Makera at Open Sauce 2026: Hands-On Desktop CNC Highlights

From July 17–19, 2026, Makera returned to Open Sauce at the San Mateo County Event Center in the San Francisco Bay Area. At Booth F.139, makers, students, educators, creators, and families gathered to explore how desktop CNC technology can turn digital ideas into physical objects.

This year’s event was especially meaningful for us. Compared with our appearance in 2025, we saw an even stronger interest in accessible CNC machining, particularly the compact Makera Z1. More importantly, the event gave us another opportunity to meet the people who use, teach with, and create with Makera machines.

Throughout the event, the Makera team demonstrated wooden selfie relief carving projects. Visitors could watch the complete CNC workflow, from project preparation and toolpath generation in Makera Studio to machine setup and final cutting.

These demonstrations made it easier for beginners to understand how CNC machining works. Visitors could also ask questions about materials, machine setup, software, and choosing the right Makera machine for their projects.

One of the highlights of Open Sauce 2026 was the Mill & Chill workshop, where every workstation featured a Makera Z1.

Participants began by taking a photo of themselves or their families. They then used Makerables’ AI Craft platform, specifically the relief generation feature, to turn the image into a personalized model. From there, Makera Studio generated the machining toolpath, which was sent directly to the Makera Z1 for production.

The workflow brought together AI-assisted design, CAM software, and desktop CNC machining in one approachable experience:

1. Take a photo.
2. Generate a personalized digital model using Makerables’ AI Craft relief generation.
3. Prepare the toolpath in Makera Studio.
4. Send the project to the Makera Z1.
5. Watch the design become a physical keepsake.

Some attendees joined the workshop individually, while others participated with their families. Every finished piece captured a different face, story, and moment, giving each participant a unique memory from Open Sauce 2026.

The workshop demonstrated more than the capabilities of the Makera Z1. It showed how shorter, more intuitive digital-to-physical workflows can help people start creating without first mastering every part of a traditional CNC process.

Open Sauce is also a place where users bring their own projects, experiences, and ideas into the conversation.

During the event, we welcomed existing Carvera, Carvera Air, and Makera Z1 users to our booth. They shared feedback, discussed their current projects, and explored how different Makera machines could support future production needs.

One particularly memorable example came from a high school student, Siva Sundar, who is developing a robotics project that combines mechanical design, embedded systems, motion control, and computer vision. His robot arm has already been able to play Tic-Tac-Toe autonomously, with plans to expand into autonomous chess in the future. Siva showcased the project at Open Sauce 2026 and used a Carvera Air fabricate and demonstrate parts on site.

Thank you to everyone who visited Booth F.139, joined the Mill & Chill workshop, shared feedback, brought a project, or simply stopped by to watch a Makera machine in action.

The conversations, demonstrations, and personalized projects made this year’s event especially memorable. We left Open Sauce inspired by what the maker community is building and even more excited about the role accessible desktop CNC can play in bringing new ideas to life.

Watch our Open Sauce 2026 video to see more projects, creators, and highlights from the event.

Keep making, keep experimenting, and we’ll see you at the next event.