Members ThoughtFission Posted March 19, 2021 Author Members Report Posted March 19, 2021 On 3/4/2021 at 6:20 PM, Ferg said: I have a two head CNC router. Large industrial machine weighing 5000 #. I also have a "Drag Knife" that attaches into the collets of the heads. The knife is actually either a Exacto blade or simply a Utility knife blade. I can program it with the same G-codes used for CNC, the motors do not turn, you lock the router so it cannot free turn. Obviously everyone isn't fortunate enough to have a $120,000 CNC to play with since we retired. The drag knife attachment cost about $200. Uwe, you would love this thing! Lol Ferg Wow, sounds amazing, I think I would give up leather crafting and just play with the CNC all day Quote
Members ThoughtFission Posted March 19, 2021 Author Members Report Posted March 19, 2021 On 3/4/2021 at 1:36 PM, Uwe said: I’ve used a water jet to cut leather before. It worked okay, cutting four or so layers at a time sandwiched between foam board, but still was messy. That was when I had access to a water jet at my local maker space.It’s a monstrous machine and a maintenance nightmare. This will never exist in my garage. If I were to start cutting custom shapes out of leather, I’d invest in a oscillating knife CNC cutting machine. I’ve seen these at trade shows and was utterly impressed. They can be large enough for an entire hide, or much smaller. They’re definitely easier to maintain and less messy than a water jet. I can see a 2’x4’ version this living in my garage, for around $15K on Alibaba.com I've seen these things in action. I live in France near the Hermes facilities so at least once a year there are big trade shows here. As you say, not suitable for a little guy like me but very impressive to see in action! On 3/4/2021 at 6:20 PM, Ferg said: I have a two head CNC router. Large industrial machine weighing 5000 #. I also have a "Drag Knife" that attaches into the collets of the heads. The knife is actually either a Exacto blade or simply a Utility knife blade. I can program it with the same G-codes used for CNC, the motors do not turn, you lock the router so it cannot free turn. Obviously everyone isn't fortunate enough to have a $120,000 CNC to play with since we retired. The drag knife attachment cost about $200. Uwe, you would love this thing! Lol Ferg One other question, can you share the name/brand of the head? I wouldn't mind having a go at building my own cnc on a much smaller scale. Thanks Quote
Members ThoughtFission Posted March 19, 2021 Author Members Report Posted March 19, 2021 On 3/4/2021 at 1:14 PM, Matt S said: @ThoughtFission So you're considering spending 40K on a waterjet cutter that /might/ cut leather to an acceptable standard, but not 7K on a laser plus extractor that /will/ cut leather (slowly, with possibly acceptable edges) or under 3K on a clicker press that /will/ cut leather /fast/ with good edges? Waterjet cutters aren't exactly clean. I've not used one myself but all the videos I've seen of people operating them look very messy. Ever used a pressure washer to clean a patio? Now run it indoors, 8 hours a day. I suppose if you're running a business it's possible to partition your waterjet machine away from the leather storage and machine rooms. You'll also have to contend with the fact that the leather will be soaking wet (and potentially dirty). You'll have to factor in time and cost to dry (and possibly clean) this leather before the next stage. I noticed that you've been making a lot of posts about saving money or doing things on the cheap. I know well how tempting that is, but in my experience that's the wrong way to setup a business. Cheap tools and machinery are some of the most expensive things you can buy. I'm not advocating to waste money but the frustration, the downtime (lost earning), the inflexibility (lost opportunity, and/or having to buy another tool to do that other job) and the early breakages associated with cheap (low quality and/or inappropriate) tools far exceeds what you initially pay for them in £/€/$. Completely agree on the last point re buying quality. But sometimes reality dictates budget as is the case with me. Lost my job a few years ago after my company transfered me to France. So I'm stuck here with no employment options because of my inability to speak French fluently. I am doing this out of necessity, not for fun. If I had the money then I would buy the best tools possible. I don't. So I'm just looking to find the best options possible. My intent was never to buy/build a 40k machine, or a 7k machine for that matter. I'm just pretty good at building things ( I repurpose antique radios into internet/bluetooth systems with new electronics and speakers, for example). I thought maybe I could fashion something to speed up the production process and maybe help other people in the process with a new, out of the box, solution. So yes, many of my posts are about saving money. That's my reality for now. Quote
Members billybopp Posted March 20, 2021 Members Report Posted March 20, 2021 (edited) 20 hours ago, ThoughtFission said: Completely agree on the last point re buying quality. But sometimes reality dictates budget as is the case with me. Lost my job a few years ago after my company transfered me to France. So I'm stuck here with no employment options because of my inability to speak French fluently. I am doing this out of necessity, not for fun. If I had the money then I would buy the best tools possible. I don't. So I'm just looking to find the best options possible. My intent was never to buy/build a 40k machine, or a 7k machine for that matter. I'm just pretty good at building things ( I repurpose antique radios into internet/bluetooth systems with new electronics and speakers, for example). I thought maybe I could fashion something to speed up the production process and maybe help other people in the process with a new, out of the box, solution. So yes, many of my posts are about saving money. That's my reality for now. If you are handy, and have the space and resources you may want to check out this YouTube video series on building a laser cutter. As mentioned above, take away the laser and mirrors and replace with a drag knife, and a little improvisation you have pretty much what you are looking for. If you add a Z access and a cutter head you have a CNC machine. If you replace the cutter head with an extruder, you have a 3D printer. There is at least one manufacturer out there that makes a machine with interchangeable heads to do these things, but I can't remember the name! They were pretty pricey though. This YouTube might also be helpful https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4njCTv7IRbwDZ-iLPD2GSWrX_a8KFtU4 - Bill Edited March 20, 2021 by billybopp added resource Quote
Members ThoughtFission Posted March 20, 2021 Author Members Report Posted March 20, 2021 7 hours ago, billybopp said: If you are handy, and have the space and resources you may want to check out this YouTube video series on building a laser cutter. As mentioned above, take away the laser and mirrors and replace with a drag knife, and a little improvisation you have pretty much what you are looking for. If you add a Z access and a cutter head you have a CNC machine. If you replace the cutter head with an extruder, you have a 3D printer. There is at least one manufacturer out there that makes a machine with interchangeable heads to do these things, but I can't remember the name! They were pretty pricey though. This YouTube might also be helpful https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4njCTv7IRbwDZ-iLPD2GSWrX_a8KFtU4 - Bill Excellent, thank you :) Quote
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