CNC recommendation for 2D wood cutting. NEW to CNC's

[Karks13]

Hello I am new to this forum as I am starting a woodworking craft that is taking off and I need help with a CNC. I cut (Thickness) 1" pine designs with a max width of 18”. Can you please look at the 3 machine below and let me know if one is better cutting out my designs, I will mostly use this for CNC 2D Cutting. Currently using a scroll saw. Any suggestions/recommendations would be great! I would like to keep my budget round 3k.

 

Inventables X-Carve

X-Carve | Affordable CNC Machine | 3D Carving Machine | Inventables

 

Bob’s Evolution 5

Evolution 5 CNC Router Kit – BobsCNC

 

Mill Right – Mega V Router

Mega V Router - MillRight CNC, LLC

[Grandpadave52]

Welcome to The Patriot Woodworker Nick. Great to have you here. I'm no help in the CNC field so can offer up in suggestions. However we have some extremely knowledable people who can. @4DThinker, @Masonsailor, @jthornton, @difalkner, @honesttjohn, @MEBCWD, to mention a few. Hopefully one or more will drop in to provide their expertise.

 

One thing we always enjoy is helping others spend their money Glad you're here. Hang on answers will be coming soon. Thanks for being here.

[Cal]

Welcome aboard Nick, glad to have you here.

[Karks13]

thank you any suggestions or guidance on a CNC is greatly apricated 

[jthornton]

While I don't have a CNC router, I do have a Machine Shop with several CNC machines and I'm fixing to build a router for the wood shop. I will use Mesa motion control card and probably Nema 34 steppers and drives from Automation Direct. I'll be using LinuxCNC to control the router and have 3 CNC machines using LinuxCNC a Vertical Machining Center, a Chucker Lathe and a Plasma Cutter and oh yes the Bridgeport Knee Mill is also LinuxCNC controlled so 4 machines.

 

I'll start with the X-Carve... it has bad reviews and the software is a subscription software you have pay yearly and it looks flimsy and too light weight.

 

Bob’s Evolution 5... looks a bit sturdier even though it's wood. Designed to use GRBL1.1 firmware on the Arduino Uno, your not going to like that... NEMA 17 Stepper Motors, those are pretty small and weak so that translates to very light cuts with low side force. I don't see any ratings for Bob’s Evolution 5.

 

Mill Right – Mega V Router... looks the strongest frame but they don't say much about what steppers you get and are pretty vague on a lot of things that might be important.

 

The Bunny... that design looks simple enough except the tail will have a radius the size of the cutter where it joins the body.

 

I would suggest you join the LinuxCNC forum and ask on there, I've seen some impressive wooden builds using linear rails and ballscrews. You can get inexpensive linear rail ballscrew kits from flea bay.

 

To keep things on the up and up I'm the only USA Mesa dealer for LinuxCNC cards (Mesa Electronics makes and sells in the USA many more motion control cards). Mesa products are made in the USA. I'm an admin on LinuxCNC so I might be a tad biased. Did I mention I hate Windblows?

 

I do understand those folks are just trying to make a living selling CNC routers and I'm glad I'm not.

 

Another thought based on your location is to seek out a Makerspace in your area with a CNC router that you can use for a small fee while you gain experience from them.

 

JT

Edited April 9, 2022 by jthornton

[jthornton]

Here is a discussion on the LinuxCNC forum for Bob's CNC router.

 

JT

[Grandpadave52]

Thanks for responding JT.

[Karks13]

thank you very much for the detailed information. I might have to use the CNC for simple designs and other designs with my scroll saw. I am told 1/8" bit is the smallest i can go.... Will a 1/16 bit handle 3/4 pine? 

 

[jthornton]

I don't think you can find a 1/16" diameter cutter with much more than 1/4" of cutting depth. Even a 1/8" cutter will have at the most 1/2" of cutting depth. Most CNC router bits are either 1/4" shank or 1/2" shank, end mills on the other hand usually have the same size shank as the cutter.

 

JT

[difalkner]

I suggested on another forum that he take a look at the OneFinity CNC routers.  A friend has one and it is fairly stout and rigid relative to many I've seen in this class.  My 1/8" spiral downcut bit has 3/4" flute though I don't usually push it that far.  I also don't cut anything but hardwoods so no idea how the much softer Pine will do in this situation.

 

You might take a look at redesigning some of your items such that you could use a 3/16" or even 1/4" bit as that would alleviate many issues.

[Grandpadave52]

10 minutes ago, difalkner said:

I suggested on another forum that he take a look at the OneFinity CNC routers. 

 

Thanks David for weighing in. Appreciate your time and expertise. Pray all is well down there and you're keeping busy in the shop.

[jthornton]

3 hours ago, difalkner said:

I suggested on another forum that he take a look at the OneFinity CNC routers.

