[jingles]

I have been looking till I am blue in the face for a cnc router, say about a 2'x3' working space on a shoe string budget.
I am up in years age 72, am a retired sign painter and would love to get into the routing field. I am on fixed income,
have little money and it looks like I just can't find anything to fit my income.
Anyone have any suggestions?
Perhaps there is someplace I have overlooked.
I want to stay away from the Chinese stuff as there are things lost in translation, a long time to get replacement parts
and a real hassle for the import fees, taxes and other red tape.
Can anyone help?

[handlewanker]

Hi Dude, if you want to go local, expect to sell the family jewels just to get something that is old and worn out, probably home made and made from imported Chinese parts....you can't win on that score.

However, if you decide to rob granny's tin box under her bed for about $1,500 you won't go far wrong if you look at the 6040 routers on Ebay.....Chinese made and by all accounts a lot of bang for the buck.

6040 means it has a table of 600mm (2 feet) long by 400mm (16") wide, a good little starting point.

The usual method, lacking the ready, is to sell some of your "treasure" and re-invest in whatever tickles your fancy.
Ian.

BTW, I'm also in your age bracket, but with a trade background so the interest for me is to keep the marbles working and amuse myself.......too old to want to make money even if it was for free.

Google 6040 on UTUBE and see what the other guys have to say about the 6040 models........don't under any circumstance go for one with Acme thread screws even if it's dirt cheap.

[Jmhx2]

You didn't mention your budget, but I really like the fireball v90 by probotix. They are located in michigan, I think.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2

[jingles]

Thank you mate, any and all information is greatly appreciated.

[zool]

Since you are a retired sign painter..try visiting a modern sign shop..one with a CNC machine.

Bet there is a modern sign shop that would be thrilled to have someone like you around and would share a lot of knowledge with you.

One item to be aware of, the machine is easy, it is the software that takes all the effort.

Start learning CAD and CAM first, then the machine controller software.

To start I'd suggest CAD=> SketchUp ..its free; CAM=> CAMBAM .. first 40 uses are free..also looks at OPENSCAM as it shows the machine tool path.

For the machine controller there is MACH3 runs 150 lines of code free [I think that is still correct??]

Also there is the linuxcnc route. I have not tried this, but there are many that swear by it.

There are many other fine CAD & CAM packages that others like .. software is a very personal thing based on the way you conceptualize 3-dimensional space and how you react to the software menu, as well as the intended use...

[aarggh]

Handlewanker's right, there's nothing on the market that approaches the value of the Chinese 6040's with anywhere near the same level of robust construction. The blue controller these are supplied with are garbage, but the ones from Carving cnc are believed to be good.

But regardless, even allowing for replacing the controller with a Gecko G540 is still very cheap, and will result in a great machine!

cheers, Ian

[aarggh]

I see this bloke in OZ has his 6040 on Ebay, with a day and a half to go, it looks like it may go quite cheap:

6040 CNC Router | eBay

cheers, Ian

[handlewanker]

Hi Ian, PM me with a price for your 6040.....I might be in the market if this one is going to go cheap...... what could I lose.

I assume this EBAY offer has ballscrews and not Acme threads which would explain why it is going cheap.
Ian.

- - - Updated - - -

[handlewanker]

Hi, I just noticed in the 6040 on EBAY you posted, it appears to be an older model, probably at least a couple of years.

The Y axis rails, under the table that the gantry runs on, are not supported type, but are just fixed into the end plates with screws.

All the current models have the Y axis rails as supported type screwed down to the bottom rail.

Also the spindle motor is the old type with brushes....the latest designs have water cooled 24,000 rpm spindles.

I expect the blue control box is the old type too and as that was full of trouble in practically all the older models it would have to be replaced.

The current models all have ballscrews, so if this model has Acme drive screws, that starts to make it a not very desirable item to have to upgrade, even though the current models are selling for $1,750 delivered.

The photo of the model looks a lot like the 3040 design, right down to the brushed motor and unsupported Y axis rails, but a bit bigger all round.

Personally, based on the apparent old design, I'd give this one a miss.
Ian.

[victorofga]

the lowest you can get in the country.. I believe kelinginc has..

