Looking to purchase laser or router engraver

[XxWoodsHunterxX]

Need some insight to good options for engraving. So I have some extra money and thought I could start a little side business with a CNC router or laser engraver. Not only looking to do gun stuff but other little projects as well. Nothing extravagant just something I can deep engrave guns or etch some mags and so on. So if any of you are in the business and don't mind helping me out I'd greatly appreciate it.


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[Peter.Steele]

Build your own.

www.hobbycnc.com for the controls, and google JGRO router for the router itself. You'll probably spend about $500 or so, if you already have a dremel or a suitable router.

[XxWoodsHunterxX]

Build your own.

www.hobbycnc.com for the controls, and google JGRO router for the router itself. You'll probably spend about $500 or so, if you already have a dremel or a suitable router.

Any idea of the ones on eBay for same price any good they say made in USA but not sure look just like the ones in the hobbycnc plans


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[Peter.Steele]

The ones from hobby CNC aren't exactly plans. They're kits. You get a PCB and all the parts, you just have to solder it together. You'll have to scrounge a transformer (I got mine from Marlon P Jones & Assoc for ~tenbux) and an enclosure. The soldering is very, very easy to do, and it doesn't take long at all.

... of course, I still haven't actually finished building the router part of it yet ... but it's looking like I might not have to, as my company may allow me to help them "dispose of" their old one.

[smird]

If you're going to build one do yourself a favor. Go with a Gecko g540

http://www.geckodrive.com/geckodrive-step-motor-drives/g540.html

Costs a bit more but they make life so much easier

How big of a working area do you want? What is your budget?

[XxWoodsHunterxX]

If you're going to build one do yourself a favor. Go with a Gecko g540

http://www.geckodrive.com/geckodrive-step-motor-drives/g540.html

Costs a bit more but they make life so much easier

How big of a working area do you want? What is your budget?

Working area maybe max 24x36" should be more than enough. Just doing smaller object parts mainly working with receivers and possible automotive parts. And the occasional honey do stuff from the wife.

What is special about this board compared to the rest?


Charles

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[Peter.Steele]

Working area maybe max 24x36" should be more than enough. Just doing smaller object parts mainly working with receivers and possible automotive parts. And the occasional honey do stuff from the wife.

What is special about this board compared to the rest?


Charles

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It's pre-assembled and it's known to be good quality. The stuff you get on eBay that's preassembled is usually pretty much a coin flip as to whether it's any good or not.

[smird]

The product and support are great. Mariss the owner really knows how to take care of his customers. He spent about an hour one night one the phone with me diagnosing a problem with my system that wasn't even related to his product.

If you are going to rely on the machine to run your business I would go with the higher level components.

By the way make sure you visit http://cnczone.com if you haven't already.

[XxWoodsHunterxX]

The product and support are great. Mariss the owner really knows how to take care of his customers. He spent about an hour one night one the phone with me diagnosing a problem with my system that wasn't even related to his product.

If you are going to rely on the machine to run your business I would go with the higher level components.

By the way make sure you visit http://cnczone.com if you haven't already.

So what's a solid starter platform around $1000 or less I have nothing so I'd start from scratch no programs no tooling. But looking to spend around $1000 on just the unit.


Charles

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[smird]

You're not likely to find something for that price, in the size you want.

I have one of this guys machines.

http://www.zenbotcnc.com/

There's some Chinese ones on ebay that people like.

I would look into what software you're going to use and make sure you can use it comfortably. Before you spend the money on the equipment.

You have your cad software if you're going to do any 3d modeling. Or your 2d engraving software.

There's software that will generate the G-code(sometimes built into the above.)

Then there's the software that will control the machine. Most hobbyist use MACH3 http://www.machsupport.com/

Just for fun here's a couple videos of one of my machines running.




Dust collection is a good idea

[XxWoodsHunterxX]

You're not likely to find something for that price, in the size you want.

I have one of this guys machines.

http://www.zenbotcnc.com/

There's some Chinese ones on ebay that people like.

I would look into what software you're going to use and make sure you can use it comfortably. Before you spend the money on the equipment.

You have your cad software if you're going to do any 3d modeling. Or your 2d engraving software.

There's software that will generate the G-code(sometimes built into the above.)

Then there's the software that will control the machine. Most hobbyist use MACH3 http://www.machsupport.com/

Just for fun here's a couple videos of one of my machines running.




Dust collection is a good idea

Exact size I want what you have. What size and model Is that. What spindle are you using? And finally what is a reasonable price 1500? For a unit like yours. I was honking of using that Mach 3 since it has a lot of features and add ons along wit the gecko controller.


Charles

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[Peter.Steele]

You're not getting **** for $1500 in that size range, unless you build it yourself.

The one that I'm (hopefully) getting from work, the left-over used machine? Used, without all the options that this one has? It's in about this same size class as Smird's posted above, with utter **** software and controller ... and you're going to pay ~$18,000 for one of them.

[XxWoodsHunterxX]

You're not getting **** for $1500 in that size range, unless you build it yourself.

The one that I'm (hopefully) getting from work, the left-over used machine? Used, without all the options that this one has? It's in about this same size class as Smird's posted above, with utter **** software and controller ... and you're going to pay ~$18,000 for one of them.

Awesome


Charles

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[smird]

That's the 1624(16"x24"0 I don't see it on the website but mine has the built in g540 controller, limit switches, e-stop and cable carriers.
It was $1735.
I have the Hitachi M12vc router for spindle about $115.00
Mach is $175.00
Figure another $200 for basic tooling and hold downs.
I've added a 4th axis, don't remember how much it cost.
I can look it up if you need to know.

It's an OK machine not great. It's a step above home brew. Little things like the table is not perfectly parallel with the cutter, make it a bit more difficult to use, but still workable. But no where near something like a K2 but they are like $8000.00 for a similar size.

I think I spent about $3000.00 for my Taig CNC mill many years ago.

I put about $4000.00 into my Harbor Freight mill conversion. But the controller was WAY over built. I planned to but it on the Bridgeport I had.

I run Artcam for my cad software. It was like $7000.00 many years ago.
I'm quite a few releases behind.

Not a cheap hobby

[smird]

Oh somewhere around here I have most of the pieces and parts to put together a really heavy duty 4' x 4' router or plasma table.

I should have it done in