Anyone have their own CNC?

[tomsharres]

I worked with an importer in Portland, OR and had a 4 axis router built to spec.

5 x 10 foot travel, 5 x 7 1/2 vacuum table, cut out well for 4 axis on one end of the table, and support for vertical work from the surface to the shop floor. The vacuum pump is a dry vane style, and all the drives any Yaskawa servo's.

I wanted to be able to use a 5 x 5 baltic birch panel, and also to carve a full height exterior door.

I've attached a couple of photos. It's not hooked up yet.

That other gizmo is a 20 inch Felder jointer, also not hooked up yet.[attachimg=1][attachimg=2]

UPDATE:

Since I posted, I've ordered a Felder RL 200 dust extractor, and conveniently, my neighbor is moving out so I'm going to add another 1500 sq foot unit adjacent (a demising wall separates them) to my existing shop. This will alleviate an issue with power in the current shop, and also is big enough so that I can keep all of may current and future woodworking equipment is a single environment for ease of dust control. I'll update in November once the RL 200 arrives and everything is operational. The router will no longer have such limited access as it does now.

 

[jmbfestool]

Nice!

One thing why do I feel you have the spindle and gantry the wrong way round?

Would you not prefer to be able to see the spindle head?

 

[tomsharres]

A fair question and in retrospect, I might have placed it the opposite way, but I felt that there's enough room to work, and as with my Haas machining centers, you can't keep an eye on them all the time anyway. The main reason for the positioning, is that the CNC table is lower than the Felder bandsaw (it isn't visible in the picture) and Felder Jointer so that I can shoot material across the table, saving some shop space, and the 4th axis end will be less likely to have any work running on it.

If it doesn't work out, I'll get the riggers to lift it and rotate it in a different orientation. I may have to do that anyway if I add a sliding table saw and a bigger planer in the future.

 

[caseman]

The first question to ask yourself is what do you want to do with it. If all you want to do is make small trim and design pieces out of wood than a smaller machine will be best. If you want to make yourself 4'x8' Mft tops machine aluminum pieces and even do the smallest intrict work engravers do you obviously need a larger machine.

After thinking about that you have to decide what you have ample power and rigging in your shop for. Take for example my CNC runs 277 single phase but also has a pneumatic relay in it so a very large air compressor is needed so that's abother 220 circuit. For a large CNC to hold your material down you need vacuum clamp. That's either three phase or 220-277 depending what you get. I have a 7.5 hp three phase that cost more than the machine and was totally worth it. It puts the test to the saying "suck a golf ball through a garden hose."

In my opinion as a someone who has  played with every type of machine out there except a high end 3d printer. The smaller CNC machines are not versatile enough. I have one and the only thing I ever do with it is Braille. Doing anything else on the darn thing takes WAY to long to make money with.  Although, a larger machine costs far more than most want to spend. You can get into a 4x8 machine for around $15,000 - $20,000. You could even try your luck with used machinery as well and make our pretty good with those as well. If you are interested at all I am more than willing to answer any questions just pm me if you have any at all Weather it be a large or small machine.

Tayler's response is dead on.  Unless you are going for a CNC as something to play with you need a purpose and hopefully a business that will support the capital outlay.

I have a Techno Isel LC4896 that I purchased new about eight years ago to support my ATA case business.  ATA cases, Airline Transportation Association, roadie cases, etc. 

www.scopeguard.com

The last 10 cases I cut out on a table saw, made handle, latch holes/receptacles on the standard router table took 6 hours.  The CNC will cut out a case in 6 minutes.  So for me a big time savings and in business it's all about efficiency.  You will also need decent software, meaning fairly expensive, as the free programs on the web will give so-so results.

The case carcass CNC work is all 2D but adding a laser scanner I've moved into 3D reproductions. 

www.proscan3d.com

An earlier poster mentioned the efficiency or inefficiency of a CNC router building quality furniture.  There are numerous amatuer, furniture makers and large companies using CNC routers for quality furniture making.  I have seen CNC tool marks on one of the premier furniture makers products.  I just completed a Maloof style rocker, see the thread under member projects''.  I've hand built the Maloof style and believe me the CNC breathes the sawdust now not me.  BTW I did not have Festool sanders or rotary tools on the hand builds as I do now.

Don

 

[Lbob131]

I'd quite like a small cnc to play around  with. But  the  smaller ones  seem  to have  minimal dust  collection provision.

Know a chap  who has one of the larger ones  which he uses for his  signage  business. The machine  is located  remote  from his main workshop.
You just see  layers  of  dust  when you walk through the door. I think he just vacates  the  cnc vicinity  when  it fires up.

 

[caseman]

I'd quite like a small cnc to play around  with. But  the  smaller ones  seem  to have  minimal dust  collection provision.

Know a chap  who has one of the larger ones  which he uses for his  signage  business. The machine  is located  remote  from his main workshop.
You just see  layers  of  dust  when you walk through the door. I think he just vacates  the  cnc vicinity  when  it fires up.

A good dust collection is a must with a CNC.  There are too many moving and expensive parts to not use a dust shoe.  There are times though when the dust shoe interferes with the cutting and impossible to use.