CNC Router is Using One Head as a Carving Machine
cnc
engraving machine
engraving machine
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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