Now I've done a quick search I see that an Xcarve runs via an arduino.I know almost nothing about them,beyond having bought a couple for experimenting when I was deciding what software would be best for driving my machine.I didn't like the brave new world of sketches and writing them so I bought the box and monitor from ebay for a total of £28 to run LinuxCNC on my homebrew machine.Other than being a bit bulky I am very happy with the solution because I also installed Freecad on it and configured the post processor to generate the correct code.I can also listen to online radio as its just within wifi range of the house.Although it might attract a bit of tut-tutting,I can model the part and listen to the radio while the computer is running the machine.I can also halt the program and edit feed rate if I wish,without having to wander indoors and take a footful of sawdust with me.All with a 2.7GHz dual core box with 4Gb Ram.

I really don't recommend putting blanks on the machine with an approach that says they could still be firewood if anything goes wrong.At some point in the early stages it [I]will [I] go wrong .You need to determine a way to unravel the situation before ever doing any machining.Pressing Estop should stop the spindle being moved,will it stop the cutter turning?Then you need to know how to disengage Estop and get the stub of the cutter out of the mess.You might be able to jog the machine back to it's home position and re-home it or you might find it wise to check the tramming of the spindle.To start with;simulate and watch carefully then run the first sequence or two in fresh air then maybe progress to polystyrene or similar foam.When you are happy that the piece coming off the machine will be what you intend it to be and the machine will still be in working order its time to make sawdust.