About CNC Dance
Free G-code tutorials, CAM guides, and machining knowledge — written by a machinist for real shop floors.
I'm Alex Chen. I've been making chips since 2014.
I started where most machinists start — sweeping floors in a job shop. Operator, programmer, shop lead. Haas VF-2s, Okuma lathes, Tormach mills, and a handful of custom-built routers that tried to catch fire more than once.
Every step of the way, I ran into the same problem:
The information I needed existed, but it was scattered across ten different forums, three YouTube videos, and a PDF written for engineers who already knew the answer.
So I built CNC Dance.
What This Site Is
Every article on this site follows one rule:
If a reader has five browser tabs open trying to piece together an answer, can they close all five after reading my article? If the answer is no, the article isn't done.
What you'll find here:
- G-code & M-code — Complete references with examples I've run on real machines.
- CAM software — Workflows that actually work, not textbook theory.
- Machine setup — Work offsets, tooling, workholding, feeds and speeds.
- Troubleshooting — Problems I've crashed into so you don't have to.
Why "CNC Dance"?
The name comes from watching a good machinist at work — the rhythm of the spindle, the chip load cutting clean, the tool moving through a path like it knows where it's going. There's a cadence to it. A dance between machine and metal.
That's what I'm trying to teach.
The Equipment
These are the machines I currently run and write about:
- Haas VF-2 — Production work, tight tolerances.
- Tormach 1100MX — Prototypes and teaching.
- Custom CNC router — Where I started, still running.
Every G-code example on this site has been tested on real hardware. If it's here, it works.
Why Trust This Site?
| Real experience | 12+ years on the shop floor, not a weekend hobbyist. |
|---|---|
| Named person | Alex Chen, not "the CNC Dance team". |
| Specific machines | Haas VF-2, Tormach 1100MX — named, not hidden. |
| Tested code | Every G-code example runs on a real machine. |
| One voice | Written by a machinist, for machinists. |
Let's Connect
Got a tip? A trick? A crash story of your own? I'd love to hear it.
cncdance2026@hotmail.com — I reply within 1–2 days.
Also welcome: guest submissions. If you've got a CNC story or guide that helps others learn, send it over.