How well would an Ox or similar belt driven machine stack up to a Shapeoko 3? I’m looking for a small format laser engraver/light duty wood machine for indoor use (in a vented enclosure). My understanding is that belts are faster and generally better for engraving, is this the case? I have a Lead 1010, but it’s too big for my current needs and not very well suited to engraving. Looking for a design with a footprint of around 500x500mm. Anyone seen a build that might fit the bill?
You might contact the shop and see what they can do in the way of a belt driven Workbee in a 500x500 format. You should find this more than suitable for your needs. If you're needing to do this on a budget, trimming down and reconfiguring your existing 1010 with new plates and belts is also an option.
Thanks, are belts likely to make a significant speed difference over lead screws at this scale? I’m much more familiar working with screws
Screws move the gantry 8mm per full turn of the stepper motor. With belts that increases to 40mm or 60mm depending on whether you with a 2mm or 3mm tooth spacing on the belts (assuming a 20 tooth pulley). So yes, at the same stepper speed the difference is 5 to 7.5 times as faster. Speed however comes at the cost of resolution.
