Wood Works Ebay cnc router review

[andy_con]

so i purchased one of these -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184601717759?hash=item2afb1eabff:g:yWEAAOSwjyxZci1 7

not actually used it yet, but my initial thoughts

he said 5 weeks and it took 7, didnt get a single communication from him for 5 weeks until i questioned what was happened.

the machine has no homing switches, which im totally shocked at. didnt even know you could get a cnc without homing switches, my £350 laser cutter has homing switches. not even sure i know how to use it without homing switches and limits.

when i go into homing/limits in mach its empty, so looks like i could easily damage the machine, i will be adding limit switches.

the estop is wired backwards :(
took me about an hour of faffing to work out why mach would activate, push the estop down and mach engages. easy fix i know, but come on...
when you hit the estop when the machine is running it appears to kill the uc100 controller, which is highly annoying. it disconnects from mach.

very heavy machine which is good.

will report more once i use it.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/6344/A3cTpQ.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/5407/3UAGoQ.jpg

[JAZZCNC]

Seriously an MDF backplate in the control box with not a fuse in sight.!!. . . . Be afraid very afraid..:hysterical:

[mnewsholme]

whats the kitchen sink strainer in side of electrical box supposed to do?

[andy_con]

Seriously an MDF backplate in the control box with not a fuse in sight.!!. . . . Be afraid very afraid..:hysterical:

its got a 13amp fuse on the plug... ;)

[JAZZCNC]

its got a 13amp fuse on the plug... ;)

Well, your safe as houses then.!! . . . . except the burnt-out ones of course.:thumsup:

[andy_con]

Well, your safe as houses then.!! . . . . except the burnt-out ones of course.:thumsup:

am just ordering a smoothstepper and micro switches. its going to get a rewire before i actually use it properly. i will also set it up correctly in mach with limits, so it doesnt break its self.

such a shame, micro switches and a bit of cable is about £20.

[JAZZCNC]

am just ordering a smoothstepper and micro switches. its going to get a rewire before i actually use it properly. i will also set it up correctly in mach with limits, so it doesnt break its self.

such a shame, micro switches and a bit of cable is about £20.

Don't waste your money on a smooth stepper, do yourself a favor and move to UCCNC. Blows mach3 and 4 away.

[andy_con]

Don't waste your money on a smooth stepper, do yourself a favor and move to UCCNC. Blows mach3 and 4 away.

mach3 and smoothstepper is tried, tested and works perfect for me.

but thanks for the heads up

[JAZZCNC]

mach3 and smoothstepper is tried, tested and works perfect for me.

but thanks for the heads up

Can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink.! . . . . . I have several smooth steppers in a draw somewhere USB and Ethernet which I've fit and removed because of issues and bugs and removed several from other machines because they gave nothing but trouble. So yes it was certainly tried but sadly not tested enough.!

I was a big Mach3 fanboy for the best part of 20yrs, so it's sad and hard to say but Mach3 is done and finished, Mach4 is so bad they made a film about it called BUGs Life.! . . . . UCCNC blows them both away and is rock-solid stable.

[Neale]

I'm using an ESS/Mach3 combination on my CNC mill at the moment because that's what it came with. I'm seriously considering a change because of unreliability - random crashes, ESS buffer underruns, problems restarting from a given line, typically. Main thing stopping me at the moment is that the ESS is plugged into a motherboard that carries all the external connectors and I need to look at just how much work will be needed to re-engineer a conversion. UC300/UCCNC probable candidate, though. Would have re-used my CSMIO IP/M except that sticks with Mach3. I also run a PV Automation ET6 board with MyCNC software for my router which is mostly OK although I still have one or two issues with it. At least it's more reliable than the ESS, though.

[andy_con]

Can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink.! . . . . . I have several smooth steppers in a draw somewhere USB and Ethernet which I've fit and removed because of issues and bugs and removed several from other machines because they gave nothing but trouble. So yes it was certainly tried but sadly not tested enough.!

I was a big Mach3 fanboy for the best part of 20yrs, so it's sad and hard to say but Mach3 is done and finished, Mach4 is so bad they made a film about it called BUGs Life.! . . . . UCCNC blows them both away and is rock-solid stable.

you can lead a horse to water...

thats your opinion only!

i have a ESS in my denford triac, its been in there for about 8 years. ive never had an issue with it, it works perfectly as it should and i use the machine almost daily.
just sold but also had a ESS in my denford microrouter for 4 years, again never had a single issues. works perfectly.

so you dont need to lead anyone to water, ive tried, tested and love the ESS.

but thanks for giving your opinion.

[JAZZCNC]

so you dont need to lead anyone to water, ive tried, tested and love the ESS.

but thanks for giving your opinion.

That's all that matters really.!!
But just to make the point I'm not just giving my opinion, I'm giving my experience of using many ESS/Mach3 setups and helping many people using them on Routers who have had many issues or troubles with this combo.
UCCNC without a shadow of a doubt blows the socks off Mach3, the fact many long-time and very experienced mach3 users have migrated from mach3 to UCCNC is a testament to this.

