Field notes from the shop floor.
Essays and case studies on the disciplines behind DraftEdge — CAD, CNC, product engineering, and the manufacturing decisions that make or break a program.
Ten rules for change-safe parametric models
A working guide for engineers who want their CAD models to still make sense a year from now — and after seven design reviews.
8 min · Oct 4, 2026
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CNC
Toolpath finishes that survive first article inspection
A practical breakdown of finishing strategies, cutting parameters, and the inspection failures they prevent.
6 min · Sep 18, 2026
Cabinetry
How we cut sheet waste by 18% on a kitchen program
A cabinetry case study: how a parametric panel library and smarter nesting removed nearly a fifth of the material cost.
5 min · Sep 2, 2026
Manufacturing
DFM red flags most part drawings still ship with
Tolerance stacks, missing datums, and impossible internal corners — the recurring DFM issues we flag on incoming drawing packages.
7 min · Aug 21, 2026
Product
From sketch to CMF: designing a lounge chair for scale
Form studies, structural validation, and colour-material-finish choices for a chair built to be made ten thousand times.
9 min · Aug 8, 2026
Design
Typography as tooling: designing signage for CNC
Corner radii, counters, and stroke widths that survive a real end mill — a short guide to machinable type.
4 min · Jul 24, 2026