Entry Level 3d Digitizing

[robinsoncr]

I would like to find a 3d digitizer where I could digitize parts like electric guitar bodies, necks etc. At this point, I can't justify the cost of a new Microscribe.

Anyone know of any alternatives to Microscribe, with lower costs? I don't need .005" resolution, it's guitar parts! I thought about a probe for our cnc, but the manufacturer want $25k for it.

Thanks for your help and wisdom!

Chris R.

[braidmeister]

Chris,
What brand CNC is it? I bet that most of the cost is in the software 'module' you have to buy. I would look into this, since a touch probe is simply a switch and the software to run it is pretty simple.

I do laser digitizing and have several luthiers as customers. I offer digitizing services. If you don't get your machine setup for digitizing, farming it out to any number of companies that do digitizing in an option. I think there are a few people on here besides me that do professional digitizing.

-Brady

[robinsoncr]

I'm told that the biggest expense is the card that they have to install in the control cabinet. With the exception of that card, the machine is pre-wired to accept the probe and already has the mounts.

I have been looking at the NextEngine laser scanner. After talking to them, it appears that I could actually mount the laser on my cnc head where the probe would go. I could then use the machine to index the scanner. Plus, I could still use it next to my workstation.

What type of laser scanner are you using?

Thanks,
Chris

[braidmeister]

I was thinking about doing the same thing with the NE when I 1st got into this stuff! It's a great way to index the scanner while maintaining an accurate distance from the model. That stinks about the card being so expensive...sounds to me like if you had an extra input available on your machine's control board you could rig up your own touch probe. Heck...you could even use a piece of tin foil and straight metal rod to probe (seriously)...but an articualted 5-way probe & stylus is not much money.

My scanner is homebuilt using industrial laser displacement sensors. I looked at just about everything available (and test drove) under $40k...I didn't like any of them. It seemed like none of them did everything that I needed to do, or were too coarse to get the detail I wanted..so I built my own

-Brady

[jime]

I use a Centroid and digitize gunstocks. It was about a 6K option on the mill. That includes software to process the files. I can go down below .005, but it takes a long time. I digitize at different resolutions, depending on degree of accuracy needed. 25K sounds like a lot. I think you can go less than 6k if you look around, mix and match independent software & hardware. Jim

[robinsoncr]

I didn't want to pay as much as a Microscribe costs! Little alone $25k. I am intrigued by the NextEngine. I talked to one of their engineers and they will be able to write in a new function that would allow for the cnc to index the laser. That would be cool. They gave me a name of a firm that is using the laser attached to their cnc.

braidmeister, how much did it cost to fab your own digitizer? I'm trying to wrap my brains around doing that.

Chris

[braidmeister]

About $15,000 + a good accurate CNC machine. It totally blows away anything else commercially available up to about $60k, which is what I needed for my applications. Not all lasers are created equal. There isn't anything worth building for less than probably $7k yourself. If you are more budget minded than performance minded, then a NextEngine is hard to beat for the money. It comes down to what you really need. You may not need a non-contact solution. A touch probe, as the gent above has displayed, is a slow but relatively accurate AND above all cheap way to scan. If you have Mach, you can run one of Fred's digitizing probes (IMSERV) and get really good results for just a few hundred bucks. I used his probe for years before needing a laser.

-Brady

[greybeard]

Originally Posted by robinsoncr I would like to find a 3d digitizer where I could digitize parts like electric guitar bodies, necks etc. At this point, I can't justify the cost of a new Microscribe. Anyone know of any alternatives to Microscribe, with lower costs? I don't need .005" resolution, it's guitar parts! I thought about a probe for our cnc, but the manufacturer want $25k for it. Thanks for your help and wisdom! Chris R.

If building your own is an option you would consider, or just for background reading, search on the forum for "Who want to build a touch probe", thread by Mr Bean.

Regards
John

[robinsoncr]

I found a used Microscribe for a good price and bought it. I'll let everyone know how this goes!

thanks,
Chris

[Dave1]

If I may ask, where did you find the Microscribe and please define "good price"
I've been toying around the idea of using one for porting cylinder heads but don't know if the Microscribe will do the job. They come about on ebay once and a while for 1k to 2k but it would be money wasted if it didn't do the job.

Dave

[larrycoyle]

Braidmeister, I have a question for you if you don't mind. I am always intrigued by individuals such as yourself that build items such as your laser probe. You say this probe of yours blows away anything commercially available (reasonably). I assume you use your laser probe for scanning external surfaces only, is that true? Would it be possible to adapt a probe such as yours to digitize internal surfaces? I currently have mechinal probe and a digital probe on my cnc as well as a Microscribe and a Renishaw Cyclone but I am just not completely happy with any of them. I would really like to adapt 5-axis probing but I am not totally sure it is where it needs to be right now.

Larry

[turmite]

Originally Posted by jime I use a Centroid and digitize gunstocks. It was about a 6K option on the mill. That includes software to process the files. I can go down below .005, but it takes a long time. I digitize at different resolutions, depending on degree of accuracy needed. 25K sounds like a lot. I think you can go less than 6k if you look around, mix and match independent software & hardware. Jim

Jim do you do this for yourself as a hobby, business or do you work for a stock manufacturer?

Mike