[andy_con]

anyway, back on topic.

i get the feeling its the default mach download and not a single setting has been changed to suit the machine.

spindle dwell has been left on default 1 second, the spindle doesnt go from 0-28k in 1 second!!! ive now changed that.

the xyz steps in motor tuning haven't been set, its has 1000mm of moment in x & y. yet do the full length and the dro's in mach were reading 318, not sure what 318 is...
ive now sorted that.

estop has been sorted. active high was ticked in ports and pins, meaning is was operating the wrong way. ive now unticked that.

it appears there is nothing to stop the z coming off the rails, no software limits or physical stop.

the list of issues just gets longer...

[Clive S]

In the Ebay listing it says screened CY cable but I don't see any screens in the control box and no star ground point. It also looks like the E-stop is at mains potential

[JAZZCNC]

i get the feeling its the default mach download and not a single setting has been changed to suit the machine.

Yes exactly that, I have helped several people who have bought these and none of them have come setup.


spindle dwell has been left on default 1 second, the spindle doesnt go from 0-28k in 1 second!!! ive now changed that.

The VFD will most likely be set to the default 20 seconds for both acceleration and de-acceleration so you might want to change these to get to speed quicker.

[andy_con]

In the Ebay listing it says screened CY cable but I don't see any screens in the control box and no star ground point. It also looks like the E-stop is at mains potential

estop does nothing to the spindle, but seems to disconnect uc100 from mach3

[andy_con]

Yes exactly that, I have helped several people who have bought these and none of them have come setup.



The VFD will most likely be set to the default 20 seconds for both acceleration and de-acceleration so you might want to change these to get to speed quicker.

probably is default, its currently only running at 24k rpm, even with the know on the front all the way up.

[andy_con]

scrap that, its a 24k spindle.

just looking at the maunal, pffff looks mega complex

[JAZZCNC]

scrap that, its a 24k spindle.

just looking at the maunal, pffff looks mega complex

The usable range is 6k to 24k rpm. Go much below 5k and there is no torque without playing with VFD settings.

The settings for acceleration and de-acceleration are PD14 and PD15. Set to 5 and 10 respectively, don't go too low on the acceleration otherwise, you will get over current/voltage error's as the VFD dumps loads of current/voltage into the spindle trying to meet the request to get upto speed in the short time period.

[andy_con]

The usable range is 6k to 24k rpm. Go much below 5k and there is no torque without playing with VFD settings.

The settings for acceleration and de-acceleration are PD14 and PD15. Set to 5 and 10 respectively, don't go too low on the acceleration otherwise, you will get over current/voltage error's as the VFD dumps loads of current/voltage into the spindle trying to meet the request to get upto speed in the short time period.

i will never run it at anything less than 24k.

the acceleration seems to be fine, no issues there. but it doesnt seem as powerful as my previous router?!

ive come from a denford microrouter with a 1.1kw spindle, to this with a 2.2kw spindle.

using exactly the same wood and cut settings as i would have used on my denford, the 2.2kw struggled and made a hell of a noise!

i was expecting better cutting performance from a 2.2kw watercooled spindle.

[JAZZCNC]

i will never run it at anything less than 24k.

the acceleration seems to be fine, no issues there. but it doesnt seem as powerful as my previous router?!

ive come from a denford microrouter with a 1.1kw spindle, to this with a 2.2kw spindle.

using exactly the same wood and cut settings as i would have used on my denford, the 2.2kw struggled and made a hell of a noise!

i was expecting better cutting performance from a 2.2kw watercooled spindle.

I doubt it's the spindle at fault unless your settings are wrong, if not I'd look more to the machine and chatter, etc for the noise. Denford router is a lot stiffer than that machine.

I know someone who I converted a Boxford A1 router for which is very similar to the Denford micro who has just bought the same machine as you, all be it from another builder who builds them much better than your supplier.! . . Well, he at least puts all the bolts in and supplies them electrically safe, set up ready to use.

Anyway, he has just approached me to build him a machine because he can't live with the chatter he's getting from it. He mostly cuts 3D models and the machine just can't handle it.

[andy_con]

thought id get a quick job in before the new parts arrive.

turns out the machine is just dangerous, the cable to the steppers is not sufficient and gets warm. the cable is only rated for 3amps, also see the below -


https://youtu.be/Y96JHruZw3k

[JAZZCNC]

thought id get a quick job in before the new parts arrive.

turns out the machine is just dangerous, the cable to the steppers is not sufficient and gets warm. the cable is only rated for 3amps, also see the below -

Andy, I'm sorry to see you are having these troubles and my only advice is to send it back under your statutory rights if possible. The machine is clearly unsafe so he hasn't got a leg to stand on.

I would also like to salute and thank you for standing up and showing how poorly built and dangerous these machines really are.

Being a machine builder I am in a very awkward position when it comes to pulling another builder's machine down because to others it can and does appear like I'm just saying it for my own gains, however in cases like these machines I just can't sit back and say nothing. So when someone like yourself has laid out good money and is good enough to stand up publicly to show others then it should be recognized and appluaded.:applouse:

Now, if you do manage to return it then get in touch with me and I will sort you out with a proper machine at a discounted rate as a real thank you.

