I am considering buying the X50 Journeyman. What Accessories are essential? Is the software sold by 1F good for a person with zero experience? What questions am I not asking? Thanks in advance for any help.
I recommend a MCSweeny dust boot and a spindle. I am new also and I burned the router out in first week
I just got mine last week. Had a few startup issues that I couldn’t fix. Didn’t get the help from 1F that I expected but a fellow woodworker on this forum got me sorted. I’ve tried a few cuts so far and they look really good. I expect they will look even better as I get more familiar with the settings. If you have no experience with cnc there will be a sharp learning curve but that would be true on all machines. I started ona big industrial Laguna but had someone with experience walking me through the process the first 4-5 times. In short, when you get frustrated, take a breath and slow down. It will get better. Watch lots of YouTube videos from people who have done it, ask more questions and be patient.
look at table types and options you will need a few accessories like the probe block, the wireless joy pad, and a monitor. the monitor I use is 23 inches, not that little, tiny thing. Put a lot of attention on your table. flat, strong, and square, all three are necessary and will make life much easier. I personally like the suck it dust boot because you can use a light ring on it and a light ring is wonderful if you want to observe. I got extension cables for everything and" rowdy roman’s" hose and wire arm to keep everything up off the table. also do not make your table Minimum in any direction! give yourself room. it only gives you better options for you to put things where you want them for your comfort. I use vcarrve pro as it seems the better price choice unless you are Midas and I am not that guy. I bought mostly things that onefinity supports, so that while I am a newbie, I am pretty sure whatever oopsees I have are common to a lot of others and therefore fixable by many of the knowledgeable people on this forum. lastly get a set or two of bits 1 you can never get enough and 2 you will break some your fist day week and month. I know I did. Look at spoil board systems. Decide what make sense to you. and stick with it a while till you discover what you really want. Lastly look up Garret Fromme on you tube and begin watching his videos on cnc and vetrics software you will learn a ton. Oh and read everything you can on this forum you can learn a lot before you even receive your machine.
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I also started with no experience. My ventures went roughly as follows.
A flat table and makita router goes without saying. at the start I glued 2 3/4inch plywood boards together and laid it on a deep workbench i had. Ive improved since then but you kinda have to find your feet, work out what you like making then enhance latter. e.g. My improved table is a torsion table with a verticle hold capability (it weighs a ton). But the 2 plywood boards got me going with an MDF spoil / waste board screwed on top.
Mininum, starter, in my opinion:
- Controller
- Screen
- Touch Probe
- 1/4 inch bit (my most well used bit choice before i got more adventurous).
- 1.5 inch flattening for flattening your board, but you can bash out a few experimental cuts before venturing into flattening.
I had a floor rolling wet n dry vacuum before i went CNC shopping. You will need something. The vacuum from the house wont cut it.
**Soon after that: **
- get bits to suit your projects.
- And build a better table to suit your needs, with t tracks or whatever suits your projects. For a long time i just screwed stuff into the waste board.
- get a dust boot and vacuum system.
**A while after that: **
- 80mm spindle (I went air cooled, no problems for what I do). This took a bit more tinkering, but worth it. This will lead you to improve your dust extraction - my wet n dry is very noisy.
Then tinker:
- little covers to go on the 1F to keep dust out.
I have plans to:
- masso controller like @TMToronto. But won’t look as pretty.
- rotatory axis: I’d like 1F to offer one.
Software:
I have F360 and VCarve pro.
I started playing with F360 long before 1F arrived - it’s free (unless you need whizz bits, which I don’t). It’s a great CAD modelling tool and fun to use prior to 1F arriving.
After a while of using F360 I bought VCarve Pro. If you plan to focus on signs, VCarve is the way to go but you can’t really do much until the 1F arrives.
Tips:
- expect to spend more time on the computer than you may originally think.
- keep expectations low and tinker. Take things slowly. Don’t feel pressured to build that fancy piece in the few months to justify and demonstrate the spend. It will come.
Enjoy
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Thanks for the info. Already watching a lot of YouTube, but always nice to hear of who other people are watching. I do have a friend that has a OF already who can help me get started and work through some basic issues. I’m leaning toward the Pro software since I already do 3D work in my woodworking. Was a machinist in the past, I Fully understand the breaking of bits and wanting a back up of the Same bits to finish a project when one breaks and like you say, they Will break.
Thanks! Dust collection is not an issue, I have a full wood shop already, so have 2 low end dust collectors already (numerous shop vacs too) that I’ll be hooking up to the 1F. I have been wanting to build a torsion box table so that will be my Second table (1st one will be 4x4 legs and double layer plywood until I’m Sure what size I want, etc…
The touch probe is already in my card and have a couple flattening bits from my router sled and table making ventures that I’ll use. Although for that I have moved on to a 3.5 HP Triton router and a 2.5" carbide insert bit.
I have the small monitor in my cart, I am thinking I’ll take it out and look for a bigger one. And the Pro seems to be the most recommended so that will be the one. I’ll look into the F360 so I can be learning while I wait to see what sales 1F is offering and the machine gets here/ is set up.
Already figured I’d be spending more time on the computer, not looking forward to it, but understand the need. Slow will be an issue with me, but I’m hoping to be able to make simple router template type pieces I can use for my other wood work that will satisfy my need to “make it pay” side. 
More detailed items and 3D stuff will be farther down the road.
To the Enjoy, it’s wood work (sort of) so I know I’ll enjoy it. 
thank ou It is good to hear from someone you tried to help.I am an amature machinist I trained for it in high school but when i graduated i went to work for ingersoll rand and drilled hole B in part C about ten thousand times and that was it for me lol. I now have a 1947 southbend lathe and a grizzly mill and pretty much a full machine shop, all manual , so i can make a few parts that i need, and a really full woodshop as well. i am fortunate to have a very understanding wife. So welcome to the world of cnc itis new to me also.
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I Would Love to have those machines, and my wife would let me, the issue is Space… Wood shop is already full, and then some… Add in a welder, plasma cutter, Oxy/ Act torch, forge, anvil, etc., to do the occasional metal fabrication project along with storage for lumber, motorcycles, weed-eaters, all that stuff and walking space is Limited at best! But I have a space that Will be opened up for the 1F when the time comes! Did I mention the Woodmizer mill that should be delivered in the next 2 weeks??? I’m starting to see a trend here… but I am NOT a tool hoarder!
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