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Regarding the spindle failure: I work with industrial controls and the VFD's (Variable Frequency Drives) include various settings which will shutdown the motor to protect it from overheating. Most use a software algorithm to model the temperature in the motor windings. If the parameters are set too low, the VFD will shutdown too early (it will think the motor is hotter than it actually is). Then after the motor stops, the motor must be given time to cool down (again, modeled in software) before being allowed to restart. The VFD's I work with also require some form of "reset" after an overcurrent or overtemperature event. You might check to make sure that the VFD is configured to use settings for the actual spindle motor you have. Not sure if this was your issue, but might be worth checking into.
As a mechanical engineer, I've had to do quite a bit of design and analysis of stress and strain (deflection) on various structures. I've seen how everyone raves about the hardened steel tubes on the Onefinity machine, but looking at it from the view of a truss designer, it lacks a very important feature. The critical design feature that makes trusses strong and rigid is the diagonal cross members between the two major tensile members. On the Onefinity, the steel tube is nice, but designing it with two steel tubes (or even 3 with the stiffy) only doubles (or triples) the rigidity in both the z and y directions (talking about the gantry here). Without diagonal cross members along the length of the gantry, you don't get the full benefit of the added member. With a truss or beam design, the rigidity (moment of inertia) is roughly proportional to the height of the structure raised to the 4th power. For the AltMill, this is 150 mm. The diameter of the tubes on the Onefinity are 50 mm, roughly 1/3 the size of the Altmill. If we raise those to the 4th power (150/50)^4 we see that the moment of area of the Altmill gantry member is 81 times larger than the OneFinity. But I also need to consider the Onefinity has 3 members (if a stiffy is used) so this brings it down to roughly 27 times stiffer. In addition, the Onefinity uses hardened steel vs the Altmills aluminum. Steel has approximately 3 times the modulus of elasticity of aluminum. So that brings it down to roughly 9 times stiffer. I would love to see some careful experiments with a known force placed on the center of the gantry using a dial gauge to measure the deflection in the X, Y and Z directions to scientifically compare the rigidity of these two machines. I've seen plenty of videos with people sitting and standing on their gantrys, but that doesn't tell me how much the gantry flexed. It just tells that the forces didn't exceed the yield strength of the material.
I like your answer, from a mechanical standpoint your are most likely right, but considering the intend use of these machines I don't think it matters. If you want to CNC metall I would honestly not opt for these kind of CNC but than again you are in a completely different price range. I guess for any other aspect they are stiff enough no matter if the one is 9 or 10 times stiffer. This can be overcome (at least a bit) by the settings in the machine.. that might also explain the differences mentioned in the video.
One thing worth noting is that Sienci runs under an open source model. I have their Longmill and when I broke a part, I just downloaded the 3d model and printed it out instead of ordering a new one
Yes! I reran that specific test after seeing your comment and I saw no noticable difference. But I'm very glad you brought it up, because that never even crossed my mind!
@@HamiltonDilbeck I got an 8 pocket Premium Rapidchange for my AvidCNC recently, after fighting some issues with a beta version 12 pocket, but the 8 pocket has been pretty nice. It requires extremely precise setup work to get it dialed in but I think if you nail that aspect it can be pretty reliable. There are a few different annoying limitations compared to a pneumatic toolchanger, but it also saves you >$1000 in upfront costs so for a hobbyist it's well worth it.
It would be nice to see these tests with the same acceleration, feeds speeds etc. and see the finish of the machine and maybe push them both to a limit and see which one sees the finish degrade first.
Being a 3D printing guy, it was pretty obvious that the problem was acceleration. It's such an important point that companies advertise it in their printer ads. If you tell two machines to move the same speed and one is faster, it means that the low acceleration is not allowing it to reach the maximum speed you requested.
I dont know that the problem is low acceleration, I think the problem is high acceleration. And I think the spindle and bis on the altmill suffer for it.
Thanks so much for making this video. I’m looking at both and this was incredibly helpful. I think it would be enormously beneficial for Sienci to respond to the mystery around the broken bit and, more importantly, the spindle pulling up for the day. Fantastic video though. And really appreciate all the time and effort that’s gone into making it because it is so valuable to potential buyers.
As a Canadian Onefinity owner I can tell you that Canadians do NOT get a better price. Onefinity prices are in US dollars so Canadian pay a minimum 2.5% exchange fee to convert our money into US dollars to pay for a machine that is made in Canada and shipped from Canada. I have purchase parts from Onefinity. (I broke a couple of plastic pieces when the dust boot and drag chain got caught.) Onefinity's minimum shipping charge for a $5 part in Canada was $19. I have purchased bits from Sienci Labs in Canadian dollars. Their minimum shipping charge in Canada was $10. And 8% oh yah.
@@JezVibert Shipping a Elite Foreman across Canada cost me $495 US and I had to pick the machine up at the depot 20km and a $30 ferry ride from my house. To have the machine delivered to my house would have been $800 US. Where I live in Canada the sales tax is 12% on equipment and shipping. It the price we have pay to live in a socialist country.
