@DennisG I think, by this point, you’ve read all you can stand of people’s frustrations with starting in CNC-ing and how they overcame those with trial and error and perseverance. You would think that, if everyone (myself included) has gone through these frustrations, that SOMEONE would write a book, or series of videos - that capture the kinds of challenges a newbie is going to face.
I’m with you with regard to the question, “Why isn’t there a single place to go to learn about this?” I’ve asked it many times - whether it’s speeds and feeds, hold downs, planning and designing projects, etc.
You have purchased a Shapeoko. I have said it before: There are two motivations for getting a Shapeoko - and it’s reminiscent of why folks bought VW Beetles back in the 70s: You either love to tinker and be your own mechanic, or you’re trying to save some money and still have a car. It’s the same with this tool. Consequently, you are among a lot of tinkerers/engineers who LOVE to learn by experimentation and trial and error, as well as folks who want to print their own adapters, or strip their Shapeoko down to it’s barest of bones and build it back up, “better”. It’s a badge of honor. And they’re often willing to spend MORE than what it would have cost them to just buy an industrial CNC from the get go - because the joy, for them, is in the journey.
If you’re just trying to use the tool as you would use a planer or a tablesaw, you’re in for shock. For something with so much precision, it’s remarkably imprecise. The flexibility of the platform makes it complex and error-prone. You sound like you’re looking for instructions that say, “Do this and this will happen”…and that just doesn’t happen at this level. I hear it happens at the industrial machine level - but then you’re not in control of as many of the variables. That trade off is one I didn’t understand originally.
Personally, I’m a professional woodworker who has a prior life in software and I thought it was the best thing to put the two together - My goal was to use this tool to make components for furniture I sell, but I wanted to dip my toes before jumping in - I went low cost, not realizing what that meant…I’m NOT a tinkerer…so I share some of your frustrations with the inconsistencies of the platform.
I felt like giving up as well, but I had invested enough time and money to see if I could stick it out. I have (a year later) gotten to a point of competence that I can use my Shapeoko as a reliable tool in my arsenal. I feel comfortable enough that it automatically comes to mind when I’m making construction and design decisions. I may choose to upgrade to an industrial machine someday in the future, but for now, I’m getting enough success with my Shapeoko to keep growing with it…and there’s still much more to grow into.
I would say to you, don’t give up. Acknowledge and accept that you’ve chosen a tinkerer’s platform, but recognize that it’s still production-quality and turns out high-precision results. You just have to accept that you will fail a lot of times before you succeed.
- Gary