New to me Stepcraft 4x8 and have a few questions...

I picked up a Stepcraft 4x8 CNC router with a 2.2kw spindle (not a tool changer, yet) and I have some questions about things... First, I'll need a spoil board cutter, any suggestions that don't break the bank? Same thing on cabinet design and nesting software... I found one called cabinetpartspro that seems pretty decent and am trying out the free download.

In a stroke of bad luck, the rigging company damaged wiring from the VFD to the spindle, which in turn shorted out the VFD. I've ordered a new Hitachi NES1-022SB and am wondering if anybody knows what to set the parameters at? They should be pretty generic I would assume.

I'm sure I'll have plenty of other questions, but that'll get me started.

Attachment 453860 Attachment 453861

You can get a white sides 2" router but for s pretty good price. As far as software, look at Mozaik, it's a great choice. I also have Aspire for decorative vcarve and 3d work

I found a CMT Orange insert cutter that I'll try. I have looked at Mozaik and it looks like the cream of the crop, but to get design, layout, nesting and code, it appears to be $125 per month. My needs won't be for cabinets day in and day out and that would cost too much to keep up when I might not need it daily. I could see it's a bargain if you run cabinets daily, or even weekly, but I don't see that sort of volume happening any time soon.

I did get Vectric V-Carve Pro with the machine, and I have other CAD and CAM software from my metalworking machines.

Cabinets parts Pro is a lot of software bang for the buck. I used it when I was building cabinets for trade shows.

Congrats Brian. Tools Today has good deals for cutters and re-sells many of the CMT orange cutters.

Until you have a feel for how much you will use it for making boxes I would likely start with doing it manually with .dxf files and whatever software the machine comes with. I suspect without the tool changer you might nest differently than the software defaults. Once you are rolling the nesting is not that time consuming unless your making large residential projects which I do not think you do.

Good to know... it appeared that way and I can choke a $250 one time purchase a lot easier than monthly "rental" on software.

Thanks Brad, I got the cutter ordered from Amazon as they had it in stock and can get it here relatively quick.

I bought the router for making mostly boxes, still have all my Felder equipment for other projects. I just finished a whole house of cabinets for myself last year and could have used this. Still have a complete office worth of built-in's to do and figured that would be a good place to start. I can definitely do boxes on my regular CAD software, but I like the idea of being able to specify hinge locations, drawer slides and blind dados and not have to sit and figure all that out.

I think a tool changer spindle (probably CNC Depot) and a vacuum table will be the first upgrades... then I'll have to find a vacuum pump too.

Congrats on the new tool!

I like the Amana insert style spoilboard and planing cutters...the renewable/replaceable cutters on them insure good quality performance over time and ultimately will likely cost less than lesser tooling, IMHO. I sometimes surface slabs, etc., on the machine, too, so the insert cutter does double duty...sharp is important for this task.

Thanks Jim,

I went with a replaceable insert cutter, CMT makes it, quite a bit cheaper than Amana, we'll see if there is any issue with it. If/when I change to a ISO 30 spindle, I can use several 2" shell mills I have for my CNC mill.

Just as an update... The CMT spoil board cutter works fantastic, got the VFD installed and programmed, made an MDF spoil board and did a small 2 drawer box as a test. Using the CabinetParts Pro software got me a DXF file I could work with that had blind dado's and such that worked the way I wanted it. I did not have V-Carve Pro up and running at that point (I do now), so I used a CAM program I have had for years called SheetCam and it worked fine to get me code that worked.

I have plenty to learn about tabs and down spiral cutters... I didn't have a down spiral and most to the tabs broke loose and parts were bouncing around everywhere! But in the future I can see how to progress from here.

My next issue will be coming up with a vacuum table system. Has/is anybody using the home brewed Black box style units? I have looked at the LightHouse motors that Ward sells and could go that route. Just curious if anybody has any sage advice in that regard. I'll most likely have to purchase some Phenolic and make my own table surface too.

I have a home-made vacuum system using three of the Lighthouse units on my 4'x8' router. It has three zones plumbed with 3" pvc pipe and pulls about 7" hg through anUltralite mdf spoilboard, not that high but adequate for most cabinet parts. Pretty much essential for routine processing of sheet stock. I probably have about $500 in parts in it.

I was going to go with 4 motors. Found several versions of the box on the Shop Bot forum... but all the data appears to be from 6-10 years old and I just wondered if there had been any improvements or upgrades. Really don't want to make anything twice if I can help it...

Anybody have a used Hurricane they want to sell? Somebody emailed me about one a year or so back, but I can't find the info any longer...

For tooling and sheet goods...compression cutters, especially if you're doing one or two pass cutting. It's up-cut at the tip for a crisp bottom and down cut for the rest for a clean top. The .375" is probably the most popular as a good compromise on kerf/waste and strength, but on my 4x4 machine, I tend to use a .25" version since I don't push hard and don't cut all that much sheet good product.

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Originally Posted by Brian Lamb

I was going to go with 4 motors. Found several versions of the box on the Shop Bot forum... but all the data appears to be from 6-10 years old and I just wondered if there had been any improvements or upgrades. Really don't want to make anything twice if I can help it...

Anybody have a used Hurricane they want to sell? Somebody emailed me about one a year or so back, but I can't find the info any longer...

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Brian...
There is one for sale on the SB forum as we speak

Brian, I made my own Hurricane style vacuum. I have a vacuum gauge and I can get up to 9" (10" sometimes) Hg with proper seals. One supplier has a vacuum similar to the Hurricane, and they claim up a little higher. I found one electric motor supplier in the 220V class that seemed to have a little better specs, but I used the Lighthouse motors that Gary and Brady originally tested. If you build one make sure to install a temp gauge and vacuum gauge. The temp gauge will need to come from a lab type supplier since these motors will run up to 180d F. None of the common gauges I could find read temps high enough. Don't be shocked by that. I pasted the response from Lighthouse when I asked about this. Don't expect this pump to work for most pod applications. For pods where you do not cut through you will need a small pump that produces closer to 25" Hg. I have a small Becker pump for those.

From Lighthouse: "They can run up to 180 degrees and you will get around 900 hours"

The Phenolic top is great. Not much fun to cut, but worth it. I used 3/4" Trespa Lab top. That was the most cost effective option I could find and I found a nearby supplier. You have lots of other suppliers in the US. The Trespa Labtop comes in sizes up to 60"x120" and a single 60"x120" sheet fit mine without joints. I got them to supply some narrow widths so I could build a 6" skirt on two sides so less chips would not find their way to the floor. They supplied a smooth on glue for this and it was easy.

Most of us go thru that tooling learning process. My first tooling order was small, and now I have a shelf full of different cutters I use for different things. If you are not cutting thru your stock Tools today supplies a great mini flush cut router bit that is 3/16" OD. It fits in the 1/4" groove perfectly. The bearings on them do not last very well, so I buy a few at a time.

Once you get your vacuum running you get to learn all about different gasket materials from AllStar. :)