Hi There and very new to this. I’m looking at buying the new and need some advice on CNC Carving. So my projects are making tea light candle holders out of wood. The question is what is the greatest working area I can carve. My normal virgin wood is circa 7cm square and I want to use the CNC to carve and then fill with resin etc. example let’s say a leaf shape and carve down to a depth of around 4mm. I just need to understand the working limits to the area please. Many thanks, David
I don’t think size will be a problem if you’re dealing with 7cm squares. The smallest Snapmaker2 model, the A150, has a work area of 16cm x 16cm. The Snapmaker Original is a little bit smaller, if I recall correctly (15cm?). The A250 and A350 offer more space (but have occasional mechanical problems due to the need to keep two linear modules in sync along some axes). With CNC, you’ll lose some bed space to whatever clamps or jigs you use to hold your stock in place, but the area should be more than sufficient for your specified use.
That being said, if you only want a CNC machine, a dedicated one like a Shapeoko might be a better choice for you than the Snapmaker. The Snapmaker’s strength is that it’s a compact multifunction device—3D printer + laser + CNC—and like most devices that do multiple things, it isn’t quite as good at any one of them as a single-use device with the same price point.
Many thanks for your help I really do appreciate it Ellory thank you. David.