Rockler CNC Shark Routing System, with New 5.5 Software

by CNC Shark

Product Description

Now includes 6.0 software, 1/2'' dia. V-groove router bit and two hold-down clamps! Bring the speed and precision of computer-controlled machinery to your shop with this top value CNC Shark system! With a table measuring 15-3/4" x 31-1/2" it's ideally suited for carvings and machining operations on a large variety of signs, doors and other small projects. It boasts impressive power, speed, accuracy, and ease of use. With its robust steel and high-density poly-ethylene construction, it can take accidental impacts that would normally damage or destroy an aluminum or MDF machine. The included Clamping Table features two hold-down slots for securing work anywhere along the length of the table. The unit comes with two hold-down clamps (additional hold-downs are available separately). It is fully compatible with the Bosch Colt Palm Router and includes a 1/2'' diameter V-groove router bit. The CNC Shark also includes the new version 6.0 of the VCarve Pro software interface a $500 value. You supply a PC computer with USB 2.0 port and a Bosch Colt router (router sold separately). Simply connect the USB cable to the controller box and the other end to your computer (not compatible with Mac computers). Made in the U.S.A.

Features:
Travel: X: 13" Y: 24" Z: 4.5".
High Speed traverse rate 120+ ipm.
Bearings: 12 precision linear bearing guides (4 on each axis) for maximum rigidity.
Resolution: Full step of 0.0005 inch; at 1/8 step 0.0000625 inch.
269 oz/in 1.8-degree steppers.
USB interface with on controller memory storage.
5 turn ACME precision modified threaded with acetyl backlash reducing nuts on all axes.
24V Supply to provide full power to the steppers.
VCarve Pro 6.0 software program included ($500 value).
Includes 1/2'' Dia. V-Groove Router Bit
Includes two Hold-down Clamps
Mounts for a Bosch Router included (Router sold separately)
Free downloadable control program included

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 84 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B0025XI1P6
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,693 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Rockler Shark CNC machine..., January 17, 2011

By 

Shane "Keep SciFi Alive" (MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rockler CNC Shark Routing System, with New 5.5 Software (Misc.)

The Rockler Shark made by Nextwave and sold by Rockler is the next great thing in home manufacturing. Given a pretty high sticker price it is very important for a machine like this to be capable of producing products not only in mass production but in high quality as well and this machine does not disappoint.

After ordering or picking up at a local Rockler outlet the customer will receive two large packages, one containing the gantry and the other containing the deck. The gantry box will contain the complete and assembled gantry packed within shrink wrap and a lot of packing peanuts. The deck box will contain the fully assembled deck wrapped in sheets of foam. Included in one of the boxes will be a small white box containing the control box. This control box is the heart of the machine and includes the emergency shut off switch, the power cable, the control to motor cables, and a USB 2.0 cable.

After removing the deck from the box and placing it on a level surface you will need to place the gantry over the deck and use the included bolts to fasten the gantry to the deck. After this is done plug the cables from the motors to the control box and plug the control box power supply into 110V outlet. After plugging the unit in you may hear a very slight electronic whine form the servo's, this is normal. Take the USB cable and plug it into your laptop or PC. Read the manual and follow the install instructions needed to install the control program from the website stated.

After the unit is ready you will need to install the VCarve program and 3DCut programs, this is done by installing the provided CD's. With all programs installed and the unit ready you will need to create a file within VCarve or 3DCut and save the toolpaths as a file to transfer to the control program. Much can be learned from Rockler Shark CNC forums and I advise you watch the included tutorials and youtube video links(see included links in the comments section).

This machine has been a great addition to my upstart business and has expanded my abilities. I in no way regret the purchase and have been successful enough in its use to have made enough money to pay it off in short time. The only problem I have with the unit is that it only comes with two material hold down clamps and Rockler's website does not provide much in the way of CNC bits. I have found many bits on EBay including 1/8 bits that require a new smaller collet that is not provided with the palm router which is sold separately from the machine.

>>>ONE YEAR UPDATE<<<

Alright, so I have had this machine(Shark Pro Plus) for a year now and I still love it as much as the day I got it, but there are a few issues that I have had with it that I would like to talk about now.

1) When I first got the machine I noticed that the machines deck was not 100% level with the Z-axis router plane. The lower left hand corner was about .15" higher than the rest of the table which in turn threw off any large pieces that had to be planed even or large carvings that needed to be level all the way across. In the beginning I didn't mind the small flaw but as my experience with the machine grew the error began to be a problem. My fix was quite easy and inexpensive given I chose not to send the machine back to Nextwave. I removed the blue hold down bars and mounted .75" counter-top wood to the cnc's frame and remounted the tracks with countersunk screws. Yes this reduces the overall 'Z' travel by .75" but I have never needed the full travel anyways, yet. This repair also fixed another issue with the machine, see below.

2) While using the machine's hold down clamps the track bars would flex if the clamp spaced two of the tracks, one would bend down and the other would be pulled up by the clamp. After doing the repair stated above the tracks were screwed down independently of each other to the wood below solving the flex issue.

3) Screw noise along the X axis bar and the Z axis screw had me worried early on given the price of the CNC I was a little worried about failure. The noise itself comes and goes but the best thing I have found for this issue is a little teflon spray that leaves no grease or oil behind. After cleaning the CNC spray a little lube along the slide bars and screws and the noise will go away. This procedure is now common for me when I do my scheduled cleaning.

4) Dust control. Nextwave does little in helping with dust control so most of the collection of dust will have to be creatively thought of by you. I have built a cabinet to encase the CNC and have fed collection tubes into it for collection. These tubes connect the router to a Delta dust collector. I will try to include some youtube links that I have found that have been a great help to me on this issue.

5) Noise control. As I mentioned above I built a cabinet to enclose the machine. I have mounted the control box above the unit but outside the enclosure to let it breath and fed the wires through the top making sure the machine operates without pulling or snagging the cables. As far as noise control I mounted 1" thick foam to the main door and the side window to deaden the machines noise. The door and the side window are made from .5" acrylic and the foam surrounds the windows. If you built your own cabinet I highly suggest sound proofing it, the router makes a lot of noise and some cuts can take hours to complete.

Any more things come up I will update as necessary. Any questions or comments please feel free to voice them and I will try to answer as quickly as possible.

ALL FEEDBACK IS APPRECIATED. THANKS AND GOOD MACHINING.