Unpacking, Setup and Install of the OneFinity CNC, #0013

Machines (Original/PRO)
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After years of searching for the right machine, and one very early day of waking up at 6am to jump on the preorder as-soon-as-it-opened, the OneFinity machine is finally here. I took some pretty detailed photos of the opening, unboxing, and setup process… including a few video snippets. This thread will be a little photo-heavy, but all thumbnails are hosted offsite in full-res, feel free to click through.

This is my first CNC machine of any kind, even though I’ve almost bought at least three different machines over the past few years. I’m so glad that I waited - even just opening the box, i know that the wait was worth it.

To start off… this thing is heavy. Seriously! It’s heavy, but in a solid-as-a-tank way. It comes shipped in three boxes, each one just under 50lbs. (48.6 lbs, 44.4 lbs, & 43.2 lbs). Since I was lucky enough to get on the list early, with one of the first preorders (#0013), my machine was was one of the first production machines sent out. My package(s) was picked up Thursday, 27 Aug 20 3:07 PM from Ontario, Canada by DHL, and arrived on my doorstep (SF Bay Area, CA) only a few days later Monday, 31 Aug 20 1:48 PM. Considering it was 150lbs of equipment, and had to go through customs, that was faster shipping than I’ve been getting from Amazon lately.

… and then I let it sit for a whole 24 hours before opening it.

It was at this point that I realized that I just didn’t have anywhere (right now) to put this huge monster, and I was going to have to get creative in how to install it. For now, I’ve screwed a piece of 3/4" MDF to the benchtop, and will install on here.

Video of the first box being opened.

I had to turn the boxes over a few times to figure out which way was best, but logically - with the OneFinity logo on top facing you is the right way. The packaging is outstanding on these machines, every piece is form-fit with foam, and can’t go anywhere… and when you consider that the rails are close to 40 lbs… they’ll come right out the side of the box if you’re not careful.

One of my favorite parts about OneFinity so far is how AWESOME they are as a company. From communication to shipping to the quality of the machine, everything is top notch! I received a phone call from Jenn (who is the sweetest, and the main point of contact) from OneFinity about a week or so before the machine shipped, letting me know that it was going to ship a week or so early, and we talked for almost a half hour about the machnine, the process, all the things they were doing for their customers. The sign above, which was carved on my machine when they quality checked it, was not only included in one of the boxes, but sent to me with an awesome note. That’s the kind of service that usually only comes from big established companies where you’re paying thousands of dollars for any machine… and for what we’ve paid… we’re getting SO much more than we paid for.

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The packaging on this is so amazing. Yes, there are a lot of photos, but they are needed to express
how much care went into getting this machine to us in flawless condition.


The controller, nestled in it’s own foam protection


The level of detail, even on the slight cutouts for the lip of the controller can not be missed.


Perfectly cut foam, with a cutout for the kill switch. (reminder, it’s locked in the off position! RTFM)


I see some wires peaking out here!


Touch screen, wires and mouting hardware in their own foam sandwich


The rails themselves get extra love in the foam, these things aren’t going anywhere.


The first Y rail, ready for it’s twin brother.


some detail on the 2nd and third boxes… which didn’t survive without a little bit of wear.

Video of the second box opening.


The second Y rail, and the Z rail? carriage?


The Z rail, tipping the scales at 44.4lbs, with the “stiffy”. It’s a beast!

(where did that little scrap of wood come from?)

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If you’re following the instructions at this point in the install, your machine should look
something like below. The two Y rails (not bolted down) and the X sitting pretty on top.

Yes, you’ll need almost 48" x 48" of space to install this thing, since MDF comes in 49" wide, I
just cut a sheet in half and went for it (mounting it 48" across, and 49" deep). If you’re looking for a much tighter fit, 45" x 46"
should leave you with < 1/2" on all sides. If you want (or don’t mind) to let the stepper motors
“hang” over the edge, you could build it on a platform as small as 44.25" x 42.75". For me, this is
temporary, with the new platform to be built coming sometime later.


~44" across


~44.5" to the back


with the stepper motors agains the wall (I later moved them about an inch from the wall)


This is everything out of the box, minus the accessories (SuckIt dust boot & Touch Probe)


I’m not sure why steppers are so cool, but they are. These are 2x the size of the ones off of my
Ender 5 3D printer. I’m sure someone out there is wondering what kind of steppers are going to come
installed on the machine, these two phots are just for you. :slight_smile:


Ball Screws. Which is why most of us are here, right?

