Shaper Origin owners?

[COWS]

Just seen this section up and glad to see there's quite a few members with CNC machines.

I use a Shaper Origin with my workflow. I use it for cutting templates, (table legs, drawer fronts etc), decorative inlays, dovetails and engraving etc etc. It's a great bit of kit.

I've been using Sketchup since 2015 but find it a bit of a pain needing to convert files to SVG with Ai in order to upload onto Shaper, so considering swapping to Fusion 360.

Anyone else here with one? What do you use it for? And what's your workflow?

 

[Ollie78]

I don`t have one but I do want one. I just like the idea of being able to put designs on things too big to fit in the regular CNC machine.
Fusion 360 is very good software and I much prefer it to sketchup once I got used to it.

Do you need to load everything onto the shaper directly as vectors ?
Are you converting your 3d designs into 2d files then into vectors prior to entering them into the shaper?
Could it accept files in direct gcode so you could output the designs from Vectrics post processor or something like carbide create ?

Trying to understand the workflow as it seems quite different to what I am used to, I either use the cam in Fusion 360 or Vcarve pro to generate the gcode then just put the material on the machine probe the Z height then hit the go button.

I like vector magic for making non vector pictures ( jpg, png etc )into svg files

Ollie

 

[COWS]

Hi @Ollie78

With the shaper being 'hands on, its more time consuming than a traditional 'set and forget' cnc. But for me it's more versatile. I cut my dovetails with it and can inlay designs into otherwise finished pieces etc. Space was another factor which made me go with the Shaper. And you're not limited to a small bed if you have a desktop machine.

My workflow always starts with an idea which I might sketch on paper or straight into sketchup for dimesioning and proportions. I select a face of which I want to cut out and save it into a separate skp. Then export the file as a dfx. Open the dfx in Adobe illustrator, join the edges to close the path and save as svg. The svg goes onto a usb stick which plugs into the Shaper.

It's not an ideal workflow which is why I'll probably switch to fusion. With F360 there is a Shaper plugin which cuts out all the file conversions and sends the 2d vector straight to the shaper.

I've no experience with gcode, so can't say if it accepts those files.

If you can get a hands on demo with one, then do. They aren't for everyone but it's great little machine and after a year of use, I think it suits my needs more than a static machine would.

 

[Ollie78]

Hi @Ollie78

With the shaper being 'hands on, its more time consuming than a traditional 'set and forget' cnc. But for me it's more versatile. I cut my dovetails with it and can inlay designs into otherwise finished pieces etc. Space was another factor which made me go with the Shaper. And you're not limited to a small bed if you have a desktop machine.

My workflow always starts with an idea which I might sketch on paper or straight into sketchup for dimesioning and proportions. I select a face of which I want to cut out and save it into a separate skp. Then export the file as a dfx. Open the dfx in Adobe illustrator, join the edges to close the path and save as svg. The svg goes onto a usb stick which plugs into the Shaper.

It's not an ideal workflow which is why I'll probably switch to fusion. With F360 there is a Shaper plugin which cuts out all the file conversions and sends the 2d vector straight to the shaper.

I've no experience with gcode, so can't say if it accepts those files.

If you can get a hands on demo with one, then do. They aren't for everyone but it's great little machine and after a year of use, I think it suits my needs more than a static machine would.

Interesting, I am glad to hear you like the machine and find it worthwile rather than a novelty.
I was wondering how it all worked. I have CNC that will cut about 1100mm by 900mm and a new one on order of a slightly bigger size with a 4th axis.
The Shaper has interested me since it was first shown years ago, I see it as an additional tool something like a guided router, I can think of many uses for it fixing and modifying existing things and adding artistic flair. Unfortunately I can`t currently justify it, need a nice big project that really needs it.

I suspect the plugin for Fusion is producing a form of gcode, this is the normal way of things. The machine only understands the co-ordinates and info for position and speed so the software "posts" a text file which is the code itself for a specific operating system or machine. I guess the difference being the X and Y coordinates are not fixed in the same way on a shaper, it must set a work area using the domino tape.

Ollie

 

[RobTy]

Ive got one & the workstation too. Mostly used so far (only had it 3m) for cutting joints. Nice & accurate but not something for production imo (too slow).

I design in f360 and export my drawing from there to svg. Plugin makes it somewhat faster.

 

[Roarus77]

Where do people sell these? I have a Gen1 to sell with a Festool CTL Midi.
Ebay is not giving me much luck unfortunately.

They are a good piece of kit if you have use for them. If not they risk sitting in a cupboard like mine.

 

[BucksDad]

Where do people sell these? I have a Gen1 to sell with a Festool CTL Midi.
Ebay is not giving me much luck unfortunately.

They are a good piece of kit if you have use for them. If not they risk sitting in a cupboard like mine.

If you put it up for sale on this site at the right price, it will sell

 

[ian8555]

Hi, I will be in the market to purchase an origin in a few weeks, anybody looking to move there's along get in touch please