I finally got some time to post these pictures of our Wart Hog CNC milling router.
This unit is what I would call an "Entry Level" router. I didn't want the vacuum hold down system, or the more expensive spindel ( mine is equiped with a Porter-Cable Router which I could replace myself or even up grade to the better spindel)
With CAD Link ProfileLab 3D software and WinCNC software, we leased this unit for well under $22,000, payments are $560 per month with $1 dollar buy out (GE Leasing)
The Wart Hog is manufactured in LaFayette, Georgia (just South of Chattanooga TN) by Bill Glenn and his family owned company is GlenTec Inc. Bill has incredible experience building routers. He even builds ice sculpting routers for a private buyer in Florida who resales them. My table is 49 inches wide and 110 long, which means I can comfortably cut a 4x8 foot sheet of HDU, or whatever.
I couldn't recommend nicer folk to deal with than the Glenn family. Support has been great, and they stand behind their products.
Here are the pictures:
[ March 13, 2004, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: Dave Draper ]
Posted by Fran Maholland (Member # 3609) on :
Thanks for the info.
Question: After you set the unit in place, did you have to check the tables squareness and that the gantry X,Y was relatively square?... just wondering if loading, transport and unloading affected the factory setup.
Thanks again and I'll wait to hear back from you.
Kind regards,
Fran
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
Fran,
I moved the router to "home" then drilled a hole in my table, then moved the gantry 96 inches and drilled another hole, then 48 inches and drilled, then back 96 and drilled and back to "0" and drilled.
The table is square with the holes I drilled and a 4 x 8 foot plywood board sits perfectly between the holes. I did this to make sure I fasten my sacrifice sheet down perfectly.
This router is heavy, I can't slide it an inch by myself. 3 of us had some difficulty getting it just where we felt it should sit.
I'm satisfied! Posted by Dan Streicher (Member # 4515) on :
I would seriously consider building some sort of wall or moveable curtain to enclose the area where you have your router otherwise that clean shop of yours is going to be COVERED in pvc shavings, sawdust, and worst of all signfoam dust, from routing the various materials, just thinking of the signfoam dust makes we cringe. Just a thought
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
Dan,
I was out to Menards Home Center, and they have a shop air filter for $99. It looks like a space heater, round tank laying flat, and I think it was on wheels. Cleans a large shop of nasty fumes and dust in minutes.
Its on my list of things to get. Just drilling 4 half inch holes in the MDF table top sent dust all over.
If you look close, you will see that Wart Hogs come with this dust collector that surrounds the router bit. I have my dust collector rotated away from the bit in the picture, but when routing the dust collector will be covering the bit. A PVC pipe is vertically attached to this dust collector so that a wet-vac hose can fit snuggly down into the pipe. I can mount the wet vac right on top of the gantry, and plug it in where the Porter-Cable router plugs in, so the wet vac can travel with the gantry, and suck dust up from the dust collector. One other problem: The cable from the PC to the Roter table control box is only 6 feet. The computer has to sit close to the router for now until I can find a longer cable, and I am going to make a clear plexiglass shield to keep the dust spray from directly hitting the computer and monitor.
The other thing I want to do is get a wireless keyboard, so I can control the router from anywhere around the table with out a short cord stopping me (if I need to pause the router and restart...which I'm sure I will be doing a lot of.
I heard that if I have hanging curtains installed around the router, the dust that collects on the curtains can "flash" fire, and some city fire codes won't allow it.
At any rate, I got a lot to learn about dust management...or rent a unit for just doing the dirty work in.
[ March 13, 2004, 10:43 PM: Message edited by: Dave Draper ]
Posted by E. Balch (Member # 3545) on :
Dave,
Nice router. And a clean shop, I wish my shop was that clean. I hope you don't plan on painting near the router.
I agree with the others about the need to contain dust. You will need to do something to protect the computer. I mounted mine inside an old lab cabinate with a HEPA filter providing positive pressure. This is the only dust free area in the entire building. A floppy disk will attract dust and quit working just when you need it most. CD/DVD drives will quit working even faster.
