Is shopbot the way to go?

[loriny]

I have no cnc experience and have been looking around at new and used machines. One that has caught my eye is the Vortech but I am concerned about support. I do custom cabinetry and custom wood mouldings ie arches etc. Would the shopbot keep me happy for this kind of work. Mainly I am hoping to be able to process cabinet panels 5/8-3/4 mel and punch the system holes. I like the thought of being able to come to this forum for help which is a huge + for ShopBot.
thank you

[butch]

Lorin
I had lots of computer background, but no cnc or cad experience. Took a few attempts but the ShopBot and software was very easy to learn and use. I now build cabinets, furniture and items that require very accurate cuts. The ShopBot will work very well, and this forum is great. You will always know someone on here can and will help you. I have taken on projects that I never would have thought of, because of the information and help on this forum.
Butch

[wberminio]

Lorin

Less than 2 years ago I had 20+ years custom Cabinetry/Millwork experience,
0-years CNC experience.

With my Shopbot, My buisness has expanded.
I used to dread curved work including curved moulding.(draw arch/set up router jig/cut template/sand-sand -sand template-still have
flat spots...)
Now I draw any shape- bring it to my "Bot" and cut a perfect template/arch...or cabinet.
Now I'm also making carved signs that people think took me hours to do.
One thing,I couldn't have gotten to this point without this forum and without ShopBot support.
Go with Shopbot-you won't be sorry.

Erminio

[beacon14]

Lorin,

I cut 3/4" melamine, plywood, and veneered and raw MDF routinely on my PRTAlpha. Last year I cut 450 sheets of melamine for my largest customer, so far this year we have already cut another 75 sheets. I use an air drill with a 5mm drill bit for the system holes, and a 2.2HP spindle with a 1/4" compression cutter for all other machining and to cut the parts out.

I also use my 'Bot for machining solid wood parts, like curved moldings, arches, surfacing large slabs, etc. The ShopBot is definitely "keeping me happy" for the type of work that you and I do on a regular basis.

Let me know if you need any more input.

David B.

[loriny]

thanks for the input
I completed a deal on a PRT 96 weth Gecko's, vector software & 3D probe. I will be picking it up in a couple weeks. Any thoughts as to what I should try learn before machine is in my shop?

[chiloquinruss]

Lorin, download the software and bang away. Also try all the tutorials on the ShopBot website and on the Vectric website. Great stuff. And if you have any questions just jump in here, the support from the forum is just amazing! (I've been a botter for 4 months, and absolutely lovin' it!
Russ

[bcammack]

If you've closed the deal, they'll send you the software to create toolpath files ahead of time.

You can also download the sb3 control software for free and run it in preview mode to see the results of your programming long before the actual machine arrives.

I manage our set of programs that way, nowhere near the actual ShopBot. I test out my changes in my office, running preview mode to check them before taking them to the production floor for a true trial run of the machine.

[harryball]

Congratulations!

You've received good advice, to that I would add...

Clear out an area with at least 20" or more on any side close to a wall. It will make unloading parts and maintenance much easier.

Buy some 1/2" sheet foam, the blue or pink stuff. Practice cutting on that for the first few runs to get a feel for it. Check the dimensions of those parts as well for size and square while you are playing and do any tuning needed up front.

Plan to have a dedicated control PC, keep it simple, XP Professional seems to be the best. No virus scanners or behind the scene programs to get in the way (so keep it safe, no email, no web surfing) If you don't use a USB thumb drive, then no mapping a network drive to other PCs that may be vulnerable. Instead use a short cut (i.e. \control-pc-name\shared-directory) Some viruses can spread over mapped drives very easily. Turn your discovery off too so you can not browse to the control PC, you have to know the name.

If you don't understand what the PC stuff means that's OK, don't panic. As you go try to find someone who does. If you don't have a virus scanner on any of your PC's... well get one.

Sheet storage toward the end of you bot makes a lot of sense. You can slide sheets over and load them rather than carrying them around your shop.

Run, don't walk toward a vacuum holddown solution. I (along with many others) use a twin Fein solution that works very well.

Browse the forums and don't let it overwhelm you. There is tons of information.

/RB

EDIT PS: oh, don't forget the wiki too! http://shopbotwiki.com/index.php?title=Main_Page