A very reasonable video ... the advice is quite fair. I am a retired Mech Engineer with a decently equipped wood shop. I have a 4'x4' Onefinity Elite Foreman with a 3Hp spindle and ATC, my shop could not support a bigger footprint. I have VCarve pro and use it 30% of the time, I also use FreeCad 70% of the time. Parametric 3D CAD with assemblies. The CNC is just another tool in the shop to use..... but not always the right one. Knowing what machine to use is where the magic is.
I have a CNC and I probably under utilize it but I still love having it. I got hooked on having a CNC when I purchased the Shaper Origin. That was my gateway into all of it. That is an expensive kit but it is a lot of fun for small things. Doing something large is where it will test you and how much patience you have . That unit will also test your arms on large projects. I wouldn't recommend it for anything too large . Where the shaper really shines is with the use of the Plate with the plate you can do brilliant cnc work on a project and it will elevate your ability to place hardware and do engraving like a logo on a piece . I also am wishing you much success in your UA-cam career move.
Hi Matt. Perhaps not completely related, but just an old cabinet makers history with it from our side of the fence. CNC has been around for quite a while. It didn't really start in the format most people use it for now ( in the woodworking or hobby realm that is ) but as a machine to replace repetitive tasks in a high volume factory environment. When frameless "Euro" style cabinets became extremely popular in the 90's, it was a must have machine. We built on a 32mm principle, which all measurements of the cabinet were based around that number. Like the holes in your table being 96mm or 3 x 32mm. We had a monochrome screen where we had to input every number at the X, Y, Z position. Yes, you could save the programs but you had to be extremely accurate that each new sheet was in the exact same starting spot. Also, back then, material quality and accuracy wasn't even remotely close to what it is today and that's saying something because it is still relatively bad. So you had to make adjustments constantly. Yes, we still had CAD but internet / wireless / networking was just getting started, so these machines were not hooked centrally where a designer could change things and send it directly to a machine. Every number was done manually. A new design could take hours to set up for and program. Plus, it had to be tested. Anyhow, just a short history lesson of the beginnings of CNC in the industry. A lot more to it but just my 2 wood chips worth.
I built my own vacuum table using vacuum motors from centralvacuummotor. I used multiple motors that let's me tailor the amount of hold down to the project and 12 zones piped with pvc and manual valves. All together in about $1,000 in costs.
@MWAWoodworks only a little time lapse footage. Cnc cut the plenum board out of mdf, sealed mdf with lacquer. Piped it with 1 1/2" pvc, used one-way valves at the vacuum motors so if I'm running 1 motor it doesn't suck backwards through the other vacuums. I put small shop vac hepa filters in line to protect the motors. I glued down the spoil board to the plenum and used the vacuum to hold it down until the glue set. When the spoil board gets too thin I just surface it off the the top of the plenum and glue down a new spoil board. Then a baffle box over the vacuum motors to reduce noise and a fan blowing air through the box to keep the vacuums cool. The cnc cut all the parts.
Great! Great! Great video! As a hobbyist woodworker, I finally dove in and purchased a CNC in January. Not knowing a soul who had one or software, I taught myself by watching UA-cam and using trial version of VCarve Pro. Couple months later and I make just about everything out of it. Only thing left is I’d like to make standard furniture and leads me up to today and your channel. Since you make lots of furniture, what do you recommend (book or website) that’ll list all parts of all types of kitchen furniture? If I can get all the measurements, I’m sure I can make my own or customize for shop or oddball sizes. Love your content and maybe now that you are full time, you can do more CNC projects or create another channel just for CNC’ing. Keep up the great work!!!
big fan of the tape. but if im doing a repeatable then im also using big set screws screwed into the threaded inserts on my spoilboard. those and a swivel cam hold the work pretty good and i get the same results every time
CNC machining is far different today than it was decades ago. When I started in the industry, G-code had to be manually written, output to paper or mylar tape, and input into the machine tool using a tape reader. I developed a behind-the-tape-reader (BTR) interface and software written in Z-80 assembler that ran on a Vector Graphic computer (ironically, the "graphic" part referred to 80 x 25 text on a monitor) running CP/M to transfer the program via the serial port. Knowing how to manually write G-code still provides benefits such as being able to optimize code output by modern CAD/CAM applications, allowing elimination of dwell marks, needless wasted motion, etc.
