[MajorTendonitis]

Guys I’m about to order a new Pro router table. I think a 4X8 would be a nuisance to work around in my garage, so I wanted to order a Pro4X5 .
4’ X axis with a 5’ Y axis .
I want the extra foot for tenons etc ,and think it will fit well in my garage . I was going to just order a 5X5 ,but am concerned about the gantry flexing ,as I wanted to keep it as stiff as possible.
At this point I’m only wanting to make 3D carvings and signs , but I may also want to try cutting out aluminium parts as well.

I am getting a quote right now , as I’m assuming it’s possible to get this size . I’m hoping the gear rack and linear bearing rails are all one piece and there’s no splicing involved with a 5’ Y axis ?

Does my idea deal sound like a valid one , or am I over concerned and should just order a 5x5?

[PapaLima]

If you can make room and afford it, get the biggest you can. I got the small 2’x4’ PRO because of space and wish so many times I had the 4’x4’ or bigger. I wouldn’t worry about flex.

[ger21]

I don't think you'd notice any difference between the 5x4 and 5x5.

Make sure you tell them that you want one piece rails and racks, and they should be able to do it. Don't assume they automatically will.

[MajorTendonitis]

If you can make room and afford it, get the biggest you can. I got the small 2’x4’ PRO because of space and wish so many times I had the 4’x4’ or bigger. I wouldn’t worry about flex.

I guess the nice thing being you can upgrade your machine to a larger size in the future if you want.
Ideally I’d like to go with a 4X8 and be done with it , but I know I’ll rarely require that big of an area .I’m pretty sure I could make it fit , and all the while I’ll be using the last 2 to 4 feet the majority of the time , and finding things are kind of tight in the shop.
My garage is 22x26 , but it’s fairly full already . I also have an 80watt laser engraver taking up space

[PapaLima]

I did just get a quote to extend mine but haven’t pulled the trigger. It’s one of the reasons I picked the pro.

[dgage]

I have a 5x10 I use for production of home theater subwoofer enclosures. The only issue I have with the machine is it doesn’t have an automatic tool changer but I would have had to pay $40,000 for that (Camaster Cobra) vs $20,000 for my machine. I can’t run the machine as fast as the $40,000 one but it cuts perfectly nice and accurate so it has more than paid for itself. I’ve even cut aluminum with it and it worked well though again I was running it nice and slow. Overall I’m quite happy with the machine and likely won’t upgrade for several years.

[PapaLima]

I have a 5x10 I use for production of home theater subwoofer enclosures. The only issue I have with the machine is it doesn’t have an automatic tool changer but I would have had to pay $40,000 for that (Camaster Cobra) vs $20,000 for my machine. I can’t run the machine as fast as the $40,000 one but it cuts perfectly nice and accurate so it has more than paid for itself. I’ve even cut aluminum with it and it worked well though again I was running it nice and slow. Overall I’m quite happy with the machine and likely won’t upgrade for several years.

Have you seen the cncdepot spindle with tool changer? It’s pricey but might be worth it and still well under a cobra. Changing bits is annoying.

I’m getting tooled up to try aluminum now.

[MajorTendonitis]

I have a 5x10 I use for production of home theater subwoofer enclosures. The only issue I have with the machine is it doesn’t have an automatic tool changer but I would have had to pay $40,000 for that (Camaster Cobra) vs $20,000 for my machine. I can’t run the machine as fast as the $40,000 one but it cuts perfectly nice and accurate so it has more than paid for itself. I’ve even cut aluminum with it and it worked well though again I was running it nice and slow. Overall I’m quite happy with the machine and likely won’t upgrade for several years.

I’m curious as to what the largest piece you make is cut wise. Would a 4x4 do it ,or you need bigger ? my friend is into pro audio ,and sometimes needs new bass bins . Not sure if a 4x4 will accommodate it though . I don’t really want to use indexing.

i can certainly se why you went 5x10 for subwoofer enclosures. What a dream that would be, but way to large for my garage

[dgage]

I’m curious as to what the largest piece you make is cut wise. Would a 4x4 do it ,or you need bigger ? my friend is into pro audio ,and sometimes needs new bass bins . Not sure if a 4x4 will accommodate it though . I don’t really want to use indexing.

i can certainly se why you went 5x10 for subwoofer enclosures. What a dream that would be, but way to large for my garage

I use void-free 3/4" plywood, which is primarily known and sold as Baltic Birch plywood and is sold in 5'x5' sheets. I bought the 5x10 as I wanted to be able to cut a pair of 5x5 sheets at the same time and since our most popular sub needs 2 sheets, it works very well. Other than that, I've also cut 4x8 sheet goods for signs, shop tables, shop cabinets, furniture, etc. And I've cut a few aluminum pieces as well though we may do more of that in the future if we start building subwoofer enclosures out of aluminum.

[dgage]

Have you seen the cncdepot spindle with tool changer? It’s pricey but might be worth it and still well under a cobra. Changing bits is annoying.

I’m getting tooled up to try aluminum now.

Are you using one?

I have seen it and researched it about a year ago but I couldn't find much feedback on it. I would definitely consider it but would also need to feel confident it won't get out of sync. So maybe the machine would need to rehome before changing bits to make sure the machine was in the location it expected to be. I've seen issues, especially with pieces that aren't held down well where the machine can be thrown off and not be in the location it should be. Pretty busy summer but maybe we'll look into it this fall. Thanks.

[MaxFrenzy]

Are you using one?

I have seen it and researched it about a year ago but I couldn't find much feedback on it. I would definitely consider it but would also need to feel confident it won't get out of sync. So maybe the machine would need to rehome before changing bits to make sure the machine was in the location it expected to be. I've seen issues, especially with pieces that aren't held down well where the machine can be thrown off and not be in the location it should be. Pretty busy summer but maybe we'll look into it this fall. Thanks.

Generally with ATC's, you home all on the machine when you start up for the day (if position has been lost) and then your tool holder locations are indexed off of that . Any other prior work coordinate offsets are saved and referenced from homing the machine as well. After that part, you don't need to home between tool changes or separate files to perform tool changes. As far as repeatability in an open loop system, you can actually get away with a pretty decent deviation in terms of picking up and dropping off a tool holder. Unless you crash the machine or run it to the point where you're losing position, an open loop ATC setup can work quite reliably.

[PapaLima]

Are you using one?

I have seen it and researched it about a year ago but I couldn't find much feedback on it. I would definitely consider it but would also need to feel confident it won't get out of sync. So maybe the machine would need to rehome before changing bits to make sure the machine was in the location it expected to be. I've seen issues, especially with pieces that aren't held down well where the machine can be thrown off and not be in the location it should be. Pretty busy summer but maybe we'll look into it this fall. Thanks.

Nope, I don't have one, but I am interested. I've emailed them with a few questions and they replied quickly and answered my questions. I've seen at least one guy on Instagram that has one and loves it.

I would think that after you home the machine, and use machine coordinates, changing tools wouldn't be a problem from a rack tool holder. An umbrella would be nice but I haven't seen one available. I believe Mach3 can store tool offsets but I haven't tried it. With the 2010 Screen set I probe the part and then the macros probe to a fixed plate which I imagine would also work with an ATC.