Probotix

[bubbasnow]

Anyone having luck with these CNC kits?

[Eaglezsoar]

Anyone having luck with these CNC kits?

I know the creator of these if you are talking about the V90.
They work fine if all you want to do is wood but the cost is significant once you get
everything you need, about $1500 after shipping. If you have any plans to do
aluminum these are NOT the machine to get.

[Captain Starfish]

Are there any stepper driven spindle rigs that will work metal properly with non-geriatric feed rates?

I retrofit (including the driver board design and a fair whack of the software) a Hafco HM-10 (I think) vertical spindle mill for CNC but it bogged any time I tried to feed it something other than light plastic or timber.

Pulled all the gear off it and went back to manual, swearing that if I tried again it would be closed loop with decent geared servos or hydraulic drive.

[Eaglezsoar]

Are there any stepper driven spindle rigs that will work metal properly with non-geriatric feed rates?

I retrofit (including the driver board design and a fair whack of the software) a Hafco HM-10 (I think) vertical spindle mill for CNC but it bogged any time I tried to feed it something other than light plastic or timber.

Pulled all the gear off it and went back to manual, swearing that if I tried again it would be closed loop with decent geared servos or hydraulic drive.

To find one that will do aluminum you are looking more at the $5000 range or close to it. It takes a lot of torque to go through aluminum and those small hobby
machines just don't have it. I suppose if you set the depth of cut to something very small you could do aluminum but who wants to take the hours to machine a
small part? I have one that is 2' x 3' with Nema 23 motors and it also is limited to wood or something very soft.

[geneb]

You can use a machine that'll take a wood router (Bosch, DeWalt, etc), but for the best results and smallest runout you're going to want to use a 3 phase spindle. They run on a "VFD" or Variable Frequency Drive controller and are just awesome. They don't require 3 phase power at the wall.

g.

[Eaglezsoar]

You can use a machine that'll take a wood router (Bosch, DeWalt, etc), but for the best results and smallest runout you're going to want to use a 3 phase spindle. They run on a "VFD" or Variable Frequency Drive controller and are just awesome. They don't require 3 phase power at the wall.

g.

I had forgotten about those spindles. Thanks for reminding me. Those are indeed awesome.

[bubbasnow]

I suppose if you set the depth of cut to something very small you could do aluminum but who wants to take the hours to machine a
small part?

you just summed up a 3d printer...

[bubbasnow]

i would like the option to do some aluminum... what is a good alternative to probotix?

[Captain Starfish]

Another option for cutting metal is to look at that 4 axis delta rig but use an EDM head instead of a spindle. DIY, use a microwave oven transformer.

[Eaglezsoar]

Another option for cutting metal is to look at that 4 axis delta rig but use an EDM head instead of a spindle. DIY, use a microwave oven transformer.

I think you are speaking over the heads of most people, including mine when you start talking EDM heads powered by microwave transformers. Documentation available?

[Captain Starfish]

Spark eroder, basically an electrode which sparks onto the workpiece where you move it and melts out a tiny bit at a time.

Plenty of DIY out there on the interwebs if you're keen.

[bubbasnow]

I was looking at the x90, is the routers different between the x and the v?

[Eaglezsoar]

I was looking at the x90, is the routers different between the x and the v?

The X90 has 18" travel on x and y
The V90 has 18" travel on x and 12" of travel on y

[bubbasnow]

I was looking at the x90, is the routers different between the x and the v?

The X90 has 18" travel on x and y
The V90 has 18" travel on x and 12" of travel on y

right i saw the area was different, but you said it wasent good for aluminum.. so i would just need to pick a better spindle?

[Eaglezsoar]

I was looking at the x90, is the routers different between the x and the v?

The X90 has 18" travel on x and y
The V90 has 18" travel on x and 12" of travel on y

right i saw the area was different, but you said it wasent good for aluminum.. so i would just need to pick a better spindle?

