Well--it may be a thing eventually anyway. There are a couple of more specific purpose machines that we've been developing for our production needs here. They all need control systems--but don't always have a convenient spot for them to be built into the tool. So--in addition to giving the guys a test station, the box might be good for those other tools. The problem that I see withby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Here's a cool video of the boot-up sequence!by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
This weekend I was trying to set up a test station where we could do quality testing on motors before putting them into a tool (replacing a motor on a finished tool is a real bummer...). And I thought--why not make the station a mini control box--complete with four motor outputs, and a receptacle that you could plug a router (or any 110V device) into for control with the relay. Thought I'by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
I also decided to add in a little cutout on the bottom of the base that will fit that blue pointer than came with the handibot--I wasn't sure if anyone would want to bother using the old large material jig with the new handibot base--but just in case! Thanks to some feedback from Mark I also added a few mounting holes around the base for bolting the frame down on material that is largerby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Three sales already! Time to get to work packing things up!by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Yes--the power supply on the handibot will automatically switch to 220V mode when you plug it into a 220 outlet. You'll just need to remove the two pin connector from the dewalt and put it on to the router you buy in Europe. Also--I must have totally forgotten about this thread--because I bought a hitachi router with a 1/2" collet to experiment with some lock-dowel joinery a while baby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
ta-da:by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
The 18x24 Desktop (released prior to max) has been updated to use the Max's chassis--rather than a single motor in the middle to drive the Y axis--it uses the dual motor setup that the max has. The change has also involved redesigning enclosures and other little bits and pieces. So--lots of efforts over there to get things rolling out the door on that. I can do a lot on my own here (desiby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
No news is only sorta bad news...I think that everyone at ShopBot has been so busy with the release of the new version of the desktop tool that my work on this has flown under the radar a bit (everyone should stay glued to the forum!!) -- so there's a little bit of hurry up and wait going on as my push to release bumps its way through the powers that be. I'm ready though--and looking foby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Bill--I'm actually not sure that there is an upper limit--however there may be a significant lag while the tool converts the ShopBot Code to G-Code...which isn't noticeable with smaller files because it happens so quickly. However--there's a sort of work around that you might try...If you download the old-school control software from www.shopbottools.com There is a "File Coby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
To add respond to the post above--you can also change the offset of your Z Zero plate--in the "preferences" tab of the Fire-Up app. the setting there now should be something close to 0.75" which we set when we tested your tool in the factory. That setting simply means that there is 0.75" of space between the top of your Z Zero plate and the bottom of the handibot (the usual loby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Hey there! I think I know what's going on! The handibot cut area is 6" x 8" (6 in the x and 8 in the y). If your cut file is on an 8 x 8 sheet, then it is going to try to travel too far in the x by exactly 2 inches. If possible--I'd reduce the size of the cut to 6x8--or "tile" the cut in two sections. However, tiling is what I'd call an advanced techniqueby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Macro 3 will restore a previous z zero measurement and home the x and y axes. To measure a new bit--you'll need to use macro 2 which adds in the z zero plate routine.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Oh and by the way--the joke about Shaper was truly in jest--I'm as excited as everyone else about what they're working on (well--maybe a little less because I've got access to a bunch of other tools in the shop)--but they're definitely aiming at breaking open a whole new market and becoming a player on another level of magnitude compared to the Handibots, Othermills(now Bantamby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
John, Standalone tool will be $3995--we recently raised the price on handibot Adventure edition from 2895 to 3195...but I really want the extended Y tool to stay below $4k. A lot of the behind the scenes work has been going into finding a way to make the part production process less arduous and distracting for the small staff we have building the tools. It's a lot like runningby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Those lousy engineers! Don't worry, I've cut off their snack supply--no more ginger-snaps until they finish the HB Extended Y! Of course--I'm sure they feel even worse about the delays to release than you do...no one likes working on something so that people can sigh and say "finally" when its released. Fanfare is much more fun! Though I think I've discovered thatby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
