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Complete Noob CNC machine and advice

9/5/24

Joe

Member

Hey Everyone,

Honestly apologies if many of these questions have been answered, I am completely new to this space and am seeking advice for starting out... There are a few questions I have so I will lay them out below, once again apologies if some are "stupid questions" but I will risk looking the fool and shoot my shot anyway.

I am looking to purchase my first CNC machine to work timber for my own projects and if they become popular it may turn into a hobby that will allow me to sell some pieces.

1. is it possible/how accurate can a CNC be working from 3D scans of an object?
2. What software do you recommend for someone starting out, that still has a fair amount of learning to do?
3. What CNC is user friendly and can handle pieces upto 1.5m long by 50cm wide and that can go approximately 10-15cm deep?

As I am starting out, and from the reading I have been doing there is a lot of variables on bit sizes and speeds so any further info you would be willing to share with a novice such as myself would be greatly appreciated!

9/6/24 #2: Complete Noob CNC machine and advic ...

Dropout

Member

Post a pic of what you want to do.

What's your price range? Most of the people here have higher $ 4X8 minimum machines. If you are looking at hobby machines this is not the place, although someone could point you some that is.

There is a CNC for beginners Facebook group.

9/6/24 #3: Complete Noob CNC machine and advic ...

Joe

Member

Hey Dropout,

Thank you for taking the time to reply, apologies if this isn�t the place so I appreciate you taking the time.

I understand I may need to look at a bit more of a serious machine than jump on a $2000 Amazon special 😂, just so much out there I am trying to get as much right as I can first time around.

I can�t see anyone doing what I want to do online (maybe there is a reason for that) but I have included a couple of photos that may help to explain the sort of thing I am trying to achieve.

The first photo is just something as close as I can find on Etsy. The second is a fish, I would essentially like to scan one side of the fish import into appropriate software and have the machine carve it out of the timber. Essentially making custom pieces of my catch maybe friends catches and see what happens from there.

I hope that makes sense? Once again thank you for the time.

View higher quality, full size image (570 X 397)

View higher quality, full size image (4032 X 3024)

9/7/24 #4: Complete Noob CNC machine and advic ...

jerry

Member

It is hard to make money doing 2.5 carvings as the time it takes to do the cut is hours long.

9/11/24 #5: Complete Noob CNC machine and advic ...

Dan

Member

There are several smaller CNC routers that would be similar to what you need. Yet, most of the machines at this level are sized up to only 48" which is not quite 1.5 meters. Even so the machines are quite capable of doing what you need at an affordable cost. You may want to look at Vectric software, which should be able to take your image and create the code you are looking for. As for the scanning software, I am not certain what would work.

Start by looking at these companies.

Sienci
Onefinity

Both of these companies are based in Canada and have good support.

9/20/24 #6: Complete Noob CNC machine and advic ...

cncmuchman

Member

Hi,Maybe I can help you.These are my some advice:
1.Accuracy with 3D Scans: CNC machines work well with 3D scans, as long as the scan quality and machine precision are good. Just make sure the 3D model is correctly turned into toolpaths for the CNC.

2.Recommended Software: For beginners, check out Vectric Aspire or Fusion 360. They�re user-friendly and have tons of tutorials. As you get better, you can look into more advanced tools like Mastercam or SolidWorks.

3.User-Friendly CNC for Woodworking: For your wood projects, CNC routers like Shapeoko, Carbide 3D, X-Carve, or ShopBot are solid options. They're easy to use and perfect for hobbyists. Consider your budget, space, and community feedback before buying.

9/24/24 #7: Complete Noob CNC machine and advic ...

Joe

Member

Hey All,

Thank you very much for your feedback and advice, I really appreciate it and will look for solutions with the feedback in mind.

9/24/24 #8: Complete Noob CNC machine and advic ...

Dan

Member

Joe,

Good luck. For more information, several of the manufacturers also have forums that can be found on their websites which are quite useful.

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