¿ªÔÆÌåÓýThese are good points. Indeed, figuring out how to hold down little stuff is a challenge, and I am re-purchasing a new saw to do some of the smaller partial-sheet work that you mention because some things are indeed much faster on a saw. That said, even my CNC machine with a ¡°prosumer-grade¡± vacuum table (Black Box Hurricane) has no problem with 1/3 of a sheet, and a full sheet obviously is very easy to align and hold down, so other than straight-line ripping very long boards, I think a short slider will be fine for my work. ? You mention efficiency ¨C the FOG is made up of people like you who are trying to make money in their work, as well as people like me who have more time than shop space and dink around for personal enjoyment or a side hussle. It¡¯s fun to get stories from the other side of the fence. ? I bought my router from a small cabinet shop that was upgrading to the next class up machine. They used it for cutting cabinet parts and a router is awesome for that ¨C profile including toe kick and dados for four cabinet sides in one operation with chip-free bottom and top edges. It¡¯s also good for cutting spreaders and bits from a whole sheet if you need a bunch of them. ? I find I design very differently having the router ¨C radiuses and curves start to appear and dress things up where if I had to do it with a band saw or hand-router template I just simply wouldn¡¯t spend the time and my project would end up rectangular. That said, after I briefly experimented with cutting dovetails on the CNC router, I went out and bout a Leigh D4R jig, so the router is definitely not the only tool to have in the shop. ? From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> on behalf of Brett Wissel <Brettwissel@...> ? I second that CNC routers are awesome for cutting stuff - save one huge problem - fixturing. As in, holding down the parts to be cut. If you are cutting full sheets all the time on the CNC, it's a no-brainer. I even use it to manually code cuts off the machine without using software, in fact that's what was used to make the perfectly square reference plywood that was used to calibrate square on the new KF700 when it was set up!? With numerous hold down methods it nevers fails that we find something that stops an otherwise efficient path to project completion. The CNC is amazing for detail work and multiple steps in a single setup, but the setup costs can really ruin productivity also.? ? But a word to the wise, the CNC is the right tool for many things, but not all, and the sheer efficiency of quick setups and referencing the parts to the tables is what caused us to buy this whole suite of Felder products a year AFTER we
bought the CNC. And I would do it all over again in a heartbeat with no reservations buying the new fully-loaded optioned?machines because the machines run like they are supposed to and inspire the confidence of those who use them. I've bought many used machines
that are great but require so much dickering to get right that they really ended up not being such great deals when it came time to figuring out the economics in an expensive commercial shop. ? -- Brett Wissel |
