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Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Design Basics for CNC Router Cutter
As I mentioned in my “CNC Tooling Basics for Woodworkers” post and the introduction, there are
a lot of little details that go into the design of CNC end mills and router
bits. Only a few are important for most digital woodworkers, so, this is a
streamlined primer focused on the basic details you need to know when choosing
router bits and end mills for use on a CNC.
First, a diagram of the parts of a CNC
end mill or router bit:
Cutting Diameter is
the width of cutting part of the tool
Flutes are
the cutting edges along the side of the mill or bit
Length of Cut or
“LOC “is the length of the cutting area
Overall Length or
“OAL” is the length of the entire mill or bit
Shank is
the area of the mill that is clamped into the tool holder or collet.
Shaft Diameter is
width of the shaft
Helix Angle is
the angle of the cutters from the longitudinal axis
CNC Cutter Design Basics — Flutes
Flutes are the cutting edges you see
along the sides of CNC mills and router bits. In the case of the spiral router
bits meant for wood cutting, two flutes are most common. CNC mills can have
from one to six flutes, though two or four are prevalent.
So what difference does the number of
flutes on a cutter make? If you’re cutting wood on a CNC Router the number of flutes
matters quite a bit.
As a woodworker, you might think that
more flutes might result in a cleaner cut. After all, when it comes to saw
blades, usually more teeth or cutting edges result in a cleaner cut. But,
between the fast speeds that CNCs can travel, the higher RPMs that water-cooled
spindles achieve and the quantity of wood waste produced, more flutes are
usually not the best way to go.
When cutting wood on a CNC we’re
creating a massive amount of chips. The more flutes you have means more chips
being created per rotation; therefore the CNC has to travel much faster to
eject them. There’s even a calculable term for this called chip load (we’ll get into that at a later date).
But you need to know that the result of all those chips piling up is the cutter
gets hot because it can’t eject chips fast enough – so the material being cut
starts to burn and the bit overheats. It’s bad for the cutter and potentially a
dangerous situation.
Here’s the rule of thumb: More cutters
mean that the CNC has to run faster to eject waste and stay cool. Fewer flutes
mean more material can be removed per rotation when running a CNC at
slower feed rates. Feed rates on a CNC is a big topic in itself, but let’s take
a quick look at what kind of speeds I mean when I say “fast.”
A high-performance four-flute wood
cutting bit needs to travel at 1,800-2,000 Inches Per Minute (IPM) to work
properly. Only the fastest and most expensive top-of-the-line factory-level
machines using 10-20hp spindles can run that fast. At that speed, you stand
behind safety shields and just watch the CNC move around in an insane blur.
Even three-flute specialized cutters need to run 900-1,200 IPM – still
very fast but within the range of the best commercial grade CNCs. Two-flute
wood cutters happily run from less than 200 to 600 IPM — which is the real
world feed rate range of the kind of machines that a woodworker, smaller
professional shops or average cabinet shop CNC are able to achieve. I can tell
you from personal experience that it’s still way more than fast enough to do
the most frequent task CNCs do for a woodworker: cutting parts.
OK – now for some lessons learned. When
I started out I purchased several four-flute cutters thinking they’d give a
cleaner cut, but with the exception of a few specialized cutters, they just
don’t work for cutting wood on a CNC. Bits overheated. Cuts weren’t clean.
Chips were hot and slightly burned. It just never worked. Besides the ones I
tried, I’m now left with a number of unused four-flute mills in my collection
as a result of learning this lesson first hand. So, I use two-flute spiral
cutters almost exclusively for cutting wood and those are what I recommend. I’m
not the only one. Notable cutting-tool manufacturers such as Onsrud and
Vortex recommend two-flute mills for woodworking on the kind of CNCs we
typically use, too.
Other CNC End Mill Design Details
Helix Angles You
don’t need to worry about this too much except to keep in mind that the best
range for cutting wood are considered low helix when compared to metal cutting
bits: 22° to less than 30°. There are exceptions at both ends, but for the most
part, cutters intended for our use are within that range.
What about single-flute cutters?
