New CNC Router (Gloat)

[Keith Outten]

Monday I ordered a ShopBot 48" by 96" CNC router for my workshop. I had visited ShopBot's facility in Durham North Carolina the previous week and I must admit that I was impressed with their equipment and software support services. The model I purchased will use a Porter Cable 3.25 hp router.

http://www.shopbottools.com/

The ShopBot router is the third of three machines I have been planning to acquire for the sign production services I offer in my workshop. The combination of Laser Engraving, Dye-Sublimation and a CNC Router will provide me with the capability to produce high-end commercial signs, the router increases the size capability to 4 feet by 8 feet. Delivery time is approximately four weeks, so I am in the process of trying to clear a very large hole in my workshop to accomodate the new machine. It will take an eight foot by ten foot space to house the router and provide the necessary walk-around space.

Surely this will decrease the number of routing patterns I will have to make in the future :)

Here is a sneak peek of the router, the real pictures are forthcoming.

[John Renzetti]

Hi Keith, With the Shopbot you get a lot of machine for the money. They've come a long way since I think I first saw them at the IWF in maybe 1998. Originally they were in Anapolis MD. There's a lot of them in shops around the country.
take care,
John

[Jim Becker]

Good product, from what I hear, Keith. I'm looking forward to your "in depth action commentary" once you get it up and running!!

[John Miliunas]

Yowza! Too cool, Keith! Man, all those high-tech to.....Ahhh...tools! Pretty neat! :cool:

[Bruce Page]

Way cool Keith! :cool:

I think I read somewhere that Shop Bot was coming out with a "hobbist" version, do you know anything about it?

[Tyler Howell]

Wow! Very Cool!:cool:

[Chris Padilla]

Nice, very nice. We don't see too many gloats from you, Keith, but you don't fool around when you do make one! :)

Tyler, we need to do something about your avatar...you messed up your aspect ratio when you resized it. Send me the photo and I'll do you up right! :)

[John Miliunas]

Nice, very nice. We don't see too many gloats from you, Keith, but you don't fool around when you do make one! :)

Tyler, we need to do something about your avatar...you messed up your aspect ratio when you resized it. Send me the photo and I'll do you up right! :)

Hey Chris, this way he looks like a BIG, tough football player! :D :cool:

[Mike Kelly]

Keith, I just watched the video on their website and was blown away by the speed of the new "alpha" model. It is Ten (10) times faster than what I have seen just a few months ago! I wish I was near you because I would come to work for you for no pay just to play! That is a truly awesome tool now. Not that it wasn't before, but it is real fast now. Even with the PC router it will be a lot faster. Can't wait to see your results.

[Mike Kelly]

Bruce, they have a "benchtop" model that has a 32" x 24" x 6" nominal cutting area.

[Keith Outten]

It's sad but the benchtop model is just $1600.00 cheaper than the 48 by 96" Alpha...not much of a price break. I had thought about the benchtop model but the additional cost was certainly worth the larger table size.

Mike, the new Alpha models are very fast, they had a 12 foot by 5 foot Alpha in their shop that could surface the entire table in eight minutes with a two inch cutter, thats over 7 square feet per minute.

I think I already have at least two very large projects lined up for the new router, more info on it later :)

[Kent Cori]

Keith,

Okay, okay, you win the "Who has the biggest router?" contest but just try to put that puppy in the trunk of your car and take it to a job site! :D

Cool tool! :cool:

[Brian Hale]

Man Keith, That is WAY Cool! :cool:


A bit of advice.... I've heard the climate in Cockeysville, Md. is better suited to that type of machine.... :rolleyes: :D :rolleyes:

Brian :)

[John Shuk]

I've seen in the magazine's some of the work that can be produced with that machine and it is awesome. Best of luck expanding your venture.

[Rich Konopka]

Wow !! :eek:

That machine defines a whole new dimension to woodworking. Do you know if they use these routers in cabinet shops?

[Jim Becker]

That machine defines a whole new dimension to woodworking. Do you know if they use these routers in cabinet shops?
That's one of the intended operations...order slightly wider and longer stock, program your cuts/cutlist and have the CNC system cut out all your parts while you sip your cuppa. Repeatabilty is a good thing in a production cabinetry shop, not to mention the old "time is money" thing!

[Keith Outten]

Rich,

I believe that cabinet shops and sign shops are probably the largest users of CNC routers. It takes a large amount of work to keep these machines busy or a need for precision manufacturing to justify the expense. I hope to be able to use my ShopBot to make some very special signs, custom frames and to make lots of routing patterns for local counter top shops. Over the course of the next few months I also hope to be able to develope a couple of wood projects that I can produce commercially and last but not least it will surely help me make more rocking animals and wagons.

I'm really looking forward to this winter, it should be one of the most interesting seasons for my workshop :)

[Mike Kelly]

Most definitely Rich. It frees up people to do other things and cuts a lot more cabinets. More acurately and with a lot less waste.

[Keith Christopher]

Keith,

Very very cool!


Brian: No it's the weather in Pikesville, Md is better suited. . . :D



Keith

[Aaron Koehl]

Yes, we had a good time touring the facility down in Durham. I can't wait--there's quite a bit to hash out on the software end! :) :D

[Rich Konopka]

I always thought they used CNC machines not CNC routers. I have some bathroom vanties that look like they may have been done by a CNC router. The doors are a solid raised panel. It looks like they could have routed the raised panel appearance from a solid material?? I always thought that they were built using panel, rails and styles. Cool Stuff , I learn something new every day.

Thanks

[Mike Kelly]

Keith, have you had any more progress with the ShopBot?

[Keith Outten]

Mike,

I recently purchased a new laptop for my ShopBot and just this afternoon received a phone call that released lots of work for the ShopBot. During the holidays I had hoped to use the time to get more acquinted with the ShopBot software but there was very little time. I did spend the time wisely and made lots of progress cleaning the shop and I have the task of moving and setting up all the machines that had to be moved to make room for the router.

I also got my first Corian Thermoforming job last week and spent the better part of a day bending two 3 inch radius bends in two 6 foot long pieces of Corian. The bending went better than I could have imagined and it was a lot of fun as well. I expect the router to get a big workout this weekend but it won't be anything fancy...lots of sign blanks to cut out :)