[difalkner]

I built this CNC router in 2016 and the frame is the prototype Saturn 2x4 from Fine Line Automation. It's a stress-relieved welded steel frame that is fairly rigid and heavy, makes for good accuracy and repeatability. The CNC with stand weighs around 600 lbs. I have the XY travel limited to 600 ipm, Z travel to 300 ipm. The spindle is a 3kW (4HP) water cooled and is very quiet.

There are plenty of videos of this in action on my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/difalkner

 

[difalkner]

i'm jealous...not because of the machine; i'm jealous because i don't have (but want) a workshop

I just about live out there. About 6 years ago the technology company I worked for pulled out of Louisiana and asked if we would move to Mississippi, Alabama, or Tennessee because they wanted to keep me but this is home and we didn't want to move. Rather than find another technology company to work with for 3-4 years while I was inching closer to getting Social Security we decided that I would just stay here and work while Sandy kept her job in Trust Management. So I help her get out the door every morning and then I have a 20' walk to work in a climate controlled shop.

Up until we both got Covid a year ago (and my broken back) and with all the resulting issues that arose from that I had plenty of work with local contracts, Etsy shop, high-end custom jobs, etc. but theis last year we've had zero income from the shop. The upside is that I have finally begun building things for us rather than for everyone else and my goal is to be building acoustic guitars very soon.

I built the CNC just in time to begin all of this and it has been a valuable asset in the shop - lots of jobs have been on that spoilboard, jobs that I couldn't do before. I thought it would take two years to recoup the expense of building the CNC but it paid for itself in the first six months - amazing! So even if it's small and temporary, go build that shop!!

 

[difalkner]

Nice!!

The mech guy put it together over the weekend and handed it over on Monday.

Nice!! Mine took a bit longer, but then I wasn't in a hurry and it was all brand new to me. I think the electrical schematic that I drew in CorelDraw and physical wiring was the most fun.

 

[difalkner]

Very nice schematic.

Thanks! I thought about it for a couple of weeks and then began drawing in CorelDraw. Once I finished the drawing and mentally tested out the circuitry I began ordering parts. When I put it together it worked the first time so I thought that was pretty cool. You can see the full build on mine here - 2nd Build (first) - CNC Router

Yours looks like a real workhorse; I've only cut aluminum a couple of times.

 

[difalkner]

I'm not coming to this thread anymore as it makes me cry seeing all the S P A C E you guys have

And here I am wishing I had a larger shop! My shop is well organized and works well for the type of work I like to do. But on those occasions where I want to build something a little larger, like the media stand we just completed, then we have to carry everything into the kitchen to have room to assemble the unit. My plan is to be back to building acoustic guitars soon so that will present new challenges for staging multiple instruments.