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As you probably know, I decided on a ShopBot PRTalpha96 for my first CNC Router. This machine has performed well for me and paid for itself several times over. It was a good investment to go with ShopBot and their PRTalpha96 tool. You might recall I purchased this tool with a Porter Cable router and …

Continue reading >>> How I Chose My Second CNC Router

My machine is a PRT Alpha96 and it seems that I never have the Z axis at the right height to change the bit when I want to.  Well, here is how I fixed that problem and solved a few others as well.

As …

Continue reading >>> Taking your Z to New Heights

For quite a while now I have been using the outputs from my PRT Alpha control box to control equipment in my shop.  By equipment, I mean my cyclone dust collector, vacuum motors etc. I find that by editing my post processor in PartWorks to automatically add the proper …

Continue reading >>> The ShopBot Relay Board

[Download pdf version of this article for printing]

In prior articles I wrote about my vacuum table and how I used the Fein Turbo III vacs to hold my parts. The Feins are quiet and ready to connect and …

Continue reading >>> Ed’s Ugly One Hour Vacuum Source

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Since I am not a good painter, I look at this step of making a sign the biggest challenge. I have tried rollers, brushes and rags all with mixed results. I am going to explain this month how I can finish a sign quickly and get what I …

Continue reading >>> Easy Signs in Five Steps

I bet you are thinking… Why doesn’t Ed just lay the Z zero plate on the bed before he puts the material to be cut on it? It’s quite simple you know!

When I change cutters in the middle of a job, I want to re-zero to the …

Continue reading >>> How I Zero the Z to the Bed

My First Camp ShopBot

Since my last article in July I hosted my first Camp ShopBot on September 8th. I had been to a couple of camps and one Jamboree before so I had an idea of what to expect, but no idea about all that goes on behind the scenes. Well, …

Continue reading >>> My first Camp ShopBot/Ed’s Vac Stack

You saw the round parts and jigs I was making in the last article.  All of them were made without the help of a CAD/CAM package.  I only used the keyboard and the ShopBot control software.  I am running 3.5.3 which is the current release as of today, and I find …

Continue reading >>> Making parts and fixtures without any CAD software

I have had my PRTalpha96 for a little more than year now and am still learning how to do things and improving techniques I have been using for a while now. I would like to share with you how and why I have moved from a full table, four-zone vacuum system to …

Continue reading >>> Vacuum is vacuum, but how you use it makes the difference

Last month I said I was going to experiment more with V-bits and tell you what I have learned. Well, that project is still in the works and I hope to have information by next month.
The big excitement in the shop for February was upgrading my Porter Cable router to a …

Continue reading >>> HSD Spindle Upgrade!