Very clever. At that price point ($350 + $60 for the Z axis) I might just have to get one:
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I did the Kickstarter as I know I’ll never have a full sheet shopbot so we shall see. Looks to be VERY slow but then again, when a machine will mostly take care of its self once started speed is not a huge thing until you have an order of 50 widgets, then it is a real problem.
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Yep, exactly what I’m looking for. I love that it can be made to break down when not in use, or fold down to be flat against the wall or up to the ceiling.
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This is what I am thinking. My “shop” is so small that is acts mostly as a tool crib and I do most of my outdoor work on the “porch”. I think that properly thought out I can have it against the ceiling until needed and then drop it down.
If it works as advertised it will be great to be able to do a full sheet once in a while. That said, having extended the Y axis of the handibot I now believe that 24x? is the sweet spot to cover most at the house projects.
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I’ve looked myself. Dropped the $1 to get on the wait list for ordering. That opened last Monday but I haven’t convinced my self I need it bad enough. Leaning to the side of not ordering. But I’m oh so tempted.
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I was looking real hard at this last night. I really like the idea and would love to have full sheet capability, but…
They’ve got full ordering open for the next several days with August/Sept. delivery anticipated.
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I know they’ve shipped some already, wonder if the delay is due to low volume production?
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The way it was worded on the Tested video it sounded like Beta units had gone out and that was pretty much it. I’m really curious about the z axis and how deep each pass can be.
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probably, this is a well-known, low-cost plotter mechanism so i’m doubtful that it’s due to unexpected complications (not saying that lifting this project off the ground isn’t a complex undertaking all on its own, mind you)
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No, this is like the early days of the delta 3d printer. The maths are there and well known but no one has standardized any of it yet. It looks as if the control board is a pretty standard hobby cnc board but with fully custom software and firmware.
The took a unique take on the servos as well. Instead of common steppers, they are using DC motors with encoders.
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I am going to wait for someone else to dial in the depth-of-cut vs torque limits.
you didn’t say anything that disagreed with my point. there’s nothing too complicated here that should cause big delays. it seems like a small group working on them.
regardless i can’t wait to see how they progress, this thing has so much potential.
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Sorry and good. I thought you were saying that they were using an off the shelf drag wire(?) controller that to my knowledge does not exist.
Anyway, yes, we will see soon enough.
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Can you imagine what the Glowforge staff could do with this product/concept. Implement a Masforge User Interface (MFUI), really work the Z axis, automatically selectable and changeable router bits, etc.
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This is exactly the reason:
If I remember correctly, they were about 2 weeks behind schedule when the beta units went out; this is the only delay so far.
I met and spoke to both Bar and Hannah at the Maker Faire yesterday. Truly a really nice and caring group. Bar asked me for feedback and stated that he encourages it as he continually wants to improve his product. I don’t have a beta unit but I am a backer. Beta units were a reward tier offering in the campaign.
This will be no different than a normal cnc plunging into material. It will depend on, at least, material and bit used. The depth of cut is user defined. However, the depth of any cut cannot exceed the routers actual depth limitation.
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I just wonder if the bricks (gravity) can handle the same amount of torque that a regular CNC with a metal gantry can handle. If not it will require shallower depth of cuts, more passes and take longer.
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Yes, your assumption is correct. I have an X-Carve and I certainly wouldn’t expect the same depth of cut. But, I paid a considerable more amount of money for a smaller bed size.
In talking with Bar yesterday, he was impressed with some of the things that are being made with a beta unit. He was referring to signs and the like.
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Here is a quote taken from the Maslow forum from Bar on his machine:
“I never really imagined Maslow competing with head to head with the big gantry machines like ShopBot on a performance basis. Those machines are beautiful and well worth the money they cost. Maslow’s goal is to make CNC accessible so that everyone has a chance to learn about the CAD/CAM process and running a machine. As we continue to see the software and design improve we will get closer, but I always imagine it being a little bit of an apples and oranges comparison.”
A picture from a forum member:
Pretty neat of you were to ask me.
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Thanks. I’m definitely curious and will be watching to see how it progresses. I’m probably willing to make the trade off based on price but I’ll wait to see a few time to cut comparisons before I decide if the trade offs are worth it for me. If not I’ll probably go the xcarve route if there are too many of my projects the Glowforge can’t handle.
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Great to hear. I would also recommend joining the Inventables forum. You will get a lot of great information about their product. And, I don’t think there are any restriction from joining the Maslow forum either. Except your time of course.