But “cheap” and “good” don’t always intersect on a Venn diagram, and even when they do, not every plasma cutter is suitable for use on the spanking new CNC table you’re building.

Lisa Reed of Bear Lake uses CNC plasma cutting to craft metal signs, turning her passion into a thriving business.

Adding in fancy new tools like CNC plasma cutting and computer-aided drafting doesn’t change that much, although new methods often do call for a little improvisation. Getting several ...