Different kind of CNC

[martin manning]

What about this? Pretty interesting concept. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0clzXWSaCw?showinfo=0

Descriptive video at manufacturer's site: https://shapertools.com/#Howitworks

[telentubes]

pretty cool

[dorrisant]

That is very cool... Gas!

[MakerDP]

I saw that in action at the Maker Faire Bay Area this spring. It is VERY cool indeed. It's not a true CNC replacement but it is good for automating anything you could do with a router plus a few more things I would imagine. Taller 3D stuff wouldn't work so well.

The demo they were doing at Maker Faire was they imported a map from Google Maps and they were carving it into a piece of wood.

I would like it a whole lot if it was easy and fast to etch pcb's!

[Bob S]

Pretty neat.
Check out the x-carve from inventables. A few of the guys are using them to do pcb's.

[martin manning]

It's not a true CNC replacement but it is good for automating anything you could do with a router plus a few more things I would imagine. Taller 3D stuff wouldn't work so well.

Yes, 2-D only, but good for 3-D things that can be broken down into pieces that are 2-D, or 3-D pieces that can be brought nearer to finished shape in 2-D. That second category would include a chassis blank to be folded later, or something like a guitar neck that would be carved to final shape afterward by machine or hand operations. Perhaps it could do limited 3-D shaping within the limits of the vertical travel of the cutter, such as for an arch top guitar with final shaping by hand.

[John_P_WI]

It's a cool idea, we'll see if it takes off. $2099 makes for an expensive router, although some arts n crafts guys might be able to make a buck with it...

[MakerDP]

Speaking of Maker Faire Bay Area... I have been considering getting a booth, showing off my tube amp builds and inviting anyone else in the area to join me with their amps as well. I think it would attract a lot of interest. There were definitely more audio-related things there this year than the show I went to three years ago. Someone who offered kits might do OK selling some but for vendors there is a hefty fee for space. I think it's free or very close if you are just showing off what you've done.