I'm very new to the CNC world. I had researched and narrowed down my possible choices to these two and purchased the AltMill. As a very new CNCer I was very surprised by the learning curve. Also being a bit old (82) I often ran out of energy much faster than desired. At times, I found found the instructions to be very confusing. I wanted a hard copy of the instructions, there was no easy way to print. I found it necessary, to copy and paste from the website to my PC. this took me a few hours to get everything correctly formatted and the images resized. For me it was also to watch the two UA-cam videos regarding the assembly. At times, both the hardcopy and the videos left me totally confused. I wanted a water-cooled spindle and purchased a kit from PwnCNC. For me, it was very difficult to find "the" correct instructions. I think a large part of my installation issues resulted from my newness to CNCs. Some of the issues took me a few days to resolve. I'm very near the end of the installation and look forward to cutting. BTY, learning to use VCarve is another HUGE learning curve.
Don't worry....I started learning CNC in my late 40's and it was a huge learning curve as well in regards to Vcarve, tool paths, and learning how to do what you actually want to do...not just cut out lines.
Thanks for the unbiased and informative review/comparison of the Onefinity Elite and the Sienci Altmill. I have had my eye on both machines for awhile, and this was good food for thought. Salutations from a Canuck in Japan, keep up the good work. 👍
I have woodworking Onefinity since it was released. It is upgraded to 2.2kw 220v 80mm spindle. I want to move to bigger size but this time I'm gonna pick the Alt Mill.
I struggled over this for a while. Simply put, I don't think that there is anything that I'm capable of in my shop to really (and easily) prove rigidity between these two machines. I think me attempting at that would just fall flat. I know that sienci labs has an extensive rigidity test that they have made public, so there is some information out on theirs.
You could put a gauge pin in the spindle, put a dial test indicator on it, and just pull on the pin in X and Y and see how much you can move it. The indicator and a noga holder could be had for $200 or less
AltMill Gantry may be 4X more rigid than Onefinity with Stiffy Granted there are a lot of assumptions in this but this is a first approach to calculate stiffness of X axis gantry on these two machines. The estimated Z-deflection of the Onefinity (with stiffy) is roughly 4x larger than the deflection of the AltMill extrusion. I couldn't find the wall thickness of the extrusion, but estimated it at 5 mm. Changing it to 4mm increased the Altmill deflection from 0.002 to 0.0025" Onefinity (carbon steel) X50 rails. OD 1.969 in ID 1.496 in E (Youngs Modulus) 30000000 psi length 55 in Number of rails 3 Weight / number of rails 33.33333333 Lb Area Moment of Inertia 0.491 in^4 Max Stress 1837 psi Deflection 0.0078 in
AltMill (aluminum) Outside Height 5.906 in Inside Height 5.512 in Outside Width 3.622 in Inside Width 3.228 in E (Youngs Modulus) 10000000 psi length 55 in Weight 100 Lb Area Moment of Inertia 17.116 in^4 Max Stress 474 psi Deflection 0.0020 in
Good morning 🌅, That was a great territorial, find it very interesting, But funds, as I am a pensioner, not like the good old days, Keep up the great work look forward to your next upload ,
great comparison, I'm a longtime (first edition) onefinity user, came from a shapeoko 3xxl, and currently now have upgraded my woodworker to a journyman. The onefiniity is an amazing machine with great support, however for price range, i do consider getting the Altmill for a 48x48. I do like the table/bed layout. Which is also an added cost on the onefinity. One thing to note, on the test with the alt mill breaking the bit, it does appear to be dog legging and dragging the bit when trying to get to the next circle. Great video again!
I love that you're including accessibility in your review, I'm looking into a CNC for that exact reason as I'm slowly losing my ability to walk. But just as an FYI, the term handicapped is very outdated. The most accepted term is disabled.
Thanks for the comparison. I have a scienci mk1, and it is great for my needs. Their customer service is great too. My only upgrade will be a SLB. But only when start using the machine to its max potential. Oh ya 8%😊
Fantastic video! I am staring down the barrel at retirement and am building my dream workshop right now (20x48x16) and CNC'n is going to be a focus of mine, OF and the Altmill are two of the machines that I have been researching the shit out of. I bought the Elite foreman the other day and am 99.9999% sure that when Scienci comes out with the 4'x2' Altmill I'll own one of those too. Keep up the great work!
I would love to see a full DOC on 3/4” plywood on both machines at 200 IPM. Also, show how accurate and well the cuts are. Use a new Jenny on both machines for the test.
8%. Good job on the comparison and the cost difference with the latest Black Friday offer. I kind of want to wait for the ATC to come out (included with the Onefinity machine in the Black Friday Package, sent separate in Feb. it says on their site) to let the bugs get worked through. With every new release of a product, no matter how much pre-release testing goes into it, you can't predict every failure type.
Nice to see a shootout of these two. I've had a Onefinity for a couple years, so it's nice to see the comparison with another machine. Likewise, I came from Next Wave prior to Onefinity, and I'm happy with my current choice. Thanks for taking the time to present it to us 8%ers.
Thank you for another fantastic video! This was clear, concise, and thought-provoking, bringing up points I hadn’t considered before. I truly appreciate your honest and unbiased perspective-it’s refreshing and insightful!
