Maslow CNC router

Is this too good to be true?

https://www.maslowcnc.com/

$500 seems like it would pay for itself in just a few projects.  And I have many, many, many projects I could use this for.

Many.

Using gravity is pretty clever, it makes the mechanism a lot simpler. A couple of motors, software and relatively simple electronics. It’s not going to be super-precise but I’ll bet it’ll do anything you’d want to do with a router. Thanks for pointing that out. 

Looks like 99% of the projects could be made with a jigsaw and sander and/or other basic tools.

Designing on the computer via inkscape or cad program and then printing out templates to cut from would be the way I'd go.

CNC rarely lets you do anything that can’t be done without it, but it will let you do it faster and/or more accurately and repeatedly. 

^That.

Also, I don't care about the projects people have done with it (a few are neat though).  I have and endless supply of projects in my own head.

The best part (IMO) is that for larger projects you can set it up and let it run while you can work on something else. 

I’ve been thinking of building a teardrop camper and this looks like a great tool for that. 

It would be great for making wooden dashes. 

In reply to spitfirebill :

I was thinking wooden bucks for metal shaping

STM317 said:

In reply to spitfirebill :

I was thinking wooden bucks for metal shaping

This +1

If you read the build diary at Drive Nacho Drive, you'll see the custom interior that was built for the Westfalia. Created onscreen and CNC routed. It basically just plugged together. Of course it could be done by hand if you have the ability to print large-scale templates, but this tool is the sort of thing that would make that work commercially viable. Heck, you could ship flat pack interior kits.

Keith Tanner said:

If you read the build diary at Drive Nacho Drive, you'll see the custom interior that was built for the Westfalia. Created onscreen and CNC routed. It basically just plugged together. Of course it could be done by hand if you have the ability to print large-scale templates, but this tool is the sort of thing that would make that work commercially viable. Heck, you could ship flat pack interior kits.

The guy on this forum with the 70's GMC Motorhome did the same thing.  I forget his screen name here.

yeah, I missed it when it was just $300. I think it is really cool too. 

When I read about it before christmas (maybe nov - dec) I remember a large problem they were dealing with was wider variation around the edges than in the middle. This is because the error in the length of the chain is amplified by the trig math. 

But you also have to supply the router correct? And the bits. and you might have to do some DIY around the mounting plate/ control board and power electronics. And you've got to build the frame and storage solution (I was dreaming of something that hangs above a car in the garage on a hinge). 

I guess I was thinking this would probably be realistically about $1000 and a few weekends of work before you had something up and running. 

p.s. if someone buys one, let me know!!

On the Maslow site there are some "aftermarket" upgrades that allow for better control of the geometry. The beauty of open source.

You do have to supply the router and bits, but if you're the sort of person who wants a CNC router you probably already have a Human Controlled router. And yes, you'll have to build a frame out of 2x4s. By the looks of the video, mounting the control board is a matter of a couple of screws into the frame. Again, if you're the sort of person who wants a CNC router this is not a challenging problem. 

Keith Tanner said:

On the Maslow site there are some "aftermarket" upgrades that allow for better control of the geometry. The beauty of open source.

You do have to supply the router and bits, but if you're the sort of person who wants a CNC router you probably already have a Human Controlled router. And yes, you'll have to build a frame out of 2x4s. By the looks of the video, mounting the control board is a matter of a couple of screws into the frame. Again, if you're the sort of person who wants a CNC router this is not a challenging problem. 

I agree not hard problems to solve. But they do take time. and cost money. I'm not sure my router will work with the standard stuff (I don't happen to have the dewalt model they suggest), and I probably won't have much luck figuring out if my router will work till I get the stuff in my hands. So that is more time, possibly more cost. And as most always, the solution would be low cost/high time or low time/high cost. ie either buy the right router or fab something to make my own router fit. 

I don't own one already because I had to be honest with myself on how much time I currently have to dedicate to a project like that. And I looked at the arduino that has been sitting on my desk untouched for more than a year... at least that was cheap. 