They’re rarely appropriate for cutting wood on a CNC (there are a few
exceptions for specialized finishing bits). But for use on aluminum or
hard plastics, single flutes are most common. Special single-flute cutter
designs called O-flutes are the tool of choice in those cases.
So in short, the only realistic choice
for cutting wood on a CNC is to use cutters with fewer flutes. And that almost
always that means two.
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Can you use CNC end mills by Router Bits?
There are a lot of options when it comes to CNC
end mills, and router bits that work for cutting wood on a CNC. Shown at the
top is a high-performance end mill designed to cleanly cut wood at extremely
high speeds. Below that is a conventionally designed, coated CNC end mill. At
the bottom is a compression router bit designed to give you a clean cut at the
top and bottom.
What’s are the differences between a router bit & a CNC end
mill?
CNC Mills
There’s a lot of confusion about these
two terms. In general, it’s a difference of design and purpose. Most true CNCmills with high helix angles (a helix angle is
the angle between any helix and an axial line) are designed for cutting metal
inside coolant-flooded CNC milling machines (you’d likely find those in an
engineering or machine shop environment). But not all mills are used for
machining metal. In fact, CNC mills are designed for cutting all kinds of
specific materials in different working situations. You can find mills for
cutting steel of various types, aluminum, brass, plastics, polycarbonates,
carbon fiber, foam, plywood, composites and yes, soft and hard woods.
Another difference is that CNC mills
are sometimes longer than the bits you’d typically use on a router. It’s common
to find mills that are 3”, 4”, 6” or more. You’d likely never use really long
mills on a hand-held router, but on a CNC sometimes that extra length comes in
handy for deep-cutting, tight clearance situations. That said, for rigidity,
it’s always a good practice to use as short a mill as possible.
Can you use CNC end mills to cut wood on a CNC?
If the mills are carefully chosen the
answer is yes. I’ll get into more about mill selection later on, but I can tell
you that the first thing to look for is the number of cutters, or flutes. When
cutting wood, less is more. On the CNC Routers that you’d typically find in a
woodworking shop, two flutes are ideal.
Router Bits
Router bits are obviously designed for
the kind of routers that woodworkers use. Compared to an ordinary CNC mill,
notice that the spiral cutting edges on a woodworking router bit are closer to
vertical. Technically, their helix angles are shallower: 18°-30° compared to
30°-45° or more for an end mill designed for metal cutting. Also, notice that
there’s usually fewer cutting edges on router bits than on most CNC mills. Two
is most common. There are good reasons for these features, of course. Less
cutting edges allow router bits to remove a lot of wood quickly and to cut
cleanly.
Can you use router bits on a CNC?
Yes. If the router bit is able to
remove wood quickly in a high-load situation — remember, CNC Routers do their work
much faster than mere humans with hand-held routers. Many spiral router bits
will work fine for woodworking tasks on the kind of CNC machines that
woodworkers use: CNC routers. In particular look for two-flute spiral carbide
cutters. They’re the standard for this task. I use them all the time and
recommend them.
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Thursday, May 25, 2017
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
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To Locate and Set the Origin Points of CNC Routers?
In the first post in this CNC Router Skills series on
Origin Points, I emphasized how critical reference positions are for digital
woodworkers. When you’re working on a drawing in CAD, the origin point is at
the intersection of the X, Y and Z axis. All measurements — positive or
negative, begin at that point. By the numbers, that’s X=0,Y=0,and Z=0. It’s
from that position that the piece you’re cutting is positioned.
For accurate CNC Routers for
woodworking operation, Origin Points are extremely critical. Never more so,
than for digital woodworkers. The intersection of the X (red), the Y (green)
and the Z (blue) axises is the origin point.
The origin points on your CAD drawings and the material that
you’re cutting have to match. Several methods, tools and techniques make the
job easier.