@@kylebonawitz2630 There is no “higher effective chip load” here. The bits flute geometry remained unchanged. Higher feed rates and rpms increase chip volume but not chip load. Besides, those 1/4” bits can easily handle 200 ipm at 18k rpm. He also stated that the spindle stopped on him several times during off camera use. Probably just an electrical gremlin somewhere in the build.
@@lpsg405 Maybe we aren't talking about the same thing terminology, because holding constant the endmill, feed rate and rpm are the only 2 variables that determine chip load. Chip load being the amount of material removed by each cutting edge of an endmill during a single rotation. Higher chip load means more required horsepower. Clearly the Altmill's spindle did not have enough power for the programmed moves, but it's also not clear from the video if the Onefinity would have had enough power either. At the times the bits broke on the Altmill (which I recall were during times of acceleration, not steady state), the Altmill was moving at a much higher feed rate in comparison.
The fact that the machine shut down and couldn't be rebooted is a problem that seems to be overlooked by many of the posters. That's a huge problem. The speed can be resolved by changing the settings. Secondly, the spindle offered being compared to the Makita router is also a problem. I have a Pwn spindle air cooled and it's a beast. More money yes but, worth it. Excellent video, I recognize this was not an easy one to make for your channel. But, Hamilton, you did so with integrity.
The speed can not be resolved simply by changing the settings. The Onefinity lacks rigidity which is why the factory acceleration is much lower. Increasing the acceleration to match the altmill would result in much poorer carved quality, I have one and have tried it.
@@HamiltonDilbeck Drive is not set up correctly. If it was meant to be preconfigured by scienci, then it is their "user" error. If the drive was meant to be set up by you, it is yours. I don't know how they provide the kit. But rest assured, this is 100% a setup issue, and not a fundamental issue with the spindle. Drives need to be correctly tuned to the spindle motor or they will slip and not provide any useful torque at load. You should have immediately emailed scienci for support on this because you are now giving an incorrect impression of the spindle. Do it right now in fact "hi my spindle does not seem to have any torque at load, can you please advise on if the drive is set up correctly?".
8%. Great comparison. Goodonya. My dream machine was an 1F Elite with 2.2 kw PWNcnc ATC, until saw this. Now I want to give it some time to see how Sienci works out their spindle issue and expands to a bundle with spindle and RapidChange.
I don't think there was really an issue with the spindle, the VFD overheated. You can buy the altmill with machine only then get a PWN CNC spindle like I did.
Hey Hamilton, great video and very eye opening. I cut 3D maps on my machines full time and I've noticed that some machines have a linear error correction setting set too high, it basically smooths out 3D carving but sucks for mountains where you want the machine to follow the exact g-code. I wonder if the AltMill has the correction set too high, since it goes so much faster!
Hmm I wonder how the rigidity compares too. I also tried to tram my Onefinity and ended up stripping the threads and snapping the tram screw before the tramming tool aligned. Is tramming easy on Altmill?
This video makes me appreciate mine even more. I have a rack and pinion cnc4newbie (which you should test**and then give it to me since your running out of room?)and once I made the mistake of setting my router to slow of a speed. It wound up getting stuck in the wood which shut down the router and surprisingly my motors did not break the bit and I caught it in time. It was an amazing thing! I just turned the power on and off and started it back up and kept that $50 in my pocket and I still have a very reliable machine. However, I also use gSender with a small remote pad and it does work faster and what I really like is the extremely low maintenance even though I haven't gotten around to setting up a dust extractor yet.
Thanks for the heads up on CIC's black Friday deals. Pulled the trigger on 4 more large sheets of bam-x. Not inexpensive, but less so with that sweet, sweet discount.
I just bought a Onefinity Elite foreman and there was a few times when i accidentally jammed up the spindle. I'm using the 2.2Kw PWN CNC spindle, and jamming up a $1000 spindle can be very scary. You can hear the internals still turning, but the bit doesn't turn. i thought for sure i was going to fry it. I even shoved it straight through my tabletop on accident once lol. but even after all those mistakes it still works flawless! i have to give it an A+ on Durability.
nice video and great work on both cnc machines i was back and forth on these 2 and it was hard to choose but i went with cheaper and so far i am vey happy with it and the support for a newbie and yes 8% great video
I only do 3d carves, so that time difference is amazing, especially with the updated test. I have the buildbotics onefinity now and it goes as fast as it can, and my old xcarve still carves 3d faster. Might have to grab an Altmill.
8% Thanks for the video Hamilton, much appreciated. Like you said, I'm sure sienci will work out the spindle bugs. It's a hard choice but I'd probably go for the altmill, especially the 2'x4' version when/if that releases.
8% Good video! I do have to say, that the speeds shown simply put too much stress on the bits etc., and don’t really make sense (using) in the “hobbyist / at home” field. Best wishes
For the record. I have an AltMill and I do not experience the LAG you are referring to. I have a question as to how far you have dived into G Sender ? There is so much you don't mention about all the "firmware" adaptability. You most likely have a setting you need to check or tweak.
8%. I'm sure you did this... But you didn't mention it... Your Altmill spindle probably shut off because the VFD overheated. If it happens again, check the VFD for an error code.
