Roland EGX-30a/cnc shark pro plus?

[jack Halley]

Can you tell me the reason one would buy an engraver over a cnc router?

Is there something I'm missing about the increased versatility of the cnc over the engraver?

Thanks for any and all reponses.

[Jim Underwood]

Not sure they are all that comparable.

If you wanted to engrave glass with your CNC router, could you do it?

If you wanted to do carving with your engraver, could you do that?

[jack Halley]

I guess not glass or diamond drag with a cnc but you can engrave all engravable plastics with the cnc as well as cut them in any shape. Right?

[Keith Outten]

Generally speaking rotary engravers use much smaller motors and are not designed to make deep or heavy cuts.

Although CNC Routers are very accuarate they aren't nearly as accurate as rotary engravers which can often machine to plus or minus 0.0005"

Most rotary engravers use a nose cone to set the depth of cut.

I'm sure there are more differences betwen the two machines and that others here will chime in.
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[jack Halley]

Thanks Keith.
I Don't post often but sure do appreciate all of the information and communication from everyone.

So I guess that the small engraving ability and increased accuracy of the engraver is the difference.

I wanted to see if a small cnc would give good quality for the heavier engraving substrates that don't vector out with a 30 watt laser and then also be used for creating 3d signage.

[Scott Challoner]

I'm still dreaming about a CNC and I think it would be great if I could do some engraving of non-laserable Rowmark materials and other things on it too. Here is another thread where they talk about using a diamond drag.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...t=diamond+drag

[Kenneth Hertzog]

Jack
I've not tried to do engraving with my Shark (cnc)
I've tried it with my milling machine and acheived good
results with a diamond drag as well as powered bits
2Linc dot com has a video of this being done on router tables
hope this helps or will try an answer any other questions
Ken

[Keith Outten]

Jack,

I had a 16" by 20" rotary engraver that I recently sold in order to purchase a small CNC Router. I expect that what I am in the process of doing is what you are thinking about.

I know there are people using CNC Routers for diamond drag work, cutting glass and a host of other techniques that you wouldn't normally think of when you think about CNC Machines. I recently purchased a pen holder that chucks in the router so I can plot large paper templates and I also purchased a diamond bit that will allow me to engrave large glass projects. I haven't used either of them yet but a lot of others have been having a lot of success.

Although I own a large table ShopBot I purchased a Stinger II just a few weeks ago to handle small jobs and I got the CNC lathe attachment which expands my capability as well. The table top Stinger or the larger Stinger II are both more than capable of the kinds of projects you are considering.

I have said many times in the past that CNC machines are money making machines. Unlike most other traditional woodworking machines a CNC machine is really in a whole different class and you need to approach the cost of purchasing a CNC machine differently unless you are a pure hobby woodworker and you don't have any interest in working for money. Even so I know people who purchased CNC machines just to make projects for friends and family that have paid for their machines doing odd jobs that walked into their shop.
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[Jim Underwood]

Even so I know people who purchased CNC machines just to make projects for friends and family that have paid for their machines doing odd jobs that walked into their shop.
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You're killin' me...

I'd love to do that. Send me $6K worth of work and I'll do it...

I've found trying to sell my design time is pretty hard. I made (duplicated) some chair backsplats for a friend of mine the other day, and there was no way I could recoup my design time. I'd have to get a lot quicker "on the draw" before I could survive on my AlphaCAM skills...

By the way, I feel like a total idiot about the engraver. I didn't really know anything about it. This must be a totally different animal than those little hand engravers you buy at the box stores...

[jack Halley]

Thanks Scott-for the link
Ken and Keith- more to consider.
At least I know its possible. Maybe not with a newbie but with experience.

[Keith Outten]

You're killin' me...

I'd love to do that. Send me $6K worth of work and I'll do it...

I've found trying to sell my design time is pretty hard. I made (duplicated) some chair backsplats for a friend of mine the other day, and there was no way I could recoup my design time. I'd have to get a lot quicker "on the draw" before I could survive on my AlphaCAM skills...

By the way, I feel like a total idiot about the engraver. I didn't really know anything about it. This must be a totally different animal than those little hand engravers you buy at the box stores...

Jim,

I have to admit that it would take awhile for me to make 6K in my woodworking shop if I didn't own a CNC Router. However the CNC Router opens up a lot of doors to commercial work that I wouldn't have access to otherwise.

I stopped doing residential type work a long time ago. I stopped laser engraving pictures and I stopped making house signs and all the other walk-in types of projects because I couldn't produce enough profit to make it worthwhile. When people ask me it I can make something for them I politely let them know that I only do commercial work.

A small sign for a home would barely bring 30 bucks to the table, a similar sign for a commercial customer would be in the 300 dollar range. At these rates is is relatively easy to make 6K, possibly on just one small job easily accomplished in just two days.

Here is a link to a video on the Vision Engravers web site that provides some insight about rotary engravers. These machines can easily cost over $16,000.00 new when you look at 16" by 24" table sizes.
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[Hans-Joerg Mueller]

Thanks Keith.
I Don't post often but sure do appreciate all of the information and communication from everyone.

So I guess that the small engraving ability and increased accuracy of the engraver is the difference.

I wanted to see if a small cnc would give good quality for the heavier engraving substrates that don't vector out with a 30 watt laser and then also be used for creating 3d signage.

Hi there,

Precisely the reason we have a Shark Pro Plus on order - should get here today.

We have an Epilog Helix (24x18 with 60W) in the shop which does very nice work within that range, but the 24" is just a bit too short and 3D is not in the picture.

BTW the accuracy of an engraving machine comes at a fairly steep price; 3 to 4 times for a similar working space, but then again it all depends on the work you plan on doing.