As you’ll soon see, there’s a lot of
ways to do this. It’s a good practice to understand and be able to use a number
of techniques, even if you end up adopting only a few as your methods of
choice. The first challenge is setting the intersection of the X axis and the Y
axis on a board in relation to its position in your CAD drawing. We need to
establish an origin point on the corner of a board. There are a couple of
advantages to using a corner. For one thing, once you’ve found it, it can be
used as a reference point to accurately move your origin anywhere else you
might want to on the board. Second, if you’ve setup stops on the bed of your
CNC Router so that other boards will register to the same position, then you’ve
made it easy to mill multiple boards. For example, you could use four boards
and machine four table legs just as easy as one.
Because the wood boards we work with
usually have edges and corners, we’ve got a handy physical reference to work
with. Just like the intersection of the X and Y axis in your drawing, a corner
is just two edges intersecting at 90 degrees. That makes the corner of a board
a handy place to set your origin point.
The process is straight forward. Find
one edge, center. Find the other edge, center. Reset your machine to X=0, Y=0.
Though it sounds simple, it turns out to be an interesting challenge to
accurately put the center of your bit or mill over that edge. Fortunately, it’s
a well-known problem in the machinist world and a lot of thought has already
gone into this. The result is that there are several methods and tools to
choose from that deliver varying results. I have several on my list. Let’s have
a look.
Manual Methods
Use your eye. Sight along one side of a board and center the
bit.
By
Eye…
Look straight along one of the edges.
Get close to the corner of the board you’re cutting and line up your eye along
the edge and the center of the bit you’re using. Do the same for other axies.
With practice, you can get okay at this, but as you’d expect, this is just an
approximation and it’s not very accurate. If you have enough waste material
left on your board this might be good enough for a one off part. But, if you
need to repeat it may not be good enough. Here’s something better…
Using a known diameter bit, bring it to the edge of your
material until it just touches. Then raise the bit and move it one-half the
diameter of the bit to find the center.
By
Touch…
The idea is to move your bit right up
to the edge of the board you’re cutting until there’s no gap. This method can
work pretty well but it takes some time to make minute movements of your
spindle to get it just touching the edge.
Do this one axis at a time. The idea
here is to take advantage of a readily known measurement, the bit that’s in
your collet. A 1/4 “ or .250” bit for example. You move it along one axis until
by eye you’re close to the board. Then by moving .001” or .01mm at a time get
close to feel the bit’s just touching the board. You can check by rotating the
bit until you feel a tiny resistance. Once there, set the axis to zero. Raise
the bit above the board and then move 1/2 the diameter of the bit farther in.
In this case .125”. Then reset to zero. In practice, I find that this works
pretty well. But, I get even better results if I use a small flashlight behind
the bit to see the gap for final adjustments, or alternatively use a piece of
paper with a known thickness as a feeler gauge between the bit and edge. One
the paper moves when rotating the spindle by hand, you’re there.
Thanks to the machinist world, there
are tools designed for this specific job. Most are inexpensive and simple to
use.
Mechanical edge finders will move from their center position
once it touches and edge. Once it moves, you just need to raise it up and move
one-half the distance to find the center.
Use a Mechanical Edge Finder…
Edge finders are specialty tools that
you mount in your spindle or router that have a moveable piece held by a spring
that shifts slightly once you’re touched an edge. Just like the visual and
touch method, these tools also use a known offset based on the diameter of the
probe. Often this is .200 inches. Once you find an edge, then move .1 inches
and you’ve centered your bit. Edge finders come in mechanical form — where the
bottom of the finder jumps out once it touches and edge. And, electronic
versions where a LED light goes off once it touches. Unfortunately, the
electronic ones only work on metal. To run these make sure your RPM of you
spindle is set to the recommended speed. Typically this is 1,000 RPM. This may
not be possible if you use a router on your CNC Router. How well do these
probes work? With a little practice, pretty well, actually. Here are a few
examples…
Edge finders are not just for edges.
They can also be used for finding the center or hole. A task that comes up
frequently in digital woodworking. Here’s an example of how to do this…
Wigglers…
There are other types of mechanical
edge finders. One of the most interesting to use and watch are wigglers. Their
probes spin concentrically. Once they touch an edge they wiggle and spin around
dramatically. Just like offset edge finders they work well. Fun to watch in
action…
3D sensors…
Much revered in the machinist world are
the Haimer 3D sensors. Essentially, they’re super accurate calibrated dial
gauges that work in all three dimensions. As you’d expect with this kind of
precision German made instrument, they are expensive at $400-600 and up. The
results are typically within .002” to .004” accuracy. They are also very
versatile for calibration, tool setup and evaluating part accuracy.
