Long Journey Awaits

gdonham1 said:

I have an interest in CNC routing. I have looked at the kits, building my own or buying a ready made one. Most advise is to buy as big as you can afford.

What did you make these Polish Eagles on. What software are you running and how long did it take to make each plaque. Since I am asking what kind of tooling are you using, White Side, Frued or other.

Sorry to ask so many questions but CNC routing can be very expensive if you pick the wrong machine and/or software.

FYI the plaques look good. Did you laminate the boards together or is it solid wood.

Click to expand...

Guy,

The saying around here is to figure out what size you think will work for you - then go another size or two bigger. Also, is it going to be a "hobby" or commercial use? Probotix come ready made -- just connect the wires and start playing. They're great machines for personal use and are made here in the USA. And you can call them and actually talk to the guy who built your machine. Support is very very important. I also just made a CNCRP Pro4848. More commercial type and about 3-4 times faster and twice as expensive as my Nebula. But all the parts fit and it went together as per instructions. Was kind of fun to build. The Probotix uses lead screws while the CNCRP is rack and pinion. Both companies are USA based and have excellent support..... in English. I have a dedicated computer for each machine - not hooked to the internet or anything else on them.

I made these on my Probotix - took about an hour for the rough cut and 3 hours each for the final cut. I use Vectric Aspire. Vectric Vcarve is cheaper and is a good program to start with. You can upgrade later and get credit towards Aspire. You can also download any version of their products and play to your hearts content. They do everything the real programs do except allow you to download the actual cutting file. You can preview your finished file. They also have many tutorial videos available.

I use a lot of Amana bits from Toolstoday.com. Hartville Tool, and Precisebits.com, along with others, who have good bits. It's trial and error finding what you like (and what's on sale) and what works for your situation.

These boards are baltic birch from Menards, already laminated, that came 1 x 12 x 48. I bought 3 stores out since these were a one time item. In my case, buying ready made panels works better than gluing my own up. And they are usually cheaper. Just have to keep your eyes open and open the pocketbook when the opportunity presents itself.

For any questions you have, you have picked the right place. There's a group of pretty good people here that have a boatload of knowledge and experience in different applications. And..... they are willing to share that knowledge as well as being quite friendly.