Shaper Origin Users Who Sold Theirs

[jeh]

Can anyone who sold their Shaper Origin relay to me or the group as to why you did? There have been quite a few of them go on the Classifieds section over the past 6 months or so.

 

[bkharman]

I can say that I have no plans on selling mine but my guess as to why people would is mainly economics. Need money or don’t get the value per cost. She ain’t cheap mate. I do love her though.

It is also workflow. A lot of people here don’t earn a living and dropping $2,400 on a tool sometimes doesn’t make sense.

Are you looking to maybe pick one up but are a bit apprehensive?

Cheers. Bryan.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[c_dwyer]

I've been wondering the same thing as [member=652]JimH2[/member].  Although I'm not yet on the fence, I've been looking at said fence from a distance for a while and wondering if it's in the cards for what I'd like do over the next few years in terms of getting into CNC work.  Dropping that kind of money is going to take some pondering.

For those who have experience using it and/or CNC's, do you prefer to work with Illustrator, Fusion 360 or other design software for making the SVG's?

 

[jeh]

I'm close to jumping in to take advantage of the discount on the workstation. I am not great at using programs like illustrator, but it will force me to learn. With the workstation it looks like it will be worth it just for box joints. I've used many a system include Festool's no longer available joint system. I've made plenty of functional box joints, but never got it perfect. It will be painful, but that's what it will take to move forward. It looks that there design help service could be quite useful and cost effective.

 

[ryanjg117]

For those who have experience using it and/or CNC's, do you prefer to work with Illustrator, Fusion 360 or other design software for making the SVG's?

Shaper owner here. If you're looking to get into CAD/CAM, definitely don't waste your time learning Illustrator. While Illustrator can create and edit SVG files which is what Shaper intakes, it's really non-standard. I highly recommend learning with Fusion 360, which has a Shaper add-in that can export to SVG. The benefit of learning Fusion first: it's a true parametric modeling program, so you'll be able to build on that knowledge in the future of you ever decide to get a fixed CNC. Fusion also has robust CAM, which isn't really a thing with Shaper since the machine doing the cutting is YOU, but learning CAM is required once you start working with fixed CNC where the machine needs to operate independently. And it's free for makers.

While the Shaper is a unique tool, I'd trade it in a heartbeat for a well built 4x4-foot fixed machine. The real problem with Shaper is three fold: accuracy, speed and ergonomics. To get accurate results, you need to take very shallow cuts, always have maximum tape detected, and go very slow/consistent. It's very easy to ruin a part, which is super frustrating because of the snail's pace at which you must work. You're limited to 1/4" cutters and even then, I get best results taking 1/8" passes. You also need to do a finishing pass for the best edge finish. It just adds up to a lot of time. Which gets to ergonomics. I've had three hour sessions before, and it leaves my lower back in bad shape. That's because you're constantly having to push the router through the cuts, contort into weird positions to get all the tape in view, etc.

Still, Shaper is a CNC that fits in a systainer. And for the capability you get, $2.5K is still a pretty good value.

P.S. I purchased mine used at an industrial auction for about half off. Not a bad score.

 

[rmwarren]

I have an Origin, along with a Shapeoko 3. I'm also a DIY/dabbler, not pro, and working in a very small shop but not mobile. Ordered the SO at the tail end of the first presale, and the new workstation within hours of it being available. My [2cents]:

• SO adds major capabilities to my shop, for things like butterflies, precise pocketing, jig making
• As [member=51886]ryanjg117[/member] alluded to, there is a PITA factor due to needing to move/guide it manually. I would not consider it a great tool for working with large sheet goods. It works, but there is a price to pay. This can be mitigated by making the precise cuts necessary and then using another tool (tracksaw) to finish/connect the cuts
• Often setup takes more time than the actual cutting, and can be awkward on anything without a lot of surface area for tape
• The Workstation is going to be a gamechanger in terms of simplifying setup and just making cuts quickly
• If faced with the choice I'd dump the Shapeoko before the SO
• For either tool the real hurdles are (1) gaining proficiency with the design software and (2) learning curve on setups

For anything complicated I also agree with Ryan that you are best to skip the vector drawing programs and get right into CAD for design. This is the biggest limiter for me, being a weekend warrior I don't spend enough time in F360 to gain any real competency. When I need it I stumble thru and get frustrated, then after a too-long period of time finally go out to the shop and make the cut. This applies to either tool.

