Best CNC Router for Banjos

[zenogsbury]

Hey there - i'm a total newbie when it comes to CNC routers, but no one in our shop is much of a CNC expert, so here it goes:

We make around 170 high-end banjos per year, and desperately need to start doing CNC work in-house. Since we produce such a small number, it doesn't seem necessary to buy an industrial-grade router. However, we do want a machine that's very rigid for a superior surface finish, accurate with a quality spindle, and that's generally capable of producing stellar results, even if this means taking more time. Other features, such as being easy to learn, and easy to repair would also be very helpful (since we'll all be CNC beginners, even after training). Ideally, we'd like to be able to CNC our banjo necks, as well as peg heads and fingerboards, all on the same machine. Our budget is $20k, though it would be great if we could purchase a router with these capabilities for less.

All of our CAD files are taken care of, but if you have any CNC advice that might apply, or CAM software you could recommend for this type of work, that would also be very helpful!

If you feel inclined to chat more, shoot me an email via sales@omebanjos.com.

Cheers,

Zen

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[ger21]

How big of a machine do you need?

[zenogsbury]

Neck blanks are 28" long x 5" wide x 2 5/8" tall. Would be nice to work on 2 - 3 at a time, if possible.

[ger21]

I'd go with at least a 4x4.

A Camaster Panther 4x4 is the most rigid you'll find in a small machine, but it's a little over your budget, starting at $22K.

A Camaster Stinger II is a lot less money, and still a good machine, but a completely different level from the Panther. Starts at $13K


You could buy a kit from CNC Router Parts (PRO Model) for maybe a few thousand less.

But you get what you pay for.