Another "Which CNC?" thread...

[Prashun Patel]

I am ready to get one. I've had the pleasure of seeing Jim's Camaster, but am unsure which others I might want to consider.

I'm a hobbyist. A fairly space-constrained hobbyist. I'm planning to put this in my garage, so I'd prefer something that could operate on a mobile base. Is that possible?

Budgetwise I'd like to be under $8000. I'd be looking for it to do chair and table leg joinery and guitar bodies

I am looking at the Stinger I, II from Camaster, but what others are in a similar league?

Any guidance, insight appreciated.

I don't yet "know what I don't know"...

[Keith Outten]

ShopBot has a line of machines that are comparable to CAMaster. I know that there are options for mobile bases on the smaller machines.
I like WinCNC but I was shocked at the cost to replace the internal computer card. ShopBot programs their own cam software so you can use a laptop if that is what you prefer and still use Vectic software for the cad work.

A very strong benefit for CAMaster machines is their welded frames, they are rock solid sturdy machines. Even the less expensive Stinger models will run all day/week and not complain. I have no fear bidding large commercial projects with my Stinger II.

[Bob Falk]

Prashun,
I recently went through the same decision process so I thought I would share some thoughts. I considered Shop Sabre but ended up with a CAMaster Stinger 1 2x4. It was delivered this past fall. I am not a build your own machine type of person, so I wanted a turnkey machine that I could start using immediately. That and the many positive comments about CAmaster on this forum made up my mind. Like you, I am a hobbyist and I wanted to build some furniture parts (I am now working on a Russell Crawford's CNC Maloof inspired kitchen stool and plan on stepping up to his rocker soon) as well as some signs, engraved cutting boards, and 3D carvings. A couple completed projects below.

I highly recommend CAmaster.....quality build and great after purchase support. I built a mobile stand for mine out of steel (see photo below) as I have a welder. Cost me about $150 in steel and hardware rather than $400 for a table from the factory and I believe it is much more stout. It's easily moved around the shop though I find I tend to leave in the same general area.

I spent about $12K for my router, so significantly above your budget. I did spent a fair amount on the following options, some of which I have found are useful to me, others not so much. My candid thought on these options:

1.7kw spindle (~$2800). A godsend as it is very quiet. I didn't want a screaming router in my shop. My shop/garage shares a common wall (sound insulated) with my kitchen and I can cut 3D carvings for hours and it doesn't bother my family.....my dust collector is louder than the router for all but the most aggressive cuts.

Performance Package ($1095)
1) laser - Not the most useful purchase for me as the crosshairs are too fat and so it is not easy to locate the bit with great accuracy. Others may find it helpful but to date I have not.

2) quick tool change - This option is programed into the machine after purchase by the company. I haven't had that done yet. To date i have been doing one-off projects and I find it easy to change bits and reset zero with the included touch pad. Perhaps this will become more useful as I develop more experience and have repeatable projects with predictable tool changes.

3) extra Z height - nice to have, especially with furniture parts that are taller. Note that you will need a small compressor to use this option.

If I knew then what I know now and based on my specific needs, I would purchase just the Z height option rather than the whole performance package.

maintenance kit ($100) - basically a grease gun and some grease. Convenient, but probably can buy cheaper online.

t - track kit ($275) - While its nice to have hold-downs ready to go, if I had to do it again, I wouldn't purchase this and make my own machine board and install more tracks than this option provides.

bit set ($250)- nice to have a set of bits ready to go, but again, if I knew what I knew now, I would purchase separate bits. You will spend a lot on bits as you get into different projects.

lathe ready option ($250) - I bought this as I wasn't sure if I might want to purchase the lathe at some point. As you can't add a lathe with out this option factory installed, I opted to get it "just in case".

Everyone's needs are different and YMMV. My $0.02

Best of Luck, bob





IMG_0942 2.jpgIMG_0918.jpgIMG_0919.jpg

[Keith Outten]

You can purchase an after market laser that goes in the chuck. It has an adjustable beam that can be smaller in diameter than a mosquito's...you know the thing? Very accurate for about 120 bucks. Let me know if anyone wants the contact information.

