X-Carve feasibility question

Hello kind people,

I work as a tech director on a podcast that is being livestreamed with video to the Internet. I’m considering making camera lense accessories for some of the random odd tech pieces that I’m working with. For example, I might want to make a lens collar for adapting old square filters to the round lenses or a speed-rail camera platform mount. To do that, I’d need tight tolerances.

How realistic is it to want to work in aluminum with highly exact needs on the Xcarve? Do I need to do extensive upgrading to make this work? I saw one post talking about needing to do upgrades that brought the end cost closer to $5000 including a vcarve license.

Is working with a smaller X-carve better? Should I do 500mm because the smaller rail lengths are more sturdy?

Thanks all

for the size you will be working with… sounds like the 500 is the right size to me.

Wow, that looks pretty good. Looks like a lot of after market work. I’m trying to figure out what I should and shouldn’t buy to not waste money. Thanks for the link

That sounds good. I looked into the upgrades versus back then. I’m just concerned that if I am making a 56mm lens ring, that’s a pretty tight need in terms of tolerance. A millimeter off would mean the lens can’t be tapped and then screwed into a 56mm lens.

My main goal (right now) is that I need to make a camera platform that can sit on or hang from a run of Tri-truss, so the tolerances are narrow, but not nearly as tight as a lens mount. The goal is to hide the cameras up and out of the audience view.

Edit: How does the WideSlide fit into it? I was comparing XCarve to a Open Builds C-Beam units. I’m wondering if it makes sense to buy the gantry and build it using V-Slot instead.

AHH! Okay! I saw that and thought I’d have to do that!

Out of curiosity, how much of that height length can you use normally? Don’t most bits bottom out at less than 6"? How do you use your additional height?

I guess I’m asking if the extra Z height is usable given the distance from the spindle to the bit doesn’t change. Are you saying the extra height just clears putting thicker than 2" stock into the device for double sided cutting and such?

Cool! Both you and Phil cleared it up.

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