On my wish list for fine-tuning a CNC Router and most of the fixed power tools
in my shop. Watch the videos below and you’ll see why.
Sometimes you want to set your origin point on
the center of a hole rather than on an edge of a board. There’s various methods
and other specialty tools available just for that purpose. Some of the above
tools can be used and there are mechanical center finders, but you also find
centers with an angled dial indicator or a centering microscope.
These tools and methods give you accurate
results. There are plenty of times when that level of accuracy is needed so
it’s important to have techniques and tools to help you find and set an origin
point. But, I’ve found that in working with a CNC Router day in and day out in
a woodworking shop that these processes can be a little slow. For that reason,
I regularly use a couple of quick techniques and new tools to find my edges.
I’ll get more into that in my next post on Origin Points.
As you can see, there’s a lot going on
when it comes to origin points and reference positions — in fact, entire books
have been written about this in the machinist world. This is about digital
drawings. This is about setting up the machine. This is about what you’re
machining. And, most of all, this is about methods of work and good practices.
If that sounds dull, I can assure you that it’s not. There are some incredible
benefits to using grids, jigs and fixtures based upon accurate zero points and
reference positions. With much to cover, I’ll come back to the topic often in
this first CNC
Skills Popular Woodworking series:
Origin Points. Below, I’ve already outlined several related topics that
you should know about, so I’ll be back soon.
Does CNC Router Woodworking Need Laser Beams?
Let’s begin with the rudimental and
basics for anyone that is new to this CNC Router field. CNC stands for Computer Numerical
Control, which extends to many different applications
but in most cases is used to describe a machine that is controlled by a
computer to remove small amounts of material from a larger piece of
material. Most of these machines use a spinning bit with sharp edges to
scrape away small slices of material in a very controlled fashion until
the desired final shape of the material is left. Through the use of computers
very precise shapes can be cut from almost any material.
A pioneering craft for the 21st Century.
Each generation, a new technology in
woodworking enables us to work faster, with more precision and more creativity.
Carbide-tipped bits and a whole new set of portable power tools, for example,
have improved how we work and what we build. For the next generation, CNC Router lasers may also be one of those tools that transform our shops.
I’m a young, 21st Century woodworker.
When Epilog, a maker of CNC Router lasers, asked me to try out the Helix , a
mid-size machine from the Legend Elite series, I jumped at the chance. What can
it do? How does it work? How far can I push it? Dozens of questions came up.
I’ll introduce you to what I found, but one thing I’ll tell you up front: There’s
way more to this technology than meets the eye. After days of experimenting, I
only scratched the surface.
What is a CNC Router laser?
To understand a CNC Router laser, think
of it as having two components. First, there’s the CNC Router (computer
numerically controlled) part. You’re probably familiar with CNC Router machines–they’re
common in factories, and are making their way into small woodworking shops,
too. In woodworking applications, a CNC Router usually controls a router. OK,
let’s replace that router bit with a highintensity beam of light–a laser.
That’s the second part of the machine.
Consider a CNC Router laser as a type
of printer. A computer program moves the machine’s head. But the head shoots a
laser, instead of ink.
What can a CNC Router laser do?
A CNC Router laser’s beam essentially
heats and vaporizes the wood it contacts. By adjusting the intensity of the
light, you can determine the depth that it cuts. Usually, the waste is just
reduced to smoke, but when the laser is set on high, you may even create a
small fl ame!
You can fine-tune the depth-of-cut
however you wish, but think of it as having three levels: shallow, medium and
deep. They correspond to three diff erent applications: engraving, relief
carving and pattern cutting.
Lots of folks have bought a CNC Router laser
for engraving things like nametags, keychains and other quickly personalized
trinkets. It’s a great small business–there’s one in virtually every city in
the country. You can copy your own images or download them from the Internet.
Basically, any image that can be digitized can be engraved.
