cnc machine
- Thread starter zx24
- Start date
I am interested in a cnc machine. Since there is no Hightower deluxecnc available, and there are so many other makes and models to chooses from, i would like some input from you guys that have them allready..Keep in mind, i try to use the K.I.S.S. method if at all possible..
Benchtop
Parts availability
customer support
simplicity
turnkey
max
Max you have described the Unique CueMonster CNC machine.
It is the only bench top CNC that is designed from the ground up for the cue maker.
It dont get any better than that ... IMHO!
Willee
Which is going to do me a better job? The Unique or the Taig?
The customer support thing bothers me with Unique..I was going to buy my first machine from them, but, after 2 weeks of trying to get them on the phone to ask questions, i got tired of the answering machine and went with Hightower..A decision i do not regret.. Chris has been there for me every step of the way, and that means a lot to me..
also, from i have heard, there are more cue makers using the taig cnc than the unique, so i can probably get more help here on the forum with the Taig.. This is a big decision. I need to make the right one..
thanks for all the input.
Max
The customer support thing bothers me with Unique..I was going to buy my first machine from them, but, after 2 weeks of trying to get them on the phone to ask questions, i got tired of the answering machine and went with Hightower..A decision i do not regret.. Chris has been there for me every step of the way, and that means a lot to me..
also, from i have heard, there are more cue makers using the taig cnc than the unique, so i can probably get more help here on the forum with the Taig.. This is a big decision. I need to make the right one..
thanks for all the input.
Max
Unique Products
Hi,
Brian at unique provides excellent training videos for his products. Chris is more available and thats a big plus for Cueman stuff. But does not mean Brian is a bad business man.
If you are looking for someone to give you support on CNC it will be the software where you need the support. As I said before Bobcad Cam has training available and will be somewhere near your location at some time in the future. The CNC machine is pretty much plug and play. All of the parameters and post processing stuff happens within you computer software.
If you fail to buy a Cue Monster because you think Brian is not going to hold your hand properly, you are making a big mistake. The Cue Monster is a fantastic unit built specifically for cue building and is awesome for the price. It is also a very quiet quiet machine because it does not use a 110v router. You can also mount a full cue or shaft between centers.
Rick Geschrey
Esoteric Cue
Hi,
Brian at unique provides excellent training videos for his products. Chris is more available and thats a big plus for Cueman stuff. But does not mean Brian is a bad business man.
If you are looking for someone to give you support on CNC it will be the software where you need the support. As I said before Bobcad Cam has training available and will be somewhere near your location at some time in the future. The CNC machine is pretty much plug and play. All of the parameters and post processing stuff happens within you computer software.
If you fail to buy a Cue Monster because you think Brian is not going to hold your hand properly, you are making a big mistake. The Cue Monster is a fantastic unit built specifically for cue building and is awesome for the price. It is also a very quiet quiet machine because it does not use a 110v router. You can also mount a full cue or shaft between centers.
Rick Geschrey
Esoteric Cue
I never said he was a bad business man.. I just wanted to do business with someone i felt would have the best customer support. After 2 weeks of the answering machine, i didnt get a warm and fuzzy feeling..Now, since starting this thread I have recieved several im's warning me of the poor customer support at unique and hightower customer support was second to none...Nothing bad has been said about the unique cnc... Also, i dont need my hand held, just someone i can count on to call when i need help..Its called after the sale customer support.
My choices seem to be build my own Taig, Unique cnc or the Brianna Breeze..
Since I dont know how to build my own that leaves to 2 choices...
max
My choices seem to be build my own Taig, Unique cnc or the Brianna Breeze..
Since I dont know how to build my own that leaves to 2 choices...
max
IMO , the machine is a very small percentage of the over all picture. The software is where most of the support you will need will come from.
I made my cnc machine myself and use the mach III system to run it and Bobcad software for designing. I am very pleased with the machine I made and yes, it is much cheaper to do this than buying, but, took me quite some time to complete with lot's of help from other builders here on this and other sites.
In my searching after all this time I feel the Mill version is not right for cues, all though some makers like there"s. I wanted something with full travel up and down the cue without remounting or sliding a rack. You do get this option with both the Cue Monster and Storm which I feel are great machines. But for cost effectiveness is why I built my own style of machine.
Just my 2 cents,
Jim Lee
I made my cnc machine myself and use the mach III system to run it and Bobcad software for designing. I am very pleased with the machine I made and yes, it is much cheaper to do this than buying, but, took me quite some time to complete with lot's of help from other builders here on this and other sites.
In my searching after all this time I feel the Mill version is not right for cues, all though some makers like there"s. I wanted something with full travel up and down the cue without remounting or sliding a rack. You do get this option with both the Cue Monster and Storm which I feel are great machines. But for cost effectiveness is why I built my own style of machine.