CNC Router Keling Technology Inc

but this also Chinese.. and many part built into machines... comes from china, Taiwan and many other countries..

my very private opinion, don't buy under 24x36 machine.. the 6040 I think about 2000 til it gets your door.. or more..
if goes over 2000 then it falls to custom..
a 24x36 start somewhere 2800... for this you have to add the custom fee if private import then about 150 plus a broker fee..

parts? small replacement like a spindle or controller parts takes a week.. for me a pendant came 4 day..
also in California already several warehouse has parts..


edit:

ians link I believe the 3040 and """mistakenly"" listed 6040..
to starting with.. really a deal.. you buy it and use it..

3 Axises Linkage CNC 6040 Router Engraver Machine Drilling Milling CK | eBay

to start you wont find cheaper..

one more you can try cncrouterparts.. they have kits.. but again, the control, a spindle will takes up itself least 800-1200..

[aarggh]

Hi Ian, PM me with a price for your 6040.....I might be in the market if this one is going to go cheap...... what could I lose.

I assume this EBAY offer has ballscrews and not Acme threads which would explain why it is going cheap.
Ian.

- - - Updated - - -

Hi Ian, I'd have to check on the ballscrews to be sure as I packed (sprayed with lanolin and shrink-wrapped it to protect it) the machine away not long after I bought it because of fairly major renovations. So it's "unobtanium" for a while till I clear stuff.

I'm pretty sure though it's 3 rolled/ground ballscrews and nuts. Mine also has the proper 0.8kw spindle and VFD. I'd be including the complete 3 axis Blue Box controller along with a new wrapped spare axis. I won't be including the G540 I wired up, I made some new cables/connectors for hooking up the G540, so that I didn't need to cut into the existing wiring, these I'll throw in. I'll also throw in a good quality (ex-telecommunications so very good!) 48V 6A power supply so if you buy it you can immediately hook up a G540. And of course the little pump which I never used. There's also a box or so of new cutters/bits that can go with it.

I think around $1200 all up would be more than fair. Especially as it's ready to run with a G540, or can be easily altered for another controller, and I figure there's enough people that still persist in buying the blue box controllers, that could be sold for a reasonable amount to off-set the cost.

As I said though, I have most of my stuff packed away because of reno's, and simply can't get to some stuff for quite a while. At least a couple of months or so, unless I really get motivated!

cheers, Ian

[aarggh]

the lowest you can get in the country.. I believe kelinginc has..

CNC Router Keling Technology Inc

but this also Chinese.. and many part built into machines... comes from china, Taiwan and many other countries..

my very private opinion, don't buy under 24x36 machine.. the 6040 I think about 2000 til it gets your door.. or more..
if goes over 2000 then it falls to custom..
a 24x36 start somewhere 2800... for this you have to add the custom fee if private import then about 150 plus a broker fee..

parts? small replacement like a spindle or controller parts takes a week.. for me a pendant came 4 day..
also in California already several warehouse has parts..


edit:

ians link I believe the 3040 and """mistakenly"" listed 6040..
to starting with.. really a deal.. you buy it and use it..

3 Axises Linkage CNC 6040 Router Engraver Machine Drilling Milling CK | eBay

to start you wont find cheaper..

one more you can try cncrouterparts.. they have kits.. but again, the control, a spindle will takes up itself least 800-1200..

I don't know about Keiling being the cheapest around, the ones on ebay are commonly quite cheap. Also, the Keiling one closest to the 6040's is the 4530, which is 12" x 23" work area roughly. Just the machine chassis, steppers, and a router mount, is just under $1000. From memory when I last looked at the shipping it was around $600 or thereabouts. So no controller, power supply, spindle/VFD, etc, and it's not very cheap at all. I'd also like to see the construction underneath the t-slot table, as I can't tell if the t-slot is what helps hold the frame together, or if it's a solid frame construction like the 6040's with the T-slot bolted on top of the frame?

With the auction I linked, the guy did confirm it was a 6040, I think maybe the angle of the shot, or the crappy, bulky spindle maybe made it look smaller?

All in all the 6040 still is by far the best value, aluminium frame construction cnc machine in this class on the market. Even allowing for scrapping the blue box controller.

cheers, Ian

[jm82792]

CNC Router parts has a good frame.....

[victorofga]

ian

I was meaning counting on domestic, usa sellers.. many customer prefer to buy from usa seller even they know its coming from china..


ebay prices are so low that no one around world could beat them..

[beachcnc]

CNCROUTERPARTS.com has an great design...the new Pro model was just released......

[gio666]

ian

I was meaning counting on domestic, usa sellers.. many customer prefer to buy from usa seller even they know its coming from china..


ebay prices are so low that no one around world could beat them..