Cutting deeper into the wood with a
laser creates a three-dimensional effect, similar to low-relief carving. The
laser is extremely precise. You can create very intricate patterns, perfect for
medallions, awards, moldings or any design that will embellish a project.
Cutting deeper yet, you can go all the
way through a relatively thin piece of solid wood or plywood (up to 3/8"
on the Helix I tested). You’re not making images anymore–you’re making shapes.
Lasers are commonly used to make wooden clock parts, dollhouse furniture,
models, 3-D animal sculptures and more. For workshop applications, you can use
a laser to create extremely accurate plywood templates, based on CAD drawings,
for shaping parts on a router table. You could also use a laser for intarsia,
marquetry or scroll-saw patterns.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
There’s a wide community of Epilog users online (www.EpilogLaser.com),
supported and encouraged by Epilog to push the boundaries of what a laser can
do. If you buy a laser for woodworking, or rent time on one, consider yourself
a pioneer. Many applications have yet to be discovered!
How does the laser work?
The Epilog’s laser tube is located in
back of the machine. The beam of high-energy light passes through a series of
mirrors and lenses to a CNC Router-controlled head, which moves in an X/Y plane
(Photo 1). The head moves in a totally sealed and safe compartment containing
the workpiece.
The Epilog interfaces with your
computer much like a printer. After you’ve set up your project in Corel Draw,
the software included with the Epilog (which can be used with a wide variety of
graphic-editing programs), you hit print and bring up a print driver screen,
which Eplilog refers to as the dashboard (Photo 2). The dashboard is where you
make your adjustments. The most important are speed (how fast the laser moves
over your material) and intensity (how strong the laser is, and how deep it
will cut). Once you’ve zeroed in on your settings for a particular project, you
can save and recall them at any time.
What does the Epilog require?
On the hardware side, you’ll need a
computer to run the Epilog. You’ll also need an exhaust system, to remove
particulates and odor from the machine’s exhaust (Photo 3). Most users in a fi
xed installation opt to exhaust the fumes out of their shop with a hose or
ductwork, but portable fi ltration units are available for mobile applications
(like shows and fairs). Most lasers and fi ltration units only need 120-volt
circuits.
On the software side, the Epilog is
designed to empower even a novice computer user to get started creating
quickly. You don’t have to be an expert! Having grown up in the information
age, that part of the operation didn’t faze me, but I was surprised to see how
easy the software was to use at its most basic levels.
Types of Epilog lasers
Epilog has two lines of lasers: Zing
and Legend Elite. The major diff erences between the lines are capacity (the
size and depth of the bed), power (expressed in watts) and resolution (dots per
square inch).
The Zings are entry-level lasers with
smaller beds and lower-power, capable of cutting through 1/4" wood.
The Legend Elite series lasers have a
larger capacity, more powerful beams capable of cutting through wood up to
3/8" thick. Legend series lasers can also engrave at a faster speed than
the Zings.
Both lines of lasers have a
repeatability of ±.0005". Zing series machines engrave up to 1000 dpi; the
Legend series goes up to 1200 dpi.
The Helix I tried out has a 24" x
18" bed, a 60-watt laser. The exhaust system we used is about $3,000.
The bottom line
An Epilog is an investment, no doubt
about it. But it can be the foundation of a profi table small business or the
tool that propels your woodworking to an entirely new level. To fi nd out more
about laser woodworking, contact your local Epilog distributor. He can probably
locate an Epilog in your area and help you contract some work or rent some time
on the machine. After seeing how quick and easy it is to personalize a project
or engrave an intricate design, you just might catch the laser bug. Our
photographer sure did–he achieved some remarkable results (Photo 4).
So if you have plans to become an old-fashioned carpenter, you
might want to stem those plans and aspire instead to become a new-fangled
"carpentry engineer," "material-based designer,"
"plastic master," or whatever fancy title the user of CNC router
machines will own.
Monday, May 15, 2017
What Benefits Could Small Shops Get From CNC Routers
Why does Every Craftsman Need a CNC Router?
Is a CNC Router Necessary for Every
Craftsman?
