Hand held CNC router

Roland

I wonder how long it will be before this type of thing becomes mainstream tooling, and anyone can download the software model to carve a guitar body. https://shapertools.com

paulnb57

Didn't quite get how it works, interesting though

TTony

de-announced

digitalscream

I see what it does it's effectively a CNC router with very limited range of movement - it relies on you moving it around to get outside that, but it corrects for your inaccuracy by using the special tape as a guide.

It's definitely not mainstream yet though, if that price is anything like accurate.

Still...I'm very interested. It's too expensive to go mainstream, but still waaaaaay cheaper (and more convenient) than a full-size CNC machine.

Sporky

paulnb57 said:

Didn't quite get how it works, interesting though

Looks like it has servos that move the router within the base, so if you're not entirely accurate it'll move to the right position. You have to put marked tape around the area you're cutting so that it can tell where it is.

It strikes me as a jolly clever idea, but I'm not sure if it's a particularly great one. That'd get you a set of templates and a normal router and a lot of bits and change... Also no 3D shaping so no neck carves.

digitalscream

Sporky said:

paulnb57 said:

Didn't quite get how it works, interesting though

Looks like it has servos that move the router within the base, so if you're not entirely accurate it'll move to the right position. You have to put marked tape around the area you're cutting so that it can tell where it is.

It strikes me as a jolly clever idea, but I'm not sure if it's a particularly great one. That'd get you a set of templates and a normal router and a lot of bits and change... Also no 3D shaping so no neck carves.

It does appear to have automated depth control, although that's by inference rather than them actually saying it.

The whole "scan the work piece" thing is pretty bloody clever, so you don't have to be in any way accurate with the tape.

Sporky

digitalscream said:

It does appear to have automated depth control, although that's by inference rather than them actually saying it.

Yeah, but only for 2.5D. It can do different pocket depths, but not anything that's curved in the z-axis. Each individual cut is flat.

digitalscream

Sporky said:

digitalscream said:

It does appear to have automated depth control, although that's by inference rather than them actually saying it.

Yeah, but only for 2.5D. It can do different pocket depths, but not anything that's curved in the z-axis. Each individual cut is flat.

Oh. Bugger.

Still, I presume that could be fixed with a later firmware update, as long as it doesn't require any mechanical changes...?

Sporky

digitalscream said:

Still, I presume that could be fixed with a later firmware update, as long as it doesn't require any mechanical changes...?

I'm not sure it is.

What do you reference the router to if you're doing (for example) a carved top, and what does the router sit on? And where does the reference tape go - it can't be on the surface you're carving, because you'll remove it as you go.

For small areas it might work, and for a fretboard or a neck carve you might be able to make up some side rails and a larger base (depending on how much tape it needs and how closely packed it has to be), but there's a lot of work a gantry CNC can do that this just can't. I'd be willing to bet that repeatability isn't as good either.

Roland

TTony said:

de-announced

My iPad seems to be announcing everything today