32 ms·

How much of your woodworking is CNC? I’ve been thinking about selling a slightly different take on fountain pen trays, but I’m just routing by hand and/or with

How much of your woodworking is CNC? I’ve been thinking about selling a slightly different take on fountain pen trays, but I’m just routing by hand and/or with jigs.

jermaustin1 2y ago
When I started selling them, 50% was CNC, 40% was me and a bandsaw, 10% was me and a sander. After a 20 months of optimizations, its now 80% CNC, 20% sander. There is a specific product that my CNC barfs on 100% of the time, so I have to do a batch of like 30 at once so the failures don't have any real impact. My next big purchase will be a small drum sander ($1500) so that I can leave an onion skin (1/16" - 1/8" thick) on the bottom of my stock and let the sander remove it. But I need a good Christmas season to make that happen.
- sasq4atch 2y ago
  What CNC do you use if you don't mind me asking? I do some hobby and small sales woodworking but run into requests where a CNC would make it easier. Would love recommendations.
  - jermaustin1 2y ago
    6 months ago, I would have recommended my Carbide 3D Pro line, but starting 6 months ago, parts started failing one by one, it is now a CNC of Theseus. I had to buy a new controller board because sensors kept failing and Support would send me new sensors gratis, but I'd be down for a week while I waited and then attached the new one. After a handful of those, they guessed (still don't know how correct that guess is) that it was the controller board, but they didn't send that gratis, I had to buy that. When waiting for that to arrive, I received my most recent replacement sensor that was DOA. So I had to do some wire splicing and create a few Frankenstein's Sensors to get me through the holiday. So far my splices are holding up, but I don't have faith they will for long. After the Christmas Season, I need to decide if I'm going to keep repairing or go for a much better machine. In the $5k price range, they are all SO MUCH BETTER than what I have, and I paid nearly $4k in 2022.
    - sasq4atch 2y ago
      Hmm yea I appreciate the insight. I was looking at the Nomad 3 as a good price point for me to do some of the size projects I'm thinking of and getting my feet wet but this makes for one of the more expensive investments in the shop so I'd like it to be somewhat reliable. I don't see myself sticking with that machine if I received any kind of volume work like it sounds you receive. Would be interested to see where you settle for the upgrade when that happens!

How much of your woodworking is CNC? I’ve been thinking about selling a slightly different take on fountain pen trays, but I’m just routing by hand and/or with jigs.

jermaustin1 2y ago

When I started selling them, 50% was CNC, 40% was me and a bandsaw, 10% was me and a sander. After a 20 months of optimizations, its now 80% CNC, 20% sander. There is a specific product that my CNC barfs on 100% of the time, so I have to do a batch of like 30 at once so the failures don't have any real impact. My next big purchase will be a small drum sander ($1500) so that I can leave an onion skin (1/16" - 1/8" thick) on the bottom of my stock and let the sander remove it. But I need a good Christmas season to make that happen.

sasq4atch 2y ago
What CNC do you use if you don't mind me asking? I do some hobby and small sales woodworking but run into requests where a CNC would make it easier. Would love recommendations.
- jermaustin1 2y ago
  6 months ago, I would have recommended my Carbide 3D Pro line, but starting 6 months ago, parts started failing one by one, it is now a CNC of Theseus. I had to buy a new controller board because sensors kept failing and Support would send me new sensors gratis, but I'd be down for a week while I waited and then attached the new one. After a handful of those, they guessed (still don't know how correct that guess is) that it was the controller board, but they didn't send that gratis, I had to buy that. When waiting for that to arrive, I received my most recent replacement sensor that was DOA. So I had to do some wire splicing and create a few Frankenstein's Sensors to get me through the holiday. So far my splices are holding up, but I don't have faith they will for long. After the Christmas Season, I need to decide if I'm going to keep repairing or go for a much better machine. In the $5k price range, they are all SO MUCH BETTER than what I have, and I paid nearly $4k in 2022.
  - sasq4atch 2y ago
    Hmm yea I appreciate the insight. I was looking at the Nomad 3 as a good price point for me to do some of the size projects I'm thinking of and getting my feet wet but this makes for one of the more expensive investments in the shop so I'd like it to be somewhat reliable. I don't see myself sticking with that machine if I received any kind of volume work like it sounds you receive. Would be interested to see where you settle for the upgrade when that happens!