[Gorilla83]

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to the CNC world having picked up my Probotix V90 table a few months back. Now that I'm fairly familiar with the machine and the software (Mach3 / VCarve Pro) I'm absolutely ready for a much larger / capable table. I do a fair amount of woodworking - signs, cabinets, speakers, furniture and so forth. My favorite stock being a speaker designer/builder is Baltic Birch in 5x5 sheets so I'd like a 5x10 table to accommodate those as well as the normal 4x8 ply material. My background is in IT/programming/comp sci and I have a fair amount of mechanical/electrical experience as well. I also have a fair amount of help handy from friends who are ME/EEs.

I've been looking hard at a custom CNCRP 5x10 'kit' but I'm also considering a mechmate build which look like a lot of fun as well. I have the plans and have been looking through them. I don't currently have a welder nor do I know how to weld but I'm always willing to pick up new skills for projects and/or find someone who can help. I have a brand new 12x32 shed/workshop which I had built just for my woodworking and to house the new CNC. I'm not in any huge rush to complete the project and want to do it right with no regrets. A 3 axis setup would do just fine for my purposes, perhaps with the option to add a 4th later on. I'm a big fan of the R&P setup with a ballscrew on the Z. I'd like to be efficient and will be using NEMA34 motors for sure. My budget for the build is a 6-8k target including table and all electronics. I'd like the ability to add a vacuuam table later on as well.

Any insight is very much appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Andrew
Thornton, PA

[roncruiser]

I don't know much about Mechmate, but based on good customer service and communication, I would recommend CRP. I haven't bought my machine yet, but CRP has been more than accommodating with my questions via emails. CRP even called me. I didn't expect that. That aside, unless anything changes in terms of size, my machine from CRP will be a custom PRO 5'x3'.

[Gorilla83]

I've only heard good things about CRP as well. I had emailed back and forth with Cory a few times on a custom quote and response time was excellent.

[roncruiser]

Not sure you're going to be able to stay under $8K total. It'll be close. I'm pushing $8k for my smaller machine with everything but the computer. I'll have to re-evaluate to bring down the price. According to CRP, the Nema 34 plug and play kit really bumped up my price.

[Gorilla83]

You're probably right. I'm about at 6k for just the pro kit with extrusions and shipping. I still need to build a table/base, electronics, dust collection, cable management, and spindle/vfd. Looks like this might be a 10k project before becoming a reality.

[ger21]

I would think that a Mechmate would be quite a bit cheaper, but a lot more work.

[Gorilla83]

I would think that a Mechmate would be quite a bit cheaper, but a lot more work.

There is no doubt there. The steel c-channel rails cost a fraction of the price of aluminum extrusions of the same length. The added labor of having to cut, grind, and weld is for sure no easy task. The mechmate does seem like a very solid and rigid machine though when completed and there are a lot of happy users out there.

I should have electric up and running in the new shop in another 2-3 weeks. By that point I'd like to have chosen a design so I can start constructing the base table.

[CarveOne]

Building the MechMate gantry at home is no small task. Two of my friends have jointly built a MechMate 5' x 10' machine. They ordered a gantry kit that was prefabricated by someone who does it as part of a steel fabrication business. My friends built the framework in a home garage. They have been very happy with theirs.

MechMate machines have a large following of builders worldwide. So does the CNCRP extrusion machines. Personally, I like the open flat top CNCRP design better for working with anything on the table top. It's easier to me than working down inside of a boxed in area. The vertical walls of the MechMate probably contains any flying debris better though. It's a personal preference that needs to be considered for your first machine.

[louieatienza]

Not only will you have likely to farm out the task of cutting steel plate for the MechMate, but you will also have to have parts precision bent. The CNCRP is as bolt-together as you can get for the mechanicals of a CNC. Also the CNCRP plans are open source, so you can buy the parts they sell and ger your own extrusions. Both machines have large followings. The CNCRP guys are frequent posters in the Forum as well...

[CarveOne]

One other MechMate issue I remembered is the V rails. Builders have come up with angle grinder fixtures that they use to make the V shaped edge of rails. That was one of the problems they had during construction. There is probably a supplier of those by now, at additional cost.

[Gorilla83]

I've been looking into grinding the rails on the mechmate as it seems to be the biggest point of trepidation amongst builders. They can be purchased pre ground, but the cost is quite a bit higher. There is also a vendor that sells all of the laser cut plates as a kit as well as motor brackets, bump stops, and pre machined bushings.