OK, here ya go: Again--there's like every version of the tool in this one model...so it'll be a little bit of an archaeological expedition. But that might actually be good because the version you have is a few iterations behind the final model that we're building up right now--so you may find the parts that match your version in this mess! I'll work on a cleaned up modeby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
It exists on my laptop! Hold on though--I'll get a step model uploaded. It's gonna be messy because there are about 10 versions of the tool in the same model--and i've got a bad habit of just making parts invisible when I eliminate them from a design. But I'll get it uploaded and try to get a cleaner version up soon before release.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Yes, the envelope of the tool is hard coded into the homing macros. However, the macro is supposed to change the tool to inches mode for the duration of the routine--then change the tool back to the chosen measurement system afterwards. The command SU,0 at the start of the file changes the tool to inches. Any unit changes made during a file will revert to the configuration settings after the fileby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
The "Example App" has some good examples of code to create an interface. You can "inspect" it in the browser to see how it was written.by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
I'm checking with the guys who ported the shopbot language to fabmo to see how they handled that. As you get more advanced in what you want to do--you may want to try writing an app for your routines. An app will allow much more flexibility and a visual interface. You could have check boxes for the different configurations and offsets, fields to enter part size and messages that display mby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Yes, the envelope of the tool is hard coded into the homing macros. However, the macro is supposed to change the tool to inches mode for the duration of the routine--then change the tool back to the chosen measurement system afterwards. The command SU,0 at the start of the file changes the tool to inches. Any unit changes made during a file will revert to the configuration settings after the fileby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Not yet available. I'd give more updates--but I don't wanna tease people if the date is not concrete. I've made strides this month in getting it ready to go out the door--thanks to a lighter production schedule after a slow sales month in July. Production is ramping up again but I feel confident that I can make a push to get it out by mid-September. I don't have any plansby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
The upgrade will be available at the same time as the full tool. The upgrade will be the extended base--plus some parts that are needed to make the change. Some customers will need to switch out their old "Accu-tech" bearings to the new THK bearings. The bad news is that this will add an extra step to the change over process--but the good news is that these bearings are easier to slideby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Agh! The simple mode! If anyone here is a shopbot user as well as a handibot user...switch out of simple mode asap! I haven't used simple mode since the first day that I worked at ShopBot and I always forget that it is the default--so when I start giving tech support to someone using SB3 I'm always telling them to hit buttons that aren't there on their version and it takes me 5 minby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
There are a couple things that should change automatically when you make the switch from imperial to metric--the unit values (how many steps the motors take to move one unit of distance) should change from 4000 steps per inch to 157.48 steps per millimeter. The speed values should also be adjusted. 2 inches per second is a decent pace--but 2 mm per second is barely crawling. I've been worby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
You know--strangely enough--the way that I look up what each field means when I'm writing a macro is to open the old shopbot control software (available for free on the shopbottools.com). When you type in a command on the main screen (like VA) an fill-in sheet automatically pops up with the fields labelled. If you fill in the fields to do what you want and then hit Enter--it will send that cby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Take a look at this doc: Those danged plates! We should make them outta spring steel! (actually not joking...will look into this)by Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
Johnny, If you only want to use the handibot in its elongated form--I'd wait. Buying the tool as a whole will be a couple hundred $ cheaper than buying the upgrade later. However, if you want to use the handibot as a compact 6x8 tool with option to switch to the longer body--all handibots sold since March '16 will be upgradable. Older handibots shouldn't be too hard--but theyby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum
How about this Eric? You remove the two screws that hold the spindle lock button in place and bolt on this aluminum bracket with slightly longer screws. There are vents in the aluminum bracket to redirect the air that blows out the bottom of the router. The dust foot twist locks onto a few screws that are sticking out of the bottom of the bracket. Problems so far...brushes are too lby Brian Owen, ShopBot - Handibot Forum