[719834]

Hi, I have a 1310 Pro. It was fun at first, but far too dinky for any depth cut > 1mm and too small for most projects like cutting out and milling 304x457mm cutting boards, ~594x841 drawer faces, bowls, etc...

What is the most cost effective way to achieve this level of cnc cutting? I'm still pretty new to this scene; do people build their own cnc routing tables, or is that too tedious and time consuming and should I just get a chinese cnc machine from Amazon? Or since I already have a 1310 pro, could it be upgraded to a degree that would allow for 1/4" depth cuts?

 

[difalkner]

Welcome to the forum! I built mine and several here have built their own, as well. What's your budget and space available?

 

[719834]

Welcome to the forum! I built mine and several here have built their own, as well. What's your budget and space available?

Awesome, budget I was thinking ~$400 to 500, but I'll try to stretch it if needed. Available table space is around 4x3' (large room tho)

 

[difalkner]

What are you planning to cut into the drawer faces? Or are you wanting to cut clear through for the outer profile of the drawer faces? If so, a table saw may be a better choice for straight line cuts. But if these are wavy or oddly shaped drawer fronts then the CNC can easily do that but it won't happen very fast with a machine in that budget range. You'll need to add a zero to the end to get a machine that will cut a drawer front in a reasonable timeframe.

 

[719834]

What are you planning to cut into the drawer faces? Or are you wanting to cut clear through for the outer profile of the drawer faces? If so, a table saw may be a better choice for straight line cuts. But if these are wavy or oddly shaped drawer fronts then the CNC can easily do that but it won't happen very fast with a machine in that budget range. You'll need to add a zero to the end to get a machine that will cut a drawer front in a reasonable timeframe.

I was planning to aquire or build a cnc that can cut a design into the drawer faces (in a reasonable amount of time) before clear cutting the wood to size and rounding the edges. I was thinking that I could then do the finishing work with a handheld router and orbital sander.

Is this too much to ask from a budget-ish build (relative to buying a built cnc)? I wouldn't mind sourcing parts and DIYing, unless the cost savings are negligable.

 

[jw2170]

Hi @719834 , welcome to the forum.

 

[old55]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[ger21]

Couple things.
With CNC, the cheapest way will almost always be the worst way to go. Meaning slowest, least capable, poorest cut quality

$400-$500 is almost nothing. Assuming you want something in the 2ft x 3ft range, a decent starter machine would be in the $2,000-$3,000 range. $400 is about the price of electronic components in a basic build.

 

[GerryAttrick]

Have a look at Gatton CNC..its a DIY KIT and customisable. The are quite a lot of YouTube videos from Dave Gatton on the build and an active forum..
I dont have a Gatton but do have a Shapeoko from Carbide3D which will do what you want but its over $2k.

 

[dwall174]

$400-$500 is almost nothing.

From what I have read, I'm figuring on at least $2500 just to build a simple set-up, And of course these seeming "Simple" projects always tend to lead into bigger ones.

Seeing that's not currently in my budget, I'm thinking of just picking up a few parts at a time. That way I can spread the cost over several months.

Doug

 

[gwilki]

If you end up increasing your budget, look at the Sienci Long Mill. It's Canadian designed, extremely well supported by both the company and an active forum and has a cutting size of up to 30" x 30".

 

[maddog]

Check for used machines. A lot of guys sell their older machines as the move to larger machines.

 

[MarkJonesRanger]

Save your money and buy something that will keep working for years and years. Every time I buy for cheap it always leaves me with the longing I wished for better. I bought a shark 510HD a year ago and after 150 projects it preforms every time with no fuss or fiddling with it. Great industrial rating quality with a hobby footprint and price range. I for years looked at them and thought they were too high priced and now it's one of the most productive tools in the shop and wished I had bought it long ago. If you apply yourself it can pay for itself in no time by taking standard woodworking items and personalizing them brings a new desire and value to the items. Save that money and pay cash!