Fusion 360 CAM for Hobby CNC: Complete Guide

Getting Started

Fusion 360 is free for hobby use and includes a full professional CAM engine. Switch to the Manufacture workspace from the dropdown at top left.

Step 1: Create a Setup

Manufacture, Setup, New Setup.

Configure:

• Operation Type: Milling
• Stock tab: enter your raw material dimensions (width x depth x thickness)
• Setup tab, WCS origin: click the front-left-top corner of your model. This is X0 Y0 Z0 on the machine.

X should point right, Y toward you, Z up. Use axis flip buttons to correct if needed.

Step 2: Tool Library

Manage, Tool Library, New Mill Tool.

Enter for each bit:

• Type: Flat End Mill, Ball End Mill, Chamfer, V-Groove
• Diameter: 6.35mm for 1/4 inch, 3.175mm for 1/8 inch
• Flutes: 2 for standard spiral bits
• Cutting Data tab: feeds and speeds per material

Save to My Tools, Local for reuse across jobs.

Step 3: 2D Toolpaths

2D Pocket: removes all material inside a closed shape. Select top edge of pocket area. Set stepdown (1.5-2mm hardwood, 2-3mm softwood), stepover (40-50% of tool diameter for roughing). Enable Multiple Depths.

2D Contour: cuts along a profile path. Select top edge of the shape. Enable Tabs (3mm wide x 3mm high) to hold parts during cutthrough. Enable Multiple Depths with per-pass stepdown.

2D Adaptive Clearing: high-efficiency roughing that maintains consistent chip load. Much faster than standard 2D Pocket for large material removal.

Engrave and V-Carve: select paths or closed shapes. Fusion calculates V-carve depth automatically based on stroke width.

Step 4: 3D Toolpaths

For relief carving and organic surfaces:

• 3D Adaptive Clearing: roughing with flat or ball end mill
• 3D Parallel: finishing with ball nose at 3-8% stepover for smooth surface

Step 5: Simulate

Right-click any setup or operation, then Simulate. Watch the tool animate through the material. Check for collisions between tool holder and workpiece, missed areas, and incorrect depths. Fix all issues before posting G-code.

Step 6: Post Process

Right-click the setup, Post Process.

Select your post processor:

• LongMill, gSender, any GRBL machine: use the grbl post from cam.autodesk.com
• Shapeoko, Carbide Motion: grbl post or Carbide-specific post
• Mach3: mach3mill post

Set units to Millimeters. Click Post to generate the .nc G-code file.

Verify in ncviewer.com or gSender before running on the machine.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Z-zero wrong: Setup WCS Z=0 must be at the top surface of your stock, not the bottom
• Units mismatch: set both Fusion and post processor to metric to avoid 25.4x scale errors
• Compensation type: always set to In Computer for hobby CNC
• No tabs: parts break free during cutthrough. Minimum 3mm wide x 3mm high
• Red in simulation means holder collision. Reduce stepdown or use shorter tooling.