Really excellent 'heads-up' and presentation... Informative, useful, visually interesting, easy to listen to, and nicely paced. Many thanks... Liked and Subscribed.
Great video. I have a small desktop cnc. Right now it’s been sitting not being used for well over a year. I really want to get it up and working again. But I think an upgrade is necessary. But there’s the dilemma . I’m not using what I have… so how do I justify an upgrade? At this point… I have some options. Get rid of it and regain that space if I’m not going to use it. If I’m going to keep it… I need to get it running. It’s an older xcarve and is needing some attention. New belts and some calibration. I think the old belts is what’s causing my biggest issue. I’ve leveled the bed and still have one side cutting deeper than the other after using the machine a small amount.
I think CNC's defeat the whole purpose of woodworking, at least for me. Programming a computer to mass produce pieces? Yuck. Now if you're doing it for a living, then hell yeah, give me one.
If you're doing it for a hobby CNCs are fantastic for prototyping and testing your design ideas before you cut expensive materials! Or engraving and customizing special pieces of work. Mass production is for people whose living is made by designing not making.
It’s just another tool. There isn’t anything impressive about being able to use a vintage Stanley hand plane properly or use a pull saw for dovetails. Etc etc.
A very reasonable video ... the advice is quite fair. I am a retired Mech Engineer with a decently equipped wood shop. I have a 4'x4' Onefinity Elite Foreman with a 3Hp spindle and ATC, my shop could not support a bigger footprint. I have VCarve pro and use it 30% of the time, I also use FreeCad 70% of the time. Parametric 3D CAD with assemblies. The CNC is just another tool in the shop to use..... but not always the right one. Knowing what machine to use is where the magic is.
I have a CNC and I probably under utilize it but I still love having it. I got hooked on having a CNC when I purchased the Shaper Origin. That was my gateway into all of it. That is an expensive kit but it is a lot of fun for small things. Doing something large is where it will test you and how much patience you have . That unit will also test your arms on large projects. I wouldn't recommend it for anything too large . Where the shaper really shines is with the use of the Plate with the plate you can do brilliant cnc work on a project and it will elevate your ability to place hardware and do engraving like a logo on a piece .
I also am wishing you much success in your UA-cam career move.
Thanks for the kind words!
Hi Matt. Perhaps not completely related, but just an old cabinet makers history with it from our side of the fence. CNC has been around for quite a while. It didn't really start in the format most people use it for now ( in the woodworking or hobby realm that is ) but as a machine to replace repetitive tasks in a high volume factory environment. When frameless "Euro" style cabinets became extremely popular in the 90's, it was a must have machine. We built on a 32mm principle, which all measurements of the cabinet were based around that number. Like the holes in your table being 96mm or 3 x 32mm. We had a monochrome screen where we had to input every number at the X, Y, Z position. Yes, you could save the programs but you had to be extremely accurate that each new sheet was in the exact same starting spot. Also, back then, material quality and accuracy wasn't even remotely close to what it is today and that's saying something because it is still relatively bad. So you had to make adjustments constantly. Yes, we still had CAD but internet / wireless / networking was just getting started, so these machines were not hooked centrally where a designer could change things and send it directly to a machine. Every number was done manually. A new design could take hours to set up for and program. Plus, it had to be tested. Anyhow, just a short history lesson of the beginnings of CNC in the industry. A lot more to it but just my 2 wood chips worth.
This was a great video on how powerful a Cnc can be. You made it very clear to understand. Thx
I built my own vacuum table using vacuum motors from centralvacuummotor. I used multiple motors that let's me tailor the amount of hold down to the project and 12 zones piped with pvc and manual valves. All together in about $1,000 in costs.
Oh that's awesome do you have a video posted on how you did it?
@MWAWoodworks only a little time lapse footage. Cnc cut the plenum board out of mdf, sealed mdf with lacquer. Piped it with 1 1/2" pvc, used one-way valves at the vacuum motors so if I'm running 1 motor it doesn't suck backwards through the other vacuums. I put small shop vac hepa filters in line to protect the motors. I glued down the spoil board to the plenum and used the vacuum to hold it down until the glue set. When the spoil board gets too thin I just surface it off the the top of the plenum and glue down a new spoil board. Then a baffle box over the vacuum motors to reduce noise and a fan blowing air through the box to keep the vacuums cool. The cnc cut all the parts.
