Shop Bot CNC

[Dan Richeson]

Hello again

I'm about done with the new house and been working on the shop also. Time to get a machine ordered. I have asked questions before about the avid and how sturdy the legs are. I was also looking at the shop Bot ones. They seem to have been around for a long time but one just don't see the videos on you tube like the avid. I'm guessing it is from all the free ones they had out to the larger channels. Any one have one on here ? It looks like the cost is more than a Avid. The 48 x 48 is the size I'm wanting. My budget is around 12 or so. I would love a camaster but they are just too high in cost for that size I want. Please let me know. Thanks

[Bill George]

In the long run you’d be better off with a Camaster. But the Avid is well designed and the control system was Mach4 which was decent but perhaps thats all changed now. After you get a good heavy solid spoil board down and then adding extra braces on the legs it might be sturdy enough for you.

[David Buchhauser]

I've got the Avid Pro 4848 with air cooled spindle. Have had it for about 5 years now and I am impressed with the build quality and overall performance. Once assembled with spoil board mounted, it's plenty rigid/stiff as far as I'm concerned. I think I paid around $12k all in. In fact, I liked it so much that I purchased the Pro 4824 to setup for machining aluminum. That one I converted to Centroid control with 4HP water cooled ATC spindle. I know nothing about the Shopbot tables.

David

[Jim Becker]

I'd choose the AVID over the ShopBot. Why? Because it's extensible over time if your needs change. ShopBot is a fine machine, however. I'm a very happy Camaster owner (SR44 4x4) but know that Camaster just changed their lineup recently to better reflect how their market and customer base have been purchasing. At the low end, the Stinger I (2x4) is still there, but anything larger is now a Panther. This is good for the pro shop for sure; less so for the hobbyist.

[Dan Richeson]

I checked that out again 32 grand for a 4x4 machine is way out of the budget. Not many 4x4 machine in the 15 K max range. I just really think the 2x4 will be two small as projects grow. I just like the legs better on the shop bot.

[Matthew Joseph Rogers]

I bought my CNC direct from a Chinese manufacturer and you get much better value for the money. I probably spent as long as it would take to assemble an Avid in purchasing conversations, Customs, and picking up my machine at the port. But it arrived 98% assembled and ready to go the first day. At a cost of only $19,000 (23k with vacuum pump, customs, fees, wiring, plumbing, etc) for a 3600# steel machine with 5’x10’ full zoned phenolic vacuum bed, 12hp ATC spindle with 12 position ride on tool changer, genuine Yaskawa servos all around, pneumatic hold down rollers, automatic tool measurements, and a full screen LNC control system, it is way better deal than any domestic system.
And I have had great luck with after sales service, getting answers and in-person video calls with a tech engineer same day each time I asked (although after 10:00pm EST).
I used StyleCNC (Therese was my sales person), who say they have been around since 2002, although I can’t corroborate that exactly.

So far my machine works great. Don’t get crappy regenerative blower vacuum pumps, however. That was my only waste on money. But I used them with a cyclone bucket to make the worlds strongest shop vac.

[Gary Campbell]

I checked that out again 32 grand for a 4x4 machine is way out of the budget. Not many 4x4 machine in the 15 K max range. I just really think the 2x4 will be two small as projects grow. I just like the legs better on the shop bot.

AVID's linear rails on the gantry axis vs Shopbots gravity based v-roller system should far outweigh any perceived advantage stiffer looking legs might give you.

[David Buchhauser]

If the Avid Pro series is stiff enough to machine 1" thick aluminum plate to spec, then I expect it is stiff enough to route my wood working projects.

David

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHSfDhyhWgU

avid aluminum.jpg

[Bruce Page]

I've cut 3/4" 6061 on my Camaster with the same results. The mister in the video makes all the difference. I didn't have a mister so I used WD40 and an acid brush. It worked well but made one hellacious mess.

[David Buchhauser]

I've cut 3/4" 6061 on my Camaster with the same results. The mister in the video makes all the difference. I didn't have a mister so I used WD40 and an acid brush. It worked well but made one hellacious mess.

