Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

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SteveNelson46
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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by SteveNelson46 »

Shopbot has a cnc they call Handibot. Billed as a "pick up and go" machine. Pretty small footprint but might just be what you are looking for.

https://www.shopbottools.com/products/handibot
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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by Tailmaker »

Leo wrote:Glad you posted such a great unboxing review.

Do you have a youtube channel?
Yes but is a wild collection of various stuff, sometimes without title or descriptions that I use to show small things on a forum: https://www.youtube.com/user/slomove/vi ... shelf_id=1
When I am done with this thing I will surely post some video.
Last edited by Tailmaker on Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by Tailmaker »

WNC_Ed wrote: One thing you said has peeked my curiosity:
I will remove the plumbing and add 2 fans to air cool the spindle from the outside. I have been air cooling the 2.2kW water spindle of my bigger machine for the last 7 years without problems.
While I understand and appreciate why you wouldn't want to mess with the H2O on the road, is there an advantage to air cooling your "daily driver" spindle vs H2O?
This was also done because I don't want to mess with water at home. Various reasons:
- Water and 240V in close vicinity is always a risk. I avoid that if I can.
- Water quality needs to be maintained to not foul
- Needs long flexible hoses in the cable chains or carry the heat exchanger and pump on the gantry
- Needs a water pump that may fry the spindle if it fails or clogs
- Needs a radiator or heat exchanger or a bucket to get rid of the heat

On the other hand I always run the dust collector when running the spindle with a huge air volume at high velocity. So all I need is a shroud around the spindle which guides the DC air flow along the spindle outside. The lower end of this shroud is my removable dust shoe. At some point I estimated the convective heat transfer of the given air volume/speed/surface and it is way higher than the little water trickle can do. I have a thermometer on the spindle and at full load it never goes more than 20 deg F above ambient temperature. At low load it is practically at ambient.

So, since this works and is using existing equipment why should I go through the trouble with the water? And it is also quieter than the high speed fan of an air cooled spindle.

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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by Tailmaker »

SteveNelson46 wrote:Shopbot has a cnc they call Handibot. Billed as a "pick up and go" machine. Pretty small footprint but might just be what you are looking for.

https://www.shopbottools.com/products/handibot
Steve, I am aware of the Handibot. Neat idea of a handheld CNC machine for some special jobs. But not really what I need as a multi-purpose router. I wanted something that cuts 2d, vcarve, 3d and occasionally rotary jobs of modest size. That Chinese 300x400 mm machine is about a big as I can fit and hopefully give me reasonable performance when using small bits. The only somewhat larger bits I will take on the road are for surfacing my disposable spoilboards.

ezurick

Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by ezurick »

Tailmaker wrote:
SteveNelson46 wrote:Shopbot has a cnc they call Handibot. Billed as a "pick up and go" machine. Pretty small footprint but might just be what you are looking for.

https://www.shopbottools.com/products/handibot
Steve, I am aware of the Handibot. Neat idea of a handheld CNC machine for some special jobs. But not really what I need as a multi-purpose router. I wanted something that cuts 2d, vcarve, 3d and occasionally rotary jobs of modest size. That Chinese 300x400 mm machine is about a big as I can fit and hopefully give me reasonable performance when using small bits. The only somewhat larger bits I will take on the road are for surfacing my disposable spoilboards.
Plus I had to dig and dig to find the price.... almost $5k... way over priced...

https://store.handibot.com/collections/tools

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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by Tailmaker »

Machine is moving with new closed-loop steppers and Planet-CNC controller board. Not bad with up to 280 ipm in spite of power supply limitations.
I am quite happy with that machine for about $1000 investment (plus the rather expensive steppers that I bought 6 years ago for another project). I still need to fabricate a mount for the rotary axis.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h3lpyfltzglsn ... 4.MOV?dl=0

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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by Tailmaker »

So this is the idea for storing/using the machine in my motorhome. 225 lbs heavy duty drawer slides and a solid bamboo plywood tray as a base.
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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by Tailmaker »

Some more preparation work. This is a low profile clamp/hold-down frame for the little machine.
Harbor freight clamps to clamp horizontally and t-bolts to hold vertically on the extrusion table. The blanks sit on spacer blocks.
This frame does allow for quite a bit of non-parallel misalignment.
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scottp55
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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by scottp55 »

Looking good G. !!

Make SURE to torture test that compartment's gasketing!!
I put all my Estwing rock hammers/chisels/pocket scrapers/etc. in one of my outboard storage compartments, and then drove Maine/NC/Galveston Beaches/Tucson/La Jolla/and back;
only to find a minute gasket leak had let road salt and water in...hadn't used the tools, but when unpacked they were quite pitted with Rust! :oops:
(The beginning of my Love/Hate relationship with WD-40)
Good thing I had kept the Foredom and Pixie stored INSIDE the Roadtrek!!

If you ever make it to Maine...Drop By!!
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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by Tailmaker »

I finally got on the road with my new mini-machine and did a first cut. Admittedly very basic to make simple pods that keep our coffee mugs from sliding while driving. Oh well, I guess more ambitious projects will come along. But so far not too much idle time, given the beautiful area we are traveling and so much to do.

Quick video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVcAsXL ... e=youtu.be

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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by dwilli9013 »

Now that is a pretty cool setup right there. I am sure it will serve you well as you progress. Thanks for sharing. :lol: :lol: :lol:
D-Dub
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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by scottp55 »

+1 on the "pretty cool" G! :)
Took me second to recognize your fan cooled shroud:)
Probably just the recording, but that 1/8" bit sounded Loud....IF I were parked next to you Early in the Mornin' I might ask you to Tweak it! :)
Have Fun!! :)
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Re: Recommendations for small simple CNC machine

Post by Tailmaker »

scottp55 wrote:..........Probably just the recording, but that 1/8" bit sounded Loud.....
Yes, somewhat loud and high-pitched but the recording is indeed worse than the live sound and in the open, the sound dissipates rather quickly. 50 feet away it is not much noticeable.
But the campground was rather empty and my next door neighbor had no problems that I was going to make some noise for 15 minutes.
I guess for larger projects I will need a Walmart parking lot.

The little machine works quite well, although the 800-watt spindle on 120V is a bit wimpy. I had to crank up to 18000 rpm because at 12000 (which I would have preferred) it bogged down somewhat with the 1/8" bit at .12" deep and 120 ipm in bamboo. AFAIK the anyway modest rated spindle power is only available at the full rated speed of 24000 rpm.

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