Hi,
Apologies for the long post, but I'm brimming with questions.
I've seen lots of postings here that have just served to befuddle and perplex me. I'm looking for recommendations for a specific system, kit, or plans for a DIY kit. The trouble is, I haven't come across anyone making stuff similar to what I have in mind, so I don't feel like I have good direction.
I have worked as a professional 3D artist in the games and entertainment industries for many years (I use tools like FormZ, Rhino and Maya -- see www.wagstaff.info) and I'm fascinated with the prospect of producing some of my 3D designs as physical objects. I also have some ideas for small-scale production -- mom-n-pop-shop objects to produce and sell on ebay, etc. I have an intuitive sense of how 3- and 4-axis mills move from all of my modeling experience, but no idea what their physical capabilities are in terms of cutting different types of materials. The manufacturers seem to all claim omnipotence, so I tend to distrust everything they say.
I have looked at TAIG, MAXNC, and Sherline, Roland and more expensive variations of what appear to be similar turnkey mills, but they have recieved very mixed reviews. On the other hand, I can't handle anything much bigger than 400 lbs -- don't have the space or degree of committment required -- and I don't actually know if bigger machines have the precision, RPMs or finesse to do my mostly very-small-scale projects. I'm game to cobble together a system from readily available parts, but my objective is using the machine, rather than blissing out on building it, and I would probably prefer either a turnkey system or to work with a kit someone else has engineered. (I should add that my budget's somwhere around $3,000). If I do purchase a kit and a machine, like an X3, can I add a 4th-axis table and expect it to work?
Here are some specific things I'd like to be able to do:
4-axis cutting of wax, nylon or aluminum objects up to 5 inches cubed with alternately very smoothly curved finishes (see attachment) or highly detailed bas reliefs (not undercut).
Infrequent, but precise cutting of 2D hole patterns on sheets of 4 x 16 x 1/8" aluminum (mounting/face plates for 3D render servers).
Frequent 3-axis cutting of hemispheres, half-cubes, and other simple shapes -- requiring very smooth finishes - in blocks of graphite (up to 10 x 8 x 5 inches).
Precise, high-quality engraving of jewelry patterns in wax and silver (rings, findings, etc. -- the last two are for my wife, who is a glass artist)
Some specific questions:
For these types of small/light work, how big is big enough?
What's the right range of motor RPMs for this mix of materials?
Is there a compelling reason to shell out $$$ for servos, rather than steppers?
How many oz/in is enough when talking motors?
There's a confusing mess of controllers out there. How do I make sense of them? What works for my needs?
What software do you recommend? (I've already got a modeling pipline -- I need to find software that will efficiently convert my solid or surface models to the required machine code for me).
Thank you thank you thank you for any help!
Sean