Hi all, I was just about to push the button and buy an OX (1.5 x 1.5m), but then I realised the motors they were selling were a bit underpowered (1.32Nm). So I started looking elsewhere for OX motor options, and found another site. The guy on the other site said that an OX cannot cut what I want it to cut (sheet hardwoods and softer aluminium, using a Bosch Colt Router), and that also the extrusions aren't stiff enough to go to 1.5m. It was suggested that I buy a different machine (one that only he seems to sell). This machine looks heavier duty, but being blunt, the only two reviews I have found for his site have both been negative. The "other" machine is massively more expensive too. OK - so I know that you get what you pay for, but I'm not about to give £2000 to someone who allegedly keeps people waiting 10 weeks for parts! Can someone please let me know what they have managed to cut with their OX, including whichever spindle they are using, and the amount of torque their motors have (assume these will be NEMA23's). Thanks in advance!
You don't build a machine based on what it will cut, you build a machine based on what you want to cut with it. (i.e. you tailor it to suit your needs.) So what is it you want to cut?
Thanks Rick. I want to be able to cut regular sheet goods such as MDF and plywood (though I understand that this isn't particularly hard work). I also want to be able to cut hardwoods that I have prepared myself (typically oak). Lastly, I would want to be able to cut/engrave aluminium, but this wouldn't be very often at all - say once or twice a month. This is all for hobby use rather than production (though I might sell a bit of it on Etsy), so I don't need anything that is designed to run all day every day. I was going to buy a 1.5 x 1.5m OX, but then when this other guy started talking about his own machines, the idea of a machine that could cut a full sheet (1.2m x 2.4m) started to pique my interest.
Once you work out pin registration and tool path tiling you'll find you don't need one that will cut full sheets. As the flat bed of the OX allows for sheet pass through, an OX 1500 wide by 1000 deep will easily handle a 1.2m x 2.4m sheet in 3 sections. And while stretching the X-axis to 1500 does potentially create some flex issues there are plenty of examples on how others have resolved it here in the forums. You also aren't specifically tied to any motor size either. Upping the motors a bit can offer more than adequate power for what you are wanting to do. Mainly you just need to start doing some homework on how to get where you want to get to.
Thanks Rick. Can you please provide me with a link to read more about pin registration, as google searches don't yield much? Also, I see the OX runs from belts. Can it be run from ball screw or rack+pinion to make it more accurate and less likely to need adjustment due to belts stretching? If I want to do this, how do I set about finding what works?
Pin registration is nothing more than using dowels to accurately re-position the sheet goods when moving to the next section of the sheet. You have the router drill a couple holes through the sheet and into the base board near the leading edge of the sheet and you drop in a couple of snug fitting dowel pins. Then you have the router drill a couple of matching holes through the sheet which in your case would probably be 800mm away from the first set. After the section has been cut, pull the pins out of the first set of holes and slide the sheet to where the second set of holes in the sheet matches the first set of holes through the base and re-insert the pins. This will allow the router to pick up where it left off at the edge of the cutting field on the first section. Belt stretch can be largely resolved using the dual belt method and most find it more than adequate for milling wood. There are several threads on the subject here in the forum plus a very helpful video on youtube. Using a screw drive gets to be a bit more problematic due to the length of the screws needed. The TR8*8 screws available from the store are only good to about 1000mm and example of which is shown here. To go longer you need something more substantial to keep it from whipping as it rotates. As far as using R&P, integration into the system is the sticking point here. There are a couple of good R&P systems shown on the forum but they stray a fair amount from the simplicity of the OX.
I upgraded my OX to Geralds F117 strong OX and it has cut aluminum and hardwoods with no problem. Very happy with it. His design is done with R&P.
