CNC Purchase Advice For Large Acrylic Templates

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Thread: CNC Purchase Advice For Large Acrylic Templates

  1. #1
    Member Minskintin's Avatar
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    Default CNC Purchase Advice For Large Acrylic Templates

    Hi all,
    I'm trying to develop a small range acrylic templates for the bespoke furnishings industry and have been researching the best machine to cut them but I'm going mad looking at all the options.

    They'll be made from 5-6mm sheet acrylic. The largest is 24" square with an internal cutout of 20". The outside edge will have radiused corners, the inside edge will have square corners. The offcut will form the next size template down, so 20"external, 16"internal and so on. I'll also be cutting a few circular ones, max 10" diameter. I'd also like to engrave some dimensions on them but that's not imperative. I realise that the cutting process will remove some material which will alter the sizing slightly but that's ok, it's not precision engineering, it's cushions.

    I'll probably produce them just on a 'to order' basis so we aren't talking big business here and as such I don't want to spend a lot of money as the sale price won't justify it I don't think. The biggest sized Workbee from Ooznest here in the UK appears ideal but its just too expensive at around £2k. I think paying up to half that would be my limit.

    I realise part of my issue is the working area. There are many cheaper machines I've looked at but they all have small work arrears. As a compromise I wondered whether there were any smaller/cheaper machines that would allow me to work the full length on one side (much like a router table), then turn it to do the next side and so on. Even if that was just for some of the larger sized templates.

    I'd be grateful for any advice or suggestions.

    Thank you ????????



  2. #2
    Member awerby's Avatar
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    Default Re: CNC Purchase Advice For Large Acrylic Templates

    This sounds like a job for a laser cutter. It does a great job of cutting acrylic cleanly, without the problems associated with routers, like the material gumming up the bits, bad edges or mounds of shavings everywhere.

    [FONT=Verdana]Andrew Werby[/FONT]
    [URL="http://www.computersculpture.com/"]Website[/URL]


  3. #3
    Member Minskintin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by awerby View Post
    This sounds like a job for a laser cutter. It does a great job of cutting acrylic cleanly, without the problems associated with routers, like the material gumming up the bits, bad edges or mounds of shavings everywhere.
    Thanks.
    Yes, I did look at laser cutters briefly and was very impressed but something put me off... maybe the price. I'll have another look though. ????



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    Member Minskintin's Avatar
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    Do you have any recommendations for a laser cutter with a minimum 2' x 2' work area that's not a great big expensive industrial type? I'm struggling to find anything big enough because they are enclosed with a cover. Or is there a way of being able to feed larger work into one that may be wide enough but not deep enough, say?

    Thanks



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    Default Re: CNC Purchase Advice For Large Acrylic Templates

    1325 130w laser cutting machine cutting acrylic




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    Member Minskintin's Avatar
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    Default Re: CNC Purchase Advice For Large Acrylic Templates

    Thank you. Yes that would be absolutely ideal. Sadly it's way out of my budget. I've since realised that what I want and what I can afford are very different things so I've bought a scroll saw



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    Member peteeng's Avatar
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    Default Re: CNC Purchase Advice For Large Acrylic Templates

    Hi Minsk - Sounds like the machine you need is actually someone else's. You need to find a contract cnc who can do the work. A commercial machine will do a much better job at a good price then trying to make money with a hobby machine. If the project works you have established the commercial possibilities and can buy a machine to lower costs or via volume lower costs anyway with a good contract machinist. Start ups are hard enough without trying to learn all about CNC machining, do the business, find customers and chase all that money that rolls in, its a huge problem having that stuff clog up the doors What you describe is also technically difficult. You will need to use vacuum clamps as you can't edge clamp it and "nesting" nett shaped parts does not always work. eg you need room for coving tools and inside or outside cuts may need a finishing cut which means your intended nest does not work so your material cost just skyrocketed,,,, lasers won't have this problem,,, but a local machinist will sort this for you and you may never buy a CNC anyway if it all works out.... Peter



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CNC Purchase Advice For Large Acrylic Templates

CNC Purchase Advice For Large Acrylic Templates