Just curious

[cestout]

Are there any other commercially available "feed thru" (as opposed to gantry) CNCs out there.
Clint

[mtylerfl]

Are there any other commercially available "feed thru" (as opposed to gantry) CNCs out there.
Clint

Yes, indeed. I use the ShopBot Buddy in addition to my CW machines. The Buddy is very much like a "giant-sized" CarveWright...the table feeds the material through the X-axis, like the CW machine! It has a 24"x48" cutting area stock, but can be expanded with what they call "power sticks" to 48"x48" and 48"x96" depending on which power stick you install (I have the 48"x48" power stick option which is 6 feet long)

[cestout]

Interesting, but a little out of my price range - maybe when I win the lottery. How do you do thru cuts on it, sacrificial backing?
Clint

[mtylerfl]

Interesting, but a little out of my price range - maybe when I win the lottery. How do you do thru cuts on it, sacrificial backing?
Clint

Yes...called a "spoilboard". Cutouts are toolpathed so the bit extends just a few thousandths beyond the bottom of the material being cut. Also, drywall screws are typically used to hold down the waste material...the screws are driven through the material and into the spoilboard (in the corners and or edges, away from where a bit might travel). Some folks use clamps, then still others use vacuum hold down methods to avoid the use of tabs, just like we use for the CW cutpaths (vacuum hold down is not always effective when cutting out lots of small parts or any machining that weakens the vacuum)

Many folks use MDF for their spoilboard, but I use particle board which seems to maintain flatness better during humidity swings. In every case, the spoilboard is surfaced perfectly flat initially, and periodically during its useful life. A .5" or .75"-thick spoilboard can be resurfaced flat many, many times before it needs to be replaced (I'm about ready to change my spoilboard which has been in use for almost 3 years since I changed it prior). To resurface flat, only about 2 or 3 thousands is shaved off at a time.

[ktjwilliams]

Nice machine those shop bot buddies .....

[mtylerfl]

Yes - kind of like a giant CarveWright machine. The material is moved along the x-axis, just like a CarveWright. However , the CW can machine a lot longer material (theoretically as long as 11 or 12 feet!). I know of at least one CW owner who machined a 10-ft long board!