Has anyone repurposed the OX Plates into something other that the OX Belt Drive CNC Router assembly. After purchasing a set of the original OX Plates when they first came out. I decided to go with a C-Beam Plate Maker XL. Anyways I have a full set of the plates and am wondering if anyone has repurposed them into a CNC Router Lathe Configuration and am looking for Inspiration as I would like to make Custom Balusters and or Pool Cues. Any ideas or thoughts on the process would be greatly appreciated.
You could make a long narrow Ox with only Z and X(or Y) travel and then have your Y (or X-whichever you choose) be a rotary axis in between the two beams. In other words, have your spindle be fixed in the center between the two plates. I have a post processor for rotary grbl for Vectrics V-carve (or other vectric software). Vectric makes it easy. LEAD Lathe
Thanks for the inspiration. I was wondering, at least until I seen the results of whether or not I should incorporate a manual adjustment of what would be the Y-Axis when cutting along the X-Axis for cutting Tapers. But at least the question of whether or not to align my cutting action on the Centerline or Off to One Side has been answered.
If you plan to make a lot of them of different, or custom styles, I would strongly recommend VCarve Desktop or VCarve pro software if you do not have it already. It is crazy how easy they made doing this stuff. I use Vcarve desktop because I figured I would never need to cut a leg or baluster longer that 24 inches (VCarve Desktop's limit). For pool cues, you may need longer. Basically, I design (or modify) something in Fusion 360, save it as an .stl file and import into Vcarve and generate the tool paths there. It doesn't matter how large or small because Vcarve can scale it to your work piece. I can take a model off Thingiverse, and within about 20 minutes be out and getting the machine ready to cut. I may try to cut this Chewbacca Tiki to hang on my fence tomorrow on the regular CNC mill. I just need to find some wood thick enough. My neighbor had to take down three 180 foot tall yew trees that had been standing dead for several years so the wood is already seasoned. I may bug him for some thick slabs.
I have VCarve Pro as well as Fusion 360 and Solidworks Student Edition. I pretty much anymore don't bother with Fusion 360 if I can help it because I swear at least once a year they'll change the GUI and you'll have to unlearn and relearn how to use it. I'm slowly but surely learning how to use Solidworks which to me Fusion 360 seems like a novice software. If you don't mind the $70 a year for Solidworks Student Edition, then you'll be good to go for as long as you need it.
I am actually thinking of upgrading to VCarve Pro. I am really curious about Aspire, but $$$... If I were earning money with this thing, I would consider it.
As a registered user of VCarve Pro since version 3.5 I will freely admit that in hindsight I would sooner have gone with Multi-Axis Deskproto over VCarve Pro as Aspire wasn't even available when my original purchase was made. I have tried Enroute and it was a total waste of money. Fusion 360 originally was a great find, but due to constant changes in its Graphical User Interface. I rarely use it anymore. I was able to get a Student Copy of Solidworks with CAM for $70 U.S. a year that though not great for the creation of 3D files such that could be used with a CNC router. The abilities that it does present more than offsets its value. Deskproto Multi-Axis will and can does things that Aspire users can only Dream Of.