Here’s a glued-up leg and apron assembly
for a sofa table being milled with a CNC router.
Here’s the big picture: A CNC is a
digitally controlled router that cuts from its highest to its lowest point in
three dimensions over the entire area of its bed. What would any woodworker do
with that capability? It turns out you can do quite a lot. Below are some of
the things I use a CNC for in my woodworking shop. Obviously, these are simple
examples and they’re also potential topics for future articles and blog posts.
There’s a lot to cover.
Owning a CNC router would have been
unthinkable for a small woodworking shop just a few years ago. The high cost of
these remarkable machines meant that CNC routers were out of reach for all but
the largest operations, but recent cost reductions have meant that even do it
yourselfers can have the power and versatility of a wood router. A CNC wood router
can be a great investment, especially if you want to produce high quality
signage. With such a machine the user can input almost any design into the
software program and produce intricate engravings, three dimensional effects,
and even pictures of people or animals that are incredibly life like.
Some woodworkers just don’t believe in
using CNC routers. They believe that someone who cuts and shapes parts
with a CNC router is not a craftsman, and has little or no connection with the
materials he or she uses. As someone who began his woodworking career with a
strong interest in hand tools, I can understand this point of view. However, my
time in the woodworking industry has taught me that proficiency with CNC
routers requires more creativity and skill than most people probably realize.
Pattern Cutting
As mentioned before, I’ve been using a
CNC to cut patterns for a long time using an outside CNC services to do the
work. It works great. If you’re willing to do the needed 2D CAD or even Adobe
Illustrator drawings, I can’t recommend it enough. Perfect patterns.
Material Preparation
I flatten and surface boards that would
be too awkward or large for a jointer. I thickness plane boards that can’t
fit through my planer. CNCs have been a great tool for working on
large slabs of wood.
Use the Built-in Precision
I take advantage of CNCs high level of
precision for certain needs. Even simple tasks sometimes need precision. For
example, if I need a series of holes that need to be precisely laid out and
sized, the CNC sometimes does this better than other techniques.
Part Making
Part making is probably the best use of
a CNC in a woodworking shop. And it’s a straightforward process once you learn
how to do it. I regularly use a CNC to cut wood parts, except for the rectilinear
parts — if you have the tools, it’s just easier and faster to use
a table saw and miter saw for parts with straight lines. The results from
cutting CNC parts are even more accurate then I’ve gotten with patterns
and shaping. And, because the tool is machining a rigidly held board, I can cut
even the most delicate of details without breaking the wood. Bonus: sometimes
the CNC is a great assistant. While the CNC is cutting parts I can be working
on something else.
Details
The CNC has been great for adding
details to woodwork. I use what’s referred to as engraving routines to add cove
cuts, bevels, grooves or other precision detail that normally might have to be
carved into parts. Certainly hand tools can do this but there are some
situations where the added precision and control is a real advantage. It’s also
a great tool for adding lettering, figures to panels and other carving details.
Joinery
I use a CNC for some kinds of joinery
that would be difficult to do accurately in other ways. I regularly use two
techniques/tools for mortise-and-tenon joinery (Leigh FMT or Domino) and
sometimes a mortiser. As great as these tools are, sometimes they can’t
accurately put a mortise right where you need it. On the edges or ends of a
board is usually not a problem. But, in the middle of a larger surface is
challenging. The CNC puts a joint anywhere you like. That’s very handy.
Another example of how I use a CNC as a
joint making tool is a kind of a twofer. If you’re already using the CNC to cut
parts that ultimately need mortises, why not just cut the mortises at the same
time?
Finally, a CNC router offers the
potential for kinds of joinery we’ve never seen before. No matter the tool or
method, we’ve been doing joinery pretty much the same way for thousands of
years successfully. The value of millennia of experience is that we know
exactly why and how joints work and why they can fail. The point is we
understand the engineering. So let’s apply what we know and maybe rethink the
entire of idea of joinery. The possibilities are exciting and it’s something
I’m seriously exploring.
Jigs and Fixture Making
I regularly use a CNC for making jig
and fixture parts. It’s particularly handy if you need dedicated clamp cauls
for an unusually shaped project or other task-specific tools.
