I am looking into getting into a cnc machine that is more ridged then the one I have designed. I normally design and build my own machines but I am wanting something tried and true and just don't have the free time to design something myself. what I want to do with it. cut foam board 20x30 inch sculpt/cut wood cut aluminum maybe cut acrylic I have am idea of what to buy but it is allot of money to spend and would like to get some advise on a buy list including machine, bits, and best upgrades. My budget is between $1500 to $2500. Any help in making a decision would be great. Thanks
LEAD CNC 1010 (40" x 40") is a fairly safe bet. Don't have one myself but there are a lot of them out there with no significant complaints.
I think I am leaning to this machine. I like the idea of the homing plate. I think where I started to get lost was on what bits I should start with.
These are the options and upgraded I am thinking about. LEAD CNC 1010 (40" x 40") 4 High Torque NEMA 23 Stepper Motors BlackBox Motion Control System 24V Power Supply Bundle Dewalt DWP611 Router Dust Shoe Dewalt 611 Precision-Grade Collet Kit XYZ Touch Probe Plus that is about $2200. but that does not get me any bits and I dont want to waste my money on bits I wont use but at the same time dont want to have to turn around and do another other for the items I forgot.
The shark bits are nice but as a hobbyist beginner I would shed a ton of tears breaking them. For cutting wood, IMHO a two flute (straight flutes) can not be beat. There is no tear-out of the wood. I have recommended this Freud bit to many people. It also works great for HDPE plastic. There is a caveat, it is sold as 1/4 inch bit, but it is slightly undersized. Every cutter you buy, you MUST measure the diameter and use that as your tool size in your CAM software - if you want very precise cuts. Example: Cutting something that needs to fit inside another piece exactly. If you need a 1/8" version, there are plenty out there and for a beginner I would look for cheap ones because 1/8" endmills are very easy to break. I have found that with a 4-6 degree "ramping in cut" on aluminum the same 1/8" straight flute endmills have worked better for me than the single flute up-cut endmills. A 1/4" single flute end mill will work great on aluminum. Whenever possible, I use 1/4 or 3/16 endmills for aluminum because they cut so much easier than the 1/8. But there are always situations where you will need the smaller size. Now that I have gotten much better at cutting aluminum, I am considering the ZrN coated 1/8" sharkbit. The 1/4" shank and short cutting are makes it have less deflection. If I were to start over again, I would only by 1/8" endmills with a 1/4" shank. It annoys me to have to swap collets during a tool change. Up-Cut Single Flute Solid Carbide End Mill 1/8" A 60 degree V bit is great for V caving plaques and signs. The odds of breaking that bit are very low so get a good one. Also, this is not necessary, but a great luxury for surfacing your spoil board which is a necessity for accurate cuts. But you can use and flat end mill to do it but it will take a lot longer.
I think they are all good choices. I would have done the same. In fact I recently purchased the high torque steppers to upgrade my current build. I personally went with a Makita Router because I like the lower RPM settings, but a majority of people use the DeWalt (especially Youtube personalities) so it is easy to find proven feeds and speeds for the Dewalt for various materials. Also, the Dewalt has the Openbuilds mounting plate so it is way easier than trying to make your own, or ordering one. When I built mine five years ago, there were not a lot of add ons for the Dewalt either. If I started now, I would probably go Dewalt.
That's pretty close to the setup I went with recently. (Earlier this year.) With a couple of exceptions. I went with a Makita router vs the Dewalt. I made my own dust shoe, vs buying one. And the XYZ touch probe wasn't available then. (Nor is it needed. It's convenient, but far from necessary.) As far as bits go, I'm still a very much a beginner, so take it with a grain of salt. I figured I'd end up breaking a few learning, so I didn't want to spend too much money. I ended up buying some of these SainSmart bits. CNC Machine | CNC Router Bits | CNC Accessories Picked them up on Amazon pretty cheap. Figured I'd learn with these, then after I figured out what I was doing, move on to more expensive bits. But I've actually been quite pleased with the bits so far. I've only broken one, a .8mm bit, and it was completely my fault, when I screwed up my toolpath, and plunged the bit completely down into the material and tried to move it by mistake.
