# Hand held CNC ? what do you think?



## a1Jim

Hi Friends
My son sent me a video of this new handheld CNC last night and I thought how could this possibly work? Today I found a YouTube demo, Pretty cool but too spendy for me. @ $2300
What do you folks think?















https://preorder.shapertools.com/


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## GR8HUNTER

i think this is Old news Jim :<))

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/176506

but thanks


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## a1Jim

Oh well new to me,looks like the price went up $1000


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## Gene01

Outta my range.


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## a1Jim

Yep spendy but I guess not as high as many CNCs


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## mojapitt

I have looked at it several times. On the want list. If it's as advertised, could be useful.


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## BillWhite

Watched the vid, and I think that those guys are speaking a new language. I'm sure that there is a place, but not in my shop. Heck! I still use saws and other antiquated, dinosaur, old school stuff. I also have a broom in the shop.
That being said, if I were to be in a production shop, cnc would be the go to stuff.
Tanks for posting Jim. Just make me feel that much older.
Bill


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## a1Jim

Not sure I could figure it out but a young guy like you could do it Monte 
I know Bill the world seems to spin a little fast for me these days too.


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## CaptainSkully

This product has been in development for a few years now. It's been a perennial big hit at Maker Faire in SF. The price has gone up from the initial Kickstarter offer to full retail. Keep in mind what a real 48"x96" CNC would cost. At least twice what this machine is going for. The tech is pretty amazing. One drawback is that you have to use a ton of expensive tape so that it can locate itself on your workpiece. A huge benefit is that once you're done with your project, you put the machine back on the shelf. You don't have a dedicated table taking up the area of a small bedroom in your shop. This could actually be a game-changer in the CNC world.


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## CharlesNeil

interesting , but out of my budget and way too technical for me .


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## papaBill

I love it. But the price is a killer for a small home shop guy like me.


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## a1Jim

It would be cool to see in person Capt.

Me too Charles.

Yep it it's a bit much for most of us Bill


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## MarioF

A solution to a problem that doesn´t exists….......


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## ralbuck

Some were afraid of the electric systems on the "modern" cars in the late 19-teens-'s too!

Will be interesting to see what develops in the coming 20's now!


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## SteveL

I've thought about CNC before but I just can't think of how I might use it other than for making jigs. When I carve ornamentation I want it to look hand carved. I suppose my semi-galoot philosophy of rough-shaping with machines and finishing with hand tools could be extended to this as well, but then there's the price tag


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## a1Jim

It's interesting to hear different thoughts about this tool, time will tell if it is a winner on the market or not.


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## Loren

I think they're going to have a hard time 
showing that the tool is making money for
people who buy it. Seems like a tech fanboy 
thing to me.

There's a video with a bay area furniture maker
who used it to make an elaborate router jig to 
carve a round depression in a slab. I realize
the guy had a wealthy client who was able to
pay for this whiz-bang solution to making a hole,
but I was underwhelmed at the apparent utility
considering a similar jig could have been made 
using a band saw and a router.


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## laterthanuthink

I want one bad. It's way cheaper than a full blown CNC and it doesn't have a size limitation. Well I guess it's limited to whatever you can get into your shop and on the workbench. It's "jigs" are all software. I'm sure the learning curve is steep, as is the price, but I hope I can manage both some time this year.


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## a1Jim

Loren Some folks will have it just to have it, not necessary to make money.

laterthanuthink
Welcome to Ljs
If you decide to get one it would be interesting to see a review on it after you own it for a while.


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## stefang

I think the younger folks would be a lot more comfortable with this than myself. it's a good idea that will probably get better as applications for it expand and the technology will probably improve too if it survives the marketplace long enough.


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## oldnovice

I do not see aa a tool I would want as it basically does the same job a jig saw or band saw but with a larger kerf.
I watched the demos and sure you can cover a very large area but the setup time is much longer than a real CNC!

One of the advantages of a 3 axis CNC is being able to do more than just 2D projects and you can get a decent table top CNC for nearly the same price!


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## JAAune

Looks nifty and I could see it being useful for intricate or repeat routing work on an architectural scale. It would also be a fun toy for somebody with limited workshop space. But it's no replacement for a conventional CNC. The setup time is too long. It also requires an operator to be hands-on which means you can't run multiple machines.


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## John Smith_inFL

This brings me back to the 3rd grade during coloring class.
just push your crayon around and stay within the lines.
I use that same concept today with a router. (for a lot less money).
draw your pattern on the wood and stay within the lines and you will be fine.

.

.


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## laterthanuthink

As soon as it's commonly available and the price comes down I'm getting one. Shouldn't be too much longer. I'm in no hurry.


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## oldnovice

Hey *John* I remember those days too … just stay in the lines the teacher would remind us!.

*laterthanuthink*, you realize this is a start up company and if they don't raise enough with pre-orders they won't be around for very long.

Good luck anyway!


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## diverlloyd

So is the cuss word different or just a longer string of said words when you accidentally drop/knock this off on to the floor.


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## Sark

For whom is this device a better mouse-trap? The only answer I can come up with is small parts manufacturing out of wood or aluminum. More specifically, a product that is semi-customizable that has millions of possible combinations of sizes and shapes. Put the customer's specs into the machine and make it to order.

A clever device, and I hope the designers/entrepreneurs find success with it. But I don't they will sell enough to stay in business. Unless they find a niche market where the device really makes a huge difference. I can't think of one.


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## dschlic1

Recently there was a project made with the Origin which would have been difficult otherwise.
If you are looking for something like a gantry CNC, this is not a unit for you. I purchased it because I wanted a CNC, but did not have room for even a 2' x 2' gantry style CNC. I have to say that I am working with the Origin on most of my current projects. An up coming project is a bedside valet made of walnut. I am going with variable size finger/box joints which will be a breeze to cut with the Origin.


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## smitdog

What would be really neat is if they can figure out how to motorize a plunge base for it to get a few inches of Z axis travel which would open up a lot of other uses.


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## AlaskaGuy

I have no need/want for something like that. If I had a use for it or if it could boost production of what one does that might be a different story.

Someone said $1,500 for it. If you look a Festool, Lamello's Biscuit joiner and acessories and their lipping planer etc, and the Hoffmann and the Mafell Dual Dowler and some other good tools the price is not all that bad if the quality is there. And remember a lot of new tolls with come down in price and in time. If the need,want and quality are there 1500 seems reasonable.


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## oldnovice

*dschlic1* the project link you posted, is probably the *best example* of Shaper Origin application ….......................... maybe the only type of project?


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