But I really want one. 

I have no real reason to buy one as my house is full of furniture and my Westie has a full interior - but I want one as well.

I don't have the space, but I want one. I've been watching people convert my cheap 3d printer to knife blades, pens, and dremel tools, but I've been waiting to see someone scale it up.

At $500 plus router though, I think I'm going to be keeping an eye on it anyway. Somewhere, somehow I could find the space if it went on sale. 

So here's maybe a slightly different question to take this thread in a fun direction:

Say you wanted to make money on buying a piece of equipment like the maslow. What kinda time/effort/model/return could you or would you look for?

Would you just take cad files and cut them? Would you do the design piece too? Would you focus just on the production of the pieces or would you make kits for 'things'? How would you source materials (like what types of wood would you use, etc)? How would you advertise?

If you wanted to make a few extra bucks at say $50 per hour how would you attack something like this? To make it simpler you could just assume that the machine cost and initial setup time don't have to be included. 

In reply to Robbie :

Etsy, fiverr, YouTube channel with a link to sale items, Facebook groups. And that's without leaving the house to setup at flea markets or swap meets.

If you watch Craigslist, full sheets and half sheets of plywood can be found cheap, resource recyclers have slightly more expensive bowling alley and basketball court.

$50/hour would depend on the speed of the machine, which probably depends on the intricacies of the pattern.

I would look and see what other people are doing well with, then find or design slightly different versions, or find a niche not yet covered.

Essentially, what I should be doing with my 3d printer, plasma cutter, welder, and stacks of free pallet wood and scrap metal. 

You won't make money cutting stuff.  Its too slow.

I would make money off the design and protect that IP.    Even so, Id probably still consider having someone else cut it for me once I had a set of known good plans.

I would sell stuff via word of mouth, local craft fairs, forums (specialty stuff) and etsy.

I'd do a few projects of my own and post them in forums and groups and see what gets attention. Something like the Westy interior - that would sell as a flat-pack kit with finishing work done by the buyer. DIY cabinets for arcade games are another potential area. Come up with the right furniture design (plywood and mid-century modern go together well) and sell flat pack again.

I expect the speed of the machine is also affected by the thickness/density of the material. But when it's running, you're not on the clock so that's not really important.

I would like my friend to have one and the sawdust in his garage :)

I can see a lot of cabinet s for Express vans etc that use the dead space , 

I wonder how it does cutting plexiglass ?

Ooo, that's a good idea. I'll bet it would do just fine although you may have to attach it to a plywood substrate if it's fairly thin. I do this when making guitar pickguards.

Here's your price point for the arcade cabinets: eeeeeeBay.

I've had a Maslow kit for a while now. I need to make some space to set it up. I got in on the second last buy group. Maslow doesn't sell the kits anymore, so you know. However, there are 2 or 3 other groups doing the kits. The other kit sellers are sanctioned by the couple who started Maslow and pretty much the same. 

The controller is a tiny little thing. A "shield" which attaches to an included Arduino board. 

Because of it's design, it's pretty basic and can't really do true 3d carving. It will do holes, slots, pockets and profiles, but can't really sculpt due to the sled on sheet arrangement. But that's fine for my purposes - most of which have already been mentioned on this thread (teardrop, kayak, outdoor furniture, cabinets, templates for "mass production"). 

STM317 said:

In reply to spitfirebill :

I was thinking wooden bucks for metal shaping

I was thinking bucks to lay up composite panels. (like so)

californiamilleghia said:

I would like my friend to have one and the sawdust in his garage :)

I can see a lot of cabinet s for Express vans etc that use the dead space , 

I wonder how it does cutting plexiglass ?

I’ve cut plexi with a router. It melts back together behind the cut and makes a mess.

Routers will put a nice finished edge on plexi, but they don’t cut it well. 

YMMV. Might be able to find the right combination of bit, motor speed, dust collection, and feed speed that would enable cutting.