The all in one, 'how do I' and 'look at this!' thread...

[CarveOne]

Each one does something different, so that question is nearly impossible to answer.

I have all the tools you mentioned, and my table saw gets used the most often by a large margin.
But, it can't do what any of the other tools do.

Gerry is right, the only real answer is "All of the above and then some." I bought the smaller cheap equipment while I was building R/C models, but just before retiring I bought newer and larger larger equipment and gave the smaller equipment to friends that had few, or none, of those tools.

I would say table saw, band saw, and floor stand drill press in that order. Even a small table top drill press is better than no drill press.

[Arbo]

That's kinda the basis of the question, as if push comes to shove you can plane wood with your cnc machine, you can cut wood down like a table saw, you can use it as a drill press... so if push came to shove, what is the one other tool you would find essential aside from the cnc.

While I have none of the other stuff, I am thinking one of those table sanders that has a belt and disk, as using a hand sander doesn't much allow for straight and even sanding.

[Trotline]

I'm sort of in the same boat as you, Arbo. I have a working CNC router, a circular saw, a welder, several drills and other handheld tools. For the work I'm doing, I first chose to get a good handheld belt sander. Almost all of the wood I use is from a local miller, so I have to surface all of it, and the sander speeds up the cleanup. The model I got has a flat top, and can be clamped to the bench to serve as a stationary sander for breaking edges, rounding over, etc.

I'd love to have a good band saw, to resaw the rough lumber, and not waste so much, but the cost for a decent one puts it out of my reach, right now. A small drill press is probably my next buy. As C1 said, even a small one is better then nothing.

Cheers!

Luke

[CarveOne]

I'm sort of in the same boat as you, Arbo. I have a working CNC router, a circular saw, a welder, several drills and other handheld tools. For the work I'm doing, I first chose to get a good handheld belt sander. Almost all of the wood I use is from a local miller, so I have to surface all of it, and the sander speeds up the cleanup. The model I got has a flat top, and can be clamped to the bench to serve as a stationary sander for breaking edges, rounding over, etc.

I'd love to have a good band saw, to resaw the rough lumber, and not waste so much, but the cost for a decent one puts it out of my reach, right now. A small drill press is probably my next buy. As C1 said, even a small one is better then nothing.

Cheers!

Luke

Keep an eye on Harbor Freight sales flyers for drill presses and pick up one at the closest store. They will usually have a small one for around $40 to $50. They will drill holes straighter than you can do with a hand drill, and with a piece of steel or aluminum angle, even a piece of scrap 1x2 wood, clamped to the table it will serve as a guide fence for drilling rails along a center line. The fence can be used to maintain spacing in one direction while you concentrate on holding the spacing of holes along the center line more accurately. Small drill presses just limit the Z throat height and drill sizes much more than a floor standing drill press. The small ones are still useful though. I have a tabletop Delta and a floor standing Delta. I wouldn't want to part with either one. When more precision is needed I go to the milling machine(s) to drill.

For a small drill press the 8" Delta 11-950 I bought 15 years ago is worth the extra cost. I paid $99 for it at Lowes back then.

[ger21]

I couldn't live without my drill press. But, for what you're doing, you'd probably never use it.
One tool that I couldn't live without is my sander with 12" disc and 6x48 belt. I don't use it for any specific function, it's just really handy to have.

However, if I could only get one tool, it would be a table saw. But it would have to have a 50" fence and an outfeed table.

[Arbo]

I understand the table saw... even if I had room for one, I don't have room to run an 8ft piece of wood though one, unless I had a portable construction site table and put it outside to cut. I also understand the drill press. I think I may look for a disc/belt tabletop sander, as for all the things I'm lacking, that seems it might be the best investment... doing it by hand it tiresome, and doing it with an orbital sander just doesn't leave you with a straight edge...

In other 'questions of importance'... I found out that it takes 3 coats of poly on red oak for the stain to be wiped away cleanly and not darken the rest of the piece, at least not noticeably.

Started coating a 72" x 11" piece of pine for another pbox, now have to figure out what designs I want on it, and am going to try to lay it out so as to 'use' the knots as part of the design.

[Arbo]

BTW, here's a 'greek key' dxf, one border will fit on the top of a pbox, one will fit on the back or front. Used these on a pbox I am currently working on, will put pictures up when it's done.

For those that wonder what they look like prior to d/ling and looking at them, attached a screen shot.

[ger21]

I think I may look for a disc/belt tabletop sander, as for all the things I'm lacking, that seems it might be the best investment... doing it by hand it tiresome, and doing it with an orbital sander just doesn't leave you with a straight edge...

If you're talking about the edge of a board, a light climb cut pass on the CNC with a SHARP bit should give you the best results. I wouldn't count on using my sander, unless I fabricated a fence to keep it square.
The alternatives would be a jointer with sharp knives, or even a handplane with a sharp blade.

For cross cutting, nothing beats a good crosscut blade on a table saw. Glass smooth edges.

[cdrd03]

Like most I do not have a lot of tools. I was fortunate enough this summer to happen across a large delta drill press, 10 inch band saw, and a larger table saw (all for an great price). With these additions, my workshop/garage just got smaller.

Gerry, you are correct about the crosscutting sled. I built one for my smaller table saw and it makes all the difference in the world.

Chuck

[Arbo]

Have the files ready to cut a pine pbox tomorrow. If it tears out I'll get photos.

14" Aztec is done other than clear coat.

[CarveOne]

That one looks better than any of mine made on my big machine. I haven't cut one on the smaller machine other than the 6" one I put on a P box. It can make one up to 27" though. I ought to make a larger one and see how the hammered gold looks on it.

[CarveOne]

Who here knows how to read a Python command structure Usage: list?

Yesterday I located a midi file that I wanted to convert to play on the CNC machine. I downloaded and installed Python 2.7 and the latest version of mid2cnc.py and started reading. The Readme file for mid2cnc.py isn't clear to a non-programmer like me as to how to read the syntax instructions but I think I still want to continue with it and learn how to do the conversions.

On the MakerBot site is additional info about it relative to those machines. I tried the Imperial March and Iron Man files on my smaller machine last evening and they play ok other than some buzzes and rattles from the machine mechanics.

During searches this morning I found the gcode file that I wanted to create on a site that I had looked at last evening. No matter, I still want to proceed. (Glutton for punishment and all that.)

Update: The file is set up for 2000 pulses per inch, and my machine is 4000 ppi, so, it plays but doesn't run at the correct speed. This is why I wanted to know how to use the correct syntax to generate or change the gcode files.