[Nobetwo]

Hello all. I have decided to take the plunge into CNC woodworking. For the most part, I will be using the CNC to do geometric design replication for art and will need a larger CNC table to accommodate this. Being inundated with available information, I wanted to join a forum with CNC experts to help me make the best choice on my CNC machine and software purchase.

My budget for the CNC machine, accessories and software is $20K. I am leaning towards the Axiom Elite Series with Aspire software. I appreciate any help and advice you can give me. The new journey begins!

[he1957]

Welcome to the Forum!

Don't quite understand what you mean by "geometric design replication" but I'm guessing you want to make wooden carvings? Carving (as opposed to etching/engraving) is a relatively slow process that can take some time.

Haven't used an Axiom machine but having seen the AR8 Pro machine at a mate's place it looks like a nice sturdy machine and the work it had done was nice and consistent.

Be aware of the RichAuto DSP controls: these are quite a nice and somewhat easy to use hand control but limited in certain capabilities you might need if you mean "replication" to include probing objects to build point clouds. The DSP can not do this and also does not have parametric programming or MDI or conversational usage. They also do not connect directly to a PC to control the machine. You need to transfer G-Code files between the PC and the DSP typically using a USB memory stick and although not difficult it can be annoying when making minor changes.

Some Axiom models now include the UCCNC controls which might be better suited to your future needs.