Very helpful video. Detailed but also direct and to the point. Thanks!
Great! Great! Great video! As a hobbyist woodworker, I finally dove in and purchased a CNC in January. Not knowing a soul who had one or software, I taught myself by watching UA-cam and using trial version of VCarve Pro. Couple months later and I make just about everything out of it. Only thing left is I’d like to make standard furniture and leads me up to today and your channel. Since you make lots of furniture, what do you recommend (book or website) that’ll list all parts of all types of kitchen furniture? If I can get all the measurements, I’m sure I can make my own or customize for shop or oddball sizes. Love your content and maybe now that you are full time, you can do more CNC projects or create another channel just for CNC’ing. Keep up the great work!!!
The Furniture Bible is a great book to have!
Thank you for the introduction to CNC woodworking. I'll refer back to this video if and before I would buy one. 😊😊😊❤❤❤
big fan of the tape. but if im doing a repeatable then im also using big set screws screwed into the threaded inserts on my spoilboard. those and a swivel cam hold the work pretty good and i get the same results every time
CNC machining is far different today than it was decades ago. When I started in the industry, G-code had to be manually written, output to paper or mylar tape, and input into the machine tool using a tape reader. I developed a behind-the-tape-reader (BTR) interface and software written in Z-80 assembler that ran on a Vector Graphic computer (ironically, the "graphic" part referred to 80 x 25 text on a monitor) running CP/M to transfer the program via the serial port.
Knowing how to manually write G-code still provides benefits such as being able to optimize code output by modern CAD/CAM applications, allowing elimination of dwell marks, needless wasted motion, etc.
Thanks for all the tips, man! 😊
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thanks brother!
Really excellent 'heads-up' and presentation... Informative, useful, visually interesting, easy to listen to, and nicely paced.
Many thanks... Liked and Subscribed.
Definitely want a CNC but real estate in my shop is at a premium right now. I think I just talked myself into redesigning my shop.
I went through the same process
Thanks for sharing this one.
Glad you like it!
Great video. I have a small desktop cnc. Right now it’s been sitting not being used for well over a year. I really want to get it up and working again. But I think an upgrade is necessary.
But there’s the dilemma . I’m not using what I have… so how do I justify an upgrade? At this point… I have some options. Get rid of it and regain that space if I’m not going to use it. If I’m going to keep it… I need to get it running. It’s an older xcarve and is needing some attention. New belts and some calibration. I think the old belts is what’s causing my biggest issue. I’ve leveled the bed and still have one side cutting deeper than the other after using the machine a small amount.
Definitely a dilemma!
Good presentation. Thank you.
Thank you to have been so concise
Very helpful. Thank you.
The last option remembered me of Anakin, I mean... Early Darth Vader... "You underestimate my powers!" 😂
(Sorry, watching the video now. 😬)
😂😂😂
One video and I subscribed.
Great content! And well presented. Makes me want to buy a CNC 🤣😂
Great info!!
Glad it was helpful!
My goal is to have a big CNC in my UA-cam studio by end of year. Hopefully it happens.
Good luck! Sounds awesome!
I think a CNC would be great for all the reasons you mentioned but I do not have the $ or the space in my "shop"
✅
I don't need a CNC.
I enjoy working with wood as a hobbyist.
I'm retired and have no need to produce an income from my hobby.
Fair enough. Thanks for watching!
@@MWAWoodworks
I think CNC's defeat the whole purpose of woodworking, at least for me. Programming a computer to mass produce pieces? Yuck. Now if you're doing it for a living, then hell yeah, give me one.
If you're doing it for a hobby CNCs are fantastic for prototyping and testing your design ideas before you cut expensive materials! Or engraving and customizing special pieces of work. Mass production is for people whose living is made by designing not making.
It’s just another tool.
There isn’t anything impressive about being able to use a vintage Stanley hand plane properly or use a pull saw for dovetails. Etc etc.
MWA Woodworks, I really like your videos! Let's be friends!