My name is John Webb, and I live in Paradise, CA, I wanted to start producing some unique wood signs and crafts with a ShopBot. Do you feel this thing has been worth it? How was the learning curve? What is the material of choice?... besides wood, I've hear a material HDU is becoming more & more prevalent in wood crafting. Are there any other materials? What are the costs, & who supplies them?
The other thing I wanted to do with it was output sculptures designed in 3D StudioMAX, export to AutoCAD, then "print" them in layers or cross sections (due to 6" z-axis travel limit) to the ShopBot. Cross sections would be stacked, glued, & sanded to produce a master from which to produce a mold for castings.
Anyway, this is probably a bit far fetched & scattered, but my imagination won't let go of the possibilities. Any feedback would be great. Much appreciated, ...John Webb