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I need to make some custom wood block-type items that I believe a 24x48 size CNC would do well for, but I’m not up to speed on what brand or model would work best for me. It won’t be used in any kind of commercial way so it doesn’t have to be the toughest, nor is the work I have planned for it precision work so it doesn’t have to be the sturdiest either. A little discrepancy in a piece won’t matter to me. I’ll probably end up using 3/4" thick plywood and carve out blocks of about 20" x 3", and then carve shallow 1/2" slots on top of the blocks.
Any suggestion for an ok CNC for my needs?
I definitely want to keep it under 1k, 5-800 if possible. That’s why I’m thinking maybe used.
Well, I might look for a used x carve With a couple upgrades its a good hobbiest machine. I added extra extrusion for stiffness, risers, and stiffeners, 9mm belts and pulleys, and an aftermarket Z axis.
You could build your own system with Openbuilds parts if you want too. It seems Inventables got away from a lot of the DIY parts for modding or building from scratch. That would give you a lead screw option too.
The Inventables X controller is easy to deal with too.
CNC 4 newbies and other similar machines are probably more money than you will want to spend.
Amazon sells quite a few Asian made machines like Sainsmart and Genmitsu. I bought an all metal 3018 and it is surprisingly nice.