 

I like the idea that you can get a bare bones XYZ axis and supply your own controller. I wish they spelled out exactly what you get for 2k on the X50 32x32... looks stout and not a toy.

 

JT

[difalkner]

4 minutes ago, jthornton said:

 

I like the idea that you can get a bare bones XYZ axis and supply your own controller. I wish they spelled out exactly what you get for 2k on the X50 32x32... looks stout and not a toy.

 

JT

I was quite surprised when I first saw his OneFinity.  I thought it was going to be like another friend's Shark which is fairly flimsy (I thought, so does he).

[jthornton]

Even if you get their controller and touch screen it's still less than $2.5k for 32" x 32" which is a good deal. I would not use their controller or software just because I use LinuxCNC for all my machine shop machines except one that can't be converted very easy. They say they have built in CAM IIRC...

 

JT

[4DThinker]

Is the wood 4/4 but actually closer to 3/4" thick, or really 1" thick?  I've got 1/8" end mills that can cut 3/4" deep in small steps, but not 1". 

Are the rabbits all you'll ever use the CNC for? 

Wood is flexible.  Any CNC made from wood I'd stay away from.  I made my own small CNC from baltic birch plywood, bolted together with embedded stainless steel nuts. I was very surprise to see the whole machine warped when one Y axis motor lost steps and the gantry racked during my initial trials. 

If whatever machine you get uses a variable speed router rather than a brushless spindle then lower its running speed to one step below its max. Many aren't engineered to run continuously at their top speed.  Bearings may fail.  Brushes will eventually need to be replaced.  If it isn't easy then you'll want to keep a backup router on hand. Buy one on sale when you can. 

You'll need a strategy to clamp down the wood blanks your projects will be cut from.  Beds with t-track make that fairly easy, but you'll want to keep some scraps to use as spoilboard under your project boards so the CNC doesn't cut into the t-track. Cardboard from amazon boxes can be used. 

I started with an early CNC Shark from NextWave Automation.  I'm thinking they were $2500 or so then. I still have it but it goes generally unused in my garage.  I have a Probotix Meteor (GX2550) from probotix.com.   It's open frame design and t-slot extrusion frame makes available all sorts of potential for how you mount jigs/fixtures to it to hold your work to be cut.  Their new models have more Z-axis travel above the bed, a much stiffer gantry beam, and come complete with the PC/Monitor/Mouse and LinuxCNC controller ready to run save for plugging it all together.  You get an MDF bed though. Some drill and install threaded inserts in a grid array.  I personally chucked the MDF away and have my own t-track bridges that slide in the frame and can be positioned for any length/width of work that fits within the cutting area.  Their CNCs run $5k and up. 

 

4D

[Grandpadave52]

33 minutes ago, 4DThinker said:

Is the wood 4/4 but actually closer to 3/4" thick, or really 1" thick?  I've got 1/8" end mills that can cut 3/4" deep in small steps, but not 1". 

Are the rabbits all you'll ever use the CNC for? 

Wood is flexible.  Any CNC made from wood I'd stay away from.  I made my own small CNC from baltic birch plywood, bolted together with embedded stainless steel nuts. I was very surprise to see the whole machine warped when one Y axis motor lost steps and the gantry racked during my initial trials. 

If whatever machine you get uses a variable speed router rather than a brushless spindle then lower its running speed to one step below its max. Many aren't engineered to run continuously at their top speed.  Bearings may fail.  Brushes will eventually need to be replaced.  If it isn't easy then you'll want to keep a backup router on hand. Buy one on sale when you can. 

You'll need a strategy to clamp down the wood blanks your projects will be cut from.  Beds with t-track make that fairly easy, but you'll want to keep some scraps to use as spoilboard under your project boards so the CNC doesn't cut into the t-track. Cardboard from amazon boxes can be used. 

I started with an early CNC Shark from NextWave Automation.  I'm thinking they were $2500 or so then. I still have it but it goes generally unused in my garage.  I have a Probotix Meteor (GX2550) from probotix.com.   It's open frame design and t-slot extrusion frame makes available all sorts of potential for how you mount jigs/fixtures to it to hold your work to be cut.  Their new models have more Z-axis travel above the bed, a much stiffer gantry beam, and come complete with the PC/Monitor/Mouse and LinuxCNC controller ready to run save for plugging it all together.  You get an MDF bed though. Some drill and install threaded inserts in a grid array.  I personally chucked the MDF away and have my own t-track bridges that slide in the frame and can be positioned for any length/width of work that fits within the cutting area.  Their CNCs run $5k and up. 

 

4D

Thanks 4D for your your time & input. Appreciated! Hopefully @Karks13will return to harvest all the info & recommendations as well as provide an update.