While it won’t get you 6", one thing which one can do to get additional working height is to swap the wasteboard down to the bottom of the aluminum frame — I did that on my SO2 and it worked fine.
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Great Idea Will ! Why didn’t I think of that!
If anyone is interested I can,design new risers for the x that would be taller nothing else would need to be changed unless of course you wanted more a movement but I am strictly talking for people that want to do engraving in logs and whatnot. To cut thin stuff with a raised setup you would just need to use a few prices of .75 mdf as a spacer for the material from the wasteboard
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I am interested but just raising those sides wouldn’t that make it wobbly? And how much are we talking for your upgrade?
It’s going to be more flex no matter what at least when the cut is low. I will get a new plate drawn up in solid works and post a file so you can just make them on your xcarve out of aluminum. Basically the exact same,part as stock with the cross members up higher not that special. Just easy and simple. I won’t be using them I don’t need the extra height.
I’d be interested in seeing this upgrade.
Sorry to revive an old topic but I am very interested in purchasing the new 1000mm x-carve and engraving larger stock. Mainly to engrave thick aluminum in excess of 4" - 6" thick. The depth of the engraving needs to be around .003mm - .006mm with lettering as small as 1/8".
- Can the X-Carve do tiny lettering well?
- Would this be the correct machine to purchase? (the X-Carve)
- Has anyone done this or similar mods to increase the z-depth?
- I was thinking about maybe cutting hole into the waste board to accommodate deeper items, would this just be “wasting” the board?
1 - Yes, with a v-bit or engraving bit. (Tapered bits like these are less prone to breaking)
2 - If you are looking for a introductory machine to learn on, this is a very good machine. The customer service and community support can really help with overcoming the learning curve. If you are looking for a production grade machine for commercial use, especial with aluminum, there are some upgrades or alternatives you may want to consider
3- Yes several people have made modifications (myself included) to increase cut height. The easiest way is to cut taller Y end plates: Gantry Upgrade to C-Beam
You can do this yourself, or there are several people selling them: Higher Y-plates:
4- I know of at least one person who cut an access hole in their waste board so they could carve dovetails in the end of planks. You can easily mod the waist board to fit your setup. (most people make their own waist board anyway to save on shipping costs.)
Thanks for the reply. I am just a beginner hobbyist. I have a 3D printer and I wanted to learn some CNC basics. I won’t be doing any sort of “commercial” work. Its mainly for fun. I’ve been saving for about a year now and so I wanted to get something that would fit many needs.
Looking at the Easel software it seems very basic. It doesn’t look like I could get it dialed in enough to engrave really fine detail (the 1/8" lettering at .004" depth). I’ve tried using it a bit but I don’t think that its the right software. Do you have any recommendations that would work well for a beginner?
Thanks again.
Gryphon CNC uses this… I wonder if they’re the ones making it.