Hello all,
Today I got a quote for having some molds professionally machined. Turns out it would be nearly $1,400 for a 23"x30"x4" mold, machined polyurethane tooling board. When I opened the quote, I realized that buying a quality CNC router and doing the work myself would save me an awful lot of money! (Plus, once I figure it out, I can get it done on my schedule, rather than waiting for other people.)
The molds I am making are for carbon fiber parts, and the material I plan to be working with is likely to be polyurethane foam tooling board, or HDF. (I hear MDF isn't much fun to work with.)
For specs, I'm looking for something in the 2'x3' to 2'x4' range. I am trying to start a company making carbon fiber knee pads, which are fairly small, so accomodating larger work isn't an important consideration.
Budget is kind of whatever it takes, but realistically less than $10k. It hurts a little already to think about, but I think that's about where I need to be to accomplish the work I am trying to do.
And lastly, getting the most z-axis travel is one of the most important considerations.
The most promising machine at the moment seems to be the Industrial CNC Short Cut 203. It has the most gantry clearance by a significant margin.
Shop Sabre 23 looks like a solid machien, but gantry clearance is listed at 5". It says "5" (standard)", so maybe there is a taller option?
CaMaster Stinger I looks solid, but also 5" gantry clearance.
Grizzly has one, but is only 5" from spindle to table
Well, I guess that's my short list right now. I'd love to find out if there is a better option that I haven't come across yet?
Any experience with these machines? What would you choose? How would you prioritize the array of options available?
Today I got a quote for having some molds professionally machined. Turns out it would be nearly $1,400 for a 23"x30"x4" mold, machined polyurethane tooling board. When I opened the quote, I realized that buying a quality CNC router and doing the work myself would save me an awful lot of money! (Plus, once I figure it out, I can get it done on my schedule, rather than waiting for other people.)
The molds I am making are for carbon fiber parts, and the material I plan to be working with is likely to be polyurethane foam tooling board, or HDF. (I hear MDF isn't much fun to work with.)
For specs, I'm looking for something in the 2'x3' to 2'x4' range. I am trying to start a company making carbon fiber knee pads, which are fairly small, so accomodating larger work isn't an important consideration.
Budget is kind of whatever it takes, but realistically less than $10k. It hurts a little already to think about, but I think that's about where I need to be to accomplish the work I am trying to do.
And lastly, getting the most z-axis travel is one of the most important considerations.
The most promising machine at the moment seems to be the Industrial CNC Short Cut 203. It has the most gantry clearance by a significant margin.
Shop Sabre 23 looks like a solid machien, but gantry clearance is listed at 5". It says "5" (standard)", so maybe there is a taller option?
CaMaster Stinger I looks solid, but also 5" gantry clearance.
Grizzly has one, but is only 5" from spindle to table
Well, I guess that's my short list right now. I'd love to find out if there is a better option that I haven't come across yet?
Any experience with these machines? What would you choose? How would you prioritize the array of options available?