Saw this on YT and was pretty impressed, and pleasantly surprised at the cost (around £1500 - £2000 with accessories ).
Impressive new tool
- Thread starter Essex Barn Workshop
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See the post by Gadjet above. The problem is that you lose control. The machine decides the end result. Where is the fun in that. ! I'll stick to my home made jigs.
The problem with your jigs is you lose control. Your jig decides the end result. Where is the fun in that. I’ll stick to my saws and chisels.
The world moves on but we can all decide which century to live in. Generally the 19th for me but venturing in to a bit of the 21st.
Adam W.
A Major Clanger
It's the 15th century for me, thank you.
They probably said similar int he 15th century. 'I'll stick with copper thanks'
Stanleymonkey
Established Member
Oh wow!
This is how I imagined my future workshop would be when I was a teenager! You would just ping out the instructions to all the machines from your desk and then off you go!!
This is how I imagined my future workshop would be when I was a teenager! You would just ping out the instructions to all the machines from your desk and then off you go!!
Ollie78
Established Member
I can`t believe you were pleasantly surprised by the price, I was amazed they have the balls to ask that much for it.
Top marks for technology but he states this is not CNC, it is called next wave CNC ! I think it is just pre programed CNC and as said it takes not only control away from you but your creative input. If you get ten woodworkers to make you something then odds on you will get ten variations on the theme but get ten woodworkers with one of these and you get ten the same. The issue becomes design, or tail wagging the dog because rather than design and then make it, you end up designing to suit the tool which if nothing else constrains your ideas.
Ollie78
Established Member
It appears to be an older style generic cnc controller using 2 of its axis, looks like its using a serial port even.
I think it could be ok if it had a decent sized screen and conversational control.. maybe. When I watched him do the box joints it was no quicker than on an incra fence, similarly the biscuit joint is a mad way to do it, either use a biscuit jointer which takes about 30 seconds and a pencil mark or if you must use a router table just use a biscuit jointing cutter. I haven`t even scratched the surface!!
It`s like they have a good idea but have half assed it completely.
Corset
Established Member
dont really undertstand this sort of thing. I like working with my hands and making something as close to handmade as is practical so clearly i have tools routers etc. But at what point is it just a CNC light. In a production evironment they would have cnc so ii think its aimed at hobbyists.
I guess there is a place for it, but part of the experience id the risk of messing it up by hand and learning the skills.
Maybe thats just me..
I have a 3d printer so i am not a luddite but its not as musch fun as working with wood. Handy for parts for tools etc
I guess there is a place for it, but part of the experience id the risk of messing it up by hand and learning the skills.
Maybe thats just me..
I have a 3d printer so i am not a luddite but its not as musch fun as working with wood. Handy for parts for tools etc
For things like production runs, this tech is ideal.
Company I worked for did elm boxes for whiskey(contents £21,000-85 yr old whiskey) using a mitrelock cutter. A NIGHTMARE setting this up and constant checking that there'd been no movement during runs. Every morning cost time and boards making sure the cutter was at the precise height and distance from the fence.
In that small workshop something like a cnc machine wouldnt have been cost effective and in all honesty we couldnt afford one.
Company I worked for did elm boxes for whiskey(contents £21,000-85 yr old whiskey) using a mitrelock cutter. A NIGHTMARE setting this up and constant checking that there'd been no movement during runs. Every morning cost time and boards making sure the cutter was at the precise height and distance from the fence.
In that small workshop something like a cnc machine wouldnt have been cost effective and in all honesty we couldnt afford one.
@TRITON
I know the issues with getting these cutters set right, put me off them until I got the infinity ones which has a setting tool, read expensive for a bit of metal and a couple of magnets.
https://www.infinitytools.co.uk/accessories/lock-mitre-jig/
I know the issues with getting these cutters set right, put me off them until I got the infinity ones which has a setting tool, read expensive for a bit of metal and a couple of magnets.
https://www.infinitytools.co.uk/accessories/lock-mitre-jig/
Much like the handheld router CNC thing when that first popped up I'm probably one of a very few who watched that video and thought "meh". I guess its fine if you love technology, need accuracy & precision, can justify the cost etc. but most can do perfectly well just using the tools/jigs the creator says it replaces (which was a point I didn't really agree with).
heimlaga
Established Member
Spindle moulders with that type of control have been around for almost 20 years. They have proven to be useful and often able to earn back their costs in workshops producing a limited number of standard products or a range similar products in varous sizes.
They have also proven to be hardly more efficient than a dull stone axe with loose handle for one off jobs.
They have aso proven to not earn back their cost in workshops with too small production volumes.
Their main competitor is a row of 15 pre-war Jonsereds and Kirchners and Wadkins purchased all together for less than 1/10 of the cost on one new computerized spindle moulder and each set up to do one particular standard operation.
They have also proven to be hardly more efficient than a dull stone axe with loose handle for one off jobs.
They have aso proven to not earn back their cost in workshops with too small production volumes.
Their main competitor is a row of 15 pre-war Jonsereds and Kirchners and Wadkins purchased all together for less than 1/10 of the cost on one new computerized spindle moulder and each set up to do one particular standard operation.
It's nice but I'm not super excited about it. It feels like a compromise, missing one of the major axises. If going this route I would go full CNC instead.
For boxjoints, the table saw is superior, keyhole slot routing and biscuit slot cutting (in only one direction)...? Not something you do many times in 10 years. To me this is a fence that moves superfast to a required position. An ordinary router table fence with a DRO attached have the same accuracy but doesn't move that fast. So, this invention speed things up a little but except from that I don't see any real added value.
For boxjoints, the table saw is superior, keyhole slot routing and biscuit slot cutting (in only one direction)...? Not something you do many times in 10 years. To me this is a fence that moves superfast to a required position. An ordinary router table fence with a DRO attached have the same accuracy but doesn't move that fast. So, this invention speed things up a little but except from that I don't see any real added value.
Has anyone got one who can say just how accurate it really is. The Incra positioner gets great reviews on its accuracy and many of us can set our fences to a gnats whatever so accuracy is more important than speed in a home shop.
Nothing is fool proof - because fools are ingenious. This is not a theory I have proved it many times!
As said it seems to be a dro and stepper motors a bit like posh mitre saws have
I don’t think it diminishes much skill if a computer moves the fence to 10mm from the cutter or I do it.
The lack of flexibility to modify the programmes seems an oversight, being unable to easily do variable spaced dovetails etc leads to a loss of design variability
As it doesn’t come with the spindle or the table it’s really expensive
I don’t think it diminishes much skill if a computer moves the fence to 10mm from the cutter or I do it.
The lack of flexibility to modify the programmes seems an oversight, being unable to easily do variable spaced dovetails etc leads to a loss of design variability
As it doesn’t come with the spindle or the table it’s really expensive