When it warms up I am going to mount a large barn fan in the wall to blow the dust outside. You only get 1 set of lungs don't pack them full of dust.
ernie
Posted by Joe Crumley (Member # 2307) on :
Dave,
I also really like the neat shop, wish our was that nice.
We bought a ShopBot CNC a couple of years ago but it isn't quiet so neat looking as yours.
I have a couple of questions about your unit. Is it a step motor or servo model? What is the gantry clearance? That is what is the largest post you can put on the table?
We found a steep learnign curve with our unit but is sure worth that trouble. My main compalint has to do with noise.
Best of luck and if I can be of assistance just let me know.
Joe
Posted by Henry Barker (Member # 174) on :
Good luck Dave!
I bought a heavy duty extractor just for the router, I have a Festool industrial vacuum that we use on all handtools, but thought that when using mdf that the bags fill up too quickly.
My router computer I thought should close to the router but it came with a 300ft cable and is in the office/plotter room as when you have exported the finished job to the router, you make the final adjustments on the control console, maybe that's the same for you Dave in which case you can have your computer in a more dustfree enviroment.
Will maybe tonight post pics of the dust extractor I have.
Its definetly a learning curve!....but fun Posted by Dennis Raap (Member # 3632) on :
Joe I agree on the noise I wonder if there is any thing avalible to absorb some of the noise.
Henry I also have my computer in the office helps with keeping the dust out of the equipment.
Dave do you have to have the computer key board for your controls or is there a seprate pad that could be used so that you could move the computer to a dust free location?
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
Dennis,
I'm going to get a wireless keyboard. Then I can control the router free of entanglements. Eventually,(and soon), I'll build a kiosk, sort of like a video game cabinate, to hold the monitor and CPU in a dust protected environment with a cooling fan blowing though a furnace filter.
I have seen those small car ports, out at SAM's Club, I think, that when set up look like a rounded top tent. If it looks like it will work, I'll "garage" the router in the car port thingy, or build my own with clear bisqueene and PVC.
My biggest messes and dust will be with poly styreen, and Sintra. Our main focus with the router is to build stucco monument signs. As we get more comfortable with the router, we'll start making can letters with internal LED lighting.
I'm trying to train my son Tim to take over the quickie stickie end of the biz so I can focus on monuments.
Posted by Dennis Raap (Member # 3632) on :
Dave,
One thing that I do to help keep the room clean is to keep a second shop vac near the router after I start a job I will quickly vacuum the area if it is needed this really helps I also vacuum the table off between jobs.
Posted by Dan Streicher (Member # 4515) on :
Hey Dave I am just curious you actually control all functions from your computer connected to the router? it has no cpu of its own? no control key pad? I used to sell / install /train end users on multicam and gerber routing systems and have seen many others and have never seen a setup like that just want to make sure that I am understanding you correctly, if I am reading that correctly I can see some real benefits and some potential issues, I would definately try to get a setup for your computer that is as dust free as possible (enough said on that one) also you might try the wireless keyboard but it may cause some problems so don't get married to the outcome of that idea, on my personal router a multicam we had a wireless keyboard on a shop computer in our 8000 sq ft shop but probably 150 ft away and the router was actually picking up interference (noise) from it among other problems that we had, another was using a longer cord than the one supplied with our system (we actually ran it from the router in the shop to the office area A LONG WAYS AWAY) and were actually loosing data on occasion and more importantly slowing down the transfer of data so that when it spooled data it was slow as molasses, if I am reading your setup correctly your system in essence is eliminating the need for the router to have its own cpu and is actually running right from the computer that you have the file to be routed on so there will be no spooling which is a benefit for you even though you probably don't know what I'm talking about right now. If it is a option you would definately be better to have your router in a separate area like you or someone else mentioned in another reply that would eliminate your dust issue, even with your dust collection setup I would be surprised if it keeps your shop as clean as it appears you like to keep it, you will not be able to paint without having dust particles in and on your painted items, it won't happen and my customers definately wouldn't let that fly.