That's not true at all. there is a lot more than looking at pictures. Take for instances the pictures you sent me of your machine, It didn't have bearings on ballscrew. It held by the motor? Something you will never see here. Motor don't take any kind of axial or radial load. list can go on and on

[handlewanker]

Hi all, I see the EBAY 6040 Ian posted went for just a bit over $1,000.....I think for that price I would have paid the $1,700 currently for the latest 6040 with water cooled 24,000 rpm spindle.
Ian.

[handlewanker]

Hi Ian, I'd have to check on the ballscrews to be sure as I packed (sprayed with lanolin and shrink-wrapped it to protect it) the machine away not long after I bought it because of fairly major renovations. So it's "unobtanium" for a while till I clear stuff.

I'm pretty sure though it's 3 rolled/ground ballscrews and nuts. Mine also has the proper 0.8kw spindle and VFD. I'd be including the complete 3 axis Blue Box controller along with a new wrapped spare axis. I won't be including the G540 I wired up, I made some new cables/connectors for hooking up the G540, so that I didn't need to cut into the existing wiring, these I'll throw in. I'll also throw in a good quality (ex-telecommunications so very good!) 48V 6A power supply so if you buy it you can immediately hook up a G540. And of course the little pump which I never used. There's also a box or so of new cutters/bits that can go with it.

I think around $1200 all up would be more than fair. Especially as it's ready to run with a G540, or can be easily altered for another controller, and I figure there's enough people that still persist in buying the blue box controllers, that could be sold for a reasonable amount to off-set the cost.

As I said though, I have most of my stuff packed away because of reno's, and simply can't get to some stuff for quite a while. At least a couple of months or so, unless I really get motivated!

cheers, Ian

Hi, Sounds good......give me a PM when you're ready to trade......LOL......I still have to find out what G code is for.

BTW, what area are you in......I'm in Melbourne, southern suburbs.
Ian.

[wizard]

Seriously if you have budget issues the only way I can see a router in your future is to build it yourself. This can save you huge bucks depending upon how good your scrounging skills are and how much you can use that is already in your house. People have built machines out of MDF, pipe and other stuff. These aren't machines for precision work but may be passable for sign making or to use to build a better machine.

Done right you can start with a wood machine and use it, with other shop tools, to build a better machine. However a wood router would likely do fine for sign making anyways so there is little need to rush to a better machine. In any event there are numerous sites where guys go through the build of their router. Some are innovative and others just canned copies of existing designs.

As for the Chinese machines you have real concerns. They are just as much a DIY project as a full blown home build. As other have already mentioned you would likely have to replace the motor drivers and probably the router itself. For manymthe big attraction is the frame of the machine, which can be seen as a bargain. However you still need to be familiar with all of the ins and outs of international business or go with a USA based reseller. In the end it is probably still a lot more money than a DIY.

[aarggh]

If money is such a problem, then any form of CNC is going to be an issue. It's not exactly the cheapest form of hobby around. Even building one, and even allowing that in the States parts and materials are way, way lower in costs than in OZ, you're still up for quite a bit in rails, bearings, drivescrews, mounts, power supply, BOB, drivers, steppers, etc, etc. Not to mention the massive time involved in actually building a machine that ultimately will be a cost and reliability/performance compromise.

So far as buying Chinese machines, i'm yet to see the 6040 beat by any other vendor in the world for the same robustness and build quality. The only issue with them is the crap controller, but considering you can get them for between $1500-$1800 inc international delivery, and they come with a proper spindle and VFD, as opposed to a mount for a wood router, bang for buck they are the best value around. Even allowing the cost of the replacement G540.

I'm not sure what you mean by Chinese machines are as much a DIY as a self built machine, that makes no sense to me whatsoever, as once you've checked the flatness or squareness, of the table, and wired up the G540, which only takes an hour or so, they only thing left to do is start using the machine. And if the time spent building a machine from scratch is meant to be equal to buying a complete machine almost ready to go, you only need to look around the forums here to see that argument definitely doesn't stack up, as the vast majority of first time builders here start a machine, only to never finish it, and end up buying a machine like a 6040, or the other multitudes of people who end up spending a year or more doing it, when they though it would take a month or two. There's very few threads here for people who built there machine, and had it up and running satisfactorily in a short period, and most of these people did this as part of their job or business.

With the point of dealing internationally, as it's Paypal there's no difference between buying a game, a an electric shaver, or a cnc machine, the worlds a small place these days and borders mean nothing in the marketplace now. The only thing you want to do is avoid any additional customs fees for yourself.

cheers, Ian