On the flip side, the onboard design tools on SO make it simple to, for example, cut a dado or pocket out an area.

My advice would be to really think thru your use case, including time and proficiency with design software, before taking the leap. The tool itself is fabulous and very capable, the limiter is your ability to design for it simply and quickly.

Lastly, I have a used Sketchup for many years, I find it's better (for me) than F360 using one of the plugins to export the SVG files. The downside is SU doesn't have CAM built in so that doesn't transfer over to designing for the Shapeoko without using additional software.

RMW

 

[jeh]

Loud and clear on Fusion 360.

 

[nclemmons]

I have had an Origin since the original launch.  I find it to be very useful for integration into other woodworking workflows.  It's not a 'production' machine given the points that Ryan mentioned.  But it offers some very nice capabilities that you can't get with the large gantry/table based units. 

And it's portability and small footprint gives it a lot of utility for the way many Festool users think about woodworking - bringing the tool to the wood, rather than the wood to the tool.  I debated table based units, but that learning curve is even steeper (GCode, setup, wiring, etc) along with the space demands.  The primary advantage is they cut while you are doing something else and can be an amazing productivity tool.

There are a lot of Shaper users on the Shaper forum that realize they don't have the digital skills in design software and decide the learning curve is high for the tool.  So they decide to sell.  There are others that dig in, figure it out and have done some amazing projects.

Fusion is certainly a great choice if you have the time, need and commitment to learning.  But I use Affinity Designer and other 2-D tools a lot only because I can easily draw something in 2D for pockets / holes, curves, shapes, etc and export as SVG. 

If you cut a lot of curves, pockets (and with the new Shaper workstation), advanced mortise and tenon work, the Shaper can be a great choice.  But expect there to be a learning curve.  Go into the purchase with your eyes open and a commitment to advance your skills.  Lots of videos online now and very helpful people on the Shaper community.

 

[Gene Howerton]

Another Shaper user here.  I have a small shop and I too looked at CNC machines but they would take up too much space and are more expensive.  I am a hobbyist so production is not an issue.  The Shaper board has a lot of material on the programs or sources for SVG files.  Etsy sells all kinds of SVG files as well.  Fusion 360 is the program to learn, but I have also been working in Inkscape (Free) as well.  I built my own workstation, but never the less I did order the new Shaper one.  The Shaper Origin has become the most used tool in the shop, great for pattern routering.  Easy to learn how to use, my kids, my wife, and her friends have all used it with little to no training.

It already has a box joint add-on, with more add-ons in the future I'm sure for dovetails and other joints as the software is updated.

 

[jeh]

Any takers on the extended warranty and support for $600?

 

[nclemmons]

I did not go for the extended warranty and custom support for $600.  Perhaps if you are using in production tasks that might pay off. 

There is a 'Shaper Assist' program that they offer for a fee that will let you pay them a small fee to take a design and create a program for it that you can download to your tool.  I neglected to mention this earlier but it's a worthwhile option for those needing help from a team that is responsive and well versed in how to get the most out of the tool.  Send them a drawing, even a sketch and they will return an estimate for you quickly and then knock it out in a day or two.

neil

 

[Chip S.]

[member=652]JimH2[/member] Like Neil mentioned the Pro package is something to consider if you're in a production environment. In addition to the extended warranty and custom support, Shaper Pro comes with Hot Swap - they will quickly issue a replacement tool if their support team is unable to resolve an issue.

 

[fshanno]

Take a look at the Shopbot Handibot.  It's almost twice the price but it seems to offer quite a lot.

It's basically a tiny gantry CNC machine.

With tiling you can cut whatever size you want. 

It can carve.

You can walk away from it while it runs. 

You can rig it up with a spindle for small turning projects.  Looks like it might be good for making chess pieces. 

It uses a normal DeWalt router. 

 

[rmwarren]

I have an early (kickstarter) Handibot with some upgrades. It was my first CNC. Available for a very reasonable price if anyone is interested.

RMW