So I've got some new parts to try out to hopefully make this work better. We'll be building some more Accessory Bases soon for recent order and I'll give it a try on those--if all works out well then I can get these new parts to anyone who wants them.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Just finished editing a video with step-by-step instructions for completing some easy projects on the handibot. The video also features a new app "smooth sketch" and the handibot pen holder acccessory. The new app is included in the recent tool update.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Agh! Sorry guys! I let this one fall off my to-do list. Thanks for bumping it back to the top. I'm finishing up a tutorial video for first time handibot users now...will try to get to this in an hour or so before I forget again!!by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Oops! As I was leaving for the Make48 event that weekend in DC, all of our spare handibots had been sent off to shows around the country...so I decided to bring my own "secret black handibot" to work with (and test) in the shop we were setting up at the smithsonian. It's a good thing too...because all power was GFI and I was never able to get the desktop powered on. Someone at theby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Sorry about that! Try this link:by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Oops! not sure how that lead time got set so high--but I've fixed it in the store to be 1 week. I'm working on getting files uploaded for cutting your own accessory base though--will try to get them up this weekend if you'd like to make your own!by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
One more thing! I've put together a new bit kit for the handibot with a custom bit holder that can be clipped onto the back of your tool. This kit also includes a special 1/8" collet that works with the dewalt router and will allow you to hold really small bits for detailed engraving work. Take a look at it here in the store!by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Hopefully everyone who owns a new handibot received this email today...but just in case--I'm reposting it here: Good Morning Handibotters! I hope that you’re all having fun with your new tools and working on lots of cool projects—we’ve been hard at work back in Durham trying to build improvements to the tool to make your experience even better. Recently we’ve come up with a numberby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Hey! sorry for the late reply--it's been pretty quiet over here so I forget to check sometimes... You can get an update file that will restore your macros and apps here: Instructions for running the update file can be found in the documentation repo here: "Updating FabMo with and FMU file"by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot App Developers Forum
Boris et al. Was visiting the FabMo lab over at ShopBot and saw the first batch of handibot v1 FabMo boards being built. They look just about ready to me but I would not expect them to be ready to go until the end of the month. I asked about the price for the boards--because we are buying these in small runs the board along with all the components added for the wifi connectivity is going to ruby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Those PDFs are actually the instruction sheets that I make for the guys who cut the parts here--they're just there in case someone wants to know what type of material or cutter to use. To get the vector files, just download the .crv and open it in vCarve.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Morning everyone! Just wanted to let y'all know that I've added a new small accessory to the handibot store; the plotter pen holder. It allows you to hold a pen, marker, paintbrush...or whatever round-ish object you want in place of your router. You can use it to create hand-written invitations, colorful signs or to make t-shirts (I'm wearing one of my own homemade shirts today!)by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Ok, I tried both methods and I'm not quite happy with either. Tightening the screws doesn't have any noticeable effect of alignment. Shimming the X Rail Backing Plate does--but it just doesn't look right to me...I'm going to give it some more thought before documenting a procedure. But feel free to try shimming your handibot to make fine adjustments to alignment of Y and Xby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
You're correct--That macro first looks for the "Zero Plate Adder" value in the systems and only subs in the number in the macro if it is unable to find the value elsewhere (from your settings in the fireup app) The FabMo guys were happy to hear that you're enjoying their software! They definitely want to offer boards seperately--but first they're going to be focusing oby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
That cool jig and app (i think it was an app) was made by the famous Bill Young. I'll see if I can get him in here to give a little more detail on how he set that up.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Steve, Are you using your tool in "Access Point" mode or do you have it connected to a network. The job manager should organize jobs according to the time at which they were submitted (not so helpful if you're selecting a batch)--but in access point mode the tool doesn't "know" what time it is--so it can't sort things by submission date and it gets kinda rby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Beautiful work Steve! I'll definitely be sending this around to everyone at ShopBot--they'll love it! As for your squareness issues--I spent last night thinking about how to write a document about squaring the new tool. Of course, when we build them we don't have the Y motor in the way and squaring is pretty easy (done in the same way the old doc shows). Once the tool is assembby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Oh yea, the bit holder is an easy one--no soldering required and can be made with bits that came with the tool. The only reason that I didn't include that one with the base tool is that the magnets that go into it are kinda pricey and I didn't want to force people to pay for something that doesn't really increase the core functionality of the tool.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Working on getting the laser sight uploaded--take a look! Hopefully the BOM looks OK; I'm working on the one for handibot (I keep making little tweaks to the assembly process so the BOM is still in flux).by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
When you run the z-zero routine for the first time (from the fire-up app after you do the test cut) make sure that you've got a good connection! Touch the clip to the flip out plate and look for input #1 (on the position readout) to light up. Clip it to the bit and not the collet! I've found that the oxide coating on the collet is not a consistent conductor.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Hopefully I can get others to upload some of the electronics stuff as well--trying to get people excited about it in the main office right now. FabMo apps are still in github right now but will also be in the web-store (free). We're trying to do that in case people outside of shopbot want to make apps and try selling them.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Hey everyone, I've been searching for a good app that I can use to keep up to date models of the handibot online. I wanted it to be easy to use (sorry github) and free for everyone (sorry dropbox). So I found GrabCAD today. Take a look and let me know what you think: This repository has all the models, drawings, cut files and user docs that I've created so far. I'll try to getby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
KC, I'd also recommend making sure that you're updated to the latest version of the software: We identified a problem in the past where tools would go into a ramp (slowing down before changing direction) but not re-set their speed when coming out of the corner. I believe that the latest version of the software has patched this error. It was very rare to begin with (I use thby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
I do believe that Vectric offers an upgrade from the ShopBot version of vCarve pro...cheaper than buying the whole program again.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
I set the height of the Z zero plate during the testing that I do at the factory. Every tool is a little different due to the variables in all of the materials that stack up to create that height (1 layer of neoprene, 1 layer of acrylic, 1 layer of HDPE, 2 layers of aluminum). From time to time it may need adjusting though. I created a little doc here explaining how to adjust that setting:by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Hey Mark! Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad that you could appreciate the (imperfect) jig. It definitely could use some tweaking but was a good afternoon project one day when I was trying to think of ways to use the excess material left over after cutting out the test cut bases. The guys in the shop are chasing those threaded holes in the Z plate now to make sure that the different posiby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Richard, The ShopBot version of vCarve only supports shopbot post processors. I guess you could call it "crippled" but it is more of an agreement that we have with vectric that allows us to package their software (normally $700) with our tools at a discounted rate. Brianby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Good to know Mark! I haven't talked to the vectric guys in a few months and we missed them in San Mateo this year. I'll be looking forward to updating!by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Mark, Aside from copy/pasting to and from a .txt file, macros are only loaded through .fmu (fabmo update files). That is something that will be improved upon down the road. So rather than opening the local routines on your PC like you would have with SB3, you'll need to keep local copies of the macros that you copy into fabmo when you're wanting to test something new. Brianby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Tom, The FabMo dashboard is a web browser based program. You'll log into your tool and pull up its IP address in your web browser. Sending a cut file to the tool works about the same as attaching a file to an email. You click a button and locate the file on your computer. When on your phone you can also pull from something like dropbox if you keep your cut files "in the cloud"by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum