High-tech tool (ie laser-cutter) gripe Answered

You know, there are some high-tech tools that I'd like to have, and it's starting to annoy me that they're so SIMILAR, but there doesn't seem to be any way to combine them and save some of the costs. Consider your Laser cutter, your CNC router (for plastic or wood), your PCB milling machine, and your CNC hotwire foam cutter. All feature a major portion of their cost in a precision X-Y tool movement (and sometimes Z.) But can I switch tools (and perhaps bases) and convert one to another ? No! Sigh. The differences in tool and base properties are pretty significant; is there any way something like this might be possible?

Comments

The forums are retiring in 2021 and are now closed for new topics and comments.

Polymorph

12 years ago

CNC Router, Laser cuttter, and PCB milling machine could be done on one machine with replaceable heads and maybe a changeable bed. A hot wire foam cutter has an entirely different layout, though.

caitlinsdad

Reply 12 years ago

Westfw forgot about the water jet. You have to call a plumber to fix that.

Goodhart

Reply 12 years ago

A jet that flies using water?

starwing123

Reply 12 years ago

water jet is a machine that cuts using high pressure water

Goodhart

Reply 12 years ago

I was j/k, sorry I forgot my j/k trademark ;-)

caitlinsdad

Reply 12 years ago

You get that awful knocking in the pipes when it hits Mach 1.

Goodhart

Reply 12 years ago

I just finished _reading a short story by Asimov about spaceships that used water propulsion once in space...interesting concept....although complete fantasy as far as I know.