Handibot - revolutionary CNC machine from ShopBot?

[fritter63]

Just found out about this over the weekend. As my goal is to get a CNC machine setup this year for doing guitar necks and inlays, I'm intrigued. The bit about it being infinitely scalable is awesome, but I can't yet find any info about how that would work.

My first thought is you could mount this thing on a festool rail to scale it in at least one direction!:

Handibot site

Maker fair video on Handibot

Best of course? open source hardware and software!

 

[fritter63]

Of course, the REAL question is... will it fit in a systainer?

 

[Bob Gerritsen]

This is very interesting. I would want to know more before committing, especially with regards to larger scale projects but they could be on to something here. I like their approach calling it a smart power tool, for the smaller shop that is exactly how I look at cnc machines, they should be versatile and quick in use and setup. You need to be able to make some money with it without resorting to series production. The idea of open source apps could take this thing to a whole new level it could actually be a machine that you want close to your workbench every day.

They're talking about a price of 2500,-, maybe less later on. That's a lot of money but if they deliver on the possibilities the concept has I would be willing to pay that certainly. Hope they get this thing going soon.

Cool! Thanks for the link.

 

[Jonhilgen]

Looks interesting, but I think they're completely under utilizing the tool in the video.  Seriously, who in their right mind would use a CNC to cut an outlet box in Sheetrock?!

 

[Paul G]

My first thought is you could mount this thing on a festool rail to scale it in at least one direction!:

I was think the same, would be great if it could drive itself along a rail, would make quick work of shelf pin holes. For precision though it might need to be a geared linkage on the rail.

 

[Alan m]

i think this would be great for small projects or carving details into larger pieces
idont think it has the repeatabliity to make acurate pieces that are bigger than the machine itself. i dont know how you would acuratly move it over for evey thing to align  perfectly

 

[farms100]

I like that they are going to make it open source software!

 

[Paul G]

i think this would be great for small projects or carving details into larger pieces
idont think it has the repeatabliity to make acurate pieces that are bigger than the machine itself. i dont know how you would acuratly move it over for evey thing to align  perfectly

Won't be long until it accurately moves itself.

 

[jmbfestool]

For doing holes for shelving along a longer distance I can't see it being to Difficult all you would need is some pins attached to the machine a guide fence and away you go.   The guide fence would keep it parrarel to the edge and the pin would be adjustable so it would drop into the last hole the machine made for it to do another row of holes.

Jmb

 

[RC]

If you look through their video collection the last video has just that - a geared guiderail for autonomic 'crawling' along the rail for longer shapings

 

[greymann]

Dust collection would be nice.

Dick

 

[RONWEN]

Looks interesting, but I think they're completely under utilizing the tool in the video.  Seriously, who in their right mind would use a CNC to cut an outlet box in Sheetrock?!

I agree, it seems to be a case of putting the wrong person in charge of making the video.

It is a very cool piece of equipment & has the potential to make a carver out of me yet.  [smile]

 

[Alan m]

Looks interesting, but I think they're completely under utilizing the tool in the video.  Seriously, who in their right mind would use a CNC to cut an outlet box in Sheetrock?!

I agree, it seems to be a case of putting the wrong person in charge of making the video.

It is a very cool piece of equipment & has the potential to make a carver out of me yet.  [smile]

im sure it would be very good at that. program the shape and hold it there. probably not worth it for 1-2 but for a whole house maybe

 

[Paul G]

If you look through their video collection the last video has just that - a geared guiderail for autonomic 'crawling' along the rail for longer shapings

Ah yes, here it is...

 

[fritter63]

Looks interesting, but I think they're completely under utilizing the tool in the video.  Seriously, who in their right mind would use a CNC to cut an outlet box in Sheetrock?!

I agree, it seems to be a case of putting the wrong person in charge of making the video.

It is a very cool piece of equipment & has the potential to make a carver out of me yet.  [smile]

im sure it would be very good at that. program the shape and hold it there. probably not worth it for 1-2 but for a whole house maybe

Of course that's only good for "old work" boxes.

"New work" boxes they just screw the drywall over the box and *somehow* just know how to zip it out with a drywall router in 10 seconds.

They only missed two in my current house....:-(

 

[fshanno]

There's got to be a way to make money with this.  We're smart guys so let's think of stuff. 

 

[farms100]

"New work" boxes they just screw the drywall over the box and *somehow* just know how to zip it out with a drywall router in 10 seconds.

They only missed two in my current house....:-(

they essentially stick a router bit into the box and cut it out. The good board hangers put the bit on the outside of the box.

we always put an spray paint mark on the floor below the boxes.

 

[Floorman70]

If they made it move on its own to cut larger designs,i`d have one for inlaying designs on wood floors,in fact,you could even just plonk it on your dining table and inlay a design on that

 

[GPowers]

.... Seriously, who in their right mind would use a CNC to cut an outlet box in Sheetrock?!

When building a medical facility, like a hospital or Skilled Nursing Facility. The fire requirements are for a near gapless install of a electrical box in drywall if the gap is larger than 1/4 of an inch you are required to remove the drywall and reinstall. you can not just fill the gap with fire caulking.

So this Handibot on that rolling stand would make that task very easy for a retrofitting job. Probably not the biggest market, but definitely a money saver when tight tolerances are required.

 

[jmbfestool]

.... Seriously, who in their right mind would use a CNC to cut an outlet box in Sheetrock?!

When building a medical facility, like a hospital or Skilled Nursing Facility. The fire requirements are for a near gapless install of a electrical box in drywall if the gap is larger than 1/4 of an inch you are required to remove the drywall and reinstall. you can not just fill the gap with fire caulking.

So this Handibot on that rolling stand would make that task very easy for a retrofitting job. Probably not the biggest market, but definitely a money saver when tight tolerances are required.

Not being funny but it ain't difficult to cut a hole out within a 1/4 of an inch if a trademan can't do da they should be sacked. 

Even if they where rushing they should still achieve them "tight" tolerance. 

Can't see this Cnc being any quicker to be a big money saver for this particular job.