[shea.omalley92]

Hello,

I run a small scale woodworking business now and looking to grow my products more, and want to be able to add more carving items. I currently do hand carved with a router and use a vinyl printer for some of my products; and wondering if anyone has any reviews/advice/suggestions for a CNC carver. Everywhere I look it seems that the Inventables XCarve seems to be a popular choice for beginners, however I need more of a carving area then the basic model that Inventables offers (at minimum 38" X 18"). Was hoping to find help here if anyone knows?

Thank you!

 

[difalkner]

Welcome to the forum, Shea! Standard questions - what's your budget, what throughput are you expecting, what software will you use for CAD/CAM, will this be a stepping stone to a larger machine, etc.?

 

[Roland Johnson]

Hello,

I run a small scale woodworking business now and looking to grow my products more, and want to be able to add more carving items. I currently do hand carved with a router and use a vinyl printer for some of my products; and wondering if anyone has any reviews/advice/suggestions for a CNC carver. Everywhere I look it seems that the Inventables XCarve seems to be a popular choice for beginners, however I need more of a carving area then the basic model that Inventables offers (at minimum 38" X 18"). Was hoping to find help here if anyone knows?

Thank you!

look at carbide 3d shapeoko for an entry level cnc . I have the Shapeoko 3xxl and couldn't be happier And is American made which is a plus when it comes to customer service.

 

[jw2170]

G'day @shea.omalley92 , welcome to the forum.

 

[old55]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[MEBCWD]

They don't make a Shapeoko that meets the OP's 38 x 18 minimum size limit.

As far as entry-level machines Nextwave Shark HD520 or an Axiom Iconic 8 or Axiom AR8 Pro V5 fit the size limit and I'm sure there are others.

It really depends on what kind of projects you want to do and if you want to start with an entry-level machine and upgrade later or buy a good high-end hobby machine to start with.

 

[maddog]

Buy your second machine first! I've have too many customers wishing they had instead bought a larger machine first.
Mike mentioed several good machines, but I'd recommend either of the Axioms as they are heavy duty machines and will do what you require. The Axioms can be purchased as a 2 x 2, a 2x 3, or a 2 x 4. The Iconic series are 110v and have air cooled spindles and handle 1/4" and 1/8" shank bits, and the Pro series are 220v, have a 2.2Kw (3Hp) water-cooled spindle, and can handle 1/2" shank bits all the way down to 1mm providing you purchase the collett sets.

 

[PhilBa]

One of the truisms of CNC Routers is that any machine you buy will quickly become too small. While that has some limits to it, I think if you found a machine that fit your minimum requirements, you would be turning away business that needs a bigger table. I'd suggest 48x48. For a business, I would skip hobby machines - they are built to a price point that doesn't include longevity. You would very likely replace it in short order - Maddog is right. The Axioms of the world will suit you better. I'd also recommend AvidCNC but they are so popular (for good reason) that their lead time is 16 weeks. I have an Avid Pro4848 and I could see running it all day, every day.