Jim,

You never stated your production goals for these units? You're showing a youtube video of a machine that's probably 500k, then a homemade concept. I'm confused.

Looking at the parts on the bed of the concept machine, it seems like you could easily do this with a 3 axis, and a smart table saw jig to clean up the corners.....Or change the design slightly to allow the radiused corners. You could probably set up and make hundreds of these using either method before it would pay to own that bacci smart or in the time you'd be fiddling with your concept machine. Have you priced a spindle that will accept that kind of head yet? Or the head itself?

If you're hell bent on making a machine, CNCRouterparts.com would be a good place to start.

Oh, and about Henry Ford, let's not forget his first two attempts ended in Bankruptcy...I like to think his quote I posted above came after he learned some lessons.

If you are working with only three sides or you could build a center rotary axis, then a multihead like the camaster x3 (ad another for 4 heads) could do this.

This is a photo of my long sold X3 amazing machine for the tech and cost. it is still in production with no major repairs or replacements it was new in 08

View higher quality, full size image (1024 X 683)

Gary thank you for your continued frank conversation.

It is likely that others are confused as well and for that I apologize. I was hoping that someone had really used the Bacci Smart and could offer some pointers about it's high cost vs. it's potential production capabilities.

The Bacci machines do offer a lesson to me and maybe others about how high speed production is accomplished. For me the lesson is that if the task can be accomplished with no lag time between various functions that production speed will be enhanced. This is especially true in the furniture industry where a small part can require many different milling operations.

Thanks for the suggestion to check out CNCrouterparts.com. I however, am not planning a homemade concept. I want someone else to take the concepts that I show in my video and make me a fast and reliable machine with a small footprint.

Yes, I may be as you say, fiddling with this concept when I am not making furniture with traditional methods. But I happen to believe that for the furniture making industry there is a big gap between the Bacci style machine and a 3 axis machine, both in cost and speed. I am searching for that sweet spot. I do not plan on competing with Baker Furniture and there is a good chance as you suggest that bankruptcy could be around the corner if I spent $500,000 on a Bacci.

I have priced the HSD four headed aggregates ($5,722) and C axis drives ($4,120) but I have not yet found a ready made drive that will allow the spindle to rotate 90 degrees on a positioning axis. If I can find that piece in the puzzle then the combination could be installed on the gantry of a standard (read affordable) 3 axis machine.

I did get a price from Omni for their 4 axis machine (+/- $30,000) but I am reluctant to buy something such as this over the internet without seeing one in action first.

Omni 4 axis CNC with rotating head

James,

I spent some time yesterday looking into the Camaster product line. I am happy for another lead to a Made in USA tool builder.

Now as to the idea that you show and that Dropout suggested as well. The best I can do is to use two spindles and a drill block.

Spindle # 1 - This one would have the quattro aggregate head, with a C axis drive, so that I could access four tools that could mill and drill on the edges and with a saw blade could cut the boards to width and to length.

Spindle # 2 - This one would have a milling head so that I could mill the dados on the top of the board.

Drill Block - This would likely be on the side of spindle #2 and would have two drills to work on the top of the board.

The components of this design are readily available and could be assembled by many CNC tool builders.

However, my goal is to create a machine with just one spindle. I will continue the search for a component that can rotate the main/only spindle 90 degrees on a positioning axis. A one spindle machine ought to cost less than one with two spindles and a drill block and I expect that it will also be faster!