Just my 2 cents,
Jim Lee
Cnc
Max,
Please excuse me, when I said "hold your hand", it was only a figure of speech that I use for describing customer service. I did not mean to invoke any negative implications.
In a public forum if you talk about someone's business and are complaining, I believe you are dishing that person as a businessman. PMs are designed to be private. Brian is a stand up individual who I have been dealing with for over 7 years and he has given me excellent support by selling me products and parts.
What is of paramount importance to understand here is that these companies like Unique who support the cue maker with products are not big corporations. They are ma and pa companies where the owner ( in this case, Brian ) is doubtless out of town attending a sales trade show. I have experienced delays in my communications with Brian from time to time but I understand his schedule. He has always got back to me in due time.
Jim who built his own CNC is no doubt someone who has the skill sets to tackle a project like this and he should be commended as he has reached a level with his machine that he is very happy with. I am sure he gained a great deal of satisfaction from completing such a task. I on the other hand, I did not have the time and background to take on such a project and I knew that Brian was a very good engineer. I did not want to reinvent the wheel, I just want precise inlays and pockets.
I agree with Willee and am very happy with my Cue Monster. If anything were to break, I am sure that I could fix it by replacing a part. So far over 4 years of production without a hitch.
The decision to purchase a CNC for your shop is by far one of most costly purchases you will make and will also cost you a lot of time to perfect. It is a time bandit. My only intention was to share my experience with you so you could make the most informed decision before you go off for a big ticket purchase.
Rick Geschrey
Esoteric Cue
Max,
Please excuse me, when I said "hold your hand", it was only a figure of speech that I use for describing customer service. I did not mean to invoke any negative implications.
In a public forum if you talk about someone's business and are complaining, I believe you are dishing that person as a businessman. PMs are designed to be private. Brian is a stand up individual who I have been dealing with for over 7 years and he has given me excellent support by selling me products and parts.
What is of paramount importance to understand here is that these companies like Unique who support the cue maker with products are not big corporations. They are ma and pa companies where the owner ( in this case, Brian ) is doubtless out of town attending a sales trade show. I have experienced delays in my communications with Brian from time to time but I understand his schedule. He has always got back to me in due time.
Jim who built his own CNC is no doubt someone who has the skill sets to tackle a project like this and he should be commended as he has reached a level with his machine that he is very happy with. I am sure he gained a great deal of satisfaction from completing such a task. I on the other hand, I did not have the time and background to take on such a project and I knew that Brian was a very good engineer. I did not want to reinvent the wheel, I just want precise inlays and pockets.
I agree with Willee and am very happy with my Cue Monster. If anything were to break, I am sure that I could fix it by replacing a part. So far over 4 years of production without a hitch.
The decision to purchase a CNC for your shop is by far one of most costly purchases you will make and will also cost you a lot of time to perfect. It is a time bandit. My only intention was to share my experience with you so you could make the most informed decision before you go off for a big ticket purchase.
Rick Geschrey
Esoteric Cue
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i definately appreciate the input, and please dont get the idea i am bashing Brian.. I have heard nothing but good things about his equipment..maybe i am overreacting about this customer support thing..I do like the idea of the Unique's turn key cnc..I will try to call him this week and chat with him.. The price difference between the Taig and Unique CNC is huge..What makes the Unique so much more money..
Thanks
Max
Thanks
Max
Cost Factor
Max,
The Taig Mills are mass produced as benchtop mills for hobbyists and I believe they have a high degree of quality control. The Cue Monster is a very simple and lightweight unit that was designed specifically for cue making. It was designed from the ground up for that purpose.
Since the Cue Monster is made in a limited production they can not amortize production costs over a mass quantity production economies of scale. Items built in the USA as one off production units cost more.
If your total purchase option is based on cost go with the breeze and you can get the results you require. The Alignright, Storm, & Cue Monster give you many more options.
Good Luck. One thing is for sure, there are a lot of guys who share info and help each other solve cue making problems here.
Rick Geschrey
Esoteric Cue
Max,
The Taig Mills are mass produced as benchtop mills for hobbyists and I believe they have a high degree of quality control. The Cue Monster is a very simple and lightweight unit that was designed specifically for cue making. It was designed from the ground up for that purpose.
Since the Cue Monster is made in a limited production they can not amortize production costs over a mass quantity production economies of scale. Items built in the USA as one off production units cost more.
If your total purchase option is based on cost go with the breeze and you can get the results you require. The Alignright, Storm, & Cue Monster give you many more options.
Good Luck. One thing is for sure, there are a lot of guys who share info and help each other solve cue making problems here.
