Wall mount CNC mill?

Is there a reason why a little Shapeoko/X-carve cannot be used as a wall mounted device to save space? I’ve never seen one but wasn’t sure if it just wasn’t popular or that it meant it can’t be done. (I’m getting one for our classroom and space is at a premium. I assume constantly moving around the device is going to cause problem)

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Going to guess that you want the added stability of support on all 4 corners rather than cantilevering off of a wall. Note that in most commercial construction, partition walls are supported by alarmingly-thin hollow metal studs rather than more-robust solid wood studs.

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It could be mounted on a wall. Several reasons it is not - the first one I know is a primary reason:

  1. The whole unit is rolled into the classroom where the classes are taught - usually Purple. So having it roll around is important.
  2. If wall mounted, if CA is rearranged (as happens every 12-18 months) it allows it to be moved freely.
  3. Wall mounting doesn’t solve the problem of tool storage space on laptop storage space. If mounted high enough to make truly usable space, it may be too high for some folks.
  4. If a class is being taught in CA, it can be taken elsewhere and used. If wall mounted it would not be available during that class.

Like you, if things can be wall mounted that is my preference as I like to utilize the space underneath them. Hope this answer helps and makes sense. But keep asking and suggesting!!

ADDED: @ESmith Erik’s posted before I finished - forgot the wall issue, but a good point, so make it 5 items.

don’t forget it isn’t just the CNC that has to get mounted but the enclosure as well which serves the purpose of noise reduction and dust control. cheers!

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Based on your post, I’m assuming that you aren’t talking about the one we have at the space. I’m assuming you’re talking about having one of your own.

The Shapeoko really needs several things - the unit itself, an (optional) enclosure with fan, the computer that drives it, a small box of tools, and a small shop vac. We chose to put ours all together in one workstation, but you wouldn’t have to do that if you have space for all of the individual items.

You could wall mount the Shapeoko itself. It has to be very stable, completely level and extremely wiggle-free. If it wiggles at all you’re going to lose fidelity on your machining. If your “shelf” or whatever is sturdy, you should probably put rubber on feet the Shapeoko, level it and then bolt it to the shelf.

We choose to have ours in an enclosure to manage dust and noise since we use in a multi-purpose room. It makes a lot of dust and it’s very noisy without the enclosure. If you’re going to be doing other things in the room concurrently you will quickly tire of the noise. If you don’t care about either of those, then you could forego making an enclosure I suppose. The enclosure adds a significant amount to the footprint, but if you’re not going to make an enclosure then all your peeps will need safety glasses.

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Yes. We are at the tail end of an Easel challenge that will get one for my classroom at work.

Upgrading the Shapeoko at the space was mentioned at the class. If DMS membership wanted to activate their powers we could also get one for the space as well to accomplish that upgrade (or several). It’s also good for the upgrade parts themselves. They’ve agreed to combine the challenge bounties for me because of work but they didn’t limit how many machines we could claim. I’ll be lurking at the space quite a bit during summer and would be perfectly happy to coordinate it. Nothing actually has to be cut. It’s mostly a design challenge.

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The X and Y axis on the Shapeoko are belt driven and normally, at rest, a lot of weight is supported by the rails. In a different orientation that weight might become a real problem. Particularly since the current machine, Shapeoko 3, is a more robust and heavier machine than what the space has.

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The plans for the enclosure may be floating about the Space. One less thing to re-invent and could cut out here if need be.

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Not a Shapeoko, but I just saw this video on Tested’s YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y60q6U7NjTQ

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Last weekend, I attended the Bay Area Maker Fair and met the folks at Maslow. I also watched a couple live demos! Great product at an affordable price!

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Interesting version of this concept: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1412673920/gocupi-turns-your-raspberry-pi-into-a-portable-pol

I can see some design and usage challenges with a cutting tool positioned solely by tension and gravity, sliding along the work surface. Going to guess that it’s nowhere near as fast as a gantry design and might not be as precise, but those might be reasonable tradeoffs for such a low price.

Edit: If they did a 4-point rig with tension on all sides, I can imagine some of the potential problems (surface friction, consistent tool movement) being alleviated.

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yeah, they admit that speed is a tradeoff, but feel their target market aren’t mass producing and can live with the speed. They did say a number of times that it is open source, so the community is coming up with improvements. Maybe a 4-point rig could be a future version.

this video mentions the evolution, and that 4point was tried and discarded.


doesn’t mean it won’t crop up again, and perhaps be an improvement…

So now that I’ve had a little more caffeine … 4 point adds cost and some setup complexity. Not quite up to the challenge of playing with the geometry yet this morning, but I suspect that it also means either 4 motors or 2 motors + 2 spring reels since the diagonals probably aren’t going to remain consistent. Can’t view the video at work otherwise.

These guys were offering free ones to makerspaces as part of their Kickstarter campaign. All we had/(have?) to do was/(is?) ask.

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