Strike CNC (My first CNC router)

[Shinobiwan]

Hi Jazz

Its would have been nice to have even more for my money but I already got a lot for £4.5k.

Commercially I couldn't find a better deal. Even shipping a Chinese machine would have been more expensive after shipping and taxes.

Here's a couple of examples I looked at:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Leasing-De...ht_1330wt_1396
Marchant Dice were wanting £5.5k for this desktop model with no base or enclosure, no hiwin on the X, no Dual steppers on the X, smaller alu profiles, smaller cutting area.

http://cnc-step.de/en/products-cnc-r...lling-machines
The closest spec Heiz machine is the S-1400/T at around £8k once you add the base but its still not as well specified. It has awkward bed size that doesn't accept 4x4ft, there's unsupported rails on the Z and Y, no enclosure, and I'd say its generally of a lighter construction.

Did I mention that £4.5k also included delivery on the back of a HGV? That had to have cost around £200-300. The old man is HGV driver and they don't work for nothing. I consider your comments very useful and food for thought. Maybe strike will integrate the suggestions as standard but there's no denying the price would go up.

As for my machine I consider it a starting point. Looking at the Z axis its relatively easy to replace the unsupported rails with hiwin. Its a matter of carefully measuring, marking and then drilling and tapping a few dozen holes. So its not like I'm stuck with this forever. You suggestions to firm up the table are good one's and could be done easily too. For now I'm going to use what I have and as I start to feel the need to upgrade things I've got that option, especially with folks like yourself who have a lot of knowledge in this area.

Would it possible to visit you Jazz? Or someone else near Chesterfield to chat about these things and look at your setup? I know very little and that would be a huge boost for me.

EDIT: Thanks for the comment on the speakers :)

[JAZZCNC]

Would it possible to visit you Jazz? Or someone else near Chesterfield to chat about these things and look at your setup? I know very little and that would be a huge boost for me.

Ah ah if you seen my machine you'd say WTF how dare you speak.! . . . Thou It's more a case of judge me on what I do not what I do it on. . LoL . . It's not pritty but it's built very very strong and accurate.

To be honest I'm not keen on visitors(got my reasons which I won't go into on here.) but I'm more than happy to visit you and discuss or help things with your machine.

Regards the WC spindle you have obvisously felt the weight difference from the Kress and I'm sure this will have an impact on the Z axis the way it's setup at the minute.
I honestly feel that you'll end up wanting to change this sooner rather than later when you get more into CNC and all the wonderful opertunity's it presents.

By the way I'd go for the WC straight away, they difference in noise alone is worth the trouble. The fact it makes the kress look like a toy is just a bonus.!!

[Strike CNC]

Hi i do invite constructive criticism

As said this was a custom machine for the customers design brief we did offer the customer supported rails as they said in previous posts we can only supply the customer with what they can afford & this machines fits the design brief for the job in hand for the customers budget & please remember the 600.00 for the enclosure included the materials for the much lager base needed to house the enclosure
& i really do not think you can make this machine in a couple of days with only a drill press & if you could i for one would not want a machine made with a drill press in a garden shed even in a tool room that was rushed to be built in a few days our machines are manufactured with a range of heavy duty equipment including CNC mills , manual bridgeport mills ,large colchester lathes to mention but a few & these are only the tool room machines not the manufacturing area we are engineering company by trade with a fully equipped manufacturing facility as well as the tool room we also have the display unit , there are also a lot of other factors in price including the free delivery for this machine at a cost of £290.00 incl VAT

QUOTE
"Given the full picture regards components then with a bit more bracing (Esp the BED) and a REAL Z Axis then this machine could handle most jobs and materials up to Aluminium with good usable DOC.! . . .As it is now it will always be lacking.!!"


We did expect to receive some comments from others & some competition & i do welcome it but this & please JAZZ i do not want to seem confrontational this machine was not supposed to be used for a wide range of materials as it was made to the customers design brief for his amazing speakers & budget
as i said we are currently manufacturing x5 machines at present with one of them a 8x4" 4 axis CNC router with this customer we did not offer them the upgrade but only gave then the choice of 20-25mm hiwin rails as a machine of this size in our opinion can only run on the profile rails one of these these machines are nearly ready & i will post pics & yes you will see this one has a heavier duty bed for the job it is designed for

Please i do not want to offend & i am not underestimating your knowledge as you use extrusion regularly then you also know all suppliers of extrusion have different grades one company's heavy grade is another company's standard grade or even light grade we have tried 7 companies from the UK & know ours come from Germany

We have many upgrades available & the customers have the choice to upgrade or not it is ultimately down to the customers budget so please bear this in mind but i do welcome your comments
best wishes

[Strike CNC]

[QUOTE=JAZZCNC;27876]

Ok first off PLEASE PLEASE don't under estimate the knowledge and expereince of some of the people you are speaking to here on the forum. I know exactly the weight and strength of the materials you use because I use them also.! . . BUT . . . There's a difference between material weight and mechanical stength.!
My reference to bracing had nothing to do with the material weight or choice and everything to do with the structural bracing.! . . . Which IMO at this size and proportions it's lacking.!

I agree 110% regards building the machine to do an intended job. . BUT . . in this case while YES it will fullfill the "Brief" it could have been so much better for so little more.!! . . Or better put you spoilt the broth to save a pinch more salt.!!

Given the full picture regards componets then with a bit more bracing (Esp the BED) and a REAL Z Axis then this machine could handle most jobs and materials upto Aluminium with good usable DOC.! . . .As it is now it will always be lacking.!!

