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Thread: How are you using your CNC machines

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Englewood, CO
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    483
    Hi Mick, yes I went through Jack, I agree, I would absolutely recommend him.
    Universal PLS 6.120D 75 watt
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  2. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Cleveland OH
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    195
    Back to the OP's Questions - A Cnc Router can Make the world of Difference.

    When I first started my company I could make 25 - 40 items per day with my table saw and basic tools. Now with our routers running full blast we can easily make well over 1000 parts per day. Going back to what you said, I started my company as a Hobby and added the right tools and got the right contracts and now we are a full blown production shop. Its very easy to forget that a Cnc is simply a tool and owning a Cnc doesn't make you money unless your willing to work hard and you have to be able to sell your products or yourself as a service provider.

    Im not going to just tell you all the niche products we have researched and created - Wheres the fun in that. I will say, that almost any large business or restaurant will be full of items done with a Cnc router or machining center. I was just at Verizon and all of there wall decor, cabinets and counters were made using a Cnc router. We just completed a large job for a Local Bar, We did all the wall decor, bar components, and a really custom bar front (37 sheets of MDF were used on the bar fronts alone). The Cnc router made it possible for us to do this.
    3X Camfive 1200 48" x 24" 100watt Tube
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  3. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Leland, NC
    Posts
    476
    I am a hobbyist sort of guy. Been woodworking for about 35 years. Built my cnc machine 10 years ago. The other day I was reminded of just how useful a CNC machine can be. I am building a clay roller machine for my wife (rolls globs of clay flat like a pancake). It has a top 32 X 84. Yup, needed to be flattened. Nope, did not fit in my machine without a lot of fooling around. So there I was, flattening it by hand. Oh, what fun!! Nothing beats standing there for several hours pushing a plane back and forth. What a thrill!!! Normally I just put panels in the machine and they get flattened. I have no need to push planes around to prove to myself I can do it like the boys did it back in 1784. But, moving along. . . . what do I use it for?

    Jigs. Made an easy segment jig a while back. Requires very accurate angle templates. Easy on the CNC.

    Wanted a hollowing rig for my lathe. Needed to bore some accurate holes in aluminum blocks, like 1 inch in diameter by 3 inches deep.

    Decided to build a threading jig for the lathe also, you guessed it, used the CNC to machine up the accurate parts needed.

    The clay machine. Needs accurate side plates that hold the roller, wheels, bearings, etc. Made them out of 3/8 aluminum on the CNC.

    Cutting mortise and tenons. I proved to myself that I could do it by hand and with other machines for many years. The first few hundred mortise and tenons were fun. Not so much anymore, I just let the machine do them and get on with the woodworking. You see, woodworking to me is not pounding a chisel with a mallet, yup, everyone should do it enough of it so they know how to use them proficiently, but day after day? Nah. Unless of course someone is doing it because they really enjoy it, or for exercise, stress relief, etc. Then more power to them. BTW, I still hand cut dovetails cause I like the way they look.

    Ah, a weird little project I did a few weeks ago. Scales. Yanno, the things with the numbers on them, some folks call them rulers. I had some 1 1/4 wide X 1/8 thick walnut scraps from a project. I put a cheapo laser on my CNC a while back, engraves nicely. So I made up a bunch of rulers. Several of them are center finding 12 inch rulers. Some are right to left reading. I did both sides. Walnut is handy because in my shop I work with a lot of light colored woods, my bench top is maple and things that are light in color tend to not get found right away. Walnut sticks out nicely and for me it is easy to read the marks.

    Oh yea? Did I mention that I made up 3, 3inch face plates for the lathe from aluminum? Or the three aluminum sanding discs that fit on the lathe?

    What I am getting at is that a CNC is an extremely useful tool. It is accurate. Sort of like having your own personal tool maker in your shop. I am not big into Oooo'ng and Ahh'nggg over "carvings" done on a CNC. However, I do some carving, like the peace and quiet. I find the CNC is quite useful in roughing out relief carvings. Lots of guys do it with a hand held router anyhow. Another one of those "Once you have hogged out the background a couple of times, it is not much fun." In the "good old days" that is why the real woodworkers had apprentices, they stuck them with all the miserable, tedious, laborious jobs so they could do the interesting stuff that required some skill. Just my opinion.....

  4. #19
    Maybe My website could answer the question

    www.mcgrewwoodwork.com

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Western Nebraska
    Posts
    4,680
    I'll have to admit, I started this thread as a bit of a skeptic, but you guys are definitely turning me. I can think of several jigs I'd make right away, and hadn't considered the possibility of milling aluminum. Thanks for all the responses, eye opening!

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,686
    "You will be assimilated... "
    --

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

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Leland, NC
    Posts
    476
    Think of CNC sort of like back in the "good old days" when everything was sawed by hand. . . and then, the table saw showed up.

    Here is a simple quick thing I did late this afternoon. I am creating an additional hardware drawer to keep all the parts, screws, knobs, etc in. Wanted to egg crate it. Sooo, just drew up the piece of lumber I was going to use, put the slots in it, put it in the vises on the machine and about 15 minutes later I was putting it together in the drawer. I did use the table saw to cut the pieces to thickness after the slots were milled on the CNC. Sure beats leaning over a table saw or fussing with a RAS to get them lined up accurately.

    One of my favorites is when I build jigs. Instead of using carriage bolts I just mill a hex to hold the nut or head of the bolt. One can get very creative when they start figuring out all the things that are now easy instead of being a PITA.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Shohola, PA Pocono Mountains
    Posts
    1,336
    I have a Hobby Grade CNC, a CarveWright. It works for what I need it for. Wood Handles for Fire Department Accountability Boards, Sheet Stock cut into Fire Accountability Tags, Clocks, Tourist stuff and Wood Signs.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    1 Laser, 4 CarveWrights, Star 912 Rotary, CLTT, Sublimation, FC7000 Vinyl, 911 Signs, Street Signs, Tourist Products and more.
    Home of the Fire Department "Epoxy Dome Accountability Tag and Accountability Boards".

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
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    4,441
    Al, Wow all looks nice!
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  10. #25
    I'm building a space shuttle with mine!

  11. #26
    Well, Michael, if it's anything like your guitars it ought to at least sound fantastic!

    David
    David
    CurlyWoodShop on Etsy, David Falkner on YouTube, difalkner on Instagram

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,686
    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Thames View Post
    I'm building a space shuttle with mine!
    Well, that's not a bad image, given how lovely your instruments sound...they have been sending me "to the moon" each time I listen to one of the videos. I truly appreciate your craft. (just watched the one with the three FE-17 reproductions the other night --wow!)
    --

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

  13. Yea, don't know if it will leave earth orbit. If it's not perfect I tell people we aren't gonna orbit the earth in it, or it's good enough for jazz.

  14. Jim, glad you've enjoyed the videos! Yea those FE-17 reproductions took the life out of me! Lots of work, much harder trying to copy a historical piece than just make your own ... ha!

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Ohope, New Zealand
    Posts
    66
    Where can we see the videos? Any link?

    Cheers
    RedSail M900 - 100W Laser with RECI Tube and Rotary.

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