Monday, April 6, 2015

CNC Shark SlimLine Shop Upgrade

The new addition to Splinters Woodworks is finally setup and running... It is a CNC Shark Slimline with a 18 inch wide by 48 inch long bed.
I decided to make the investment in my own CNC machine and I am excited to learn all I can about this whole process. It has been a tremendous learning experience to this point and the potential is unlimited. The best part is it was created right here in the USA.

I will be using it initially to drill cribbage boards, cut custom shapes, create signs, etc....... my to do list gets longer each second, who knows what I will come up with. Who would have guessed?

Let me hear your ideas... :-)

Here is what Next Wave Automation had to say about their machine:

Sized specifically for the needs of luthiers or for those with limited shop space!
Some of our most dedicated CNC users are luthiers—guitar, mandolin and violin
makers who don't necessarily require a full-sized bed on their CNC machines.
That's why we created the 18" x 48", featuring all of the digital
precision of our other machines, but with a 16'' x 36 x 7'' cutting area that is tailored for the needs of the luthier. Create gracefully carved arch-top guitars, customized electric guitar bodies complete with cut- outs for pickups and electronics, as well as precisely arched and graduated tops and plates for mandolins and violins. You can even integrate ornate carvings and inlays into your electric guitars. The creative potential of the Slimline is virtually limitless.

Slowly but surely I am getting the shop upgrade in place and operational. It was not too bad to set up and the learning curve is progressively getting easier, but, I won't lie, initially there were a few head scratching moments..to say the least.... :-)

I will post updates as I move along this process.

Enjoy the process so far.

Drilling 20 new cribbage boards for pending order.

Running the first paying project on new machine. Tournament style cribbage boards for a retirement home in California.

Added the wall to left of screen to keep the dust out of computer. Seems to work well, but will replace it with a clear plexiglass panel so I can see cutting bed better.