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Thread: What do you make with your CNCs?

  1. #1
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    What do you make with your CNCs?

    I know a lot of you own and operate mini CNC machines and I'm wondering what kinds of things you make with them, and what capabilities you are not using.
    I have many years of CNC experience while working in a production work shop and just curious about the home shop models.
    Can you machine pretty much any material?
    I see that a lot of you also have lasers. Are they CNC controlled and are they worth the money?

    The reason I ask is that between me and my son we could set up and run pretty much anything out there and I'm looking for a way to perhaps pay for my wood turning habit.
    He has about 30 years experience with CNC lasers and owns his own company installing and maintaining industrial lasers. I also became able to write pretty much any program the front office could....perhaps a bit better, since I was on piecework
    He is looking for a way to cut his traveling expenses and perhaps come up with a way to work near his home instead of traveling to most of the states east of the Mississippi.

    I 'd love to read some thoughts. Thanks.

  2. #2
    I've made a couple of things:

    - locking register calipers:

    WIN_20150914_214307.jpg

    (the file for that is on the Shapeoko wiki)

    and various boxes and so forth. Currently working on some folding bookshelves, and hope to do an archery bow riser, a two-piece takedown bow, and a case this summer.

  3. #3
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    Do they make machines that both machine and use lasers?

  4. #4
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    Nice looking calipers, William.

  5. #5
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    I mostly just play on my cnc which is what I bought it for. I’ve made a few commissioned pieces; personalized coat racks, game pieces, plaques, etc. and have been asked to do some production but I am not interested.
    The 24 Marble & Jokers game pieces and 6 boxes I made for them was more production than I wanted to do.
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  6. #6
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    I'm patiently waiting for my machine to be "born", but I've been compiling a mental list (which will soon be turned into a list written in ones and zeros...) of what I will produce with the CNC once I get through the learning curve. All the usual suspects are there, including signage, boxes of various types, custom picture framing/panels, furniture parts, machining operations for my custom tack trunk offerings, etc. There are so many possibilities and each person needs to find their niche.

    Since you already have the turning habit, you wouldn't be hurting yourself considering a machine that has 4th-axis rotary capability for ornamental turning opportunities.

    Add-on lasers are "ok" and I was thinking about that at first, but the more I read seems to indicate that dedicated lasers are much more capable. I may add a drag knife to mine at some point to be able to cut thin materials, such as vinyl, card stock, etc., if I feel that will add to my offerings.
    Last edited by Jim Becker; 02-24-2018 at 5:38 PM.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
    Thanks! (@Bill Jobe)

    As @Jim Becker noted, add-on lasers work, but aren't optimal --- a CNC (even a router) wants to be massive and deliberate, while a laser wants to be light and fast. Diodes are popular as add-ons for the hobby CNCs, and work well for engraving and light cutting of thin materials, but one can easily get a much more capable laser for not much more. There's also the safety aspect of the not enclosed machine.

  8. #8
    I do contract work for a trophy shop in town and the CNC really pays off for that. When they need a dozen plaques with some shape other than square or rectangle, that I would just cut on the table saw, then the CNC is the perfect tool for that job. I also do signs, trivets, Longworth chucks for lathes, and desk clutter for the office desk. Right now I'm building a display case for a Henry 45 rifle and needed 6 feet for this (it will be set on a mantle). It was just as easy to cut my design on the CNC as it would have been to use the other tools in the shop so that's how I cut them.

    David
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  9. #9
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    What can I expect to pay in startup including everything needed to support a machine?
    Do they require a pc and what about software?
    In other words, if I spend $5,000 for the cnc, what can I expect it to cost me by the time I'm actually making things?

    I guess what I'm trying to get across is I don't know what questions to ask.
    Last edited by Bill Jobe; 02-26-2018 at 11:03 AM.

  10. #10
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    Think ya need to figure out what want to do with cnc before worry about what can I get for this much...

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by eugene thomas View Post
    Think ya need to figure out what want to do with cnc before worry about what can I get for this much...
    I don't know yet what I want to do with it. That's my problem.
    Perhaps that's not enough to start out with?

