My lr4 is full mdf size, but it’s just too big my shop. I’m thinking if I go to 24x48 that’s still a big panel but would take up so much less floor.
Had anyone from the big boy to smaller a regretted it?
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I started with a 600x600 MPCNC and shrunk it to 300x300. It performed way better and I really never used the larger size.
I’m a big advocate for making the machine only as large as you need. When I’ve looked at making an LR4, I think I’d go for a 1/4 sheet size and then if I ever need to do anything larger I’ll either do it in pieces and fasten them together or I’ll make a router template and hand-route it.
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My LR3 has about a 33x60" working size. Looking at the spoilboard, I’ve never cut anything outside of 24x36 except maybe the strut plates. My LR4 plans are 26x50" for a little leeway around 2x4’ sheets.
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My lr4 is 500x750 and ive used all of it a lot, but mostly the lower half of y in the x middle region for smaller pieces.
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I would need to run the calculator, but my current set up is basically 5x10. That’s huge
It does well, but smaller would fit better and be easier to use because I’m having full sheets around. Add in the added rigidity and I’m basically convinced. I just trying to see if anyone regretted doing the range thing and why. I can’t think of a down side at this point
if you have a table saw or some other way of cutting the sheets down accurately you can get by with a smaller machine. I have a maslow that folds up above my car in the garage and the basement lr4 just doesn’t have any more room to get any bigger than the 20”x30”. I’ve learned though that if I’m doing a lot of repetitive outline cuts, just make a plywood template and invest in a following bit and use the template to replicated itself with a palm router they way they were originally intended.
I think by its nature many (including me) were attracted to the LR series because they were huge, without having a genuine use. It’s a bit of a catch 22 as well - you don’t really know how you will use the machine until you use the machine, so in many cases that I’ve observed there’s only a small percentage of the usable area used most of the time.
I mostly 3d print templates these days, and if the part I am making is too large, I print the curvy bits and drill locating holes to accurately make 6mm mdf templates.
This is because I have a lot of woodworking gear, tablesaw, bandsaw, disk sander and so on, and can use them very efficiently.
For those that don’t have those skills a larger CNC would be quite useful - so perhaps I have just contradicted myself and confused the situation more! Sorry!
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I had a space problem, so I couldn’t do a full sheet build.
I don’t have an easy way to break down sheets, so I kept the width and did a 4’x5’ area.
This allowed me to be able to easily tile a full sheet if I needed and I have roughly a 5’x7’ table or something like that. It makes it so I can take a full sheet and lay it on the table and it will support itself without me having to break it down.
Most important is if you will add any friction that will cause you to not use it.
If you can easily break down sheets, then any size that covers your most common max size should be fine.
If you keep your X at 4’ for now, and reduce the table size or just limit the Y travel, you should be able to see if that causes you any friction in your process before committing to reducing the size of your X.
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I started with a 30”x40” mpcnc against the std advice that it should be no larger than 24x24 and it was in fact not very rigid as the warning stated. After shrinking it down to 20x30 it was replaced with a similar-sized lowrider. Making it smaller was a great move. At the time I did not have a table saw though and my miter saw was questionable at best, yet I cut workpieces with a hand circular saw. It turns out the workpiece edge quality doesn’t matter much if it is left behind as waste.
For the lowrider, you would be cutting the conduit and belts down and making new strut plates, but if you don’t like it, you can buy new conduit and longer belts put the old strut plates back on, so it may not be completely a one-way move. Obviously if you chop your table, that is a whole different problem.
I did a similar reduction in size with my maslow (v1.5). It took up 1/4 of my garage and so I cut it down and made it fold up above one of the bays in the garage. Instead of its full sheet capability, it now essentially cuts 5’x4’ though it will hold a full sheet that can be repositioned to eventually cut the full sheet. Extra drill holes and dowels can help with alignment. It is very rare that I miss the full sheet capability and have been able to make larger items on occasion with some partial cuts and repositioning. It all depends on your product being made, but space is a major factor for some of us. I have not yet successfully lobbied for the 3rd bay in the garage, but even then, I don’t think a full sheet machine would be needed for my use.
Reducing the y first is a great suggestion by @michael_melancon above. It should help you see how difficult it will be to work without the extra length.
I have a table saw, track saw, and saw horses. I break down full sheets before I even use my table saw now. That’s why I’m feeling like I can get away with a ¼sheet machine.
I also just recently got a little 20x laser machine that is so much faster than setting up the cnc or even 3d printing for one off jigs and such. Toss some ¼” ply generally in the right spot, cut it out, done. No bit changes, layer issues, filament drying, or insane amounts of dust.
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I was in the process of building an LR4 and then we got a CO2 laser at work. I switched my workflow to using the laser cutter and 4.5mm plywood to make templates and then a pattern bushing in a palm router to cut out the final work. I’ve made a bunch of stuff that way and I really enjoy it as a workflow.
I built mine originally at 3m long as needed it for couple of big blabs
what ive done now is cut it down to 2.4m, kept piece i cut off, left belt at length needed for 3m
and have 2 Y rails ,so if need 3 m just change rails , re extend belts and clip on table extension
the minute gap or lip between table and extension isn’t noticable on work piece as im either surfacing slabs or profile cutting sheets for cabintery