Plywood Cutting
I know it’s a strange topic to bring up
on a woodworking blog but sometimes plywood is a very useful material.
Cabinets are obvious, but there’s a lot of other things you can make out of
sheet goods, particularly if you have a CNC handy. I’ve made, chairs, stools,
tables, tool boxes and all kinds of things with plywood. Parts are joined
together with a whole range of joints developed for the task that pretty
much snap into place. And, there are great plans out there for CNC owners. Many
are free and well designed.
Cutting Materials Other Than Wood
I had never cut aluminum or plastics
before I got a CNC. Now I use it to machine aluminum for jigs that need metal
parts. Same with polycarbonates and plastics. Depending on the machine’s rigidity,
many machines can cut soft metals. I have friends with CNCs that use them to
cut brass or aluminum parts for furniture. As you can imagine cutting metal is
not the same as wood. You use different procedures, tooling and
techniques.
Carving
I regularly use a CNC to add features
that would normally be carved by hand or done with elaborate jigs or router
setups. It’s great for tasks like carving a seat for a stool or a chair,
tapering a bevel or a progressive round over the length of a table leg, for example.
Many things are possible if you can work in 3D in CAD software and have CAM
programs that support 3D operations and learn how to carve with a CNC.
Next I’ll explain how I accomplished
certain woodworking tasks before I had a CNC and what’s changed since.
wood CNC router
CNC router machine
CNC Router 4 axis
CNC Router 3 axis
cnc router
5 axis CNC Router
Small Shops Are Eager to Use CNC Routers
How Could You Fit a CNC Router into Your
Shop?
Is Your Shop Sufficient for a CNC Router?
In the back of your head, you might be
thinking that one day it’s possible that you might add a CNC Router to your
shop, then you’ve got a lot to think about.
This Laguna IQ 2’x3′ CNC Router, like others in this class, is well designed and
engineered for small-shop digital woodworking.
If you’re at the point to where you’re
at least thinking about the idea of adding a CNC Router to your shop, then
you’ve likely done some research. If that’s the case then you’ve certainly
noticed there’s a huge range of sizes and prices of machines to consider.
With CNC routers from as small as 12” x 18” to as large as 5’ x 10’ in size,
and prices from a few thousand dollars up to the stratosphere, there’s a lot to
think about.
Owning a CNC router would have been
unthinkable for a small woodworking shop just a few years ago. The high cost of
these remarkable machines meant that CNC routers were out of reach for all but
the largest operations, but recent cost reductions have meant that even do it
yourselfers can have the power and versatility of a wood router. A CNC wood
router can be a great investment, especially if you want to produce high
quality signage. With such a machine the user can input almost any design into
the software program and produce intricate engravings, three dimensional
effects, and even pictures of people or animals that are incredibly life like.
There is a way to narrow down the
choices quickly. That’s to keep in mind that – more than any feature,
or level of performance, or price – it’s the size of the CNC that directly
determines the kind of things that they can best be used for. So I encourage
readers to think beyond those flashy 3D carving demos that every manufacturer
has and consider some of the practical things that you might use a CNC for.
The smallest machines that are suited
for detailed carvings and small project work might not work quite as well for
furniture projects if your intention is to use it for cutting parts. The larger
machines are designed around cutting full sheets of plywood but may be too big
to fit in your shop. So whether you’re driven by need, space or cost, the best
solution for many woodworkers needs is likely somewhere in the middle.
Over time, I’ll cover different sizes
and classes of CNC machines from less expensive tabletop machines all the way
up to bigger, fancier, and thus pricier, solutions. But that’s a lot to cover.
Since I can’t do it all at once, a good place to start is at the intersection
of size/function/price where I think a lot of woodworkers will be most
interested: CNC machines that are large enough for a broad range of
hobbyist/small shop furniture projects. They also happen to be around the size
of a table saw and priced just above a fancy one. That makes them a nice fit in
home or small professional shops that are typical of many Popular Woodworking readers.
What size of CNC am I referring to?