Came to the comments section first and seen everyone posting 8%. Idk what it means, but I wanted to fit in so I'm 8% (probably should finish the video now).
8%, Been eagerly waiting this video. I appreciate the run down and comparison. One of these will be my first cnc. The price on the altmill is so attractive, but the spindle concerns and support from onefinity make not an easy choice. Im curious if alt mill will respond to the spindle issues, their response might be the deciding factor.
I LOVE my onefinity Elite. I bought after your review of the Elite. Have you tried sitting on the Altmil's Y axis while its running yet? I'd be interested in your thoughts on the altmil's thin extruded aliminum parts.
@HamiltonDilbeck - Thank you for putting in all the backend work to compare these machines. Great videos! Question: If the price difference of $1600 between AltMill & Elite Forman is negligible, I can equalize the spindles by purchasing PWN Spindle Systems for either machine, most aftermarket components are also configurable between machines, and one of my goals is to pursue the company that will be in the 4x8 format market the soonest, what would do you? I am also taking into consideration that given enough time to troubleshoot, Sienci Labs will be able to match Onefinity in their 4x4 machines. Thoughts?
Tons to work through with all of that. All I can say is to buy the machine that you can grow with. Thats the one that will serve you best long term. Everyone has differnt goals and projects
8% Nice review. Having had an CNC Mk1 since they started and added the Vortex unit I have been very happy with the customer service. I also already have the Vetric pro software so most of the hidden costs have already been paid. My next upgrade when I get my shop built will probably be the Altmill.
I’m curious how the shapeoko 5 pro compares to both of these machines. It’s in the same class and price point, right? These machines have faster rapids, do they have significantly beefier servos than the shapeoko 5 pro?
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Regarding the spindle failure: I work with industrial controls and the VFD's (Variable Frequency Drives) include various settings which will shutdown the motor to protect it from overheating. Most use a software algorithm to model the temperature in the motor windings. If the parameters are set too low, the VFD will shutdown too early (it will think the motor is hotter than it actually is). Then after the motor stops, the motor must be given time to cool down (again, modeled in software) before being allowed to restart. The VFD's I work with also require some form of "reset" after an overcurrent or overtemperature event. You might check to make sure that the VFD is configured to use settings for the actual spindle motor you have. Not sure if this was your issue, but might be worth checking into.
As a mechanical engineer, I've had to do quite a bit of design and analysis of stress and strain (deflection) on various structures. I've seen how everyone raves about the hardened steel tubes on the Onefinity machine, but looking at it from the view of a truss designer, it lacks a very important feature. The critical design feature that makes trusses strong and rigid is the diagonal cross members between the two major tensile members. On the Onefinity, the steel tube is nice, but designing it with two steel tubes (or even 3 with the stiffy) only doubles (or triples) the rigidity in both the z and y directions (talking about the gantry here). Without diagonal cross members along the length of the gantry, you don't get the full benefit of the added member. With a truss or beam design, the rigidity (moment of inertia) is roughly proportional to the height of the structure raised to the 4th power. For the AltMill, this is 150 mm. The diameter of the tubes on the Onefinity are 50 mm, roughly 1/3 the size of the Altmill. If we raise those to the 4th power (150/50)^4 we see that the moment of area of the Altmill gantry member is 81 times larger than the OneFinity. But I also need to consider the Onefinity has 3 members (if a stiffy is used) so this brings it down to roughly 27 times stiffer. In addition, the Onefinity uses hardened steel vs the Altmills aluminum. Steel has approximately 3 times the modulus of elasticity of aluminum. So that brings it down to roughly 9 times stiffer.
I would love to see some careful experiments with a known force placed on the center of the gantry using a dial gauge to measure the deflection in the X, Y and Z directions to scientifically compare the rigidity of these two machines. I've seen plenty of videos with people sitting and standing on their gantrys, but that doesn't tell me how much the gantry flexed. It just tells that the forces didn't exceed the yield strength of the material.
This please !
I like your answer, from a mechanical standpoint your are most likely right, but considering the intend use of these machines I don't think it matters. If you want to CNC metall I would honestly not opt for these kind of CNC but than again you are in a completely different price range. I guess for any other aspect they are stiff enough no matter if the one is 9 or 10 times stiffer. This can be overcome (at least a bit) by the settings in the machine.. that might also explain the differences mentioned in the video.
What do you think of the Shapeoko 5 Pro CNC Router?
One thing worth noting is that Sienci runs under an open source model. I have their Longmill and when I broke a part, I just downloaded the 3d model and printed it out instead of ordering a new one
Yep, and I'm so glad you said that. I really wish I would have made a point of saying that in this video. Its a cool and notable thing that they do!
The noise test you have a bit in the Altmil, but no bit in the onefinit. You could be getting some noise from the spinning bit
Yes! I reran that specific test after seeing your comment and I saw no noticable difference. But I'm very glad you brought it up, because that never even crossed my mind!
Thank-you for this comparison video and all of your hard work. It did answer a lot of questions i had.
The rapid change is very intriguing but I still like altmill for its rigidity of the base
I hope to get my hands on the rapid change, we will see!
