In 1996, C.R. Onsrud sold its first CNC machine ... and that machine is still running today!
How C.R. Onsrud Began
At a drafting table in his boathouse, Charles “Charlie” Rudolph Onsrud designed and sold his first patented Inverted Router™ and, in 1976, C.R. Onsrud, Inc. was born. With the cutter entering the workpiece from underneath, the Inverted Router overcomes the inherent safety issues associated with traditional table routers. Additionally, the pattern and guide pin are on top for easy reference and in full view of the operator while the through-the-table dust and chip removal reduces dust and increases tool life. In fact, the Inverted Router is so expertly crafted that it is still in production today.
"We're Only Going to Build Pin Routers"
Charlie insisted “we’re only ever going to build 3 sizes of the Inverted Router” but his son, Tom, had other ideas. The company was losing ground to an emerging CNC machinery market, and Tom knew that in order to grow the business they needed to build more than pin routers.
Coincidentally, there was a growing demand for larger and larger table sizes. Moving and routing sizable phenolic material for those large tables on an Inverted Router was proving difficult. So in 1992, Tom and his brother Bill took the opportunity for the company to build a small twin-table CNC machine purportedly for its own production. As Tom predicted, once manufacturers heard about C.R. Onsrud’s CNC machine, they wanted one on their shop floors.
Built in 1996 and It Still Runs!
The C-Series with twin moving tables was purchased in 1996 by Blanton and Moore, a furniture manufacturer. The machine operated there until 2024 when the company closed and its assets sold. C.R. Onsrud retrieved its legacy machine in September 2024 where it’s on display at their factory in Troutman, NC. Even after clocking in at tens of thousands of hours under industrial manufacturing conditions, that CNC machine is still fully functional today — an irrefutable testament to the high standards of well-built American-made C.R. Onsrud machines.
This video, taken March 25, 2026, shows the Onsrud C-Series machine is still running!
Knowing the durability, functionality, serviceability, and reliability of the Inverted Router were key ingredients to its success, these characteristics are at the essence of every C.R. Onsrud CNC machine since the company began manufacturing them in 1996 and explains why they’re still able to run several decades later.
To learn more about the company’s history, see The Growth and Success of C.R. Onsrud, Inc, An American Manufacturing Company.