Machines that are in the range of 24” wide by 36” to 48” long. A machine of
this size is well-suited for cutting parts for the majority of furniture
projects that a serious hobbyist would likely to build. The smaller machines in
the range could be used to make guitars, parts for smaller cabinet projects, 3D
carving details, many furniture parts, stools, chairs and just about any kind
of shop project or jig you could come up with.
Keep in mind that with any CNC there
are ways for even smaller-sized machines to work on larger projects, so they
can definitely work as well as the larger size. It’s just easier to start with
enough length to begin with; that extra foot makes the 48” of some models
a plus for longer furniture parts like dining chair backs and some cabinet
pieces. And, as a division of 4’ x 8’, a 2’ x 4’ CNC is a natural for plywood-based
projects.
In this size range, there are at least
a dozen candidates including machines from ShopBot, Shark,Automation Technologies, Legacy CNC Woodworking and more. Plus, there are a handful of
companies that produce quality kits like CNC Router Parts and
the wonderfully designed Grunblau Platform CNC. Over time, I hope to look into these
and other CNCs in more detail.
For this article, I’m going to focus on
a specific group of machines that are very similar in terms of design,
engineering, and choice of components. These are the machines made by Laguna Tools, Powermatic and Axiom Precision. I’ve
had the opportunity to use two out of the three on CNC projects, so I’m
familiar with their capabilities and have had a close look at the third.
Between their components, specifications and construction, they have much in
common and much to like. So, let’s have a look.
What’s in a Class?
These are the features that make this
24″ x 36″ to 24″ x
48″ class special – and give digital
woodworkers a lot to like in a package sized for a small shop.
- Z
height of 6” or more
- 3hp
water-cooled spindles
- Linear
rails for smooth guidance
- Ball
screws for precision motion
- Stiff
frame and gantry for strength and accuracy
- A
simple pendant controller
You certainly make a valid point. Beyond learning to live with the
technology that’s part of digital woodworking, for many hobbyists there’s the
issue of the cost of entry into this world. I don’t have an easy answer but I
can offer a couple of observations.
When it comes to the price of the equipment itself, time and market size
is already having an effect and will continue to do so. Just a few years ago,
quality machines in this class and performance would have been $12K-$16K,
easily. For them to drop to this range in such a short period is certainly an
indication that the market is growing quickly, more manufacturers are getting
involved, common core components like linear rails, ball screws, spindles, etc
are more prevalent. And, because machines like this are just as desirable for
another group of CNC users known as “Makers” expect the prices to continue to
drop.
The one caveat I’d make is though mechanically CNCs are somewhat simple,
compared to other fixed tools like a shaper they are much more complicated with
a demanding precision build and the added electronics. So, it’s hard to imagine
them falling to that range. But, over time, closing in on the price of a tool
like a Saw Stop Industrial table saw seems possible.
A second thing to take into perspective is that many home woodworkers
invest quite a lot of money into equipping their shops. I’ve heard all kinds of
industry estimates, from a few thousand to many thousands on average. But let’s
just say that it’s an impressive amount. For some woodworkers, particularly new
ones, a CNC may be an alternative to some of the other expensive fixed
machinery in a shop. Like any tool or approach to the craft, the choices you
make all depends on what you want you to do with your hobby and how you want to
do it.
Finally, there’s another way to go if cost is the critical factor. As I
hinted at in this article and will get into more detail in the future you could
choose to build your own machine from a kit. There are some good ones out there
that are well thought out, well spec’d and quite attractively priced.
Then there are also other alternatives to fixed CNCs. The Maslow CNC for example.
And, the very impressive Shaper Tools Origin that will debut this fall. They
don’t have all the benefits of fixed tool CNCs, but they do come with far less
cost and still keep most of the good parts of digital woodworking.
With all that said, all the machines in the group in the article are well
designed, engineered and executed. For many digital woodworkers including some
home hobbyists in small shops, these CNCs offer a lot to like in ready-made
solutions. Like the best table saws, shapers, planers, and bandsaws, these are
good tools.
wood CNC router
CNC router machine
CNC Router 4 axis
CNC Router 3 axis
cnc router
5 axis CNC Router
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