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Yesterday I went & picked up a new toy for my small shop. A Gerber Dimension 200 CNC router. It is small and old but has a light of fight in it yet I'm told. It has almost 36" x 36" cutting area. I don't plan on running with the big dogs yet, but I will still have fun, and hopefully make money using it.
Does anyone have one of these still? I have to set it up & learn how to use it..perhaps without an instruction manual.
(I did a couple of searches on here & they came up blank twice.)
-------------------- Phil Steffen, 29 Van Rensselaer St City of Saratoga Springs DPW Saratoga Springs NY 12866 Posts: 563 | From: beautiful Saratoga Springs NY | Registered: Aug 2001
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Good for you Philip. I'd highly recommend finding a manual! I know you are a man and everything, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to ask for directions!
Suelynn
-------------------- "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, SK Canada Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Follow the link to the Dimension 200x Router pdf based manual. If you are using ArtPath to push the router, that manual is here. Great little machine that is still used in many shops, daily. One I am aware of not to far from our location pushes out a lot of ADA type work.
Was recently up in your area to attend a meeting at the request of a client. Beautiful! Walked around and lodged in Saratoga Springs the evening prior then drove north in the morning just east (south-east) of your location.
-------------------- Bob Gilliland InKnowVative Communications Harrisburg PA, USA
"The U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself." Benjamin Franklin Posts: 642 | From: Harrisburg, PA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Thanks Bob for the two links. You really saved me some time!
...and I think it should be peA shooter, not pEE shooter. Ooops. I don't think there is a little Graemlin for that one.
-------------------- Phil Steffen, 29 Van Rensselaer St City of Saratoga Springs DPW Saratoga Springs NY 12866 Posts: 563 | From: beautiful Saratoga Springs NY | Registered: Aug 2001
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As much as I like my fancy dancy MultiCam, I suspect you could turn out the exact same work on this machine. It might take a little longer, and you might have to work around some things I get to blast through, but the results should be the same.
It's not about the machine, but rather the person inputting information into it. I look forward to seeing some amazing things.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8739 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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When I was in school (5 years ago) I worked in a shop that had that same router. They bought it used and ran it just about all day every day for a few years without any problem that needed a service call. As far as i know it is still in use for address signs and things like that.
-------------------- Jake Lyman Lyman Signs 45 State Road Phillipston, MA 01331 Posts: 635 | From: Phillipston, MA | Registered: Sep 2002
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I think it's one with the "accordeons" on each sides... if so I worked on one of those.
I have to agree with Dan, a machine is a machine, it's just a tool like a brush. I've seen ugly s**t come out of brand new machines, yet some of the finest signwork that made me go "AAAHHHHH" was done using an old, old brush.
And for the "pee" shooter comment, you'll soon have snow on the ground to practice your calligrapee...
You can work this equipment much easier by getting one of the later software packages. They are user friendly, and will keep you from making mistakes.
A couple of these are ArtCam, & Enroute. RAMS is much cheaper, not 3D but does great V carving.
J.
-------------------- Joe Crumley Norman Sign Company 2200 Research Park Blvd. Norman, OK 73069 Posts: 1428 | From: 2200 Research Park Blvd. | Registered: Sep 2001
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Phil; You may have a pea shooter but I have a Mechano Set, A ShopBot. It arrives in a deceptively small (2' X 3' X 8.5') and heavy (1200 Lbs) box with "some assembly required". I've been running it for 4 years now with no problems other than minor lube and maintenance. It's not the prettiest, fastest, or most accurate machine around but for sign, hobby, and cabinetry work it is more than "good enough" and the price is still hard to beat.
Sorry to be contrary but I use RAMS to run my ShopBot and if the model airplane plug I just carved isn't 3D I'd really like to know what is.
Unlike Enroute and ArtCam, RAMS does not have a design function. All of the design work is done on another program and imported into RAMS to generate the instructions for the router (G-Code, PRT file, whatever). I use CorelDraw for a lot of my V carving and 2D cutting design work and Rhinoceros for 3D designs. And yes it does Great V carving.
[ October 16, 2005, 07:03 PM: Message edited by: Guy H. J. Hilliard ]
-------------------- Guy Hilliard Sawdust and Noise CNC Routing / Laser Cutting and Engraving Brampton, Ont. Canada Posts: 164 | From: Brampton. Ont. Canada | Registered: Dec 2001
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-------------------- Joe Crumley Norman Sign Company 2200 Research Park Blvd. Norman, OK 73069 Posts: 1428 | From: 2200 Research Park Blvd. | Registered: Sep 2001
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As the old saying goes, "Its not the size but how you use it!"
I looked around for ages for a Dimension 200 as I thought that would do me fine, then found a used Sabre 404, but got offered a great deal on a Multicam, and then an even better deal on an AXYZ
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Philip, I have the D 200, it's a great machine with some quality engineering in there . I have used sabre 408's and the even bigger Tekcel router from OZ but now working out of my garage , find the 200 does all that the others do. They are all 3 axis routers. Cutting is 35 1/2" wide by 31 1/2" long, but you can do pull throughs to any length. I have done 20 foot signs a few times on mine. If you can try and find someone locally and get some basic training. you will need it! the main thing in routing is that the machines do what you tell them to do 99% of scew ups are pilot error, its a big learning curve but as Dan has shown if you apply yourself to it you will get the results you want. e mail or call if you need any help any time Cheers Terry email terry@vintagesign.wanadoo.co.uk
[ October 17, 2005, 02:56 AM: Message edited by: Terry Colley ]
-------------------- Terry Colley The VintageSign Co 42 barrack hill Romiley Stockport Cheshire, England sk6 3az tel 0161 494 5089 terry@bullandbrush.fsnet.co.uk Posts: 210 | From: England | Registered: Dec 1999
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