With that said, I'm leaning more toward the Extrusion based CNCRP kit at this point. I like the fact of not having to acquire steel and a welder and not having to move in each piece (heavy) into my shop. Is there any downside in rigidity with the aluminum? I will be building a substantial wood base for it soon.

Here's the plan at this point:

CRP custom pro kit to give me a full 5' x 10' cutting area (maybe a little more on the X just in case)

CNCRP Nema 34 DIY kit - with enclosure includes 960oz motors, gecko 201x drives, 48V 21A PSU

Custom built table - 4x4 or 6x6 based

80mm China spindle and VFD (maybe Hitachi X200)

Kent Dust shoe

Cable track management

[roncruiser]

I've been looking into grinding the rails on the mechmate as it seems to be the biggest point of trepidation amongst builders. They can be purchased pre ground, but the cost is quite a bit higher. There is also a vendor that sells all of the laser cut plates as a kit as well as motor brackets, bump stops, and pre machined bushings.

With that said, I'm leaning more toward the Extrusion based CNCRP kit at this point. I like the fact of not having to acquire steel and a welder and not having to move in each piece (heavy) into my shop. Is there any downside in rigidity with the aluminum? I will be building a substantial wood base for it soon.

Here's the plan at this point:

CRP custom pro kit to give me a full 5' x 10' cutting area (maybe a little more on the X just in case)

CNCRP Nema 34 DIY kit - with enclosure includes 960oz motors, gecko 201x drives, 48V 21A PSU

Custom built table - 4x4 or 6x6 based

80mm China spindle and VFD (maybe Hitachi X200)

Kent Dust shoe

Cable track management

This recent thread could give you a little information on defection. As my CNC router will have 60" of y axis movement. Also, based on a CNCRP PRO kit.

Regards,
Ron

[Gorilla83]

Ron - thanks for the link and thoughts. It looks like we should both be solid deflection wise on the Y.

Also to all - water cooled vs. air cooled spindle? Don't see too many here running without the water cooling. Thoughts?

[roncruiser]

My apologies. I forgot to include the thread in my last post:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/cnc_ro...ml#post1347390

[Gorilla83]

OK - aside from my dust collection setup and some odds and ends, the new shop is pretty much ready to receive the new CNC table. The more I think about it I really wouldn't need much more than a 5x8 cutting area. This would allow me to cut 5x5 as well as standard 4x8 sheets, as well as save some money and space in the shop.

I've pretty much narrowed down my choices to building a CNCRP kit or buying a used Shopbot Alpha.

Any reason to extend it out to the full 10 foot on the X axis? Leave additional room for a Z touch plate or something?

[ger21]

If you're not cutting 10ft sheets (or 10 ft parts), then there's no reason to have a 10ft table. I'd go a few inches longer than 96", though, maybe 99"-100". I'd want at least an inch extra on all sides of a 4x8 sheet.

[Gorilla83]

If you're not cutting 10ft sheets (or 10 ft parts), then there's no reason to have a 10ft table. I'd go a few inches longer than 96", though, maybe 99"-100". I'd want at least an inch extra on all sides of a 4x8 sheet.

Trouble is I'm not cutting anything in 10 foot sheets as of now, but am I missing any future opportunities? Long board/trim work? It's likely this is the machine I will have to (read: Wife approval) keep for a while so I want to have as few regrets as possible. At the same time I'd be happy to save a few bucks in the process.

[ger21]

We have a 5x12 machine in the shop I work at, and 99% of what we cut is 8ft long. The only thing we cut that's longer on a regular basis is solid surface, which comes in 30"x144" sheets.

[Gorilla83]

Thanks Gerry, good input. It seems like 8' is a good length to work with. I'd be happy to pick up those extra 2 feet in the shop.

[Gorilla83]

Going to start next week on building the base for my 5x8 machine. I'd like to use steel and funny enough I'm looking to learn to weld and work with rectangular stock as part of the project. Been taking a bunch of welding courses online and doing all the reading I can. I'll start my first 'practice' sessions this weekend at my dad's shop.

As a bonus - at the family's shop there are a bunch of pallet stands laying around that use 4.5x2.5" stock that I can use - freebies.