Rick Geschrey
Esoteric Cue
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I would think that more bit run out would equal a larger box and less run out would equal a smaller box.
When you designed the CNC program for the box did you compensate?
I don't use my Kress for inlays but it is the best shaft cutter I have ... even better than the Unique Quite Router with its $500 precision spindle.
I bought a cheap router set up from that guy a few years ago.
It used an small electric motor and a rubber drive belt.
It worked fine but the brushes in the motor would wear and there was the fact you needed a DC power supply to power it.
But it did cut as precise as the Unique Quiet router.
Willee
The big problem with learning BobCad is that they want to teach you all the fancy stuff you will never use on cue inlays.
The basic information on what you need to know to make a cue inlay is missing from their manuals.
Example ... find one reference in BobCad's manuals that refer to the red line being a no cut line. (NO INDEX)
In other words lift - move to a new location - plunge - continue cutting.
Cue inlays are 2D and are simple.
BobCad 20 is what I use because it has everything I need to do simple cue inlays. I guess if I were in a real machine shop and needed all that fancy 3D stuff the newer versions might help.
BobCad 18 was what I first bought and it was so buggy it was worthless.
When they hired some real microsoft programmers to fix their programing do you think they offered me a discount on the new version that really did work correctly? NO!
I had to buy it again to get what the first program was supposed to do.
Willee
Actually, your assumption is backwards as far as run out is concerned. A .030 tool in a precision live tool cuts a line .030 wide. This may be an exaggeration but if the tooling has a .002 run out the cut will be .034. .002 on either side making the pocket .002 larger and the part .002 smaller. Run out and any kind of slop in the thrust bearings, ball screws or acme threads and machine guide rails show up much worse on radiuses because although there is compensation in the machine soft ware for this slop it doesn't work well on radiuses, especially when going from one radius to another.
This is one of the reasons a couple of years ago that I said that the cheap routers and laminate trimmers from Harbor Freight were not a good buy for any kind of precision work as they may run out .004.
Dick
No, I didn't compensate. It was a test to see which was better, the Kress or the Wolfgang Spindle. With the Wolfgang, I don't have to make any adjustments and the pieces will not fall out once you press them into place.
I agree that the Kress would be usefull for cutting shafts. As I said, it would also work well on the Taig for cutting points. I don't normally do my points on the CNC though, I have a big mill all set up for points and that's all I use it for. As far as precision goes though, the Kress has none. Unless you of course want to test all of your parts and pockets more than once and then fill everything in with colored epoxy.
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I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I was under the impression Kress routers were more accurate than Porter Cable. We get .001" run out with the PC with collet adapter in it. We compensate for that when doing inlay work. Does the Kress have less than that in total run out? I mean the PC has .0005" per side giving .001" total movement on the dial indicator. With a bit of .020" or larger I can't see where that will ever be a problem. We burn a PC up every several months and toss it and put another in it's place. But I have been told the rebuilds on Kress are expensive so we never bothered with one.
chris
not disagreeing with anyone but my expreince with kress has been great
500% better them anything from home depot or lowes type stores
lee
I agree that the Kress is better than any of those Routers. I don't agree however that it is acceptable for inlay work.
I guarantee you that I cannot use a .010" cutter in the Kress Router. I also don't think a .001" variance is acceptable. If I'm putting a boarder of .008" around an Inlay, .001" is a large enough amount of error to be very noticeable. If you want to do round inlays or fill everything in with colored Epoxy, then maybe the Kress is the answer. It just doesn't work for me.
I'm also not trying to argue with anybody, just giving my own experience with the Kress. I still have the Kress sitting next to my mill. I don't normally do points with the CNC Mill, but when I need to, I mount the Kress and use it. It works great for that.
I guarantee you that I cannot use a .010" cutter in the Kress Router. I also don't think a .001" variance is acceptable. If I'm putting a boarder of .008" around an Inlay, .001" is a large enough amount of error to be very noticeable. If you want to do round inlays or fill everything in with colored Epoxy, then maybe the Kress is the answer. It just doesn't work for me.
I'm also not trying to argue with anybody, just giving my own experience with the Kress. I still have the Kress sitting next to my mill. I don't normally do points with the CNC Mill, but when I need to, I mount the Kress and use it. It works great for that.
All you have to do is a .011" offset instead of a .010". How much harder is that when programing?
That may be the case, but if the spindle is moving around, I question the repeatability. I don't want 1/2 of my parts fitting tight and 1/2 of them needing a ton of filler.
What do you mean spindle moving around? Are Kress spindles loose in their bearings? Or do they have a tight consistant run out of .001" or whatever? If tight and consitant then the extra .001" offset does the trick.
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