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Now for the easy part… mounting and getting it ready. It ended up being so easy that I didn’t
take that many photos.


That overhang might be a problem long term, but it’s OK for now.


All nicely labeled. Note: I didn’t use the Y rail screws that came with the machine because
I was mouting on MDF, but ended up using 1.25" Spax contruction-grade screws instead. They did
the job.


Spax vs TapCon. TapCon are defintly beefier, but are not self drilling, especially into MDF.

My only concern on the machine that was shipped is the arm for the screen. It was obviously 3D
printed, and is sturdy enough for now - but I’m sure can be made better. Maybe I’ll redesign one and
mill it out of aluminum?


Close up of the arm parts.

So far, two bolts in the Y rails, 4 on each end connecting the X rails to the Y, and everything
wired up. Wiring it up only took about 2 minutes. Then, WE HAVE POWER!

Video of aligning the Y rails with gantry

IT’S SOOO FAST! Slid it to the other end to lock down the rear of the Y rails.


Mounted the Z rail / slider thingy. Squared it to the bed with the biggest framing square ever made. (why do i have this thing??)

Then… because I’m totally OCD… I cleaned up the wiring, using some
Soft split-sleeving from Amazon.

And mounted the controller box and dedicated power strip underneath.

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Accessories make the machine better, and I love OneFinity’s stance on working with other companies -
there’s no need to reinvent the wheel if someone already does it great!


OneFinity Touch Probe by Triquetra CNC. I like how it comes
vacuum sealed.

And now for a moment of brutal honesty. Up until the day that Jenn called me to tell me that my machine was shipping, I had NO IDEA that they were also the inventor of the [url=https://www.suckitdustboot.com/SuckIt dust boot[/url]!

I had been following them for years, internally knowing that when I got any hobby CNC, it would have to have a SuckIt dust boot. Then to find out that they are one in the same, and it all makes sense!


This is going on the machine tonight.

@RowdyRoman on the forums here is the inventor / maker of the Dust Boom & the Touch Probe mount. Since I already had my machine, on Monday evening I purchased the STL from him to print the holder, printed it on my Ender 5, and it came out great.

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Thanks for the details Josh - I can’t wait for mine, though I have a few more months…

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Great write-up and thanks for your time doing it for us!

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I really appreciate all the details.

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@mkngjoy Really decent of you to take the time to do this Josh. Thanks!

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Only issue so far (confirmed by agduzit) is the arm for the touch screen, and the bolts therein. The arm is a 3d printed part (for now, supposedly they are getting them injection molded for future shipments), and the quality is… not super great. That said, it works and does it’s job, and I’m super happy that they sent out a 3D printed part instead of holding up shipping the machines.

The downside is the hardware - the arm has two 3d-printed twist knobs to allow it to be adjustable. If you crank those knobs down with any force, they the bolt will strip the nut that is inset into the bottom of the mating part. Not a huge deal since the bolt is long enough to allow for a washer and nylock nut to be added to the end, but still a bummer. I’ve let OneFinity know about it, and they’re going to look for better hardware.

Link to video of the stripped nut

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Man, that sucks. Agreed on the quality - the surface finish is quite low quality. Looks like the filament needs to be dried. On the upside, I guess you can make an aluminum one as a replacement.

Interesting question, with @OnefinityCNC make CAD diagrams of some of the parts available so we can make our own (though the arm seems pretty easy to reproduce).

-Tom

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I’ve already reproduced and 3D modeled the mounting plate, which is the most exacting part of the arm assembly - where the arm connects with to the machine. I’ve 3d printed it multiple times and confirmed that it fits perfect - it could be easily machined and may just have to be my first foray into aluminum machining.

I’m also working on a RAM-style mounting plate for the monitor, which may provide a more stable interface for the touchscreen over the current arm.

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Is your website down? When I click the photos here it takes me to another page that won’t load.

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@Techrise - thanks for letting me know, there was a DNS issue that you let me know of, and everything was back up and running within a few hours of you letting me know. I never got to thank you!

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