Design & Technology teacher · CNC machinist · Sydney
Alastair Pilley
I teach Design and Technology at a Sydney secondary school and run a timber and CNC machining business. My work is about helping students and teachers make real things, well and safely, with CAD, CNC routers, 3D printers and timber. I also build SchoolCAD, free browser-based CAD for TAS and D&T students.
- School workshops
- 6 years as a TAS technical assistant, teaching since 2026
- Machines
- Commercial full-sheet routers, 9 kW spindles
- CAD / CAM
- Autodesk Fusion, taught in class
- Robotics
- FIRST Robotics mentor since 2017
Why practical skills
Schools in Europe and China treat practical, hands-on making as a core part of learning. Many Australian schools are falling behind.
Generative AI is changing the work young people will go on to do. The skills that last are the ones that transfer: solving practical problems, understanding materials and machines, and taking a design all the way to a finished object. Students need clear pathways into trades, engineering and industry, and schools benefit from career changers from engineering, science, trades and industry in the classroom.
Selected work
Projects
Teaching, making and business. Each project gets its own write-up as the photos and notes come together.
-
- No.
- 01
- Year
- 2026
- Status
- Founding schools
- Type
- Software
SchoolCAD
Free, browser-based CAD for Years 7 to 10 TAS and D&T. Students work through a project one checked step at a time, using the same tools and terms as Fusion, Onshape and SolidWorks. It runs on locked-down school networks with no installs or student accounts, and sends work straight to 3D printers, laser cutters and AS 1100 drawings.
Visit schoolcad.com ↗ -
- No.
- 02
- Year
- 2020–now
- Status
- Ongoing
- Type
- Making
Sine Surf
Hollow wooden surfboards. I founded Sine Surf in September 2020 and design and build the boards in my own workshop.
Visit sinesurf.com ↗ -
- No.
- 03
- Year
- 2024–now
- Status
- Ongoing
- Type
- Business
Paulownia Timber Supplies
Paulownia timber for architectural work, surfboards and schools, plus woodwork and CNC machining.
Visit paulowniatimber.com.au ↗ -
- No.
- 04
- Year
- 2026
- Status
- Ongoing
- Type
- Teaching
CAD and CAM in the classroom
Taking students from a 3D design in Fusion through CAM setups and simulation to parts cut on the CNC router.
Case study coming -
- No.
- 05
- Year
- 2017–now
- Status
- Ongoing
- Type
- Robotics
Robotics mentoring
Mentoring a FIRST Robotics Competition team in Sydney and robotics teams in Shenzhen. Students design, machine, wire, program and test to a hard deadline, then fix it all again when something breaks at competition.
Case study coming
CNC in schools
From 3D printer to CNC router
Most schools now have 3D printers. A CNC router is the next step, and it opens up full-size work in timber and sheet materials. I've run commercial full-sheet routers with 9 kW spindles, and I write about and teach the parts that decide whether a school machine gets used well.
Choosing a machine
Bed size, spindle power, dust extraction, and what fits a school workshop, timetable and budget.
Tooling and workholding
Choosing cutters, setting feeds and speeds, and holding work down so jobs come off right the first time.
CAM for students
Setups, toolpaths and simulation in Fusion, so students check a job on screen before anything is cut.
Safety
Safe work procedures, student training and supervision, with an enclosure or interlock if required.
Writing
Writing and guides
I write for TAS and D&T teachers, head teachers and school leaders about CNC, CAD and practical making in Australian schools. New posts go out on LinkedIn each week, and the longer guides will be collected here.
CNC Routers in Schools
Choosing, tooling, running and teaching with a CNC router, with PDF guides and a quick-reference card.
Follow on LinkedIn ↗Research series
What the research says about practical, hands-on learning in schools, with original graphics and a policy brief.
Follow on LinkedIn ↗Growing Paulownia
Practical guides to growing and using Paulownia, one of the lightest and most stable timbers around.
In preparationProfile
Teaching through making
I've worked in school workshops since 2020, first as a TAS technical assistant and, since 2026, as a Design and Technology and TAS teacher at a Sydney secondary school.
That time in the workshop shapes how I teach. Students learn best when they design and build something real, with proper tools and good habits around them. I teach CAD and CAM, mostly in Autodesk Fusion, alongside traditional timber and workshop skills.
Experience
-
2026–now
Design & Technology / TAS teacher
Sydney secondary school
CAD, CAM and practical making in timber, with CNC routers and 3D printers in the workshop.
-
2026–now
Founder
SchoolCAD
Free, browser-based CAD for Years 7 to 10 TAS and D&T students.
-
2024–now
Owner
Paulownia Timber Supplies
Timber supply, woodwork and CNC machining. Experienced on commercial full-sheet routers with 9 kW spindles.
-
2020–2025
TAS technical assistant
School TAS workshops
Six years running and maintaining workshop machines, preparing materials and helping students get their projects finished.
-
2020–now
Founder
Sine Surf
Designing and building hollow wooden surfboards.
-
2017–now
Robotics mentor
FIRST Robotics Competition, Sydney and Shenzhen
Mentoring FRC teams. I've also coached VEX and LEGO robotics teams.
Education
-
Completing
Master of Teaching
Charles Sturt University
Including a subject on digital literature and storytelling.
-
2025
Professional experience
North-East Arnhem Land
Teaching placement, with ongoing links to the Yolŋu community.
-
2022
Bachelor of Environment
Macquarie University
Contact
Get in touch
I'm glad to talk with teachers and schools about CNC and CAD in the classroom, workshop equipment and robotics.
- linkedin.com/in/alastairpilley
- [email protected]
- Timber and machining
- [email protected]