There are plenty of affordable and accurate tools for model making. And all of them have a wide range of features that make life easier when it comes to turning your exact designs into precise scale models.
But, if you are a regular hobby model maker, you’ve probably heard of the Cricut. This superb crafting tool has built up quite a reputation for being a hobbyists dream machine. But, how well does the Cricut stack up as a tool for making model architecture?
Well, in this post, you will learn what the Cricut Maker is…as well as the kinds of material it can cut through. You will then find out how well the Cricut does when it comes to cutting clean and intricate architectural design.
And we reveal whether you should opt for the Cricut Maker, over a CNC router, for model building…
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What Is The Cricut Maker?
The Cricut is a crafting machine that can cut and engrave a range of different materials. Although, it’s most commonly used to cut paper, cardboard, and thin sheets of pliable timber. Making it the perfect tool for paper-crafts and vinyl-cutting.
The Cricut Maker does all of this thanks to its wide array of interchangeable rotary tool bits. To put it simply, you can think of the Cricut as a sort of desktop router machine.
Can The Cricut Maker Really Cut Wood?
Absolutely, but only a certain limited range of wood types. Very thin sheets of wood (we are talking fractions of an inch thick) are about all the Cricut can handle. Anything much thicker than that, will only end up damaging those Cricut bits.
As a result, there’s only a very short list of natural wood types that can be cut with the Cricut; Balsa wood, and Basswood.
The Cricut can handle Balsa wood sheets that are 1/16 to 1/32 inches thick. And when it comes to basswood, the Cricut can cut sheets of up to 1/16 inches thick.
Related Post: What Type Of Wood Can A Cricut Maker Cut? [A Quick Guide]
Can You Use The Cricut Maker For Scratch Building Architecture Models?
Well, first off, the Cricut will load up your CAD model designs easily. There’s no issue there. The problem lies in how cleanly the Cricut cuts.
While laser cutters and CNC routers need only one go to make a nice clean cut, the Cricut needs to go over the material many times before that line is clean. In fact, you may find yourself working a little too hard to get sharp corner edges out of the Cricut.
That’s why, if you use the Cricut maker to craft model designs, it will take more time and effort to get the results you want (compared to a CNC router).
And What Does A CNC Router Do?
CNC routers are basically a more powerful cutting machine than the Cricut maker.
The Cricut can only carve its way through very thin materials. Yet, a CNC router can cut through slightly thicker sheets of wood, plastic, and even styrene.
Yet, where the CNC router really stands heads and shoulder above the Cricut is in its accuracy. It can repeatedly produce precise cuts to your exact designs, cleanly and quickly.
And it’s controlled accuracy will save you a lot of the frustration that may come with using less exacting machines.
And What’s The Best Model-Making Hobby CNC Router?
By far, the best one on the market today is the SainSmart Genmitsu CNC Router Machine 3018-PROVer.
This affordable CNC Router comes with an adjustable focus laser that can slice through wood in a single pass. Ideal for engraving, cutting, and scribing, the SainSmart can do it all (at full power) up to 8 hours.
You can find out more (and the latest prices) for the SainSmart CNC Router over on Amazon.com
To Wrap Up, Here Are The 3 Key Takeaways From This Post…
- 1). The Cricut is a hobby craft cutting machine that can be used to cut thin sheets of Balsa wood and Basswood.
- 2). However, the Cricut may need multiple passes in order to cleanly cut intricate model designs.
- 3). A CNC Router is generally your best option for a scratch model building cutting tool.
