# CNC Router



## Arnie (Dec 3, 2011)

I am interested in buying a CNC Router. In South Africa (Cape Town) there is a manufacturer. I have a small Kitchen business an do my own wrap doors. I am using 2 Panel Saws , a Bevel machine an hand routers to do the job. The CNC Router prize more or less R250000 (south Africa) Should i invest that Capital?


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## moondawg (Dec 17, 2008)

Arnie said:


> I am interested in buying a CNC Router. In South Africa (Cape Town) there is a manufacturer. I have a small Kitchen business an do my own wrap doors. I am using 2 Panel Saws , a Bevel machine an hand routers to do the job. The CNC Router prize more or less R250000 (south Africa) Should i invest that Capital?



This is technically a business question, and not a woodworking question... so you probably won't get too many answers here. 

We would also need much more information to answer your question.

1. Are you a one-man operation? 

2. How much labor do you think this machine will save you?

3. What is your labor cost?

4. What will your utilization of the machine be? That is, will it be busy 100% of the time? 70%? 25%?

5. How much does the machine cost to operate, per hour? Be sure to figure in: power, blades, maintenance, down-time, etc.

6. Can you lease the machine? At what rate?

Once you have the answers to all these questions, you can probably figure out by yourself if you should buy the machine or not.


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Arnie said:


> I am interested in buying a CNC Router. In South Africa (Cape Town) there is a manufacturer. I have a small Kitchen business an do my own wrap doors. I am using 2 Panel Saws , a Bevel machine an hand routers to do the job. The CNC Router prize more or less R250000 (south Africa) Should i invest that Capital?


That is about $30,000 here. You can get a nice CNC mill for that price.

You don't need much for a cabinet only shop.

In my opinion, if you are doing only cabinet work, especially only kitchen or residential cabinet work, it will be impossible to justify that expense. Also, with three shapers (called spindle molders in some parts of the world) you can basically do all doors parts for each mold profile. You can also buy a multi head shaper and do this with one machine for around $4,500 over here.

If you are doing wrap doors, with a pattern routed on the top face, were it me I would build an inexpensive x/y axis table and hire Gatiep and his brother.

I can knock out an average kitchen in 8 days working alone in a shop not set up for cabinets and won't use a lot of what is in my shop. Your jigs and glue-up tables, bander, are more important for mass production than a CNC mill.

Die Kaap is pragtig, wat se houd gebruik jy?


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## Arnie (Dec 3, 2011)

Baie dankie vir die terugvoering. Nee ek woon nie in die Kaap nie maar wel in Limpopo dit is net meer as 2000 km reg Noord van die Kaap. Die dorp Louis Trichard is gelee sowat 120km vanaf die grens van Zimbabwe. Ja ons gebruik maar die kitshout Melamienbord vir Kombuise en Hangkaste. Website Woodstock Designer Kitchens. Ons is n medium grote onderneming en het sowat 20 werkers aan diens. Ons doen ook baie cutting, edging en wrapdoors over the counter sales. We also do shopfitting, drywalling and ceilings. Ja op die oomblik gebruik ons routers en n spindle as well as panel saws and an edging machine and Moses and his brothers for the wrap door section. Maar ons het ook 7 ander manne wat die pas moet aangee vir Moses en sy mense. groete


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Arnie said:


> Baie dankie vir die terugvoering. Nee ek woon nie in die Kaap nie maar wel in Limpopo dit is net meer as 2000 km reg Noord van die Kaap. Die dorp Louis Trichard is gelee sowat 120km vanaf die grens van Zimbabwe. Ja ons gebruik maar die kitshout Melamienbord vir Kombuise en Hangkaste. Website Woodstock Designer Kitchens. Ons is n medium grote onderneming en het sowat 20 werkers aan diens. Ons doen ook baie cutting, edging en wrapdoors over the counter sales. We also do shopfitting, drywalling and ceilings. Ja op die oomblik gebruik ons routers en n spindle as well as panel saws and an edging machine and Moses and his brothers for the wrap door section. Maar ons het ook 7 ander manne wat die pas moet aangee vir Moses en sy mense. groete


Vriend van my hier in Albermarly, North Carolina doen kombuis en huis kaste, maar doen rail en stile deure. Nie veel toerusting nie, maar die shop uitleg is smart. Hulle is vier, twee broers en twee werkers, doen omtrent 4 tot 5 huise per maand. Dit is nou Mapumalanga, waar jy bly? Groete.


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