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@LukeWilson Looking over your TBDCNC web site and seeing all the EX-Carve components designed to enhance, stiffen, support, and improve I had this thought…why not make a complete EX-Carve machine yourself with all these enhancements?
The current X-Carve lacks the needed improvements to make it a truly great machine. (purchased as is from Inventables::no screw drive option, no Z-slide option, riser height too low, motors too small, belts/clips too small, eccentric nuts too small, many screws mis-sized, to much Y flex, and general stiffness could be improved.
It’s been about 2.5 years since they last upgraded the X-Carve. They’re due. Sure they added a vacuum attachment, ok. They’ve made Easel enhancements, went ‘Pro’ with that. But nothing on the hardware front.
I will not say the X Carve is without some issues.
However it is every bit what it was intended for. In that price range you will get nothing better.
It is very capable of doing hobby to small shop production.
There are many makes out there using it on a regular basis.
Yes there are many mods that make it perform better but that is the way is is with everything.
Go to SEMA and look at all the aftermarket parts for tricking out your car or truck. Those are not there because the major auto maker do not have quality vehicles on the show room floor.
Just Some Thoughts.
Actually, nowadays you can. And you don’t even have to look very hard.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m perfectly happy with my machine (old but heavily upgraded Shapeoko 2 even), but the market is evolving fast. But yeah you are right about the fact that the day some tech releases, it instantly becomes outdated.
belts as a drive system. the whole Z assembly, the way too flexible extrusions, etc.
With outdated I mean the day something releases, people are going to start modifying and improving it, rendering the stock machine ‘yesterdays model’. As per your car analogy
I can’t imagine the issues Inventables support would be dealing with if they sold a screw drive system. They would have people breaking all kinds of things. Belts are very forgiving for beginners.
“belts are very forgiving…” however, why not have them build a verified and valid screw drive system as an upgrade for those who find themselves ready to get to the next level, without having to abandon their X-Carve and buy a more capable machine?
Agreed. Although the X-carve is inexpensive, and that is the whole point, there are some rather inexpensive upgrades that increase the rigidity and usefulness of the machine that really need to be implemented. Make a linear Z an upgrade option and include 9mm belts and Y axis stiffeners as standard. Machines such as the Shapeoko 3 have surpassed the X-carve at very close to the same price point. It’s possible Inventables likes being the cheapest machine, that may be their marketing segment, but it does seem to be a shame to leave so much capability on the table. But, as I’ve mentioned before, several of these machines are in a different generation than the X-carve. I’d have to assume there is another iteration in the works. I look forward to it as Inventables has been great supporting older machines.
I’m just surprised that Inventables is still allowing a “For Sale” post in the regular part of the forum when they removed other ones for the same reason… I’m just sayin.
I’m sure they’ll move it soon - When they adjusted the rules they moved any of my posts that were active, but this one was dead for a while so I’m sure it wasn’t on their radar.