  12. #12
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    Bill, what your initial money outlay would be depends on the specific machine you purchase. On the hobbyist end, you typically need to provide a computer for at least design work and to create the job files. Some require a computer to be attached to run the jobs; some have their own controllers. The next step up may or may not come with a computer. What I bought does come with a computer, but it's really primary for controlling the CNC and most folks do their design work on a more robust computer. I'll be using my two existing higher-end computers for design work, myself. Other costs include things like hold-downs (bought or shop-built), material for spoil boards and, of course, cutters. You might also factor in some formal training if you get more out of that than online videos and just "jumping in the deep end". There is a learning curve both for the design and tool-pathing software as well as learning how best to hold things in place and cut them efficiently. This is all totally worth it, IMHO, but it can't be shrugged off because it's real.

    If you're not really sure if this is something for you, consider one of the affordable hobby machines like Shapako or Inventables which you assemble as a knocked down machine to get a feel for what CNC can do. These are very capable machines...they just don't run as fast as higher end, beefier ones. But putting out $2K plus a computer is a lot easier to justify relative to exploration than buying a machine for a lot more money when you're not totally knowing how it might fit into what you do in your shop.

    Of course, I was initially going to do something like that, but decides to "jump in the deep end". LOL
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #13
    To expand on Jim's excellent answer --- (I work for Carbide 3D, the company that makes the Shapeoko 3 and am a long-time volunteer for the project) --- the best thing to do before buying a machine is to:

    - decide on a simple sample project (a coaster is an excellent first project)
    - draw it up in a CAD or design program (Carbide Create is free, but many folks use simple vector editors such as the free Inkscape)
    - determine what material(s) it will be cut from
    - research what endmills and feeds and speeds will be needed to make the cuts
    - import your design into a CAM program and export it as G-Code (Carbide Create works as CAD/CAM, but free options include MakerCAM and FreeMill)
    - work out how the stock will be prepared (if need be) and clamped in place
    - load the G-Code into a previewing program (there are a lot of these --- CAMotics is one opensource option, GrblGru (for Windows) is a full 3D machine simulator

    If you enjoy doing all that, then getting a CNC should work for you.

  14. #14
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    Bill,

    I suggest that you find someone who owns a machine and do a shop visit. You can learn more in just a couple hours with someone than you can in days of research and at least you will know more about the kinds of questions you will have. Watching and learning will make you more confident as well, honestly its not that difficult to learn the basics and start running most CNC machines. I was cutting squares and circles in an hour working with my ShopBot owners manual and the next day I started running simple production plaques. My machine came with two programs, one to do design and tool path work and the second to load files and run the router. I now own a CAMaster router and the software is even simpler to learn and operate.

    I have never had any formal training, I taught myself as I went along. Training is a good thing though if you can find it at affordable rates and are able to travel to their location. ShopBot and CAMaster both provide training classes but I think they both require that you have a laptop with the necessary software installed for their classes. If your anywhere near the Virginia coast your welcome to visit my shop, I live near Yorktown.

    It isn't practical to run a laser engraver on a CNC Router. Laser engravers are very fast machines, mine engraves at 150 inches per second with 5G acceleration. CNC Routers run at a very small fraction of a Lasers speed, more in line with the speed you would use a hand router when your cutting. You can tell by watching YouTube videos of both machines, the exception is that laser engravers slow down when vector cutting.

    If your goal is to make money purchase an entry level commercial machine at the very least.
    Last edited by Keith Outten; 02-26-2018 at 3:33 PM.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Jobe View Post
    What can I expect to pay in startup including everything needed to support a machine?
    Do they require a pc and what about software?
    In other words, if I spend $5,000 for the cnc, what can I expect it to cost me by the time I'm actually making things?

    I guess what I'm trying to get across is I don't know what questions to ask.
    How much PC experience do you have and how much design with Corel or a CAD program do you have? Yes you will need to be proficient with a PC to be able to design projects and use a wood working CNC Router. Running production CNC machines the setup and feeding is a long ways from the design part.

    The attachments for lasers to go on a CNC router are a joke, too slow and not enough power. Yes I had a diode laser and yes it was a joke... if you want to buy a "real" laser go over to the Laser part of Sawmill Creek. Lots of learning opportunity's.
    Last edited by Bill George; 02-26-2018 at 7:40 PM.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

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