Those machines just do not have the power to machine aluminum irregardless of what spindle you use. They are designed to cut wood
and plastics. I know you like the price but you would be wasting your money if you expect these low grade hobby machines to cut
aluminum. I am not an expert in this area but I have known the designer of these machines for many years and he sold the rights for his
design to Probotix and we have discussed exactly what we are talking about now - these machines are wood and plastic or foam only.
I wish I could tell what machine to buy that would do aluminum but I do not know. Perhaps there is someone reading this that has more
experience that could advise. It's too bad you don't live closer to NE Ohio. I have a 2'x3' CNC router that I built from a kit from Fine Automation
that I would let go for $500. With the appropriate spindle it can do aluminum. I have about $3000 in it but I have never used it and never will
because of various reasons but it is just to large and heavy to ship.

[bubbasnow]

i like this ones price

https://www.inventables.com/technologie ... shapeoko-2

but it is toooooo of a build area then i wanted.

so i should be looking for a 3phase spindle with VFD controller, and what size stepper motors?

[Eaglezsoar]

i like this ones price

https://www.inventables.com/technologie ... shapeoko-2

but it is toooooo of a build area then i wanted.

so i should be looking for a 3phase spindle with VFD controller, and what size stepper motors?

Nema 23 as the minimum size.

[brent]

right i saw the area was different, but you said it wasent good for aluminum.. so i would just need to pick a better spindle?

Those machines just do not have the power to machine aluminum irregardless of what spindle you use. They are designed to cut wood
and plastics. I know you like the price but you would be wasting your money if you expect these low grade hobby machines to cut
aluminum. I am not an expert in this area but I have known the designer of these machines for many years and he sold the rights for his
design to Probotix and we have discussed exactly what we are talking about now - these machines are wood and plastic or foam only.
I wish I could tell what machine to buy that would do aluminum but I do not know. Perhaps there is someone reading this that has more
experience that could advise. It's too bad you don't live closer to NE Ohio. I have a 2'x3' CNC router that I built from a kit from Fine Automation
that I would let go for $500. With the appropriate spindle it can do aluminum. I have about $3000 in it but I have never used it and never will
because of various reasons but it is just to large and heavy to ship.

cnc 2x3.jpg

[/quote]

Even if it is disassembled it'd be too large to ship? I'm in the market for a cnc, but I'm in NY.

[Eaglezsoar]

right i saw the area was different, but you said it wasent good for aluminum.. so i would just need to pick a better spindle?

Those machines just do not have the power to machine aluminum irregardless of what spindle you use. They are designed to cut wood
and plastics. I know you like the price but you would be wasting your money if you expect these low grade hobby machines to cut
aluminum. I am not an expert in this area but I have known the designer of these machines for many years and he sold the rights for his
design to Probotix and we have discussed exactly what we are talking about now - these machines are wood and plastic or foam only.
I wish I could tell what machine to buy that would do aluminum but I do not know. Perhaps there is someone reading this that has more
experience that could advise. It's too bad you don't live closer to NE Ohio. I have a 2'x3' CNC router that I built from a kit from Fine Automation
that I would let go for $500. With the appropriate spindle it can do aluminum. I have about $3000 in it but I have never used it and never will
because of various reasons but it is just to large and heavy to ship.

