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Carvey 3D carving machine launches on Kickstarter

by Mark Tyson on 21 October 2014, 14:05

Tags: Kickstarter

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qackjj

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An interesting new 'maker' project launches on Kickstarter today. Inventables is seeking $50,000 backing for a project called 'Carvey', which is an easy to use desktop 3D carving machine. If you've been following 3D printing with interest but aren't interested in the usual plastic output those entry level machines produce, then perhaps Carvey would be better for you. It is capable to carving shapes from many common construction materials such as woods, metals and plastics.

The Carvey machine is easy to fit on a desktop and outputs designs from your computer screen via a free 2D/3D web-app called Easel. When your design is ready, connect a USB cable to the Carvey and click the 'carve' button. Easel supports the import of designs and objects from other programs. It's said to be quiet enough for a classroom setting and could be used for your personal fun, hobby or business.

"In the past few years we’ve seen an explosion in 3D printing, and we believe that 3D carving is the next step," explains Zach Kaplan, Inventables CEO. "We are looking for the support of the Kickstarter community to make Carvey a reality. Carvey is for the maker in all of us, and we hope we can bring everyone the opportunity to create something exciting."

Key features of Carvey include:

  • Automatic calibration so you can click “Carve” to start
  • Case design makes the machine quiet enough for you to talk on the phone while its running
  • Seamless integration with Easel software for easy workflow from design to finish
  • Colour ‐ coded bit system simplifies multi-cut jobs
  • LED lighting inside the case to keep you aware of progress

Carvey is said to be the most affordable and easy way for 'makers' to create products from a wide range of different materials. The machines will be available from $1999 via an early bird pledge. The Kickstarter project is supposed to launch at this link at 2pm today.



HEXUS Forums :: 6 Comments

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It's a small CNC mill. They can try and rebrand it as a ‘3D carving machine" to try and make it seem somehow new or innovative, but it’s still just a small CNC mill.
that's nothing new…. it's just a 2D cnc machine in a case. Now if it was a 3D version (which there are some including one with a 3d printer option) then it wouldn't be a bad deal but that just seems expensive to me.
Ok Let's cut through the BULL**** right here and right now.

It's NOT a “3d carving” machine, that is a CNC mill.
I don't care how hip and trendy 3d printing is, stop giving bull**** names to things!
An apple is an apple you don't call it a “green tangerine” because oranges are cool at the moment.

Next the claim “woods, metals and plastics” anyone with experience in CNC knows that there's a big step and difference between wood and plastic and metal.
To start with what metal?, I'll bet this thing will struggle with any real thickness of copper or even aluminium. There's a good reason good cnc metal mills have all the mess of coolant fluid flowing over the bit, you need it when you work with metal.

Cost $2000 isn't that cheap for what it is, cheap basic cnc mill start at around £400 and go up, granted that doesn't include software and most use old control systems (old parallel or serial ports)
So it $2000 might not be that bad (note that that's only the initial limited price, it'll be $2400 after) but it might be overpriced made to look more than it is to people who don't know better by slick marketing.
To be honest, it looks more like a small CNC router to me than a mill. It might be useful as an alternative to a laser cutter for education now pupils aren't allowed near real machine tools but for the same sort of money you can buy a 3 axis router that can also be configured as a 3D printer.
guys guys….this is clearly a Virtual Reality 3D world creating particle restructuring Atom shearing machine. Worth every penny if you ask me….