New Member from UK near Reading

Hello,

I have just purchased a 3 axis Robocopy CNC OX plus with 3 Nema 23 and 1 Nema 17 with a Kress 800 spindle.

RoboCutters.co.uk

My intension is to able to make Guitars on the machine, do you think I have the right kit?

I have been using Vectric Vcarve pro, and have found it excellent, i would like to be able to use the feature that allow you to output direct to machine, but think it will use the Mach3 software as well.

I am currently looking into the electronics, and may well go with 3 am882 to run the motors, i am just not sure what breakout card to get, I have no problem with computers, i have a few spare , and quite happy to use XP with a parallel card, from what i have read parallel could be more reliable.

Any help you could give me will be appreciated

Hi welcome to the forum!

I don't know anything about the vslot system it uses but from the looks of it it seems lightweight? You may run into trouble with deep cuts? I have a lightweight machine (unsupported rails all round) and I find its limitations quite often! Anyway I'm sure more experienced members will give you good advice in this area.

I also use vectric v carve pro and yes the output direct to machine is handy when I need to make small changes at the machine but I do most of my "designing" on my main pc (runs much faster than the dell xp box that runs the cnc machine) and transfer the g Code via usb stick.

Don't know if you have seen them already but the vectric website has lots of good tutorials, this one is good for how to approch 2 sided machining... http://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLLd...&v=KEDjuvUAx2M

Guitar body looks nice! Are you planning to build a neck or by buy a stock one to use with the body?

Nice to have another user close by, I'm just up the road from Reading!
Jim

Hello Jim,

I do plan on making through necks, I may cut the body out after the neck is glued in, I have already made a jig to create the neck profile, just need to mod it slightly, need to create out a process.
I am concerned that its quite a light weight machine, but have been assured by Robocutters that it can handle cutting out guitar bodies, I will just slow down the cut rate, up the spindle speed and possibly use shank relieved bits, i may try using hss bits as they cut wood quite well when they are sharp.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by picyman

Hello Jim,

I do plan on making through necks, I may cut the body out after the neck is glued in, I have already made a jig to create the neck profile, just need to mod it slightly, need to create out a process.
I am concerned that its quite a light weight machine, but have been assured by Robocutters that it can handle cutting out guitar bodies, I will just slow down the cut rate, up the spindle speed and possibly use shank relieved bits, i may try using hss bits as they cut wood quite well when they are sharp.

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Am I right in saying the machine has a cutting area of 330 x 480 ?, if so you obviously can't cut a complete through neck without repositioning the stock, also you are right on the edge width wise.

No, I am getting the OX Plus, it has a cut area of 1200x580

The low end of the market is full of machines that are totally not suited to production work. This looks like an example of a machine that is built to work under very little load on the cutting head ie.. laser cutting and 3d printing and not hogging of guitar bodies with a decent spindle . To say this can cut guitar bodies all day long would be a lie, however if you take very shallow cuts it might do a good job of one or two hobby projects it would just take you 10 times as long as a proper wood working cnc.

No idea what kind of cut quality you are going to get with this machine. It doesn't look like it has any rails at all and is using the alu profile as the rails. If so this wont last long. The rollers will wear down the alu quickly and you will end up with loose spots on the profile where you commonly cut. Is it also using the running rollers to tension the belts?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by picyman

No, I am getting the OX Plus, it has a cut area of 1200x580

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I couldn't see the plus model for some reason, anyway that size bed will be fine however I didn't comment on the machine itself but totally agree with the other posters. I can't see it whizzing a 1/2" cutter round a guitar profile in hardwood.

Sorry to say this but I wouldn't turn that machine lose on an expensive piece of hardwood because there's a high chance it will wreck it.
Like someone else lower down says it won't last very long and will soon become baggier than Grandads Y fronts.!!

The fact it use's plastic rollers in profile slot ensures it's doomed from day one, those rollers are meant for sliding doors not CNC machines.

The Z axis will bend like a banana with only slightest cutting forces and will flex badly giving a very poor finish in any thing harder than Balsa wood.

If it's possible to return then I suggest you do so ASAP because it's completely inappropriate for cutting guitars.

If you do keep it then Don't buy the Am882 has they are completely OTT for this small machine.
This will be much better suited, still uses digital drives that are rated to 60V and comes complete with built in breakout board and Spindle speed control, thou this won't control Kress speed but will turn ON/OFF.!. . . . Just add power and your good to go.
MX3660 - 3-Axis DSP Based Digital Stepper Drive Max 60 VDC / 6.0A

Sorry to be Negative about your new purchase but it's a lemon for any decent quality work.:cower:

I guess for some time I will be quite happy producing 1 or 2 a week, i might band saw the bulk off first, if that helps
I have been told the Ox can take a 1kw spindle motor, which i thought mean the structure would be strong enough.
The rollers are made of Delrin, and they run in 2 Vslots one each side of the extruded alu , I have used Delrin and alu in the past on machines and never noticed any wear, so i thought this may be similar (but this is more critical), i guess if it has problems i will mod to run on shafts and linear bearings.
The Ox plus model is new, but based on the smaller model, I have been told they are doing a larger on 1200 x1200
I will mainly be using 45mm mahogany (soft) and 15mm thick maple top (hardish), i really want the cnc for some consistency cutting the holes, pickup slots, possibly the fretboard radius, inlays and the bindings, the final finish will be done by hand

Info on the Vslot stuff What is V-Slot

Quote:

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Originally Posted by picyman

I will mainly be using 45mm mahogany (soft) and 15mm thick maple top (hardish), i really want the cnc for some consistency cutting the holes, pickup slots, possibly the fretboard radius, inlays and the bindings, the final finish will be done by hand

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Well must say I think you will be dissapointed and having built a machine just for making guitars and musical instruments that is considerably more substantial then honestly think you haven't got a prayer of cutting Frets or Inlays, bindings with any accuracy and certainly not after a fews weeks or months of cutting when it's become worn.

I am a bit concerned that it might be that poor, not sure what to do

Take a look at these machines, I haven't physically inspected them but for the money them seem to offer the best value for money at the cheap end of the market.


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