Thoughts on a Shapeoko 4? Upgrades for a Shapeoko 3?

[WillAdams]

List of things which would be nice for a Shapeoko 4, or to upgrade a Shapeoko 3:

- positional encoding
- 9mm wide belts
- optional Acme screw for Z-axis (I guess I should find time to try this out first) --- option for screw drive at smallest size (see below)
- stiffer spindle carriage plate
- taller spindle mount
- online configurator when ordering
- LCD / control panel / pendant

For CAM software, I'd really like to see something which would perform G-wizard-like calculations adjusting feed / speed rates throughout a cut on-the-fly.

Other ideas?

William

[Atonwa]

Homing switches standard on the machine, add on for actual full limit switches. Single best upgrade to my machine. Way less wasted material. They really should be standard.

Another item that should be standard (and should be now that extrusion is available) when you order in the future is the ability to order extrusion by itself. You can still sell the kits in specific sizes to start but give the people that have sizes they want to build the machine to the ability to do it from the start. I'm jonesing for just being able to order an 8' chunk of extrusion and waiting to hear back from Carbide when that will be available.

Go back to the drawing board on the sheet metal frame too. Not being upgrade able to larger sizes was a bummer to have to throw that away. Maybe an X plate with each of the Y-Axis bent mount plates being individual pieces so you just add on to the X or replace to make the machine larger.

I have nothing other than what you covered and these for V4.

[Gamble]

I'd like to see the plates cut on a water jet instead of laser. Some have a little warping to them

[LTEPM]

No announcement of such a thing until they have all items in stock ready to ship within two weeks.

[woodworkerbob]

List of things which would be nice for a Shapeoko 4, or to upgrade a Shapeoko 3:

Other ideas?

William

Less sensitivity to electrical noise produced by the router, especially with larger routers.
Readily available probe for auto leveling or the probe attached to the Z plate.

Bob

[sjj47]

4th axis! I know, just a pipe dream. But it would be so cool!

[JuKu]

For CAM software, I'd really like to see something which would perform G-wizard-like calculations adjusting feed / speed rates throughout a cut on-the-fly.

Keep an eye for Fusion 360. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/ideastat ... -p/5368343

[AnonymousPerson]

Keep an eye for Fusion 360. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/ideastat ... -p/5368343

As a data point, I had an email conversation with Bob Warfield (G-Wizard author) about this. I wanted to develop a (paid for) Fusion 360 plug-in that would use the G-Wizard algorithms/data to provide a feeds and speeds calculator built in. Wanted to discuss whether he'd be interested in such a thing, and if so how to organise licensing.

He was completely uninterested/unwilling to be involved in any kind of arrangement like that, saying something like other people have tried to copy his work before.

Ran out of time/interest myself after that, so haven't bothered following up with the authors of the G-Wizards alternatives.

[CrazyBillybob]

For CAM software, I'd really like to see something which would perform G-wizard-like calculations adjusting feed / speed rates throughout a cut on-the-fly.

Keep an eye for Fusion 360. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/ideastat ... -p/5368343

I've not used G-wizard but I just got back into Fusion 360 after being away from it since the Beta. It has a section under the tool where you can feed the spindle RPM, (it already knows the # of flutes and Bit size from the tool choice), the feed rate and it will show you the material removal for each tooth/flute. Again not sure what you were looking for.

[AnonymousPerson]

I've not used G-wizard but I just got back into Fusion 360 after being away from it since the Beta. It has a section under the tool where you can feed the spindle RPM, (it already knows the # of flutes and Bit size from the tool choice), the feed rate and it will show you the material removal for each tooth/flute. Again not sure what you were looking for.

Will is more saying it would be great to automatically calculate "optimal" feeds and speeds, based upon the info already given. eg cutter data, material data.

For that to work, the software would probably need some form of additional input available (eg cutter wear info, such as if it's blunt or sharp), because it's unlikely to be one size fits all even there.

Shapeoko 4 would be great with an inbuilt structured light sensor (because lasers suck on reflective surfaces) to automatically analyse the cutter geometry and wear. Likelihood... keep dreaming.