cnc 2x3.jpg

Even if it is disassembled it'd be too large to ship? I'm in the market for a cnc, but I'm in NY.[/quote]
It would take a few heavy boxes that I am unable to pick up. I am disabled because of a bad back that is inoperable. Don't want
to get into that here but trust me, I cannot pick up such a box.
I do want to sell everything for $500 but it has to be to someone local enough to pick the stuff up. You saw the picture I put up.
That is not my machine but mine is identical to it. I also have a Gecko Drive G540 Driver, 3 KL-9082PbF Drivers, 2 of the Antek Toroidal Power supplies,
Heavy duty tracks which consists of Hiwin AGR25 - (2) 4' with 2 blocks each (2) 3' with 2 blocks each (2) 14" with 2 blocks each.
Also included is a Harbor Freight Mill that still has the red grease on it because it has never been used along with the CNC kit for it.
I am getting rid of all this stuff because of my back. I cannot use the stuff so I've decided to get rid of everything for a price that is really attractive.
Probably would throw in a Harbor Freight 8" Lathe that has never been used. Almost forgot the new Bosch Colt router that I was going to use on the
CNC machine. I think there is 6 or 8 Kelinginc Nema 23 motors. Anyone interested has to travel to near Youngstown, Ohio and disassemble the stuff
enough to get it out of the basement and bring a helper because stuff like the mill is heavy and I cannot help. PM if interested and leave email or phone number. Link to be barebones kit without electronics- http://www.finelineautomation.com/produ ... router-kit
In April or May I am going to list all this for the same price on CNCZONE, there has to be someone living near me who has a need.
ALL OF THE STUFF LISTED ABOVE HAS BEEN SOLD!!

[626Pilot]

Those machines just do not have the power to machine aluminum irregardless of what spindle you use.

I don't know where he gets that idea, because here's that exact thing happening:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAra5f1Xj9o[/youtube]

I bought a Probotix Fireball Meteor. The build envelope is 36x50" (had to ask for that specifically, default is smaller) and it weighs about 450 pounds. It's still crated while I build a large, sturdy table for it, and figure out how many day laborers I need to hire to actually lift it onto the table. This particular router is shipped with a computer and control electronics, so it's turn-key. The other machines they sell require you to buy those things separately, although they give you a dropdown on the page, and are very good about answering support emails. I chatted back and forth with them for awhile about the lower end models (like the V90) before deciding to just get the biggest one I could afford. After dealing with companies that don't even answer their emails, or put the minimum possible effort into it, it's nice to work with a company that actively puts itself out there for you.

I also got a SuperPID v2 controller for the router, and a specialized PCB engraving spindle (zero runout) with a manual DC speed controller. The SuperPID will control any AC router to within a few RPM regardless of load, although some routers have to have a minor electrical change made to work with it. They will send pictures on how to do this if you email them with your router model. I got a DeWalt DWP611, which Probotix recommended above the other options.

[Eaglezsoar]

The Meteor looks like it has Nema 23 motors and is an entirely different category then the V90.
It seems to do a fine job on the aluminum. I still question the ability of the V90 and the under $1000
machines to do anything but very fine engraving on aluminum. The Meteor is a heavy duty machine,
the others from Probotix are more like toys in comparison but should work fine on wood.
You have a fine machine there but it did not come cheap which is what a lot of people want and I stick
by my original statement. The V90 and smaller are hobby machines designed for wood, the Meteor is
not a hobby machine.

[626Pilot]

There's a video of a guy milling a plate for a quad copter on a V90. He is using a Dremel tool, which will probably burn out before its time. It seems to have some pushback when it initially contacts the metal, but it cuts and drills alright after that. I don't know if it's workable for thicker metal.

For your price range you might want to consider a DIY solution instead.

[Eaglezsoar]

There's a video of a guy milling a plate for a quad copter on a V90. He is using a Dremel tool, which will probably burn out before its time. It seems to have some pushback when it initially contacts the metal, but it cuts and drills alright after that. I don't know if it's workable for thicker metal.

For your price range you might want to consider a DIY solution instead.

BubbaSnow is the one looking for one and wanting to do true machining of the aluminum with the V90.
He should look at the Meteor instead but he will be shocked at the price difference of a true machine and
the hobbiest level ones.

[bubbasnow]

comparing the meteor with the FLA-100 it seems cheaper to buy the FLA with nema23 and just purchase a spindle seperate

does anyone know of a good 3phase with vfd?

[Generic Default]

Sorry to cut into the conversation if this is slightly off topic, but are you specifically interested in the router-gantry type CNC machines or are you looking for the more traditional mills?

The routers/gantrys at the hobby level seem to only work decently for wood, plastic, and sheet aluminum. If you want to more complex shapes and mechanical parts you should consider a Sherline or Taig mini mill.