info. about ShoBots

[B. Pile]

Hello all,this is my first post.I'm interested in purchasing a new or used
Machine and I'm looking for as much advise as i can get.
Like, what everyone thinks are advantages of spindle versus router
and what are the differences between new and older models.
Any and all advice is greatly appreciated also anyone selling a 48x98 machine
i may be interested.

Thanks Buster Pile

[bleeth]

The best advise I can give you in answer to your questions is do a little search research on the forum. Everything except what may be currently for sale but not posted has been covered at least 30 times in the last few years.

[B. Pile]

Thanks Dave I've been doing some reading and members such as yourself
seem to have a wealth of knowledge so i thought i would cut right to the chase and ask for everyones best advice since i'm completely new to everything cnc.


thanks again
Buster

[bleeth]

For anyone to give you reasonable advice other than "get the most you can" you need to give out information first. How do you plan to use your machine? Hobby, pro, cabinetmaker, small run, high production, signs, custom carvings, foam, wood, plastic, power resources in your shop, space, etc. as well as budget. Since a bot can cost from under 10k to over 40k and there are so many different ways they are used by owners different people will have different info depending on your intended use.

[B. Pile]

The plan would be production use,in wood, plastics ,foam,and a variety of other materials.I would like to stay with 220 power because my shop is constantly moving, on average 3 times a year. which i'm sure poses its own issues.We will be cutting 4x8 sheet goods quite often so i was told the buddy
may not be a good choice even with a powerstick. but mobility is important as far as programs needed, not sure.I work as a const. coord. in the film industry
and we would use it to make signs,cut components for cabinets,carving and a
large variety of other projects. As i said before this is new to me so being able
explore and expand is also important. one decision spindle vs. router?what is upkeep on a spindle, how often will it need repaired or replaced?also vacuum hold down system advantages and what are there flaws?

thanks for any and all input you can offer me
Buster

[CNYDWW]

I was planning on getting a buddy at one point however found a used machine. If you need to process a lot of sheet goods, a buddy coupled with a good quality portable panel saw might do the trick. Most cabinet parts don't exceed the standard BT48's movement area of 24x48. Pre-cutting the parts and milling would work as well. Adding a powerstick for longer but narrower jobs to make sure you maintain you versatility and still having a portable machine. My old machine was not that portable but not full size either. It just had to be dismantled and re setup wherever i needed it. I still plan on getting a buddy, having two machines can be a godsend. I often have requests to work on site when it comes to some small vineyard or restoration work i get into at times. Bringing a CNC along for the ride is worth it.

Regards
Randy

[bleeth]

I can't speak for the buddy but for layout of cabinet parts on a 4 x 8 you do need the ability to process the entire sheet at once without a lot of extra work.
For electrical restraints I would keep everything single phase but I believe strongly in spindles. They are stronger and smoother than routers and maintenance is almost non-existent given that you warm them up and cool them down according to owner manual recommendations.
For mobiity a Buddy is certainly easier to move around. That being said I have moved my PRT 48/96 a variety of times by using a forkilift (with extended forks is a lot easier) on one end after clamping down the gantry. It doesn't take long to relevel and get operational. If you get a PRS or PRT standard then the width will easily go into the back of any commercial truck trailer or even the standard rental truck sizes (15's and up).
The more elaborate the vacuum hold-down system the harder it is to move your machine around. With an eye towards moving you may want to start with Fein vacuum systems but even my regenerative blower simply needs a PVC "loose" joint at the machine to be able to move the machine independantly of the blower. The hitch for you there would be electrical requirements as I don't know a vac of that type that runs on single phase so you would also need a phase convertor. The vac box designed by Brady/Gary uses single phase universal vacuums and could be the best longer term answer. I ran my machine for a year or two using screw-down and lots of people do but the pleasure of vac hold-down has made me a believer. It's pretty easy to set up multi-zones (I have 8 equal ones) to account for different size material. For carvings that take a long time I still use a mechanical holddown just to keep the noise down and use less power.

In a nutshell I would buy a new PRS Standard 48/96 with a 4HP spindle with a single phase VFD and build a universal vacuum as one of my first projects. I would base the design on Gary's "Black Box".

You could even put this rig in a trailer or container and run it there although I would probably customize it with a popout for floor space on one side of the machine.

The whole rig would cost a half day's pay or less of the lead actor!!

[hh_woodworking]

If I was moving the full table often I would put the trailer jacks on the corners and roll it where I needed it to be. I would rather have a 4x8 machine for the works described than a buddy

[B. Pile]

wow this all great feedback thanks everyone! Dave i think i am leaning towards
a prs 48x96 and i've heard a lot of advantages to going with a spindle. What do you think life expectancy of a spindle may be? i know it greatly depends hrs. used and as you mentioned proper use. But can anyone tell me how long they
have theirs in service with no problems.

Also the trailers jacks are a great idea i actually use them to rig scenery
all the time.
thanks again all great advice Buster

[bleeth]

My Columbo 5HP is going on 7 yrs old without service.

[myxpykalix]

How can we not like a guy with the name "Buster"?:D welcome

Where do you live? Call shopbot and ask if they havce someone on their demo list to give you a live demonstration that lives close to you.

Or go to the "looking for shopbot owner" section and offer to pay someone for a demo as most guys are happy to show off their "babies" and their work. You get far more info and questions answered by seeing one in action.

[B. Pile]

Hey Jack

Thanks, I live in Friedens Pa. near 9/11 crash site,i will give them a call and see who may be in my area.

[kern]

Dave, You said--

"I believe strongly in spindles. They are stronger and smoother than routers and maintenance is almost non-existent given that you warm them up and cool them down according to owner manual recommendations."

I do the warm up but help me about what to do for a "cool down".

Kern

[bleeth]

Kern:
Just do the same thing in reverse.

[myxpykalix]

I didn't realize you could reverse the revolution of the bits on a spindle

like a ceiling fan does that blow air up onto the spindle to cool it?:rolleyes::D

[Brady Watson]

I didn't realize you could reverse the revolution of the bits on a spindle

like a ceiling fan does that blow air up onto the spindle to cool it?:rolleyes::D

Ack-chooley....Yes you can. All have a FWD & REV mode. :D

-B

[danhamm]

Don't rev. the china ones, ask me how I know.!!!

[srwtlc]

What happens? Do they cut their way back to China? ;)

[myxpykalix]

Brady,
I was being sarcastic:rolleyes: lol
I didn't realize you could reverse them. Why would you need/want to do that?

[curtiss]

I know with well pumps

if you don't hitch the wires up correctly they start in reverse which unwinds the pump hanging at the bottom of the threaded pipe... and the pump can then drop a few hundred feet deeper into the well.

I watched an electrician do this once, he was a bit bummed

Reverse is always possible...

[bleeth]

You can reverse a spindle to turn an up cutter into a down cutter!

[Gary Campbell]

Dave...
Rethink that one. :confused:

But you can reverse the spindle to turn any right hand rotation bit into a fire.

[bleeth]

Gotcha!!!!
But I bet damned near no one else saw that.

PS-Instead of sittin around playin on the forum you could be kickin butt in Ft. Lickerdale.