How ACE helps FIRST Robotics teams

Feb. 11, 2026 – Victor Chaffins has been around FIRST Robotics for as long as he can remember.

The 16-year-old has two older brothers who got started in FIRST before him. Naturally, he took to it, too.

But Victor’s journey into robotics started at the age of seven, when he began learning Python, a programming language.

When he joined Secret City Wildbots (FRC 4265), he saw himself working on the team as a programmer.

“I started learning Java to help out with this team,” he said. “I’ve also done computer-aided design in multiple softwares.”

It’s clear: Victor’s a smart guy.

Last fall, Victor heard about an opportunity to expand his knowledge and help his team.

Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Tenn., was doing a FIRST-only ACE CNC machining bootcamp for area FIRST teams.

He didn’t want to pass it up.

“Going into next build season, we’re going to need someone to do the CAM and manufacturing of the parts for our robot,” he said. “This will be useful then and later on in life.”

Across four Saturdays, Victor spent his time learning the fundamentals of CNC machining through classroom-style lectures and hands-on learning.

Dr. Mark Buckner, Secret City Wildbots mentor, also doubled up as the ACE instructor for the bootcamp.

He saw it as an opportunity to bring the local robotics community together.

“We’ve been blessed to have the facility we have,” he said. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for both students and mentors to learn together.”

Even for teams that don’t have three-axis CNC mills, Dr. Buckner says the bootcamp teaches them things that can still apply to their own unique situations.

“For example, some teams may have CNC routers. The principles translate,” he said. “This will allow them to transfer the knowledge to the machines they do have.”

Beyond the technical skills, he points out that real-life applications also abound: working collaboratively, learning new things on the job, or distilling information to help a team.

“These are job-ready skills,” Dr. Buckner added. “And the things we use in the bootcamp are the same things industry is using right now.”

JD Rice agrees with that. He’s a mentor with Flagship Robotics (FRC 3140) who also works at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a project manager.

He went to the bootcamp with two Flagship students primarily to mentor them, but he’s learned aspects that will help him at work.

“Being able to understand things more from the design to the machining process will help me ask better questions or understand things more easily,” he said.

“And companies are looking for people who have experiences like what this bootcamp provides,” Dr. Buckner added.

When Victor thinks about his future, he feels more confident. He wants to eventually work in nanotechnology.

The things he learned have opened his eyes to what it’s like to be in manufacturing.

“I’ve learned a lot,” he said. “One thing I thought was very fun to see was how changing spindle speed just a little can reduce chatter and make a better surface finish.”

In the near future, producing better parts will be essential to his team as they move into spring competitions. The bootcamp will help his team put out a formidable robot.

“Having this knowledge will definitely help the team this season,” he said.

Your team doesn’t have to wait for a bootcamp near you to reap the benefits of ACE training. Get started with ACE’s free online CNC machining training today.