Need advice on buying a CNC Router

[Martin Pearson]

I guess a lot would depend on what you call entry level & what sort of budget you are looking at. Do you already have software or would you be looking at a complete package.

[Simon Worrall]

Daniel

I imported a SHOPBOT PRT96 from the USA about ten years ago. IT came in a kit consisting of everything but the table, and a thick folder of instructions.
I had a solid table made up locally, put it all together, and it has performed wonderfully ever since. It is extremely accurate. I think the price was around 15000 US, not quite as cheap as Phil’s recent accomplishment, but pretty good for a solid piece of kit.

I added a very powerful vacuum hold down, which I made myself on the machine with information from the forums, as well as a dust extractor

The actual machines have since evolved, and are now much more complete. But the support and knowledge from the shopbot forums is legendary.

Here is a link to my shopbot in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaEQhZA3slk&feature=plcp

[NeilRoss]

quote Simon Worrall:

Daniel

I imported a SHOPBOT PRT96 from the USA about ten years ago. IT came in a kit consisting of everything but the table, and a thick folder of instructions.
I had a solid table made up locally, put it all together, and it has performed wonderfully ever since. It is extremely accurate. I think the price was around 15000 US, not quite as cheap as Phil’s recent accomplishment, but pretty good for a solid piece of kit.

I added a very powerful vacuum hold down, which I made myself on the machine with information from the forums, as well as a dust extractor

The actual machines have since evolved, and are now much more complete. But the support and knowledge from the shopbot forums is legendary.

Here is a link to my shopbot in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaEQhZA3slk&feature=plcp

Simon, nice design but what are you carving there – very deep in places! The last time I went that deep I’d forgotten to reset the Z axis!!! 😳 🙄 🙁

[David Rowland]

i remember the shop bot when i was studying them.. .that is good cutting… servos or steppers?

[Gert du Preez]

@Simon,

Are you familiar with Tekcel routers? They are Australian made 😉

We have 2. The smaller 4x8ft machine is 8 years old, and the bigger 2000 x 3000mm machine is 1 year old. Very very reliable and solidly built.

The older machine is now temporarily retired. I want to use for development work, but it has to be upgraded first. ( it does not have a vacuum pump or tool changer)

The other machine runs 12hrs per day, 6 days a week.

I had a look at the shopbot for home (hobby) use, but I think I will rather buy a South African made machine for that. They are about GBP 6000 for the 1200 x 1200mm router.

BTW, we use Profile Lab, and I design in either CorelDraw or Inventor.

[Simon Worrall]

@neil. 50mm thick plank of Radiata pine. Very soft and easy to carve.
It has a sheet of oracal stencil applied to the surface for later picking out of the carved out shapes.

@Dave. Steppers.

@Gert . Daniel’s original post asked about Entry Level routers, and the shopbot is certainly that. WHat you’ve got looks like grown up stuff. Congrats on keeping it working all the time though, wish that I had the work!

I use Vectric v-carve pro for toolpaths, which takes illustrator vectors.

Incidentally, the vacuum hold-down is a giant roots blower driven by a 30 horsepower three phase motor that came from an Auckland water treatment plant when they were upgrading. Previously it had spent 40 years pumping air into ponds! I only run it at about ten percent of full power.

[Unknown Member]

I’m almost sure Dave Rowlands had a machine for sale on these forums a few months back….

[david hogg]

Hi Daniel are you still looking for advice on a router if so give me a call I can help you with this just too much to list here I have 3 Cnc routers one at 5m x2.5m with 9 spindles which I rebuilt myself another one at 3m x2m and an 8×4
Been using and fixing routers the last 16 years so know plenty about them
Dave