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Don’t have a subscription yet?.There have been numerous points over the past few years where I have pulled up the and started configuring a router that I would like to build. Both the modular build system and rock-solid rack and pinion movement really appealed to me. When they contacted me about being included in this year’s round of testing, I finally got to try one of my configurations for the, and I could not be happier. Custom CombinationsFirst things first, we need to talk about the CNC Router Parts system for selling machines. Everything is modular and expandable. The base price is just for a frame, not for a working machine.
From that frame, you can decide on your machine’s motor, electronics packs, spindles, mounting options, height, sensors, and anything else you might want or need. All of these things quickly increase the price of course, but if you look at the cost of the PRO4824’s competitors, you will notice that you are still saving a lot of money.This modular system does mean that there is a lot of work for both assembly and setup, so do not buy this machine expecting to be cutting within the same day. We had one of the CNC Router Parts team members come out and build ours to save time, and it still took a few days to finish completing the machine.The 4′ x 2′ cutting space is plenty large enough to get started with cutting furniture and many other useful objects, but it comes at the cost of needing to cut down plywood sheets in order to make them work.
High-performance, affordable American-Made Thermwood CNC Routers are used in Wood, Plastics, Aerospace, Composites, Foam, Non-Ferrous Metals & now additive with the LSAM Large Scale Additive Manufacturing System. Meanwhile, industrial sized CNC routers are usually large and often consume more space. However, the benchtop CNC router models are small and can be placed comfortably on the table. It should interest you that the best small CNC router cannot be compared with the industrial type in terms of power and versatility.
The more industrious will find that they can pass sheets of ply through the machine if they need to cut larger pieces at one time, but I would not recommend that for beginners. The key to the PRO4824 is that if and when you decide you want to cut full sheets of plywood, you will have to purchase one of the upgrade kits (4′ x 4′ or the coveted 4′ x 8′) to expand the length of your machine. Design Planning and ControlFor our testing, I cut our large test medallion and an AtFab chair. The process was smooth and painless. While many CAM solutions will work for CNC Router Parts machines, the recommend software for the PRO4824 is from. This recommendation is a good one.
VCarve Pro makes laying out your designs and planning the machining operations a fairly easy process, especially compared to some of the other systems out there. It offers plenty of customization options without bogging anything down with a confusing interface. CNC Router Parts turns to, an industry standard for CNC machining, for controlling their machines. This is the one place where I think there is some room for improvement. While Mach3 is extremely powerful, and learning it will make the process of using other machines easier, it is not the most intuitive piece of software. Keeping Mach3 for veterans and offering a second, more streamlined solution would make the machine more accessible for all users. Final VerdictA large flat bed CNC router is a tool that opens up new levels of projects for makers.
The PRO4824 is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to get into using a larger router, but does not have the space for a full 4′ x 8′ machine just yet. Upgrades for the machine are readily available for those who are. Photo by Christopher Garrison DetailsManufacturer: CNC Router PartsBase Price: $3,500Price as Tested: $7,637Accessories Included at Base Price: None, the base price is for a frame only — no electronicsAdditional Accessories Provided for Testing: Electronics, spindle, leg kit, Mach3 software, proximity sensors, Z touch plateBuild Volume: 1,219×609×203mmMaterials Handled: Wood, plastics, foam, light metalsWork Untethered? NoOnboard Controls? E-stop and power switches onlyDesign Software: Compatible with many but works best with VCarve Pro from VectricCutting Software: Mach3OS: WindowsFirmware: ProprietaryOpen Software?
NoOpen Hardware? No Pro TipsWhile you can build this kit from just the base frame and customize it yourself, buying the additional parts from CNC Router Parts really rounds this machine out. It is a very capable workhorse if you allow it to be. Why to BuyThe PRO4824 offers rock solid performance for anyone looking at a production grade system. It is extremely modular so those who may not have the budget or space for a full 8’ long machine, but might have both in the future, can invest care-free.
![Benchtop Benchtop](http://www.cncrouterparts.com/images/Benchtop-PRO-full_20150226_640.jpg)
Make your own bolt-down sacrificial board (spoilboard) for your PRO Series or Benchtop CNC machine from CNC Router Parts (www.cncrouterparts.com) using this project.There are two Fusion 360 project files, one for Benchtop machines, and the other for PRO Series large format machines. Both are parameter-driven (parametric), meaning that by going to Fusion 360 Modeling Workspace Modify Change Parameters you can update the size of the board to whatever size machine you have.The board consists of three feature layers. You can choose to implement all three, one, two, or mix in with your own custom feature designs. Mounting Features - This layer/sketch contains the geometry for mounting the board to the crossmembers of the machine - this is the only required layer. Dog Hole Features - This layer/sketch contains the geometry a grid of holes that are 3/4' diameter by default but can be adjusted to be used with MDF inserts allowing use of bolted connections. Otherwise can be used with most 3/4' size bench dog accessories and clamping systems.
Clamping Clearance Features - This layer/sketch contains the geometry for large slots that will allow the use of F-clamps.What You'll Need. 3/4' thick MDF or similar material that covers the desired work area (usually matching the dimensions of the machine table).Making/Mounting the BoardTo create your own board, download either the DXF file or the Fusion 360 Project (free for non-commercial use). The DXF file can be used with any popular CAM offerings, including Vectric's popular VCarve PRO (demonstrated in the attached video)!The spoilboard should be directly mounted to the cross-members of the CNC machine with 5 fasteners per crossmember Spoilboard How-To Videos. Benchtop PRO (& Standard).(Note: If you are using Fusion 360, you can watch that video and the Part II CNC video and don't need to watch the Vectric project walkthroughs and vice-versa).