After finally getting the time to get my CBeam machine running and get over the inevitable neophyte mistakes I'm pretty comfortable with what the CBeam can and can't do. I may use a number metalguru's upgrades to make it more suitable for aluminum with reasonable speed. But mostly I find the real limitation to be the size. So, I'm looking to move up to a bigger machine. I think the Lead 1010 or Workbee 1010 working area is about right. The price difference is so small that it's not an issue. This would not be a metal cutting machine rather focusing mostly on wood or plastics. My biggest concern is machine flex which will dictate how fast I can run it. So some questions: Which stock version is likely to have less X Axis CBeam flex (causing the Z axis to move)? Which stock version is likely to have less lateral flex (that is, parallel to the X axis, side to side)? I like the fact that the WB uses more wheels and larger plates. In theory this should make the X/Z assembly more "sure footed", am I on the right track here? Has anyone done a mod of either machine to decrease the X Axis CBeam's flex? I still think this is an inherent disadvantage of using the CBeam as an X Axis (but a consequence of the price point) Any reasons that I should pick one machine over the other?
1. As they both work on basically the same system the difference would be negligible. 2. Slightly different dynamics but ultimately the difference should be negligible. 3. Yes, the greater spread of the wheel spacing due to the larger plates of the Workbee is beneficial. 4. About the only way to modify them to make the x-axis any stiffer would be a matching gantry beam and carriages set above the existing gantry beam. Easily done on the Lead system by increasing the length of the side supports. Not so easy on the Workbee. Can be done but would require holes being drilled in the side plates to mount some vertical 20x80's to support the upper beam in a similar manner to the way it would be mounted on the lead system. The length of the z-axis would also need to be increased on both systems. 5. The Lead is more easily modifiable. The additional wheel spacing on the Y-axis plates on the Workbee offers a bit more stiffness to the system. The Workbee doesn't appear to include the wiring kit that the Lead system indicates to be included so the prices are a bit farther apart when you set apples to apples.
Good point about the wiring kit if I needed it but all I really need to get are the drag chains. It seems there are more similarities than differences between the two machines. Makes it harder to choose.
