Building a Family Heirloom

For most of us, the year 2020 was interesting, to say the least. Amidst the sadness brought by the pandemic, there was a bright spot: the news that our son and daughter-in-law were expecting. Our first grandson was on the way.

How does one use this great news to create something a boy would one day look up to, with the potential to last for many years? I am an aspiring woodworker, an amateur at best, always seeking a good challenge and learning through trial and error (I admit, at times, a lot of error).

I scoured the internet for potential projects and found something that would challenge me as a retired paramedic and hobby woodworker—something that would make a statement and keep me busy for many months. A wood model of a Caterpillar D9L high track bulldozer caught my eye, with drawings widely available online.

After several months of building the basic parts for the bulldozer, I realized my skills were somewhat limited in manually producing some of the more detailed parts. I needed a small, versatile CNC to up my game. After some research, I ordered the SainSmart 3018 ProVer. This turned out to be one of my better investments.

The 3018 came well-packaged with clear instructions. Although it took me longer than the suggested time to assemble, it ultimately provided the precision required to produce a respectable project.

I appreciated being able to produce items like a wooden cab door frame, and with minimal changes, I was able to cut the plexiglass insert with high precision. It was a bit of a trial and error process, but the end product was well worth it.

The Caterpillar required many detailed parts, and the CNC was a godsend. The cab, interior details, blade lifts and tilts, rear ripper, and many other small parts formed a great, detailed build.

Completing the Caterpillar was so enjoyable that I decided t