Just Purchased a BT32

[Designer]

Hello everyone. I am another new owner of a ShopBot BT32. Mine is still being built at this time. I plan to go and pick it up later this month. Until then, I will be studying the training material. I did order the 2.2 hp spindle and Aspire to go with it. I am computer literate and have been designing mechanical products in 3D for more years than I care to admit. I have also been into wood working for about 20 years, yet I still don't know as much about it as many other people do. After saying all of this, I am totally new to the CNC router world. Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated. Like, how the hex am I going to get the thing out of my truck LOL.:)

[Tim Lucas]

Welcome!!
Best advice, study - study - study, then when you unload it and plug it in you will have so many ideas in your head you wont be able to focus on cutting something:confused:
Tim

[scottp55]

Congrats and welcome!
Figure out your placement/Dust Collection/wiring/etc. , and watch as may of TJ's classes and Vectric tutorials as you can(You'll be having to much fun later:)
http://www.shopbottools.com/mSupport/tutorials.htm

http://support.vectric.com/training-material

And maybe try some of Vectrics free projects to get your feet wet?
http://www.vectric.com/cool-stuff/projects.html

I'd join Vectric Forum as well if you haven't already.
You'll love it:)
scott

[Designer]

Thanks to both of you. I had almost forgot the wiring. Darn. I need another 220V outlet. Thanks for reminding me.

[David Iannone]

Good time to order some router bits.

[chiloquinruss]

Download all of the FREE Trial software. Run them and learn to use the HELP files as well as the Tutorials. Download the manual for your machine and study, study, study. Call SB and find out if there is a 'demo' botter in your area. Botters can sign up with SB and open their shops for prospects and newbies to get some demo time. I did this with two demo botters in my area and it was a great help to actually SEE the machines running and ask questions while they were setting up and running jobs. Also PLEASE ask questions here, we ALL learn from each other. This is a large part of the power of SB and this forum. Congrats, you will be amazed at what you will end doing with your machine. Russ

[scottp55]

While the electrician is there ask him to double check that your Ground is Good, also run some small braided wire INSIDE the DC piping! Normal grounding just doesn't fly with CNC when the static starts flying!
Suggest you get your control computer stripped down to the essentials, and ALL antivirus/updates/internet fluff/and power settings turned to NEVER turn off. Might save you some Oopsies.
Like Russ said, download SB3 and get familiar with it.
Did you buy an 1/8" collet? Starter set of bits?
Also like Russ mentioned...Whatever you THINK you'll be doing with it..Will CHANGE:) It really changes your thinking!
If you had told me 15 months ago I'd be doing Buttons and Inlays.....I would have told you..."You're NUTS!!!" :)
Not to disagree with Dave, But, maybe cut a little bit with the bits you have and get them dialed in...THEN post pics of any problems and see if any of the Forum have suggestions for bits that could improve speed/quality and then buy.
Ask questions!!
scott

[Designer]

A lot of good advise. Thanks. Keep it coming.
Does everyone have their CNC direct wired? I will have to use 220V with a 60 amp breaker (8 gauge wire). Suspect a cord may not do it.

[mtylerfl]

A lot of good advise. Thanks. Keep it coming.
Does everyone have their CNC direct wired? I will have to use 220V with a 60 amp breaker (8 gauge wire). Suspect a cord may not do it.

I don't know about "everyone" but mine is direct wired (220V with a 60 amp breaker).

[mtylerfl]

I mean 30 amp (I was bitten by the evils of copy/paste)

PRSalpha BT48

[jerry_stanek]

I have been using this for my dust hose for the last 6 years and it is still like new. Never had any static problems with it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Deflect-o-Supurr-Flex-4-in-x-20-ft-Metallic-Duct-F0420B-6/100137300

[Designer]

Do you have the spindle? From what I see in the info they sent me the full load amps are 28.2 but they recommend a 60 amp breaker.

[bleeth]

I have a 5HP Columbo and Delta 10HP VFD running off a 40 amp 1PH 220 breaker for 10 years now.

[mtylerfl]

Do you have the spindle? From what I see in the info they sent me the full load amps are 28.2 but they recommend a 60 amp breaker.

Yes, a 2.2HP spindle. When running/cutting, it draws below 20 amps. The 60 amp recommendation is/was a puzzle for me, as it seemed it was too high for this setup.

[jerry_stanek]

I have the 2.2 spindle and I have a 30 amp for it

[Designer]

I have the 2.2 HP spindle ordered for mine. According to the wiring info SB sent me I will need to use 8 gauge wire and a 60 amp breaker. I wish I could go with something less. I have an electrician lined up. I will have to see what he says. I would really like to avoid having to hard wire; but, I suspect I will have to. That means getting the CNC where it will stay. I have some thinking to do about a new shop layout.
Thanks for the advise about the computer. I need to take it in and have some stuff removed. I know I have too much junk on it now. I will set it to stay awake until I put it to sleep.
I will be looking through the owner's manual as well. So much to do and so little time to do it.
I feel like a child waiting for Santa when it comes to getting the SB.

