*URGENT* Commercial/Small SB Owners - I need your feedback

[johnm]

Folks -

We are *thisclose* to getting financing for a PRT96, and picking up a HUGE job about 3 months out to pay for it, and I *REALLY* could use your feedback.

We are negotiating with a private lender for the purchase, and it ....looks.... good, but they aren't really familiar with 'Bots, the forum here, and the how the use of a shop bot has helped small shop owners.

If you are using a 'Bot in a small commercial setting, could you perhaps please send me a quick email describing how you've incorporated the 'Bot in your operation, your "getting up to speed" curve and your general feedback on how the machine has (or hasn't) helped your bottom line. I have additional documentation that I am preparing for the lender, and would like to give them a sheaf of emails to give them a better picture.

I am a furniture maker, and also teach woodworking. My wife is a graphic artist and we would be using the machine to produce gingerbread trim for a new housing development. We have a shop at our home and if we get the machine, my wife will leave her "day job" and work on creating/adapting designs and we will both operate the machine, depending on my teaching schedule for the fall.

Please send your emails to my address at johnmoorhead@sbcglobal.net (mailto:johnmoorhead@sbcglobal.net) rather than the school address in my profile (MCOE)

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

John Moorhead
Lakeport, CA

[johnm]

Folks -

A quick follow up to elaborate on some comments I've gotten...

My wife is already able to produce 2 and 2.5-D files with her graphics experience in Adobe/Photoshop/Illustrator/whatever the hell she uses... We will not need to produce anything in true 3D for 6-8 months or so.

We have already produced the SB files we need for the "big project" we're shooting for. I already have experience running a benchtop unit, teaching in school - so the groundwork is there.

From the time we recieve the 'Bot, we would have 6 to 8 weeks prior to needing to operate at a production level. I would hope that this would be enough time to simply cut parts out of panel goods.

If I am missing something here, please let me know. Like Ross Perot, I'm all ears!

Thanks!

Thank you again for all of your feedback.

John

[jacob_k]

Hey john,
I read through your post and thought MCOE sounded familiar, then saw you live in Lakeport. I'm over in Redwood Valley. I can't really help you since I don't have a ShopBot now, but I've been seriously considering starting my own business with one. I'm an advanced Rhino 3d user and have learned Part Wizard, Mill Wizard, and ArtCam Insignia pretty well from the demos. Not that I want to compete with you or anything, there aught to be a ton of work around here.

Anyway, good luck, and don't be afraid to invite me over to see the Bot. (:

[goldenstream@yahoo.com]

Hello
I am interested in buying CNC alpha96 but will be using it in Belize, Central America. Here I will be the first to have this machine so I do not have anyone for assistance. Is this machine reliable,do the rack and pinion work well, since the system is bolted together do you problem with leveling? Do you need to do regular maintainance? Could somebody give a true opinion on this machine.

[elcruisr]

I use my Prt Alpha and before that my PRT on a daily commercial basis. We average about 30,000 to 40,000 parts a year. They hold up well when used intelligently like any tool. They need a little grease, sharp quality tooling and good initial setup like any other tool I run. You do need to look at the machine, parts holding method and software as a complete package. Think about what kinds of cutting you want to do and set up accordingly. Full nested based cabinet work will take a different approach from cutting wood moldings for example.

Also plan on a sharp learning curve at first. It will seem frustrating at first if you've never run a CNC router before but you get over the hump after a bit and things get smoothed out.

All CNC machinery breaks down now and then. Heck, even my table saw has needed a few repairs! In a little over three years I've cooked one spindle drive ( the power companies fault, not mine ), rebuilt one spindle, replaced three wire whips, replaced a prt ( not alpha ) driver board and was able to deal with most of it pretty quickly myself with the exception of rebuilding the spindle. The bearings need the occasional adjustment but thats no big deal.

I know of several shops with "big iron" and they break down too. The difference is they have to bring in a service tech and their repairs cost alot more than mine! One guy with an Italian machine was down for 6 weeks waiting for parts from Italy. Since it was the holidays he was out of luck. I did cut quite a few parts for him during that time though....

Eric

[ron brown]

Ramon,

I will recommend you learn the machine with someone who has one. Even if you need to spend a month or more at someone else's shop. Learning CNC is a project in itself and you do not need to be second-guessing yourself.

Ron

[mikejohn]

I agree whole heartedly when Eric says "You do need to look at the machine, parts holding method and software as a complete package.
I also agree with Ron's Learning CNC is a project in itself in as much as you also need to think through precisely what it is you are trying to achieve. You can do amazing things with a Shopbot, but you do need to be able to think a project through from conception to cutting file.
If your ShopBot is well set up, and you have good operating practices, then the bit after you have a good working cutting file is easy, and often fun.

.................Mike

[dhunt]

- and pay attention to 'The Holy Grail Of CNC'..
HOLD-DOWN of the workpiece!

I call it Creative Clamping.

Spend some brain-time on your hold-down methodology
so all your other efforts don't come to nought!

[btk]

Ramon,

The Shopbot is a great machine, particulary if you are in a remote location that might not be served by a lot of full service technicians, etc. As evidenced by this website, the machine is fully (and encouraged by shopbot) customizable. And Shobot phone support and this Web Forum are second to none.

Yes you do have to spend a bit of time getting everything square, etc. However, to tell you the truth, I appreciate all of the adjustabilty because it gives you more control in the long run.
I have moved my machine 3 times in 8 months, and the portability/accuracy ratio is very good.

That being said, there are a many machines that cut faster, more accurate, etc, however you have to judge what you need right now.

There is also a decent resale value on these machines and a very obvious/central place to list "machines for sale". They are relatively easy to ship (as opposed to some other machines I have used), so you don't have to look at it as a $20K+ investement, as you could propbably recoup a lot of that if you end up outgrowing and/or underutilizing the machine.


Brian