Is Bigger Better?

Community Discussion 📄 General
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Hi everyone, Kevin here - new to the group - little intro and a ? or 2 or 3

I have a Millright carve king I bought in 2017. It does 17x17 cut area and is extremely accurate .005 for what it is . I purchased it to learn on, got it going, did some tests and there it sat for 6 years up until a couple weeks ago. I am a signmaker (do dimensional signs also with sign foam using the sandblasting method), glass, stone and monument engraver and planned on converting my sandblasted dimensional signs (raised letters) over to the cnc process. These are signs for a golf course I do and the smaller ones are 10 x24 and the larger holes signs are 18 x 24. I was considering getting the 30x30 and upgrading later if needed BUT after building my millright, I really don’t want to put another together. Considered the onefinity for this reason But the dollars won out and decided on the longmill. Am considering getting the larger simply for the build factor as I don’t want to do it twice. As I stated the primary purpose would be for my golf signs as well as custom made plaques that I offer which can be larger than your standard plaques. Am NOT interested in 3d carving for the most part or making the normal things people do when they get a cnc. I am proficient in vectoring (signmaking for 17 years) and have figured out vcarve already so I just need to get comfy with bits and speeds and when/where to use them. My question is…How many regret getting the smaller machine as opposed to getting the larger one from the getgo? Its approx $420 us more and $520 more if you get the 30x30 and extension kit. How many 30x30 users upgrade to bigger machine already? How many have bought the larger but have not had a need for it yet? Hard for me to decide which way to go - don’t have the need now for larger than 30x30 but being a signmaker I might…someday. And someday may never come! What would you guys do and why?

thanks

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Welcome to the group Kevin!

I only have the 30x30 MK1 so maybe mine is not the perspective your looking for but I’ll say this. I’ve had my machine for almost 2 years, without any real problems, and I’ve only done one project that wouldn’t fit on my mill. I put our street number and name on the front steps. That was an 8’ board and fortunately the address fit in the cut area. Unlike some other manufactures the cut area is bigger than the name, it’s closer to 31x33 and you can always tile in Vectric.

Edit: When I said it wouldn’t fit on my mill i meant in the cut area.

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I want to share something else that might be useful for a sign maker. Most of the spoil board setups that I see, if they use T-tracks, they run front to back. I ran mine side to side which I think makes it easier to clamp a really wide sign doing pass through and tiling because of how far the tracks extend. They are centered and 36" long for reference.

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thanks for your perspective Michael - its exactly what I was wondering especially in my rural area where country folks are not willing to spend big bucks for large carved signs when a simple chalkboard or some paint on a piece of plywood would do…lol. Business signs here are generally under 4’x4’. But ya never know when a bigger one might come along…I keep telling myself.

thanks for your input.

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thanks for the tip. ordered the 30x30 but think I’m gonna order the extion kit also…you know, just in case…lol

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