@@HamiltonDilbeck I got an 8 pocket Premium Rapidchange for my AvidCNC recently, after fighting some issues with a beta version 12 pocket, but the 8 pocket has been pretty nice. It requires extremely precise setup work to get it dialed in but I think if you nail that aspect it can be pretty reliable. There are a few different annoying limitations compared to a pneumatic toolchanger, but it also saves you >$1000 in upfront costs so for a hobbyist it's well worth it.
It would be nice to see these tests with the same acceleration, feeds speeds etc. and see the finish of the machine and maybe push them both to a limit and see which one sees the finish degrade first.
I appreciated the "bringing two other people in" part to get a different perspective.
Ordered Altmil today, on the waiting list. Referenced Hamilton Dilbeck when purchasing.
Thats so awesome and thanks for using the link!!!
Being a 3D printing guy, it was pretty obvious that the problem was acceleration. It's such an important point that companies advertise it in their printer ads. If you tell two machines to move the same speed and one is faster, it means that the low acceleration is not allowing it to reach the maximum speed you requested.
I dont know that the problem is low acceleration, I think the problem is high acceleration. And I think the spindle and bis on the altmill suffer for it.
8%, first timer, and now a subscriber. Great video. The best comparison ive seen.
Thanks so much for making this video. I’m looking at both and this was incredibly helpful. I think it would be enormously beneficial for Sienci to respond to the mystery around the broken bit and, more importantly, the spindle pulling up for the day. Fantastic video though. And really appreciate all the time and effort that’s gone into making it because it is so valuable to potential buyers.
Thanks for the side by side, honestly your neutral and matter-of-fact presentation is refreshing. Keep up the good work. Oh, and 8%!
Thanks! I did my best to be as neutral as possible, so I really appreicate your comment!
As a Canadian Onefinity owner I can tell you that Canadians do NOT get a better price. Onefinity prices are in US dollars so Canadian pay a minimum 2.5% exchange fee to convert our money into US dollars to pay for a machine that is made in Canada and shipped from Canada.
I have purchase parts from Onefinity. (I broke a couple of plastic pieces when the dust boot and drag chain got caught.) Onefinity's minimum shipping charge for a $5 part in Canada was $19.
I have purchased bits from Sienci Labs in Canadian dollars. Their minimum shipping charge in Canada was $10.
And 8% oh yah.
Wow I never knew! Thanks for taking the time to write all of that out, Mark. I know that will be helpful information to a lot of people!
Be thankful you're not in the UK. For a Onefinity Elite we have to pay $650 shipping plus 20% tax on the whole lot
@@JezVibert Shipping a Elite Foreman across Canada cost me $495 US and I had to pick the machine up at the depot 20km and a $30 ferry ride from my house. To have the machine delivered to my house would have been $800 US.
Where I live in Canada the sales tax is 12% on equipment and shipping. It the price we have pay to live in a socialist country.
@@MarkLasbyCNC wow! I thought you guys were sorted but what do I know? In that case delivered to my drive isn’t so bad
Shipping in, out, and to canada is a horror show.
I'm very new to the CNC world. I had researched and narrowed down my possible choices to these two and purchased the AltMill.
As a very new CNCer I was very surprised by the learning curve. Also being a bit old (82) I often ran out of energy much faster than desired.
At times, I found found the instructions to be very confusing. I wanted a hard copy of the instructions, there was no easy way to print. I found it necessary, to copy and paste from the website to my PC. this took me a few hours to get everything correctly formatted and the images resized.
For me it was also to watch the two UA-cam videos regarding the assembly. At times, both the hardcopy and the videos left me totally confused.
I wanted a water-cooled spindle and purchased a kit from PwnCNC. For me, it was very difficult to find "the" correct instructions.
I think a large part of my installation issues resulted from my newness to CNCs. Some of the issues took me a few days to resolve.
I'm very near the end of the installation and look forward to cutting.
BTY, learning to use VCarve is another HUGE learning curve.
Don't worry....I started learning CNC in my late 40's and it was a huge learning curve as well in regards to Vcarve, tool paths, and learning how to do what you actually want to do...not just cut out lines.
Thanks for the unbiased and informative review/comparison of the Onefinity Elite and the Sienci Altmill. I have had my eye on both machines for awhile, and this was good food for thought. Salutations from a Canuck in Japan, keep up the good work. 👍
Ay! Thanks for taking the time to comment. One day I'll see Japan, its been on the list for a while!
I have woodworking Onefinity since it was released. It is upgraded to 2.2kw 220v 80mm spindle. I want to move to bigger size but this time I'm gonna pick the Alt Mill.
Nice!
Great video, could we get one that compares rigidity and accuracy between the two?
I struggled over this for a while. Simply put, I don't think that there is anything that I'm capable of in my shop to really (and easily) prove rigidity between these two machines. I think me attempting at that would just fall flat. I know that sienci labs has an extensive rigidity test that they have made public, so there is some information out on theirs.
@@HamiltonDilbeck What about drawing perfect 6” circles in hardwood at different feed speeds in the middle of the Z axis gantry and measuring them?
You could put a gauge pin in the spindle, put a dial test indicator on it, and just pull on the pin in X and Y and see how much you can move it. The indicator and a noga holder could be had for $200 or less
AltMill Gantry may be 4X more rigid than Onefinity with Stiffy
Granted there are a lot of assumptions in this but this is a first approach to calculate stiffness of X axis gantry on these two machines.
