[MasonAtom]

Does anyone out there have any opinions/experience with Velox CNC routers? I've been communicating with the owner about having him build me a custom machine. I believe the owner is the brother of the guy who owns K2 and the machines seem rather similar. I've been very impressed with his willingness to answer questions and write up quotes, so I feel like his customer service is probably very good. The general use of the machine would be for wood cutting and carving, some plastic sign making, and possibly cutting holes in 0.05" aluminum sheets.

I'm looking at something like this, only with one shorter axis.

Just looking for opinions if anyone has experience dealing with them.

Thanks,

Mason

[trdprotruck]

I'm actually local to the company, stopped by their shop and placed an order for their 4x4 kit. They seemed pretty knowledgeable and were more than willing to answer all of my questions. I was going to build the table myself by going with the kits from CRP or FLA, but it seems like the preassembled kit is going to give me alot less setup and assembly trouble since it is all prebuilt minus electronics.

[MasonAtom]

So I bought a Velox and it arrived yesterday. Set everything up but haven't tested it yet. Really impressed with the apparent quality, especially considering the great price Ron gave me. I'll post some unboxing pictures when I get a chance. Will report once we start testing it out.

[Bowman]

Any updates on your new machine? I am waiting with much anticipation to hear your impression.


Bo

[cts519]

I just bought a Velox CNC Router. So far, I'm very impressed by the quality of the build and service they provide.

I hope to provide updates as I go through the purchase and setup process.

Velox is about 30 minutes away, so I had a chance to meet with Ron the owner and check out the machine. The only other CNC router in the same price range I was able to see in person was the CNC Shark Pro at Rockler. Night and day difference between the two. Velox hands down is the far better build on many levels.

More later...

[Bowman]

Cool cts519 I look forward to getting your opinion of the machine. It does appear to be well designed. I am looking for something soon and have several things in mind.

I just bought a Velox CNC Router. So far, I'm very impressed by the quality of the build and service they provide.

I hope to provide updates as I go through the purchase and setup process.

Velox is about 30 minutes away, so I had a chance to meet with Ron the owner and check out the machine. The only other CNC router in the same price range I was able to see in person was the CNC Shark Pro at Rockler. Night and day difference between the two. Velox hands down is the far better build on many levels.

More later...

[cts519]

Bowman,

The machine is set to arrive on Thursday at my house. I'll post more then.

I'm in the process of building a table and getting some new bits/collets for the Bosch 1617 router.

One thing to note is that they have quite a few CNC machines in their shop. Not relics either. Reassuring to know that parts are made on quality machines. I'm going to ask if I can take some pics of the shop next time I am there to see the progress of my build.

Cool cts519 I look forward to getting your opinion of the machine. It does appear to be well designed. I am looking for something soon and have several things in mind.

[amowry]

Does anyone have any other info on Velox? I just spoke to the owner, and his brother (at least I believe this is what he said) owns K2 CNC, so I'm guessing they know what they are doing. The prices look extremely reasonable, which always makes me a little nervous

[cts519]

Amowry,

You should be a little nervous. I feel the same way. This purchase is big bucks for me and my family. The jury is still out, which is why I am posting my experience here. I'm not holding anything back.

Personally, I don't care who is related to who. What I was looking for was design and quality. If you think about it, there are only a few designs you can do when building a CNC router. I prefer the acme screw design because most of my parts are going to be small and travel speed is not an issue (not that acme is slow). Their anti-backlash design looks solid.

As for there prices looking reasonable, they know they have to create a reputation. Small companies have to be competitive somehow and make themselves attractive. They also have to earn their reputation one customer at a time.

I told Ron, the owner of Velox, that I would post here. He was happy to hear that I did. It is good advertising. He also knows that he is accountable too For other consumers, it provides an insight into the product and the company. I hope it is a win-win for everyone.

In case anyone is wondering, I have no relation or personal interest with this company.

That said, if anyone has something they want me to inspect or provide information on, please let me know.

Thanks, Chris

[amowry]

Thanks for your reply, Chris. I'll be interested to hear how the machine works out for you.

[cts519]

deleted - duplicate post

[cts519]

Delivered and operational.

Building a workbench/enclosure this weekend for sound and dust containment.

This is the 2"x4" model, but the workspace is actually larger. They call it a 25"x50", but it is even larger than that based on the dimensions.

My initial impression is that the build quality is excellent. Very happy with the service received as well.

I'll post again after I have done test cuts. Build quality and service don't matter much if the machine doesn't work well.

Stay tuned...