Bruce - I know what you mean! I cut some aluminum on my Avid Pro4848 just to try it out, and then after seeing how great it worked - decided to buy a second Avid, the Pro4824. I would have gone with another Pro4848, but it wouldn't fit the allocated space in the shop. I'm building a full enclosure with mist cooling for the second table, so sort of like a mini cnc machining center.

I used WD40 from a spray can for my initial test, with a temporary cardboard enclosure and plastic over the spoil board on my Pro4848.

David

[Michael Burnside]

What are you going to do with it? I'm always amazed at how many people want the 4x4 machine and then they end up doing cutting boards, and small projects and the occasional cabinet. From my perspective, as a fine furniture builder, the Camaster Stinger or ShopSabre 23 are hard to beat. They're built like 50k machines using industrial grade materials at a reasonable price. I've had a couple questions over the years and ShopSabre consistently responds within 24 hours. Call Camaster or ShopSabre 5 years from now for a part on your CNC and they'll have it. I've built countless furniture parts (legs, drawer fronts, panels, etc) using all manner of wood hardnesses. Program the right feed and speed and you're good to go, the machines can handle it no problem. And yes even the occasional chacuterie board, shop project or knick-knack makes it through my machine and it does those perfectly too!

Maybe you're different, and you need big! But, to be honest, you have a pretty small budget for anything I would recommend besides AVID. There may be other non-US options, but I won't recommend them because I just don't know anything about them. My friend has the AVID 48x48 PRO and nothing against it, but it took us two damn weekends to build and, in the end, it just doesn't have the same rigid feel and build quality of my ShopSabre. He also ended up adding a panel below and some weights, etc. to stiffen the frame because the machine would shake/wiggle as it was cutting.

Good luck with your decision!

[Mike Klafehn]

I bought my CNC direct from a Chinese manufacturer and you get much better value for the money. I probably spent as long as it would take to assemble an Avid in purchasing conversations, Customs, and picking up my machine at the port. But it arrived 98% assembled and ready to go the first day. At a cost of only $19,000 (23k with vacuum pump, customs, fees, wiring, plumbing, etc) for a 3600# steel machine with 5’x10’ full zoned phenolic vacuum bed, 12hp ATC spindle with 12 position ride on tool changer, genuine Yaskawa servos all around, pneumatic hold down rollers, automatic tool measurements, and a full screen LNC control system, it is way better deal than any domestic system.
And I have had great luck with after sales service, getting answers and in-person video calls with a tech engineer same day each time I asked (although after 10:00pm EST).
I used StyleCNC (Therese was my sales person), who say they have been around since 2002, although I can’t corroborate that exactly.

So far my machine works great. Don’t get crappy regenerative blower vacuum pumps, however. That was my only waste on money. But I used them with a cyclone bucket to make the worlds strongest shop vac.

I just purchased the same unit as yours. I am such a novice on the customs and shipping side. Manuf will provide shipping to US and Chicago, but not sure on the customs. How did you handle customs? Do you know the HTS# for this machine. How much were the taxes and duty? I am excited about bringing this unit in.

[Michael Burnside]

So far my machine works great. Don’t get crappy regenerative blower vacuum pumps, however. That was my only waste on money. But I used them with a cyclone bucket to make the worlds strongest shop vac.

LOL, I'd love to see a picture of that!

[Kevin Jenness]

Two things that strike me as negatives on Shopbot machines: the gravity based v-roller system mentioned by Gary, and the side rails higher than the table. They tout the latter as a safety feature, but it pretty much requires loading material from the ends, plus in my small shop I use my Camaster as an assembly table.

[Matthew Joseph Rogers]

LOL, I'd love to see a picture of that!

I don’t have a picture, but they are designed to be plumbed to 2” pvc and I placed them outside the shop with plumbing inside that runs up under the CNC bed and put an outlet port on the side of my machine to connect a vacuum hose. I also wired the switch remotely on the CNC control cabinet so I can turn it on and clean the spoilboard in between sheets.