[Designer]

Thanks. I hope my electrician will go with the 30 amp breaker.

[Designer]

That Supurr flex looks good. I may have to buy some. It is a lot less expensive than the plastic flex tubing I have.

[Ajcoholic]

I don't know about "everyone" but mine is direct wired (220V with a 60 amp breaker).

I got the electrician to wire it with a heavy duty twist lock plug and extra flex cable on both the control feed and the spindle feed - the thinking was if I ever wanted to move it in the shop to cut something larger ( I was thinking to get the 10' powerstick as an option). But that hasnt happened. Otherwise I'd have gotten it hard wired as well.

[Brady Watson]

I wired my BT48 (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?5365-BT32-Vacuum-System&p=47524#post47524) so that I could move the tool to another location in the shop if I needed to. Since I have welders that take a 230v NEMA 6-50 plug, I just got the same and wired the VFD to it. I then plugged it into my 10-3 black rubberized extension cable (via electrical supply) that I made up with a NEMA 6-50 female on one end, and male on the other. This way the tool can go anywhere & be operational.

I also added a power strip that is tied to the machine for plugging in the laptop and control box. Since my machine was an earlier generation, you won't have to do these things to yours....but you could probably get by with one 230v plug for the whole deal.

A word to the wise...Yes, the BT tools come on wheels for rolling it around, which is sweet. BUT you still have to drop those feet down to the floor and level the machine before you begin cutting anything. I visited a shop one time where the guy didn't lock the feet down, went in for lunch while the tool was left to work and it walked itself across the 2nd floor loft of his garage and fell into the stairway. (!!!) Not saying this will happen to you, but cut quality goes down if the tool isn't lock down to the floor via the leveling feet.

-B

[cowboy1296]

dittos on what Scott said on having nothing running in the back ground on your control computer. I had to learn the hard way about how this can cause communication issues and stop a project in progress.

Play with aspire and learn to design. Seeing a bot in operation could be very important but there was not one available for me. The forum is a wealth of knowledge. I have the buddy 32 but with a router, so i can pug in to a 110 on a 20 amp circuit

[scottp55]

Oh, Not really sure how applicable/relevant this is to Buddy, But on Desktop..I put the Control computer and Desktop on a whole separate 20A GFI breaker(did I read somewhere GFI breaker was bad for some reason?) so that no other machine was in the loop for 120V. Also put it at the opposite end of the board from any other large "draws" such as compressor/saw/garage DC and closest to source. Had some Gremlins originally when compressor kicked in and Desktop was simply run out of one outlet out of 4 with other tools/lights on circuit. I added both the separate breaker/outlet at the same time as a UPS (mainly for line conditioning.. country power) unfortunately, so I can't say which solved the problem:(
Maybe someone can say what's best, as Desktop only has 1 power supply for machine/spindle.
As long as the electrician is coming anyways----Why not be optimum?
Should probably also mention NOT to leave a USB in control computer after transferring files. I have my control computer "Dirtbagged" and when the flap is down you can't tell if USB is inserted:( Had Problem Monday with a Spacebar/Pause and the spindle NOT retracting from the cut!! Spent probably about an hour trying to troubleshoot without finding it... THEN saw USB was in port from the previous Day! :(
Felt like an idiot! Reboot....Problem gone:)
Rambling...
scott

[Designer]

Scott and Cowboy, can you tell me what size computer you use? Mine is a HP Pavilion with an Intel Core i3 64 bit processor, 2.53 GHz clock, and 4gb of ram. It has 3 USB ports. It seems like enough, but it has grown real slow over time. I need to get a tune up or a new computer to run the SB. Just cannot be sure.

[scottp55]

Designer,
We wound up going with the Dell(only afterwards heard about the poor USB's, but haven't had a problem I can point a finger at them).
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?17865-Computer-pick-one-out-of-three
My brother stripped out(Black Vipered) all internet/anti-virus/bloatware etc.
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?15704-anyone-have-a-list-on-how-to-setup-a-win7-computer
Overkill for what Shopbot needs, but I use it as a design computer almost as much as the laptop. MUCH faster than the laptop with all the additional Internet stuff plus all the extra programs that the Shopbot doesn't need.
Still blows me away by how fast it boots and does Vectric previews now. I never realized how much all that junk slows an everyday computer down.
We went wired everything, But I'm barely computer literate and just wanted Simple.
Strip it down and you should be fine with your set up, BUT listen to people who know more than me.
scott
Oh, Might help others to know which OS and which Vectric package you went with, and if any designing will be done on it...OR simply running files. Big Difference.

