained interchangeable—a result he describes as “extremely consistent.”
“Being able to make our front and back panels in-house has been a huge boost for our business.”
— Leo from LeoMakes and Strange Science Instruments
Based in the UK, Leo designs and builds professional audio hardware through Strange Science Instruments, whose products include the FC-16 ADAT-to-AES3 format converter. He also shares his projects and making experience on the LeoMakes YouTube channel.
After coming across Leo’s independent Carvera Air review, a video he made after purchasing the machine himself, our team reached out to learn more about his business and CNC workflow. He shared how he uses the machine to produce aluminum panels, refine new designs, and run small batches in a compact studio. We’re sharing his story with the Makera community to offer a closer look at what desktop CNC can mean for a small audio hardware business.
Bringing an Expensive Part of Production In-House
For an audio hardware business, the enclosure panels are part of a larger assembly. Their openings and mounting features must line up with the circuit boards and case, while their finish contributes to the appearance of the completed product.
Leo previously relied on an external manufacturer to make those panels. They were one of the larger costs in the product’s bill of materials, and small orders were particularly expensive. Although the supplier did not impose a minimum order quantity, ordering only a few pieces came at a high price.
There was also a wait of one to two weeks for manufacturing and delivery. A panel revision meant another order, another expense, and another pause before Leo could evaluate the physical result.
When developing a new product, he began asking whether that work could happen in the studio instead. He already had experience with CAD/CAM, 3D printing, and CNC, having started using CNC machines in 2018. The challenge was finding a production setup that suited both the work and his available space.
He bought the Carvera Air in December 2025. Keeping blank panels on hand gave the business a different way to respond to its needs.
“Now we keep blank panels in the studio and can build them same-day.”
More Than 100 Panels, Consistent Months Apart
Leo evaluates a production machine against three requirements: it needs to be repeatable, reliable, and accurate. A successful prototype is valuable, but his business also needs to reproduce the part when the next batch is due.
In his review, he described the experience after machining well over 100 panels:
“Fortunately, the Carvera Air has been really good in this regard. I’ve done well over 100 panels at this point, and the machine has done its job flawlessly.”
Leo shared a concrete example of that consistency: panels made months apart using the same G-code were still interchangeable.
“We used the same g-code to make our pre-production and final production units a few months apart and all the panels are interchangeable.”
That matters when several separately made components must come together. As Leo explains, the PCBs, case, and front and back panels all need to fit correctly. Repeatable panel machining lets him return to an established design with confidence as production continues.
Building the Fixture Behind the Repeatability
The machine is one part of Leo’s workflow. His custom 3D-printed fixture provides another: a repeatable way to locate and secure the panels, including when a part needs to be flipped for machining on the other side.
Despite his previous CNC experience, learning to design fixtures took research. He does not have a background in machining or mechanical engineering, so he watched how professionals approached the problem and adapted those ideas to his own parts.
He began with four or five partial prints, checking fit, hole sizes, and alignment before committing to a complete fixture. Two full-size prints followed.
“I used the second one to make 100 panels so it’s good, but I might make a ‘v3’ with a few more improvements.”
The fixture also supports development work. Being able to put an existing panel back into a known position allows Leo to make another change to it, rather than starting with a fresh blank for every adjustment.
He has shared his approach in a fixture tutorial on YouTube, showing how 3D printing can support a practical CNC workflow.
Making Room to Play with a Design
Before bringing machining in-house, Leo found panel prototyping stressful. Each revision involved enough cost and waiting that experimentation became difficult to enjoy.
With the Carvera Air, he can mill a prototype panel and have it ready in less than an hour. A suitable fixture lets him reload it for further changes. If needed, he says, that can mean more than ten tweaks in a single day.
The difference is apparent in how he talks about design:
“Having a CNC in-house means we can ‘play’ more with a design until it’s just perfect.”
That freedom has supported prototypes for both the company’s first product and future products. An idea can be evaluated as a physical part while the design decisions are still fresh.
Using the same machine for prototyping and small-batch production also gives those experiments a practical destination. Leo can develop the design, fixture, and machining program together, then use that established process when he is ready to make more parts.
A Workflow Built Around Finish and Tool Life
Leo designs his panels and prepares toolpaths in Fusion. His printed fixtures handle positioning and workholding, and the Carvera Air machines the aluminum with air assistance. After machining, he uses an xTool S1 laser machine to add panel markings.
Leo reports machining times of about seven minutes for a front panel and twelve minutes for a back panel. His settings reflect the results he wants from regular production.
“My priorities are 1) good surface finish and 2) long tool life. If it takes an extra minute or two per panel, it’s not a big deal for me.”
He generally uses fresh end mills and conservative feeds and speeds, largely following Makera’s recommendations. He has been happy with the results without needing to push the machine harder.
The quick tool changer and automatic tool-length measurement help simplify tool changes. Once a job has been transferred, the machine’s onboard control also frees his design computer for other work. These features fit a studio where one person may move between design, setup, machining, and finishing throughout the day.
Physical space matters too. Leo keeps the Carvera Air on a wheeled cart so it can be moved and stored when needed. Its enclosed working area helps contain aluminum chips, making the process easier to accommodate alongside his other equipment.
An Eight-Month Payback Through Avoided Outsourcing
After approximately eight months, Leo considered the machine to have paid for itself. His calculation compares the purchase price with what it would have cost to outsource the panels he had already made, including prototypes and the first production batch.
“If we had to pay for all these panels plus tax/shipping/etc., I think it would easily cost more than what we paid for the Carvera Air.”
He estimates that the business spends about 80% less money on panels and milling. That figure comes with a practical distinction: he still invests his own time in loading and unloading parts, changing end mills, and running the process. It is a reduction in panel-related spending, rather than a fully costed comparison that assigns a value to all of his labor.
For Leo, that hands-on role is an enjoyable part of making the product. It also gives him control over when parts are made and how quickly a revision can be tested.
The payback therefore reflects several kinds of work: production panels the business needed, prototypes for the first product, and experiments for future designs. Together, those jobs made the machine a useful part of the studio’s day-to-day operation.
A Small Studio with More Manufacturing Possibilities
Leo sees this kind of setup as particularly useful for design studios and small manufacturing businesses. A CNC mill can work alongside a 3D printer and laser cutter, with each tool contributing something different to the finished product.
In his own studio, that combination is already practical: printed fixtures support CNC-machined panels, and laser markings complete them. The same equipment supports both development and small-batch production.
His advice is grounded in the time he spent learning the process:
“CNC is inherently more complex and it will take time to master it. But if you stick with it, the payoff is well worth the effort!”
For Strange Science Instruments, that effort has produced more than 100 panels, an established process that remains consistent across batches, and the ability to turn a design change into a physical part within the same day. Leo can keep refining the product while building the parts his business needs.
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