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IndustryArena Forum > Other Machines > CNC Wire Foam Cutter Machines > 5 axis vs 3 axis DIY for $3000? Art Student, Foam Sculpture
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    3

    Lightbulb 5 axis vs 3 axis DIY for $3000? Art Student, Foam Sculpture

    Hi Everyone.

    My art school offers a 2" deep CNC service, where we can cut multiple parts and then glue them together to make sculptures.
    It's pretty expensive though (200-500) for a sculpture, so I'd like to invest in my own machine.

    Is there ANY chance I could build a 4 or 5 axis unit for under $3000?

    Any tips on a 3 axis unit? I was looking at the 'Joe Cnc', but maybe that's overkill for foam?

    Thanks for any advice

    -B

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    5728

    Re: 5 axis vs 3 axis DIY for $3000? Art Student, Foam Sculpture

    I believe you could build a pretty good 3-axis machine for $3000 (USD, not sure about Looneys), that wouldn't be limited to 2" depth. Adding a 4th axis would probably cost a bit more, but not too much. Going to a 5th axis gets it out of your price range, if only because the CAM software will cost more than your budget. I wouldn't worry about "overkill" - you're probably going to want to cut harder things than foam sooner or later. And the "Joe's" design is somewhat dated at this point; keep reading build logs to find better ones.

    If you build your machine from scratch, you can save money, but it requires a fairly well-equipped shop and some skills. Otherwise, think about building from a kit, like one of these: Benchtop CNC Machine Kits | CNCRouterParts or these: CV Supply (205)999-1744
    Andrew Werby
    Website

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