First-time user, looking to purchase a OneFinity Elite Woodworker CNC. As I live in Mississauga and I hear you are located in Toronto, I was wondering if there was a store or display centre locally where I can come and see the system in action to help me figure out which accessories and parts I will need to order?
First welcome to the group
Second, I’m pretty sure there’s no store fronts. Youtube is your best bet for “seeing it in action” unless you find someone local. Places hlike woodcraft have cncs on display, and they MAY jog it around for you, but it’s not like buying a car with try before you buy unless it’s some sort of expo.
I wrote a Glossary here with the help of a few members for newbies such as yourself.
You’ll need (not having this, the cnc is just something cool to look at)
a router or spindle. Makita rt0701c is a popular option for router, and if you don’t know how to wire a spindle up from Amazon, pwncnc is plug n play. A spindle is likeky overkill for someone starting out.
Clamping mechanism. Too many to list but you’ll have time to plan / research options.
Bits. I suggest drillman1 on ebay. Fair quality and cheap per bit when buying multiple at the same time.
You’ll really want (can work without it, but it’ll make life hard without)
dust collection. a shop vac or dust collector. Difference is a dust collector is high velocity low pressure, shop vac is low velocity high pressure. You’ll need a boot as well. Nighthawk on etsy and pwncnc. I haven’t heard if suckit works with elite, but i imagine it would since it’s all the same company.
a table of sorts to put it on. QCW is an option, so is making your own either with a kreg frame or all from scratch. That being said you’ll want some mdf for your wasteboard as well.
Things you’ll want (things that make life easy)
Touch probe
Tool setter (plug n play not available YET)
This list isn’t all inclusive, but it’s enough to get your feet wet
2 Likes
Adding onto what you said:
-
Get the 80mm mount. But, if you are just starting out, buy or print a 65mm to 80mm shim and get the makita router. It may not last long (12-18 months) but it will allow you to save a couple bucks in the beginning. If/ when you upgrade, it will be a massive improvement. Water or air cooling are both good. Air is much easier to deal with, water is quieter and won’t blow dust around as much.
-
Dust collection is a must, though a shopvac will work. It won’t be perfect, but it’s great for a beginner. Buy a dust stopper and 5 gal. bucket from HD and separate out the dust. If you can, get a HEPA filter on your shopvac, that will help your lungs out. The design of the machine means that a lack of dust collection will lead to more frequent and intense maintenance.
-
When buying a dust boot, there are 2 main designs. Independent of the spindle and reliant on the spindle. Independent boots remain at a consistent height regardless of the spindle height or orientation. Various users have noticed that these boots have the chance of breaking due to user error. Because the boot is always at the same height, it may hit the stock when using thick material. Reliant boots are attached to the router/spindle and will rise and lower with the router/spindle.
-
The QCW is a great addition, and I think is worth every penny. Use the money you saved on a spindle and buy the QCW. The secure from below version is the better option IMO. Though if you’re confident, buy the secure from above.
-
Make sure you have sufficient power and room in your panel for the machine, router/spindle, and vac/DC. If you’re running new circuitry, you may be better off with a 220V spindle if/when you upgrade.
-
You may be able to find someone in the community willing to show you, but your best bet is to research on YouTube and watch as many different creators give their opinion on things. Make sure you also watch and research people using other machines. You may have already or you may not have. I believe this machine is the best in it’s class, though others will have differing opinions.
2 Likes
To be clear i said what i said because it will work without a table, and without dust collection… albeit not comfortably or cleanly, but it will work.
It can work secured to a sheet of plywood, put on a frame made of dimensional lumber or even tapcon into concrete, and as long as you cleanup afterwards it’ll work. I haven’t seen a single onefinity promotional video where they used dust collection while cutting.
It’s the difference between can, should, and must.
Can is an option, should is a strong recommendation, must is literally a requirement, which resembles the verbiage i used.
I learned the difference based on my time in the army because when i thought i couldn’t live without _____________, they showed me i can. Because unless that something is food & water, you can live without food for like a week or more & water only a few days. You’d be surprised how much of maslows heirarchy of needs are actually needed.
Yeah, thanks for the feedback, everyone. I took the suggestions as the items I can get, should get, and must get - so all good. From a budget perspective, I think I will need to build my own table and unfortunately stick with the 65mm / Makita Router option due to USD / CAD exchange rate…
Regards, Norval
1 Like
The advice to get an 80mm bracket and shim it down was sound… that is if you want to spend like $20 now to maybe save like $100 down the road. Then again you might not want an 80mm ever. Just something to consider.
If you’re not comfortable with wiring and configuring a spindle I’d suggest starting with the 65mm mount and Makita router. There are many threads on these forums with people getting overwhelmed with selecting a spindle, gathering parts, electrical circuit requirements etc, with the Makita you can get to work straight away.
1 Like