Low Cost - CNC Router design

[TomMeyers]

I am looking at cnc routers for wood. Some have 2 motors to move the gantry some have one. How do I choose between 1 and 2. Is it better balanced or does it produce more force or both.

I am an inexperienced cnc router user. I will be making signs.

Tom

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[peteeng]

Hi Tom - The long axis with a gantry can be driven on small machines with one drive (screw or belt) under the table via a saddle. On large machines its usual to drive the long axis with two motors, one either side. If the design is functioning then one or two is fine. If you have seen a machine in which only one side of the long axis is driven this is most likely for a machine like a plotter or laser that does not have any contact force at the "tool". These would not work for routing work. Peter

[awerby]

It's to combat the "stuck drawer" problem: what happens when you try to open a wide bureau drawer by pulling on only one of two handles. It works a lot better if you pull on both handles at once. That's what you get when you "slave" the two X-axis motors together, so they pull at the same rate on either side. You'll need to provide an extra driver, but unless your machine is particularly narrow, it's worth doing.