[Rover31]

1st post here, in advance thank you for your help! I am amazed at the amount of info I have found here!

I will be cutting and routing 3 to 5mm recycled plastic sheets. I think using 4X4 size table work space would be best. In the past I knew of a person doing that with very nice results. Unfortunately he is no longer available to ask advice from. I do know that he used vacuum plates and water irrigation on the cutting bit (a flood table I would assume). The edge results were very sharp and clean just what I need!

So I have been doing tons of research and cannot seem to find a clear answer, suggestions would be appreciated.

What machine do I need? what power on the spindle is desired? Could I build one myself from a kit?
Could I take a Plasma cutting table ( the kind that has the water table under it) and use it for the flood table? see below kit

I have found some great kits.
I found this company that has plasma and cnc kits, something like this,https://www.wrightmetalworks.com/collections/cnc-router-cutting-table/products/cnc-router-cutting-table


Thanks a bunch!
Something like this work? or do I just need to money up for a bigger machine?

[victorofga]

yes a machine with vactable you need
if you have job on hand then go for a ready machine
something like you can see on this link below

if you plan to using excassive water cooling.. then you need a tray and clamping option too

SALE CNC Router Milling, CNC Laser, CNC plasma machine, China, Servo Motor Drive, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Thailand

[Rover31]

Looks like a capable machine for the money.
Thank you for the pointer

[Rover31]

Looked it over again along with others there.
How about this one?
SALE CNC Router Milling, CNC Laser, CNC plasma machine, China, Servo Motor Drive, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Thailand

[victorofga]

that machine has only round shafts as rails.. you wont be satisfied

the problem is, you don't want round rails.. they are ""wobbly""
they working nice with sft materials and lower feedrates..

you need one at least with supported round rails or better square hiwin rails..

beyond that personally me , I prefer ballscrew better, but rack n pinion also works well..

look for this 2x3 machine, its already 5200 because it has decent rails

SALE CNC Router Milling, CNC Laser, CNC plasma machine, China, Servo Motor Drive, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Thailand

that 1212 the best bang, because you have the vacumtable option, tough you might don't need for all work
I cutting 12-30 inches channel letters, and a couple of screws hold down together the reynobond and acrylic, so I can cut with one setup..

before order any machine, sure check on rails and driving mechanism

saving money you might order with ncstudio a 3 axis machine
for me already two machine works with and I think very reliable

no tto mention the price
for ncstudio
pci card, breakout board 15 pin cable and program itself 40 dollar
plus 100 a pendant wireless

for mach3 the program itself cost more, a decent hardware card 150 for mach3 and a better a fast card alredy 350 or more..
plus a pendant for mach3 also 100
so eventually for mach3 you going to pay 450 versus ncstudio 150

[awerby]

It's unusual for a router to use water cooling. Most people cutting plastics do it with air cooling instead, using something like this: https://www.vortec.com/standard-cold-air-guns/overview

It's easiest to hold flat sheets down using a vacuum table, but that's not compatible with water.

[Rover31]

Thank you again for all of your great information.

How do you know that it has round rails? I look at the description and I can not see that info.

I agree the 1212 is a great value machine. Lots of features and performance for the money.

[Rover31]

It's unusual for a router to use water cooling. Most people cutting plastics do it with air cooling instead, using something like this: https://www.vortec.com/standard-cold-air-guns/overview

It's easiest to hold flat sheets down using a vacuum table, but that's not compatible with water.

I agree it is a complex issue but I do know it can be done. The finish edge on the plastics that I have from that process are very very nice.

[A1CNC]

Edge finish can be perfect with no coolant too. I machine all kinds of plastics, UHMW, Delrin, Polypro, etc.... One thing that helps immensely is to figure out what the best finish pass is. On some plastics I leave a .01" for a finish others .005". I don't use coolant often though sometimes you do need an air blast just to clear the chips away.

You didn't say what type of plastic though and that will make a huge difference on how fast how nice you can cut.

[Rover31]

Edge finish can be perfect with no coolant too. I machine all kinds of plastics, UHMW, Delrin, Polypro, etc.... One thing that helps immensely is to figure out what the best finish pass is. On some plastics I leave a .01" for a finish others .005". I don't use coolant often though sometimes you do need an air blast just to clear the chips away.

You didn't say what type of plastic though and that will make a huge difference on how fast how nice you can cut.

I will be cutting HDPE and recycled HDPE
I have been doing lots more reading, looks like I will have to try the dry method!
THANK YOU

[A1CNC]

Just as an example on HDPE,

.25" 2 flute carbide cutter, .125" deep, .25" wide cut 10k rpm 80"/ minute.
This is from Gwizard with adjustments made from past experience that I know would work on my machines. So this would be a roughing pass and the finish pass speed would be ~40" / minute depending on how the finish comes out on the 1st part.

[Rover31]

I would really like to be efficient and do all cuts/routing in one pass.
This is what I am trying to duplicate.
This is a smaller size machine than suggested by others here. Does anyone recognize it?
https://www.facebook.com/skadinordic.../533016169642/

[victorofga]

you asked

How do you know that it has round rails? I look at the description and I can not see that info.

because Chinese working of precast parts
means someone casting thoushands of, and they sell small companies the castings

that kind designed with shafts
others has a ""step"" on the machine side and those using supported round rails, or hiwin rails

I had first that kind and was very wobbly

could not take deeper passes

[victorofga]

in hdpe you can take passes as the diameter of the bit with one flute bits..

so a 1/8 bit takes 1/8 depth..
I just cutted signs of

need new bit to keep sharp edges without fusses

[Rover31]

Looking at the size of the vacume plates I purchased and the video I posted below, it looks more like a cnc mill not router table was used.
Something maybe like this?
SALE CNC Router Milling, CNC Laser, CNC plasma machine, China, Servo Motor Drive, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Thailand

What do the experts reveal?

[victorofga]

that has small table and more rigid, due the gantry is fixed and table moving

it is a good deal also, but I think you have to count on sheet goods, what is 4x8 feet
the 2x3 feet machine already small and quite aggravating to cutting sheets down to fit between gantry

he has also 24x24 inch sized, and that made of cast iron..

for plastic, a router with square rails is plenty good..

[A1CNC]

In truth for machining plastic either will work. It just depends on how much you want to spend and how much space you have for a machine. Even a Taig could machine plastic.

If you look closely at that video you can see the bit is cutting through a thin layer at the bottom that is holding the remaining stock aroud the outside of the parts.