Need Help Considering a CNC Router

[Gary Wiant]

About 20 years ago I had to make a decision between buying our first Digital printer or getting into 3D signs and buying a router, I choose Digital, for a few reasons one of those being that no one in our area had a digital printer & we live in a rural area & I wasn't sure if the economy would be able to support me with only higher dollar 3d signs.

Well fast forward 20+ years and now I've got CBC routers on my mind, we haven't pushed 3D and we have only sold a hand full or two of routed signs. We don't have people asking for 3D signs, but I think between with out current customer base being much larger than it was 20 -21 years ago, plus the fact that I want a router to play with as a hobby.

I don't currently have a lot of room for a big table & without a current need / work for it I'm looking at used routers, my wife is pumping the brakes on my purchase, we will be putting the router in our garage area and she is concerned about the noise & dust, I had her watch a video a week or so ago and the video was very loud, no she think all routers are loud, the used units I'm looking at has a spindle. So im not sure if they are louder or quieter, we have a Saw Trax we cut aluminum & alumilite with & i think she is figuring the router will be that loud. She is also concerned with the dust that it will create 40 or so feet away from our Mimaki JV300. I think she thinks there is going to be a cloud of dust while the machine is running.

So after a lot of babbling my questions are this.

1. How loud and dusty are CNC Routers?
2. How large of a learning curve should I be ready for?
3. Is there anything you wish you knew when you purchased you CNC Router?


Thanks for the help

Gary

 

[Gene@mpls]

Gary- this is a very deep question that I have been living for the last five years. I was in a similar position [except I think I am a lot more advanced in age] and have learned a lot and had a lot of fun... even made some money at it here and there. Send me a PM [I can't figure out how to do it now] and we can chat. Gene

 

[Signs 'n' Stuff]

Hi Gary
About 22 years ago we did buy both the router and the digital printer. The printer was an Encad aqueous printer, what a disaster, put it back in the box after 3 years and stayed out of digital until 7 years ago.

We had to build a separate room for the router to keep the dust contained, we spent quite a bit of time and money on dust extraction and noise abaitment. to operate i had to wear earplugs AND earmuffs. There was quite a bit of work in keeping the noise dust and waste under control. We sold it 10 years later

Unless you have the ability to build a room i would not do it.

Brett

 

[johnnysigns]

What will your intended use of the machine be? 3D signage or lettering? Are you looking for something that will double as a cutter for digital finishing too?

 

[Enola]

Lets just say, your wife has some valid concerns.
but
They are soooooo much fun.

The spindle is a must in my book. I couldn't handle the hours of a router screaming, but even with a spindle the process can still get fairly noisy depending on the material you're cutting.

As for the mess.
A good dust collection system is a must. You will find there are many different kinda messes also.
MDF is a nightmare without dust collection (yet still dusty dirty floating mess with dust collection).
PVC and ACM make an unbelievable static cling mess, but its not a "dusty" mess. If that makes sense.

Did I mention how much FUN they can be?

ps. I wouldn't have a cnc in the same building with a printer, unless you make sure they don't share the same air. haha

 

[Johnny Best]

For your wife, good luck.

 

[Gary Wiant]

I have 2 posted named exactly the same and the other thread has my post saying that I purchased a 4'x8' kit built router and I've seen it run a couple times, and I've got to say Johnny I think you have something drastically wrong with your router if you have a dust cloud. We routed a small sign yesterday and the vacuum handled ALL of the dust without any issues. The Grizzly dust collection unit is the loudest part of the unit.

I'm working on having the threads merged to make this less confusing