Gene's PR is the machine that I started with, and there were at least two owners of that particular machine previous to me. He still produces parts on it that me and my PRS Alpha 6'x12' are envious of!
Gene's PR is the machine that I started with, and there were at least two owners of that particular machine previous to me. He still produces parts on it that me and my PRS Alpha 6'x12' are envious of!
Ken Zey
Lookout Mercantile / Digital Millwork
Rogers, AR
www.CedarSlabSigns.com
www.lookoutmercantile.com
www.digitalmillwork.com
6x12 PRS alpha
Exactly, a machine is just another extension of the man.
For me, all that tinkering with a machine I don't know and all the parts out of date doesn't sound like that much of a good time.
ShopBot Details:
2013 PRS 96x60x12 (Centroid upgrade)
4hp Spindle
12" indexer
Aspire
Rhino
Fusion 360
Ferrari 360
Prusa MK3S+
Prusa XL multi-tool
If he really did send it in to ShopBot give them a call and give them the serial number, they will tell you what you are looking at. Russ
AKA: Da Train Guy
All that tinkering as John puts it in IMHO is how you get to know the machine and when something does go wrong or doesn't sound just right you will know what to look for I bought a 1976 Stetson-Ross gang rip a year ago went thru it with a fine tooth comb and rebuilt it back to brand new condition also had fun doing it that's what connects you to it Working on it so you know what makes it tick I say go for it if the price is right you won't regret it
I kind of agree with John.
This might not be such a good purchase if he doesn't like to wrench. Me I hate repairs. So much so I ended up selling my machine. I admire you fellows who enjoy this kind of work but I'm more like John. If it's not fun, don't do it.
I agree with Joe. If you like tinkering with electronics (as I do) and don't mind tinkering with mechanics (I don't mind, but the mechanics have to be simple), then fixing up a Shopbot will be easy enough; BUT, if you want to buy a tool that is ready to run, just contact Shopbot and order which ever model suits your needs.
Even if the electronics are completely ruined, you can (fairly easily) build or buy a control box that will work with any model Shopbot. I'm fairly certain that Shopbot can sell you a compatible control box. Parts for building a control box from scratch that runs Mach software (which is not compatible with Shopbot's software) costs about $3,000, including motors. Building your own controller that is based on a control microprocessor module that Shopbot sells that WILL run Shopbot software and replacing all the motors will still be in that price range.
The mechanical parts of a Shopbot are not difficult to maintain and repair. Almost anything that needs to be done can be done with the tools that almost everyone has in the garage.
An older model Shopbot, that is properly adjusted and maintained, will do the job as well as a new model IF you know the limitations of the machine and work within those limitations. No matter what anybody tells you, every machine has limitations. As they say, "A poor carpenter blames his tools", which tells me that a wise carpenter knows how to do the job and also knows which tool he should use to do that job and how to use that tool.
I don't mind doing repairs. Heck, I'll repair anything and have. I don't know the experience level of the OP with CNC machines. Any CNC machine has a steep learning curve. If the start of this curve is a machine that needs weeks worth of tinkering before it can be used properly (like with a non-Dos computer!), then the fun level drops tremendously. This is my opinion though. Your experience will differ.
ShopBot Details:
2013 PRS 96x60x12 (Centroid upgrade)
4hp Spindle
12" indexer
Aspire
Rhino
Fusion 360
Ferrari 360
Prusa MK3S+
Prusa XL multi-tool