The estimated Z-deflection of the Onefinity (with stiffy) is roughly 4x larger than the deflection of the AltMill extrusion.
I couldn't find the wall thickness of the extrusion, but estimated it at 5 mm.
Changing it to 4mm increased the Altmill deflection from 0.002 to 0.0025"
Onefinity (carbon steel)
X50 rails.
OD 1.969 in
ID 1.496 in
E (Youngs Modulus) 30000000 psi
length 55 in
Number of rails 3
Weight / number of rails 33.33333333 Lb
Area Moment of Inertia 0.491 in^4
Max Stress 1837 psi
Deflection 0.0078 in
AltMill (aluminum)
Outside Height 5.906 in
Inside Height 5.512 in
Outside Width 3.622 in
Inside Width 3.228 in
E (Youngs Modulus) 10000000 psi
length 55 in
Weight 100 Lb
Area Moment of Inertia 17.116 in^4
Max Stress 474 psi
Deflection 0.0020 in
8% thanks for the content, very informative for someone still deciding what way to go 😊
Thanks!!!
8%. Nicely done and informative. Thanks.
Thanks for the video Hamilton you did a good job comparing the 2 machines
thanks I appreciate it!
8% and considering adding CNC. Very helpful video
Great comparison. Thank you very much. 8%
8%. See, I’m trainable! Thanks for the video.
Good morning 🌅, That was a great territorial, find it very interesting, But funds, as I am a pensioner, not like the good old days,
Keep up the great work look forward to your next upload ,
Thanks so much!
great comparison, I'm a longtime (first edition) onefinity user, came from a shapeoko 3xxl, and currently now have upgraded my woodworker to a journyman. The onefiniity is an amazing machine with great support, however for price range, i do consider getting the Altmill for a 48x48. I do like the table/bed layout. Which is also an added cost on the onefinity. One thing to note, on the test with the alt mill breaking the bit, it does appear to be dog legging and dragging the bit when trying to get to the next circle. Great video again!
8%. This video confirmed that I made the right choice 8 months ago. I need to see how to upgrade to the ATC.
Thankfully it seems easy enough to upgrade! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Why do you think it is cheaper in Canada? Onefinity charges in USD. So we get hit with currency exchange too.
Guess thats my blunder! I thought there were no import fees and such. Sorry for the confusion!
And with our exchange rate going down the toilet, it makes the Onefinity more expensive every single day.
I was looking at the altmill and you can save on shipping if you can get to Waterloo to pick it up.
Excellent comparison! Thank you for doing this! I do think both are great machines & you covered them well.
8% here and I've had the altmill for a couple months now I've been happy with it so far but haven't run much on it
Its a beast for sure!
%8er I appreciate your time doing this video!
Thanks for sticking around and commenting!!
Wow! I was a 1%er and now I’m an 8%er success 😂 Thanks for a great comparison of the top two affordable cnc’s on the market.
lol huge success! Thanks for taking the time to comment, it means a lot!
8 %. Great comparison video. Thanks very much!
Thanks so much!
8% lol ...... wooo hooo Great VS brother. Might have to get me one of them Onefinity cnc's in the future
You're the man, Greg! They are pretty slick!
Thank you as one of the 8%’ers. I have been waiting for your review as I am looking to upgrade from my Inventables to one of these 2 machines.
Either one is quite the upgrade! Thanks for sticking around and commenting!
I love that you're including accessibility in your review, I'm looking into a CNC for that exact reason as I'm slowly losing my ability to walk. But just as an FYI, the term handicapped is very outdated. The most accepted term is disabled.
8% thx for the comparison! Im still leanig toward building my own bit this is good info.
Nice, that should be a fun time!
Would like to see that tree carve again with the acceleration turned up. I bet it would match the altmil
Thanks for the comparison.
I have a scienci mk1, and it is great for my needs.
Their customer service is great too. My only upgrade will be a SLB. But only when start using the machine to its max potential.
Oh ya 8%😊
Nice! and thanks for taking the time to comment 8%er!
8%. Thanks for doing the comparison. Food for thought indeed.
Thanks for sticking around and for taking the time to comment!
8% Great video. I'm looking to buy one of these in 2025, this was terrifically helpful!
Fantastic video! I am staring down the barrel at retirement and am building my dream workshop right now (20x48x16) and CNC'n is going to be a focus of mine, OF and the Altmill are two of the machines that I have been researching the shit out of. I bought the Elite foreman the other day and am 99.9999% sure that when Scienci comes out with the 4'x2' Altmill I'll own one of those too.
Keep up the great work!
8%. Happy Thanksgiving Bud!!
Happy thanksgiving!
8%...can't wait to see the upcoming changes to CNC with me
I'm excited!
I would love to see a full DOC on 3/4” plywood on both machines at 200 IPM. Also, show how accurate and well the cuts are. Use a new Jenny on both machines for the test.
8%. Good job on the comparison and the cost difference with the latest Black Friday offer. I kind of want to wait for the ATC to come out (included with the Onefinity machine in the Black Friday Package, sent separate in Feb. it says on their site) to let the bugs get worked through. With every new release of a product, no matter how much pre-release testing goes into it, you can't predict every failure type.
