Oh and I'm open to good suggestions on what to tell my wife when she asks "What does it do?" and "Why do you need one of those?" next time. Ryan, I too have been faced often with your conundrum, not just from my wife but many friends and relatives. The question is worthy of an honest answer but also one that stimulates an understanding of why there is no simple answer. Sooo...I answer with another question. "Do you have a hammer?" "Well, of course!" "What are you going to do with it?" Other than to just knock you on the head a CNC router table is like a hammer in that it has so many uses that not all of them have been thought of yet. It is an imagination machine. A dream machine. But, just to keep a modicum of peace in the family I recommend after saying the above that you follow with a few examples or you'll just get an unsympathetic stare. All best wishes on a fantastic build, Mark
I have the same problem with my wife - I say "If you can imagine it, I can create it"; I had the same discussion over a 3D printer (I now have 4!). Now I want to work in something stronger. The build looks good and has convinced me that my first CNC machine will be similar. Andy
"Oh and I'm open to good suggestions on what to tell my wife when she asks "What does it do?" and "Why do you need one of those?" next time." I asked my wife the same questions about her... and then the fight started.
I used to despise being put on the spot with questions about what does it do, what are you going to make with it, and the all too telling what can it do that you can't do by hand. I learned to love all of the skeptical questioning I received after I put professional looking products in their hands as gifts. That's when they realized I really wasn't playing around or just blowing money on something useless. It shuts em right up. I still find it difficult to describe in simplicity. The vastness of their capability is a mouthful that can be difficult to spit out all at once. As of lately I've come to recognize that's the reason I built it to begin with. It's a stepping stone into injection mold making, sand casting, layered fiberglass forms, aerobodies, precision parts and brackets, 3d printers/plasma/waterjet/and laser have the same foundation and parts/brackets can be made for another machine, sand casting forms(cope and drag too!) and a multitude of professional looking wood products not limited to; custom picture frames, tables, cabinents, shelfs, guitars, molding, gunstocks and wallclocks...! For subtractive machining its really a blessing to have around. Additive a printer and you're all set. The wife is still jealous, but she gets the usual attention again since its been built. Joe
"I still find it difficult to describe in simplicity the vastness of what they are capable of" for a moment I thought you were talking about your wife then....your building one made it clear. ;-)
"The vastness of their capability is a mouthful that can be difficult to spit out all at once." LOL. Tears in my eyes at the moment. That sentence could come out of one of those finest British satirical comedies.
My goodness Paruk. Contain yourself and have some professionalism old boy! I'm talking about my router..aren't we all?