Meet Maslow, the $350 CNC Cutting Machine

[Javier Ramirez]

https://youtu.be/y60q6U7NjTQ


Though this was pretty cool.

[kathy.hughett]

This is so awesome. The smaller footprint, being able to flip it out of the way towards the ceiling giving it no footprint and the affordable price make this a very desirable piece of equipment. 

[Chris Hemmerly]

This is awesome!

Pete, do you think we could get them here for MFMKE18?

On Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 6:53:26 PM UTC-6, javier.ramirez520 wrote:

[Pete Prodoehl]

We could contact them and invite them to Milwaukee.

We could propose the use of travel funds to get them here.

We could just buy one of their machines, learn how to use it, then show it off at Maker Faire. ;)

Any (or all) of these things could be proposed to Mat M., our Maker Faire Area Champion.


Pete

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[Steve Pilon]

To many drawbacks compared to our 4x8, if someone wanted to purchase one and use it at home feel free to but not as part of the cnc area.

[Chris Hemmerly]

Care to elaborate about the drawbacks, Steve?

[Pete Prodoehl]

Steve, it would also be helpful to know if you've used a Maslow CNC machine, or at least seen one in operation.


Pete

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On 3/1/18 7:56 PM, kathy.hughett wrote:

This is so awesome. The smaller footprint, being able to flip it out of the way towards the ceiling giving it no footprint and the affordable price make this a very desirable piece of equipment. 

On Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 6:53:26 PM UTC-6, javier.ramirez520 wrote:

https://youtu.be/y60q6U7NjTQ


Though this was pretty cool.

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[Steve Pilon]

Pete, I have never used one or seen one in operation. If you want to try it out and spend the time then feel free to!

For makerspace its the wrong tool. I have never used one but from what iv read there are some drawbacks, it maxes out at about 35 ipm and can only take small cuts, it also looses accuracy the further out it gets(https://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/editors-blog/testing-maslow-cnc). 

1. 35 inch per minute is WAY to slow for tool life. With a router that has a minimum rpm of 15,000 - 20,000 coupled with a maximum feed rate of 35 ipm your going to burn up bits. When you go to slow you just generate heat, think starting a fire with a stick in wood, its cheating at 15,000 rpm.

2. It uses its weight to cut and has tiny little motors. There is no free-lunch when it comes to cnc. Increase the weight on the router carrier and the "x y" motors are under sized. 

3. It slides on the sheet. You are limited to sheets of plywood, you cant cut edge to edge. You know that nice 4" x 12" piece of walnut you want to cut, Forget about it! 

4. Its accurate to about 1/64 (.015) in the middle and 1/16 (.062) around the edges. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y60q6U7NjTQ) As it gets closer to the edges it put more load on one motor then the other. Also, while im not an Arduino person, it need to do some pretty heavy math pretty fast and Arduino and heavy math, from what iv read, is not up to the task.  

5. Your limited to pockets that are smaller then the router sled. The sled will fall into the pocket and mess up your cut. 

6. You cant 3d surface. 

As long as you know the limitations, based on its price, its not terrible, but if you can afford it and have room there are better machines out there. An alternative could be the Gryphon, who used to make our Mogul, they have a 4x8' model that you could prolly get going for around $3500. $3500 is alot more but you gain alot over the Maslow. 

[Pete Prodoehl]

Thanks, Steve. You bring up some valid points!

But! You also remind me of the engineers who thought that a home/hobby
3D printer would never work. You gotta start somewhere! $350 versus
$3500 is quite a difference. I can see this fitting fine in some
makerspaces where a few people could kick in and get a Maslow to try out
and get started on... it is cheap!

I don't even think it's the wrong tool for Milwaukee Makerspace, because
if enough people were interested it in, it might be worth exploring.
(And yes, we do have a nice, large 4x8 machine that works well, but
every tool has it's niche.)

Pete

> --

[Steve Pilon]

I feel if someone wanted to throw some money at cnc for Milwaukee Makerspace it would be better spent on getting a 4x4 cnc plasma cutter. Maybe a kit like this, they come out to around $1100 plus electronics and a plasma cutter. 

[Tom Gralewicz]

I think some of the items mentioned in the video are what Steve is talking about, the error that varies with where you are cutting on the board and a Z axis that is only held in place with gravity is going to make engraving a bit iffy.

It comes down to what you want it to do.

Tom

Tom Gralewicz

Chronic Maker

(414) 380-1716

milwaukeemakerspace.org

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