[andy_con]

Andy, I'm sorry to see you are having these troubles and my only advice is to send it back under your statutory rights if possible. The machine is clearly unsafe so he hasn't got a leg to stand on.

I would also like to salute and thank you for standing up and showing how poorly built and dangerous these machines really are.

Being a machine builder I am in a very awkward position when it comes to pulling another builder's machine down because to others it can and does appear like I'm just saying it for my own gains, however in cases like these machines I just can't sit back and say nothing. So when someone like yourself has laid out good money and is good enough to stand up publicly to show others then it should be recognized and appluaded.:applouse:

Now, if you do manage to return it then get in touch with me and I will sort you out with a proper machine at a discounted rate as a real thank you.

the steppers are 86HS115-4208 - which could draw up to 6 amps, depending on how they are wired.

the cable used is LAPP u242 - so 4x 0.25mm cables - this appears to have a rating of about 3-4 amps.

which probably explains why the cable is getting warm after 35mins of use.

[Pilsbury]

Damn! I too looked at these same machines off ebay when I first started my CNC research. It was on this very forum I was warned off it.

It seems like you have good technical knowledge and experience to understand its faults and shortcomings. God only knows the fix I'd have been in as a complete novice had I purchased it.

If you do have experience as it seems from your understanding, may I ask why you purchased such a machine?

I also fully agree with Dean in saying send it back for a refund. The seller hasn't got a leg to stand on. If these fundamentals are bollocks, there is bound to be a hundred other issues lurking even if you fix what you've already found.

And after you've sent it back, I can firmly recommend you speak with Dean. If you've paid the price on the ebay listing, you'll get a very different machine from Dean. Chalk and cheese. I have one and have been plain sailing from day 1 - apart from collecting and moving the beast into my workshop!

[andy_con]

Damn! I too looked at these same machines off ebay when I first started my CNC research. It was on this very forum I was warned off it.

It seems like you have good technical knowledge and experience to understand its faults and shortcomings. God only knows the fix I'd have been in as a complete novice had I purchased it.

If you do have experience as it seems from your understanding, may I ask why you purchased such a machine?

I also fully agree with Dean in saying send it back for a refund. The seller hasn't got a leg to stand on. If these fundamentals are bollocks, there is bound to be a hundred other issues lurking even if you fix what you've already found.

And after you've sent it back, I can firmly recommend you speak with Dean. If you've paid the price on the ebay listing, you'll get a very different machine from Dean. Chalk and cheese. I have one and have been plain sailing from day 1 - apart from collecting and moving the beast into my workshop!

i saw him/them on ebay and contacted them via messenger on facebook. i had some questions to ask and got the answers.

given they/him sells these as a business i had no reason not to purchase.

i didnt dream id need to ask if the set the machines up in mach, or if they used the correct cable etc...

i do have a slight upper hand here, they sent me a laptop with mach3 on by mistake. i didnt want and didnt pay for the laptop, ill be selling it to cover the costs or they can send me the money and ill return the laptop.

[JAZZCNC]

Andy, I've watched your video again and your voice sounds familiar. Did you contact me awhile ago through someone I built a machine for called "Dean Jeffreys" who cuts parts for RC cars etc.?

[andy_con]

Andy, I've watched your video again and your voice sounds familiar. Did you contact me awhile ago through someone I built a machine for called "Dean Jeffreys" who cuts parts for RC cars etc.?

not me boss

[andy_con]

another shitty wood works machine

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225144499047?hash=item346ba86b67:g:6t8AAOSwu31jEMw 1&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoCk%2Fjr%2FEjB%2B8J4cik4IdWck 73PM7K%2FJhsjjup%2FPtxqogHeDzjTip8E1nPoqaxFnS919lM A6HokLre6FArU2%2BrpbHvGsz%2FJMNZsU3ERoMaxLmFqY%2Fs Godu7e9m3XTuyKINxcVqSDFPt7mnGcrgnz3qu7Wl%2FgEYDM6O M6hY43jUsT5NiqadgOr%2BQhqqY2ls0lnSQNxclmnZsuzfg%2B Fy6zxAnM%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9TMraffYA

[Lee Roberts]

another shitty wood works machine

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225144499047?hash=item346ba86b67:g:6t8AAOSwu31jEMw 1&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoCk%2Fjr%2FEjB%2B8J4cik4IdWck 73PM7K%2FJhsjjup%2FPtxqogHeDzjTip8E1nPoqaxFnS919lM A6HokLre6FArU2%2BrpbHvGsz%2FJMNZsU3ERoMaxLmFqY%2Fs Godu7e9m3XTuyKINxcVqSDFPt7mnGcrgnz3qu7Wl%2FgEYDM6O M6hY43jUsT5NiqadgOr%2BQhqqY2ls0lnSQNxclmnZsuzfg%2B Fy6zxAnM%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9TMraffYA

:), I just flicked back through to look at your original pics...Did they even use shielded wire on the stepper motor connections?, doesn't look like it, just wondered if they did but let the shield to earth for another day?

Same guy selling this off has a decently priced dust extractor for sale to if anyone needs one and is close to Manchester: DEWALT 240v DUST EXTRACTOR. DW30 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265813616872)