[cts519]

I finally got around to getting some test cuts of some composite aluminum 3mm panels. So far, the performance of the CNC router has been excellent. Low feed rates until I understand the limits of the machine.

I chose a Bosch 1617 EVS router along with some high precision collets. Judging by the quality of the cuts, including the Onsrud bits, are a great combination.

One thing that impressed me is that the unit came calibrated properly. I have used a micrometer to check dimensions and they are surprisingly accurate out of the box. Velox spent some time tuning this machine before I received it...and it shows.

Not much else to talk about at this point. Smooth sailing so far. In this case, no news is good news. I'll be in full production in the next few days. I'll report back again in about a week with another updated.

Best, Chris

[MasonAtom]

Just remembered that i started this thread but didn't follow up on it yet.

So far so good with the Velox. Ron made me a special design with a travel size of 18" X 36" to accomodate my shop space. I have been using it a lot to make cabinetry for guitar amps with very good results. It seems very precise, is easy to use, and the build quality is excellent. I've machined some plastics with it, and done a bunch of pcbs (well, I guess I should call them RCBs, right - routed circuit boards?). Everything I've done on it has come out great, except for one thing...

I've been cutting some 0.025" anodized aluminum sheeting (for control panels for guitar amps), and I've had some difficultly in getting the thin sheet to lay flat. If it pops up a little off the board, the cutout ends up a little warped/not straight. This is more a problem with how I've done my setup than the a problem with the Velox machine though. It hasn't had any problems cutting holes or making outlines in the aluminum.

Anyone have any recs on how to hold down thin aluminum sheet? I have read where some people lay a thin sheet of playwood over it and just mill through that. I've tried double stick tape and it sorta kinda works, but not really.

Also, any recs on good endmills for cutting thin aluminum? I have read that 2-flute is better than 3- or 4-flute for aluminum. I used a 1/8" end mill from precisebits and the chips jammed the bit and basically ruined a piece for me... guess I need to read up a bit more on feed rates and RPM.

Mason

[johnohara]

Any of you guys own a camera?

~john

[safaridog]

I spoke with Ron alittle bit today about his machines. Im planning on picking up either a 2x3 or 2x4 depending on the true foot print( I have to do some measuring). Since this is my first turnkey machine have you guys been pretty satisfied so far? Anything I need to consider before ordering?

Dennis

[cts519]

A vacuum table or tape is needed for thin "floppy" materials. Also, I HIGHLY suggest single flute up bits from Onsrud. I cut aluminum composite daily and the finish is excellent and does it in 1 pass quickly. I would avoid the precise bits products for aluminum. I'm assuming you are talking 6061-T6 too.

My leadscrews along the bed are getting covered with material. I do not run a shoe yet, but that should solve that. Other than that, the machine has worked well and repeatability has been good.

FYI - I built an enclosure with plywood walls and they have done a great job to control debris and noise. Highly suggested. Even the thin luan doors cut noise significantly.

Just remembered that i started this thread but didn't follow up on it yet.

So far so good with the Velox. Ron made me a special design with a travel size of 18" X 36" to accomodate my shop space. I have been using it a lot to make cabinetry for guitar amps with very good results. It seems very precise, is easy to use, and the build quality is excellent. I've machined some plastics with it, and done a bunch of pcbs (well, I guess I should call them RCBs, right - routed circuit boards?). Everything I've done on it has come out great, except for one thing...

I've been cutting some 0.025" anodized aluminum sheeting (for control panels for guitar amps), and I've had some difficultly in getting the thin sheet to lay flat. If it pops up a little off the board, the cutout ends up a little warped/not straight. This is more a problem with how I've done my setup than the a problem with the Velox machine though. It hasn't had any problems cutting holes or making outlines in the aluminum.

Anyone have any recs on how to hold down thin aluminum sheet? I have read where some people lay a thin sheet of playwood over it and just mill through that. I've tried double stick tape and it sorta kinda works, but not really.

Also, any recs on good endmills for cutting thin aluminum? I have read that 2-flute is better than 3- or 4-flute for aluminum. I used a 1/8" end mill from precisebits and the chips jammed the bit and basically ruined a piece for me... guess I need to read up a bit more on feed rates and RPM.

Mason

[peterm]

Ordered one a few weeks ago. From what I saw at their shop the stuff is really well built. I have a thread up ready for some pictures!

[cts519]

My 4x2 is available for purchase if you are in Southern California. Email me at [email protected]

[roncruiser]

My 4x2 is available for purchase if you are in Southern California. Email me at [email protected]

I am in SoCal and I'm looking into Velox as well. Why are you selling? I'm curious?

Thanks,
Ron