Nice to see a shootout of these two. I've had a Onefinity for a couple years, so it's nice to see the comparison with another machine. Likewise, I came from Next Wave prior to Onefinity, and I'm happy with my current choice. Thanks for taking the time to present it to us 8%ers.
Nice, thats really cool! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
This was a very good video.
Thanks, I appreciate that!
8% Fantastic and informative video. Thank you
Thank you for another fantastic video! This was clear, concise, and thought-provoking, bringing up points I hadn’t considered before. I truly appreciate your honest and unbiased perspective-it’s refreshing and insightful!
Thanks! I really appreciate it! and once again thanks for helping me figure out how to force g-sender at startup!
That's speed difference is why the bit broke.
Slowing down the video, it looked to me like the bit only broke because the spindle crapped out and stopped.
@@lpsg405"Crapped out" or stalled due to higher acceleration/speed and subsequent higher effective chipload.
@@kylebonawitz2630 There is no “higher effective chip load” here. The bits flute geometry remained unchanged. Higher feed rates and rpms increase chip volume but not chip load. Besides, those 1/4” bits can easily handle 200 ipm at 18k rpm. He also stated that the spindle stopped on him several times during off camera use. Probably just an electrical gremlin somewhere in the build.
@@lpsg405 Maybe we aren't talking about the same thing terminology, because holding constant the endmill, feed rate and rpm are the only 2 variables that determine chip load. Chip load being the amount of material removed by each cutting edge of an endmill during a single rotation. Higher chip load means more required horsepower. Clearly the Altmill's spindle did not have enough power for the programmed moves, but it's also not clear from the video if the Onefinity would have had enough power either. At the times the bits broke on the Altmill (which I recall were during times of acceleration, not steady state), the Altmill was moving at a much higher feed rate in comparison.
8% and I have the MK1 from Sienci Labs. Thanks Hamilton, great comparison.
Thanks for taking the time to comment and watching all the way through!
The fact that the machine shut down and couldn't be rebooted is a problem that seems to be overlooked by many of the posters. That's a huge problem. The speed can be resolved by changing the settings. Secondly, the spindle offered being compared to the Makita router is also a problem. I have a Pwn spindle air cooled and it's a beast. More money yes but, worth it. Excellent video, I recognize this was not an easy one to make for your channel. But, Hamilton, you did so with integrity.
The speed can not be resolved simply by changing the settings. The Onefinity lacks rigidity which is why the factory acceleration is much lower. Increasing the acceleration to match the altmill would result in much poorer carved quality, I have one and have tried it.
User error
I appreciate you saying that, it was a fun video to make!
how?
@@HamiltonDilbeck Drive is not set up correctly. If it was meant to be preconfigured by scienci, then it is their "user" error. If the drive was meant to be set up by you, it is yours. I don't know how they provide the kit. But rest assured, this is 100% a setup issue, and not a fundamental issue with the spindle. Drives need to be correctly tuned to the spindle motor or they will slip and not provide any useful torque at load. You should have immediately emailed scienci for support on this because you are now giving an incorrect impression of the spindle. Do it right now in fact "hi my spindle does not seem to have any torque at load, can you please advise on if the drive is set up correctly?".
8%. Great comparison. Goodonya. My dream machine was an 1F Elite with 2.2 kw PWNcnc ATC, until saw this. Now I want to give it some time to see how Sienci works out their spindle issue and expands to a bundle with spindle and RapidChange.
I don't think there was really an issue with the spindle, the VFD overheated. You can buy the altmill with machine only then get a PWN CNC spindle like I did.
Hey Hamilton, great video and very eye opening. I cut 3D maps on my machines full time and I've noticed that some machines have a linear error correction setting set too high, it basically smooths out 3D carving but sucks for mountains where you want the machine to follow the exact g-code. I wonder if the AltMill has the correction set too high, since it goes so much faster!
Hmm I wonder how the rigidity compares too. I also tried to tram my Onefinity and ended up stripping the threads and snapping the tram screw before the tramming tool aligned. Is tramming easy on Altmill?
8% thanks for the great content Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Thanks so much, Happy Thanksgiving!
8%er still learning which path to choose in terms of brand. Thanks for sharing this info
Thanks for watching til the end and for commenting! I hope the video helps a bit in deciding!
This video makes me appreciate mine even more.
I have a rack and pinion cnc4newbie (which you should test**and then give it to me since your running out of room?)and once I made the mistake of setting my router to slow of a speed. It wound up getting stuck in the wood which shut down the router and surprisingly my motors did not break the bit and I caught it in time. It was an amazing thing! I just turned the power on and off and started it back up and kept that $50 in my pocket and I still have a very reliable machine. However, I also use gSender with a small remote pad and it does work faster and what I really like is the extremely low maintenance even though I haven't gotten around to setting up a dust extractor yet.
Thanks for the heads up on CIC's black Friday deals. Pulled the trigger on 4 more large sheets of bam-x. Not inexpensive, but less so with that sweet, sweet discount.
bam-x really is amazing stuff. Glad you snagged some!
