Nestworks Returns to Maker Faire Bay Area 2026

Three days of hands-on CNC demonstrations, thoughtful conversations, and a reunion with the maker community

MAKER FAIRE BAY AREA  |  SEPTEMBER 25 TO 27, 2026

The Nestworks booth at Maker Faire Bay Area 2026

From September 25 to 27, 2026, Nestworks returned to Maker Faire Bay Area for our second appearance. Over three busy days, we demonstrated the upgraded C500, met first-time visitors who were discovering CNC machining, and reconnected with the backers who have helped shape our work.

This year, the team also welcomed a face that many people may know from the story of our product, even if they had never met him in person: Henry, the creator of the C500 and one of the founders of Nestworks.

Back at the home of hands-on making

Returning to the familiar industrial halls brought back strong memories for Henry. The exposed brick, high windows, open machines, and steady flow of curious visitors still gave the venue the practical, workshop-like character he remembered.

"It still feels the same," Henry said. "This place has a real maker spirit."

He also recalled with pride that he was among the early participants who brought desktop CNC machines to Maker Faire Bay Area. Coming back with the upgraded C500 was therefore more than another exhibition. It was a chance to see how the community and the tools available to makers have continued to develop.

Machined samples gave visitors a close look at the range of forms and finishes possible with CNC

Helping new makers understand CNC

Throughout the event, the Nestworks booth welcomed a constant stream of visitors. Some already understood CNC machining and arrived with detailed questions. Others were encountering the technology for the first time, and a few initially assumed the C500 was a 3D printer.

That confusion became a useful starting point. The team explained the difference between additive and subtractive manufacturing in familiar terms. A 3D printer builds an object by adding material layer by layer. A CNC machine starts with a solid piece of material and removes precisely controlled amounts until the finished part emerges. With the machine running and finished samples spread across the table, visitors could connect the explanation to something they could see and touch.

Visitors gather around C500 demonstration at the Nestworks booth

Visitors showed great curiosity about the products and exhibits presented by Nestworks

Live demo and introduce at the Nestworks booth

Introducing the upgraded C500

Henry was also invited to present in one of Maker Faire's special venues. In front of a seated audience, he introduced the upgraded Nestworks C500 and explained the company behind it.

The longer format made it possible to go beyond a quick booth demonstration. The audience could see how the machine fits into a desktop workflow and hear directly from the team about the thinking behind Nestworks. For Henry, the session was another opportunity to meet users where they were: some experienced, some simply curious, and all interested in what a more approachable CNC workflow could make possible.

A special-venue session introduced C500 to Maker Faire audience

Conversations with the people who helped build it

The most memorable moments came from meeting our backers. Familiar faces returned to offer their support, while new friends came to introduce themselves. Some backers brought their families to the booth, turning a product demonstration into something closer to a reunion.

"It does not feel like a relationship between customers and a company," Henry said. "It feels more like we are colleagues working together on something important."

Those conversations were open and detailed. Backers shared suggestions about the hardware and software, asked where the company was heading, and raised questions that could not be answered in a two-minute exchange. Henry was always willing to sit down and continue the discussion, sometimes for tens of minutes and sometimes for hours. Their support has never been taken for granted, and their candid feedback continues to hold Nestworks to a high standard.

Backers and their families made the booth feel like a community reunion

Backer and Henry

Building the next chapter together

As the doors closed on Maker Faire Bay Area 2026, we left with more than photographs and a long list of notes. We left with a clearer understanding of how people encounter desktop CNC for the first time, what experienced users expect from the C500, and where we need to keep improving.

The busiest moments at the booth captured what matters most to us. A child could pick up a machined sample and ask how it was made. A newcomer could compare CNC machining with 3D printing. A long-time backer could sit with Henry and discuss a software idea or a hardware detail without ceremony. Each conversation turned the machine from an object behind glass into a shared subject for learning, questioning, and making.

We are grateful to everyone who stopped by, watched a demonstration, attended the presentation, challenged an assumption, or simply said hello. We are especially thankful to the backers who continue to give us their trust and their honest feedback.

Nestworks will carry those conversations into the next stage of the Company. We look forward to refining the experience, sharing what we learn, and returning to the maker community with work that reflects the care people have shown us.

A final view from the presentation stage with the Maker Faire audience