I guess that I should have noted that the laser I am referring to is used as a location device not for laser engraving.

[David Falkner]

You can purchase an after market laser that goes in the chuck. It has an adjustable beam that can be smaller in diameter than a mosquito's...you know the thing? Very accurate for about 120 bucks. Let me know if anyone wants the contact information.

I'd like to see that, Keith.

David

[Bob Falk]

Thanks Keith....can you provide a link?

[Keith Outten]

https://lasercenteredgefinder.com/pr...-powered-lcef/

The batteries last for years as long as you don't forget to turn it off before you put it back in your tool box
Mine is the Dot model, it adjust easily by turning the black focus ring.
Works pretty good in a drill press or milling machine also.
I just checked mine and I can see the red dot on the wall the entire 36 feet of my shop when I make the dot larger of course.

[Brad Shipton]

I noticed a used laguna 4x4 machine on the woodweb a few days ago. It is a bit more expensive than your budget, but it has a few nice features. We used to have a guy here that owns a couple of laguna swifts and raved about them. Robert was a reasonable guy. I am not a fan of the company, but it might be worth looking at. I would read Gary's discussion about your first CNC purchase on the camheads site. Beyond that, it comes down to features and budget. I have a shop sabre.

[Jim Becker]

Camaster, ShopBot and ShopSabre are the big three of "really nicely built" USA-made machines. I'm less familiar with the latter two. What I really like about Camaster is that not only are they built in Georgia, they try really hard to use as much North American manufactured component as possible, with the notable exceptions of things like some electronics which are not made here and the Italian made HSD spindles which are a defacto standard with many makers. Camaster and ShopSaber are similar in that they are "heavier", welded frame machines. This level of machine also uses more industrial controllers...WinCNC in Camaster's case. If I hadn't splurged on the Stinger II SR-44, I likely would have the Stinger I SR-24 with pretty much all the nice features. And yes, these smaller size machines, even though they are fully welded and heavy, can easily be on a mobile stand; either one from Camaster or DIY. I'd choose DIY because it provides more flexibility for storage and housing the computer CPU, etc. One thing you do need to pay attention to for the furniture parts work you mention is Z-height and material thickness. Smaller machines have a finite limit to just how much height you can have, even with an extra height option. That "might" push you into a little higher budget, depending on your needs/expectations.

I'd be happy to give you much more detailed tour than you've seen so far of my Camaster at any time. You know where I live. I can also explain the options and why you might want them.

On the laser, yes, you can put an engraving laser on a CNC and it will work fine for that kind of work, but it's not a good solution for frequent or serious work. They are lower power so not appropriate for "cutting" and because they can't be vented like a dedicated laser, they can cause some fume challenges. Cutting in your garage, that may mean the smoke alarms going off

[Bruce Walton]

Another American made CNC machine is Digital Wood Carver. It isn't as robust as the before mentioned CNC machines, but it is more affordable. There is a lot of information on Digital Wood Carver's Spindle TV on YouTube.

[Jim Becker]

Another American made CNC machine is Digital Wood Carver. It isn't as robust as the before mentioned CNC machines, but it is more affordable. There is a lot of information on Digital Wood Carver's Spindle TV on YouTube.

I saw them demonstrate their machine at a show two years ago in Secaucus NJ.

[Ben Grefe]

I hadn’t heard of them (Digital Wood Carver) until now and checked out their site. Decent prices - again - hard to see what it will actually cost to get a working unit into the shop (always ‘starting at’ prices and little mention of what that includes). Designs look very similar to other commercial units, but at some point all table saws look alike, so I’d expect that from a CNC too.

[Prashun Patel]

Guys, thank you for these thoughtful responses. I am going to do some more research this weekend. Fwiw, I have not been able to get Camaster to respond to inquiries.

[Jim Becker]

Sent you a note, Prashun. 'Hope it helps!

[eugene thomas]

camaster at times is not good at responding to sales calls. know they lost few sales from that.