What do you think of

[balsaman]

There is no dust in your pictures, but I saw you were cutting MDF. I have cut MDF, so I know about dust..

Have a look at a BDC (before dust collector) shot. I get 99% of the dust now. My wife is much happier..

Eric

[bcromwell]

Nice! I like the dust collector Idea, I will have to try that.

[Graham S]

Eric,

What are those dryer blowers normally used for?

Yes, don't say drying and blowing

Cheers,

Graham

[balsaman]

Out of a clothes dryer. Go to your local appliance dealer. Sometimes they have old stuff out back...and will let you have the blower out of a dryer for free.

Eric

[Graham S]

Thanks

Graham

[paulried]

Looks to me like a funace fan. If it is, I am not a fan of using a furnace fan...... I have worked in the woodworking industry my whole life ( from 13 yrs old on) and I have seen more than my share of dust related explosions. We had a 1/4" solid steel explosion door wrap itself around a steel railing due to a spark getting into a dust silo. I would not run dust through anything other than a sealed motor fan, or a fan unit with an external motor.

[buckie555]

I'm impressed by the simplicity of the cheapcnc design but I was wonderiing whether there's must flex in the linear shafting along the long axis seeing as it's only supported at each end. Also I gather that the nuts are not preloaded - Is there any discernable backlash? From the sample pic you posted the finish looks pretty good. I was wondering how quiet the PC laminate trimmer is and what weight router the machine could take before overloading it.

[balsaman]

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack this thread, so last post about the fan. It's a dryer fan, and the motor is external, so no dust goes where the motor is. The router makes 500% more sparks then the fan motor.

Eric

[paulried]

buckie555

The lineal shaft is very stiff. It is large enought that I have not seen a flex at all.

The laminate trimmer is quiter than a standard Porter-Cable router, but that also means it doesn't put out the same umph as a 3 hp router! I have not come close to stalling the router but then again, the largest bit I have used is a 1/4" end mill cutting at a depth of 0.2"

I would ask questions directly to the owner of Cheap CNC. His name is Steve Thompson

info@cheapcnc.com

[dribbe]

Hi,

I am interested in this type of machine for making model 'master patterns' to build fibreglass molds off of.

What is the longest approximate length of a typical available router bit... If you are cutting a relatively soft material (dense Foam? Soft wood).

What is the approximate maximum depth of the part you could cut if the side was angled about 60 degrees from the table??

Thanks,
David

[onthemarc]

I'm all for saving money ,but not when safety is at stake
I am a long time woodworker also. dust collector blowers have impellers made of aluminum or plastic so that a nail or metal part sucked in wont cause a spark when it gets to the impeller.

It pays to play it safe

Marc