We actually used to make channel letters as well ,but I think that is way down the road for you, you have a TON to learn just to route flat letters and just learning how to make your router do what you want it to do all of the time. But the router will definately open some new doors for you and will allow you to make things that you've only been able to picture in your mind have fun
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
Dan,
Scroll back up to picture #4. That contraption on the black stand with wheels is a "e machine" computer and monitor just like the ones you see at Best Buy. Thats what controls this router. I don't like the fact that it is soooo close to the router, but with a six foot cord from the back of the CPU to the control box on the router table control board...I don't have a lot of choice right now.
ProfileLaB and WinCNC are loaded into this computer, Windows XP Home, and its has an ethernet card in it, but its not hooked up to the net.
I thought a wireless keyboard would be neat, because I could place the CPU down by the router control box under the table, and the monitor somewhere out of the way, then I could go right over to where the router is cutting, with the keyboard in hand, and pause the router from the keyboard, and start it back up, or kill the job.
I know Multicam has the hand held controler that does basically the same thing, but it still has wires attached. The advantage here is that I wont have to have wires, but, the disadvantage is that holding a big keyboard is not totaly unawkward either.
We only have one other wireless unit in the shop and that is a wireless mouse. I don't forsee at this time a communication problem, yet anyway. Posted by Henry Barker (Member # 174) on :
Hi again Dave,
I'm living and learning like yourself, thought I could show you a couple of pics of the dust extraction I have at the moment....computer, plotters etc are in a vinyl room which is to the left of the router, behind it I have built or am building a paintbox, I put my compressor and vacuum pump together with the extraction unit above that and will build them in more to keep the noise levels down, haven taken a shot of the connection to the router, over here they advised more volume of suction, to keep stuff moving so I'm using a 4" pipe, I had to build my own adaptors and it works well wherever its placed on the table...like yourself its living and learning.
Enclose a pic of my regular shop vacuum cleaner which is Festool which I'm always raving about but even with its generous capacity thought it abit small for the router
Here you can see the extractor above the paintbox, and the flexible pipe down to the router.
Here is a closeup of the extractor, this type of unit is pretty popular here with woodworking shops with one or several machines and is pretty powerful, I bought it secondhand,
and here is acloseup of how I increased from the Canadian fitting that was on the brushfoot.Using stuff from the local plumbing wholesaler, its toilet ****e pipe and some other bits
Edit:
Dave you posted about the same time as me or while I was writing...The AXYZ came with a little box looks like a TV amplifier called an Isolated Converter with a RS232 going into the computer and an RS485 going out the other end to the router, this seems to help maintain the info while using long cables, maybe Glentek have something similar?
[ March 14, 2004, 05:12 PM: Message edited by: Henry Barker ]
Posted by Dan Streicher (Member # 4515) on :
OK so Dave I understand your computer situation a little better, you should be able to have a longer cable made, on the older multicam routers they only use the 6 and 9 pins, but it is easy to find out what your cable requirements are just take the cable that was supplied with your machine to a electronics supplier that manufactures custom cables, another thing that comes to my mind with the wireless keyboard as in my life right now I have one on my lap typing away on the couch with the busted leg I drop it often and I have to reset it so that the computer recognizes it, if that was to happen and I could see it happening in a working situation you wouldn't be able to stop the machine or tell it to do anything quickly....could be kind of dangerous,but just my opinion
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
Henry,
Thats neat. Thanks for posting those pictures. I like how your router is enclosed on the bottom. I can do that on only two sides of my, as my table legs double for cable holders.
At least, I can see how much dirt is under my table! hahahah
------------- Dan,
I think its possible to have both a wireless and a corded keyboard operating at the same time. I have a Wacom tablet with a stylus pen which acts as a mouse, a corded mouse and a wireless mouse in the vinyl cutting computer, and they all work, except when using 2 at once.
But I also have a kill button in case of the worse, and I can also pull the plug!
[ March 14, 2004, 10:01 PM: Message edited by: Dave Draper ]
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