Autonomous orbital sander

[Gregor]

Personally I thought your hint was supporting the statement that sales would be too low. In effect asking / suggesting that not that many of you own a CNC router table so how could one possibly expect to sell very many auto sanders.

In case it would also accept an OF 1400 to be useable as a CNC router... there could be a market.

 

[antss]

My point was twofold fellas. 

One you picked up on Seth - CNC automation for routers has been around awhile yet market penetration has not gotten to the commodity level, despite the constant price drop.  And that you (the masses ) still don't have one.

But I bet you guys all have a couple of routers, yes ?  Including the coat tail riders.

The second was that a CNC router (that already exists ) could easily be fit with a sander and programmed to sand.  It'd be a very simple program to write in a short amount of time.

Gregor , I appreciate your piling on; but what does a of1400 bring to a CNC offer that five other routers with mounts in stock don't bring to the party ?  Besides added cost and a systainer ?  Longer duty cycle ? More precision ? faster spindle speed? More torque? More pleasing colors ?

In case y'all have still not deciphered it - automatic sanding could exist tomorrow. Literally.  With little effort for those that truly thought it beneficial.

And not with a roomba. [tongue]

 

[Svar]

CNC automation for routers has been around awhile yet market penetration has not gotten to the commodity level, despite the constant price drop.  And that you (the masses ) still don't have one. But I bet you guys all have a couple of routers, yes ?  Including the coat tail riders.
The second was that a CNC router (that already exists ) could easily be fit with a sander and programmed to sand.  It'd be a very simple program to write in a short amount of time.

I think you are wrong on the first point. We, the masses, have one. It might not be as common as a screw driver, but talking market penetration, sure as heck more common than Planex, or Vac Sys, or a chain mortiser.

As for the second point... For some reason I find it more appealing to launch a $300 Roomba style sander onto a 10' slab table, than trying to wrestle that table into a suitably sized  $100,000 CNC. But that's just me. Sure, its a niche market, but so are many other tools.

 

[semenza]

And not with a roomba. [tongue]

The roomba is for the dust collection.

Seth

 

[semenza]

It also needs to remain portable to be able to have it sand decks.

Seth

 

[antss]

Roomba for the DC  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] ya got me.

How would Roomba's sensors detect the edge of your table Svar ?  Or do your designs have substantial vertical edges ?  [eek]. And are you that confident it's drive can withstand the torque a sander motor produces? 

I agree with both of you that portability has a larger appeal.  I also think that if you want serous dust collection , there are many kinks to work out. Both literally and figuratively. Hose management is at the top of the list.

 

[Master Carpenter]

Going deeper into this than I probably should. If you have a cnc router table, you already have a mounted motor. Build a sanding disc attachment that fits the router collet. Get fancy and make the attachment random orbit, or just program a random pattern on the cnc. A sanding router bit is probably easier and faster to swap in than making a cradle to hold a ROS.

Where do I collect my cookie? Can you ship it?

 

[Svar]

Roomba for the DC  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] ya got me.

How would Roomba's sensors detect the edge of your table Svar ?  Or do your designs have substantial vertical edges ?  [eek]. And are you that confident it's drive can withstand the torque a sander motor produces? 

I agree with both of you that portability has a larger appeal.  I also think that if you want serous dust collection , there are many kinks to work out. Both literally and figuratively. Hose management is at the top of the list.

Roomba has downward looking peripheral sensors. That's why it does not fall off the stairs. All those tech issues you listed have been solved long ago on one device or another.

 

[Leadfoot]

So a Roomba weighing 30 to 50 lbs to counteract the random movement and down force necessary for sanding seems doable.

120 powered so as to be able to drag the power cord and dust collection.

Not going to do inside corners but then no round sander does.

I'ma gonna want two cookies

 

[antss]

so when are you taking pre-orders  ?  [wink]