Life of the Shark

[hdtheater]

Has anyone found anything that states how many hours of use to expect out of a Shark and al it's bits and pieces? I have read some posts about the router, but not much for that Shark and it's controller.

-Eric

[Tttony]

I would expect it to be like any other tool in the shop, that would be determined by not only your usage but how well you take care of it, yes this machine has a lot of moving parts, but they are all replaceable, it also has alot to do with how you use the machine, if your work requires you to take deep cuts constantly, common sense would tell me the guide bearings would wear out faster then with repeated lighter cuts. Just my 2 cents. I hope this answers your question, but I haven't seen any estimated hours/usage warranty, most bearings last a "life time", what their definition of a lifetime is, is always different then the end users version of a lifetime.

Tony

[hdtheater]

I agree. Some machines will last longer than others when properly cared for and not driven beyond their maximum potential.

Aside from a a buggy controller box at time of purchase, I have not read anything about failures of the Shark other than the router itself, which is not Next Wave or Rockler's responsibility. I am asking mainly because I am working up a cost calculation for doing jobs for other people. So far, I have just been ball parking it.

Thanks,

-Eric

[Tttony]

Eric, I see what you are trying to do, that is indeed a tough question to answer, I have also thought long and hard over it. What to charge??? The best way I can think of is have a minimum set up charge, flat fee $$.$$ this is what it is going to take to turn the machine on, and then after that you could estimate it by how many minutes/hours it is going to take carve/route the project. I see a lot of places charge per letter, unfortunately it also only works for letters, you get some elaborate design and the only way I can think of billing the customer is by the minute/hour and possibly a setup charge. The way I came up with that billing structure is the same way most automotive repair facilities operate, example: I can tell you whats wrong with your car by hooking up my $9000. Snap On scanner, but its going to cost you $65.00 for me to do it, and then we can procede with repairing your car. I hope this helps, just some ideas that I have used in the past. Tony

[hdtheater]

I agree. I think that there should be a design/ crv file creation fee, setup fee, tool change, hourly rate, and then a finishing fee. All of which can be omitted or discounted based on quantity required. So far most of what I have sold were things that I first made for me and then others wanted one too. I just ball parked a flat rate per piece for those. However, when it comes to doing a large of quantity of the same thing the amount of time the Shark spends running becomes a big factor. How long should I let it run? Should I schedule in some cool down time for the machine? How much wear and tear do I put on the machine when doing large quantities? Etc...

[JerryBurks]

You may want to get a spindle if you keep the machine running most of the time. The Colt router is probably a quality tool but as a brush motor I suspect it will not survive continuous operation very long.
I have been eying these really cheap Chinese spindles on eBay (e.g. 1.5kW incl. VFD for $190 plus $150 shipping) but I have no idea if they may last longer than a Colt. Actually that was a water cooled one but air cooled is available as well.

I don't think the Shark steppers running a little back and forth will wear them (or the lead screws) out very soon.

[hdtheater]

What is a spindle and how would I hook one up instead of the Colt?

[JerryBurks]

Some discussion here about a bigger 2.2kW version. http://www.cnczone.com/forums/open_sour ... 2_2kw.html
Apparently a hit and miss quality-wise.

The spindle runs much quieter, is brushless and has better speed control with the separate electronics. Quality spindles live much longer but can be very expensive. I would probably go for a water cooled one in spite of the plumbing trouble because it is smaller and to avoid the dust getting sucked through the motor.

[Tim Owens]

THe sharks have been very reliable machines. The only reail wear or failure point is the Leadscrew nuts which should last about 3-5 years with moderate use and regulard spraying of silicon spary luburicant. They cost about $25 each. The gantrey is the one that is the first to go since it is a much smaller thread and has 3 starts.

The cost differnce of routers is usually time based. So the colts are anywhere from 100-150 hrs. The Larger routers are about 300hr and the spindles can be 1000-3000hr depending on the make but the cost for a well made one can be easy $1500+. The Chi ones have issues since they are sometimes so cheap you can really get what you pay for with them. But something that is turning at 24K what is poorly made sortof scares me.

THanks

TIm

[hdtheater]

Thanks Tim!