My view and feelings regards machines built in this manner with these materials is that they are built purely with ease of build to extract maximum profit using off the shelf products. This often leads to comprimise, whether that be finacial or strength, they generaly lack in one or the other.!

IMO given the fact that at £3860(taking away the £600 for the enclosure) and the very fact that building this machine how you do requires very little equipment other than a decent drill press and could be built in just a few days then you are still making very good profit. Certainly enough to give a better Z axis using at least supported round rails and couple more piece's of profile for the bed.!!. . . . This would make the machine capable of so much more.!!

I wish you every success and please don't take my comments as a personal attack,.they are observations and MY OPINOINS gained from my experience building machines for my self and others and which I was invited to give (And feel should be said for the sake of others). I fully understand the need for profit being in business 0ver 25 years my self but some times saving that "Pinch of salt" really does spoil the soup IMO..!!!

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​it seems my posts are not being listed on the forum Hmm?

i did post several replies but they went to the moderators & must have to wait , in the mean time i do not underestimate your knowledge but would like to see the pictures of the machines you designed & built ,your comment regarding you can build this machine with a drill press in a few days is highlighted & to be commended but i personally would not like to receive a CNC router used for precision machining that i payed good money for made with a drill press let alone made in a few days , this would be the difference between us we do this for a living & intimately know each component & there limitations that comes with the experience gained from designing & testing machines across multiple platforms to weed out all the bugs any CNC design must go through countless revisions to fine tune the design ,first & foremost we are a engineering company with a manufacturing facility that houses CNC mills , manual bridgeport mills & large colchester lathes & this is just in the tool room used for our jigs ,we know the tensile strength of each beam & have run hundreds of tests with the various sizes over the years so we can recognise the material structural limits ,the support you speak of are directly proportionate the the integrity of the beam used & as you use extrusion you will also know there are various suppliers & one suppliers heavy grade is an other's light grade we have tried & tested extrusion from 7 of the UK suppliers & know our extrusion comes from Germany i do fear you may be thinking it is a lighter grade than it actually is.

Another point is the heiz models these use unsupported rails on all axis even at 1400mm long they also have no where near the support ours have & yet they have a great pedigree & reputation we have only got to this point by endless testing of each machine in this range & please remember we offered this customer the hiwin supported rail upgrade we can only go with the customers decision & budget there is nothing currently in this price range for this size of machine & the price is very competitive also one does have to question your motives behind this by putting down the machine whilst also trying to make a sale on this thread by supplying one of your own CNC routers to another user this speaks volumes
i do not wish to cause offence only the chance to reply
pictures of your work would be appreciated for us all to see your machine
best wishes

[JAZZCNC]

[QUOTE=Strike CNC;27894]

also one does have to question your motives behind this by putting down the machine whilst also trying to make a sale on this thread by supplying one of your own CNC routers to another user this speaks volumes
i do not wish to cause offence only the chance to reply
pictures of your work would be appreciated for us all to see your machine
best wishes

Absolutly no ulterior motive what so ever my friend, I'm strictly hobby use only with plenty of experience. To be honest most of what I do is make parts for other hobby users or help them with there builds/problems/info. Often I do this free of charge or for very little.

Yes I've built full machines small and large, very large in one case but to be honest this is my passion not my living and don't feel the need produce evidence to you or anyone. Basicly If they don't think I know what I'm talking about then don't ask me to help, either way I don't give a shit.!!

Regards trying to make a sale on the forum if you look again you'll see John S asked me not the other way round.! Also if you look even closer you'll find it was John's sweet way of having a little DIG at me to shut the f'%k-up. . . . BUT Me being ME and FIK as a plank it went way over my head.!!! . . . . . Plus I know the Old Bastard too well. (I'm not being offensive to John, anyone who knows him will see the funny side, including John)


The other thing I do lots of is help folks sort out poorly designed or so called "Professional built" machines and as such I see all kinds of build quality or lack of it in some case's.! . . . Your's I've yet to see but I'm sure I will sooner or later.!!

Can I suggest that instead of taking my comments as a personal attack with ulterior motive's you take them as critique thru exeperienced eyes and at very least look at what's been said.! . . . Hiding behind the "User request" hisn't good eneough IMO. It's your job to assist and if need be refuse to lower or comprimise the machines integrity by using inferior products or design.!!

After all this is a Public forum and while as usual I'm the first to open my BIG mouth on what negatives I see, I certainly wouldn't be the only one seeing this or thinking this and there would sooner or later be another saying it.? Probably the disgruntled users seeking advice but still would be said.
Again IMO it would be better to acknowledge and embrace critique then address any valid points and I do feel all the points I mentioned, mainly weak Z axis and Bed frame, after finding the full spec are perfectly valid given the price and the little extra cost to make right.!!. . . . . . Yes Maybe the comment about drill press and 2 days was a bit flippant.!! . . . It may take 3-4 days.!!!!!

Robin said it perfectly " The proof will be in the eating" so well see what cook thinks and I'll say no more other than Good luck and I wish you well in business. :tup:

[Robin Hewitt]

i do not wish to cause offence only the chance to reply

It's not easy when someone attacks your product on a web forum, I used to get a lot of that.

You can't tell them to go forth and multiply so you have to apply the old maxim, "Don't feed the Trolls".

Jazz isn't actually a troll, he's quite cuddly once you get to know him. I think he's just forgotten to take his meds :naughty: