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Please don’t hesitate to ask your questions. If you are building a Raw Creative 2.5, planning your build or wondering about parts, setup or assembly, feel free to start a topic.
I will do my best to answer questions and help as much as I can. As more builders join, the forum will grow into a useful place for tips, build discussions and shared experience.
Hi, I have built the rack version of Creative in my own size here in Sweden and about 1800mm long and 1300mm wide and here are my observations:
- 1. The Z-axis is incredibly stiff, I have had both X-carve, Shapeoko and some homebuilt stuff but this is a completely different level, the z-axis barely wobbles with the steel reinforcement.
- 2. Precision, very good, tested some 3d cutting and it has the same results as the ball screw machines I have used, the advantage is the speed. Even though I run both files at the same speed, the Creative does the job faster because I have it at 10000mm/min between passes. I don't have a gearbox, I use direct drive
- 3. Complexity, this machine is a bit more complicated with induction switches, I don't really understand the wiring, but I followed the guide and everything works as it should, I really like the calibration function where the machine stands 90 degrees at start
- 4. Cost, for me it wasn't that expensive, I was able to use parts from my other machines. I cut the sheets at a friend's place who has a fiber laser, for me the price tag was about 7000 Sek, or close to 700 EUR
- 5 Was it worth it, Yes this is the best machine I've ever owned, I have no experience with expensive machines but this one feels and above all looks like a real machine, I can easily have it visible when my customers visit the shop.
The reason I first built the machine was size, my other machines are too small for my purposes and extending them would have been complicated, but I'm glad I built the machine, it will be absolutely perfect and do the job more than well, and thanks to Janne who helped me find the last parts. I'll post some pictures as soon as I finish building the machine, I still have the consumable table and a few small things. Q: Where do you get the black boards that the machine in the video has, what material is it, is it MDF?
Thank you for sharing this, really nice to read.
I think this is exactly the kind of build experience that is useful for others who are considering the rack version. It also shows one of the main ideas behind the Creative project: if you already have some parts, or access to local cutting/machining, the machine can become a very cost-effective build.
The rack version is also my personal favourite for larger Creative builds. Ball screws are great in the right machine size, but rack and pinion gives a very good balance between speed, cost and performance, especially when the machine gets longer.
The Z-axis feedback is also good to hear. The steel reinforcement and the HGR15 rails make a big difference there.
Regarding the black boards in the video: they are not regular MDF. They are Valchromat, which is basically a colored, denser fiberboard. It machines nicely and looks much better than standard MDF, so I often use it for covers, side panels and details where I want the machine to look more finished.