[cowboy1296]

Still waking up here and i will get you my system information once i can see. Part of the control software has a speed test in it. The desired speed is anything over 75, I think. Someone here will correct me if i am wrong on that number. I thought that i knew computers when i started this but i was wrong, I knew the internet. If you go to this guys website and pick out your operating system you can use his guide on which services need to be turned off. You use his "BARE BONES" settings. Something as simple as windows telling your computer that you need an update during a cutting can give you a comm error. Even after i turned off everything there were still something running in the back ground and i cant remember how to find those, but they need to be turned off too.

I recently did a clean boot on my design computer because of an ad ware that i could not get rid of. It certainly sped up my computer, now its loaded with junk again.

http://www.blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-7-service-pack-1-service-configurations/

[Designer]

I hope I get this right. I bought the Aspire software package. I have not figured it out yet, but when I got the email and downloaded it I got Aspire 8.0. Then, I received a disc set from Aspire. I loaded it just in case there was more and it loaded Aspire 4.5. I need to check with Aspire to see what is going on.

[cowboy1296]

if you have room keep them both on your computer.

[scottp55]

8 has a LOT of nice features and it's 64 bit, which can use your 64 bit computer(30-50 % faster someone said for modeling).
The disc is(I think) $50 more and MAY be a good idea to pick up, but you'd have to wait for it.
Maybe more info here,
http://forum.vectric.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=21800
Call Shopbot and ask for Dianne and she'll hook you up with the right person.
You bought through Shopbot right?
I'm hoping for some of the features for next upgrade of VCP whenever:)
scott

[Designer]

Yes, I purchased it through ShopBot. Vetric told me that 8 was the new release. I did notice that it has a lot more commands showing in the menu. I will keep both for now; but use 8.

By the way. I am trying to layout my shop to make room for the BT 32. I see the measurements on the ShopBot site 37"(+12") x 54" x 68". From this it appears to take 49 inches for the table movement (length) and then 54 wide and 68 tall? What would someone suggest I allow for room to place the BT 32 (length x width)? I have limited room but want to make sure I leave room around it to work with the machine.

[Joe Porter]

I have the BT 32 and have it positioned up against the wall on the left side of the machine. I have shelves built around it up to the frame that holds the Y extrusion. If you need a picture, I will try to take one. One good thing about the Buddy is that the table moves, but not the gantry. So the space we lose for the moving table is made up for by the fixed gantry...joe

[Designer]

A picture would be great Joe. Thanks.

[Designer]

Well, I am headed to pick up my BT32 on Thursday. Kind of a long trip, but it beats $1200.00 to ship it. Still have not got my computer ready. Like always, I am running behind. I think I will strip down my current lap top and use it to run the CNC, and then get another more powerful one to do the programming. I assume I can use a thumb drive to transfer the programs?

[chiloquinruss]

If you are going to Durham to pick up, bring your laptop with you and plan on spending some time with the great bunch of folks there. It will be time well spent! And yes thumb drives work well! Russ

[scottp55]

Congrats Philip:)
Jealous...Never been to the Mothership:)
Pick some brains and have a Good time!
scott

[Designer]

I should be there tomorrow around 2:00 PM. I hope to get to see the plant. I did ask about spending some time tomorrow with the brains, but he was booked. Will do it Friday morning. I guess I'll need to clean my laptop tonight. If they will let me I will take a few pictures to share.

[Designer]

I'm back to my shop with the BT32 Standard. I'm trying to get started. I have Aspire loaded on my computer. The instructions don't mention it. The instructions refer to VCarve Pro ShopBot Edition. They also refer to the flash drive. I assume that is the one that came in the box with the machine. I am exploring now. Hopefully I'll figure it out. I know computers but am far from a programmer.

[Designer]

I think I did it. I now have the 4 new icons on my computer. Going to the next step. Can't wait to turn it on.

[Designer]

Well I am stuck. I cannot get it to run. I have the VFD and Control box USB's plugged into my computer. The software is installed. I turn on the lever and set the Interlock to engaged. Then, start the Shop 3 program. It comes up with an error stating that there is a USB Control Box Problem and tells me to quit, re-start the control box and try starting the software again. I tried this several times. I sent an email to support. Hopefully it is something simple. Going to sleep on it.

[David Iannone]

I am still trying to solve that same error on my machine. Try letting it search for a port to connect to. Then it will find it and run. But that is on my old machine.

A call to SB Tech support should get you fixed up.

Dave

[gerryv]

Scott mentioned this already but you might want to check whether you're on a GFI receptacle and, if yes, call Tech Support.

[scottp55]

USB 2 PORT? Same port that you installed software with? Machine USB UNPLUGGED when installed?
Call Support while you are AT machine and they can talk you through!
One of the reasons you Bought a Shopbot...Right? :)
You'll probably Kick yourself afterwards, like I did:)

[jamesburrus]

Hope you have fun with it