@HamiltonDilbeck It's a huge hertz donut to enjoy with my morning coffee, but 40 bux is 40 bux, lol
Thanks for sharing! 8 percenter here! 😊 Dave
Thanks for watching and commenting!
This is a great video. Can you do an entry level offering comparison/ ranking?
I just bought a Onefinity Elite foreman and there was a few times when i accidentally jammed up the spindle. I'm using the 2.2Kw PWN CNC spindle, and jamming up a $1000 spindle can be very scary. You can hear the internals still turning, but the bit doesn't turn. i thought for sure i was going to fry it. I even shoved it straight through my tabletop on accident once lol. but even after all those mistakes it still works flawless! i have to give it an A+ on Durability.
It's a beast!
nice video and great work on both cnc machines i was back and forth on these 2 and it was hard to choose but i went with cheaper and so far i am vey happy with it and the support for a newbie and yes 8% great video
I only do 3d carves, so that time difference is amazing, especially with the updated test. I have the buildbotics onefinity now and it goes as fast as it can, and my old xcarve still carves 3d faster. Might have to grab an Altmill.
Crazy fast with the 3d carving!
8%
Thanks for the video Hamilton, much appreciated. Like you said, I'm sure sienci will work out the spindle bugs. It's a hard choice but I'd probably go for the altmill, especially the 2'x4' version when/if that releases.
Once again a GREAT video!!!
Thanks so much!
Im joining the Printnc gang
8%
Good video!
I do have to say, that the speeds shown simply put too much stress on the bits etc., and don’t really make sense (using) in the “hobbyist / at home” field.
Best wishes
8 percent. 🎉 great video!
Great video. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much!
8% checking in
For the record. I have an AltMill and I do not experience the LAG you are referring to. I have a question as to how far you have dived into G Sender ? There is so much you don't mention about all the "firmware" adaptability. You most likely have a setting you need to check or tweak.
8% woot! Woot! 🎉
Thanks, Monica, you're the best!
8%. I'm sure you did this... But you didn't mention it... Your Altmill spindle probably shut off because the VFD overheated. If it happens again, check the VFD for an error code.
Came to the comments section first and seen everyone posting 8%. Idk what it means, but I wanted to fit in so I'm 8% (probably should finish the video now).
lol thanks!!
I would look into RatRig Stronghold Pro, it would compete with both of those (other than you having to assemble it)
A great video with lots of useful information! 8 percent
8%. Great vide
Thank you for comparing the two CNC. 8%
Thanks for sticking around and taking the time to comment!
8%, Been eagerly waiting this video. I appreciate the run down and comparison. One of these will be my first cnc. The price on the altmill is so attractive, but the spindle concerns and support from onefinity make not an easy choice. Im curious if alt mill will respond to the spindle issues, their response might be the deciding factor.
The great thing is that I think either machine is a good choice. I'm certain that the spindle stuff will get sorted out shortly!
8%. Great video!
Thanks so much!
Nicely done brother - I guess I’m the 8% too
You're the man! Thanks brother!
@ you’re the man, man! 😂🙌
8% I'm looking to purchase a machine next year. Thanks for all the info.
Thanks so much!
I LOVE my onefinity Elite. I bought after your review of the Elite. Have you tried sitting on the Altmil's Y axis while its running yet? I'd be interested in your thoughts on the altmil's thin extruded aliminum parts.
Can you show how we can update the Onefinity to have those higher accelerations and if it works and how it compares?
Great video Hamilton Thank you
Thanks!
Either machine is capable of different spindles get a pen on both machines to compare apple to apple
Not entirely true, 1F will end the warranty on your machine unless you are using their Redline spindle
@HamiltonDilbeck - Thank you for putting in all the backend work to compare these machines. Great videos! Question: If the price difference of $1600 between AltMill & Elite Forman is negligible, I can equalize the spindles by purchasing PWN Spindle Systems for either machine, most aftermarket components are also configurable between machines, and one of my goals is to pursue the company that will be in the 4x8 format market the soonest, what would do you? I am also taking into consideration that given enough time to troubleshoot, Sienci Labs will be able to match Onefinity in their 4x4 machines. Thoughts?
Tons to work through with all of that. All I can say is to buy the machine that you can grow with. Thats the one that will serve you best long term. Everyone has differnt goals and projects
8% Nice review. Having had an CNC Mk1 since they started and added the Vortex unit I have been very happy with the customer service. I also already have the Vetric pro software so most of the hidden costs have already been paid. My next upgrade when I get my shop built will probably be the Altmill.
I continually hear about how everyone loves Sienci Labs support!
great content! keep up the great work!
8%, good stuff.
I’m curious how the shapeoko 5 pro compares to both of these machines. It’s in the same class and price point, right? These machines have faster rapids, do they have significantly beefier servos than the shapeoko 5 pro?
8% club baby!! Lol GJ on the video Ham.
You're the best as always. Sorry for throwing two brand new bits into the grinder!
Always enjoy your content. I’m an 8%er
Heck yeah! Thanks for watching!
8% great comparison, thanks
Thanks so much and for taking the time to comment!
8% great video just ordered the onefinity.
You're gonna have a blast!