On 6/23/2019 1:06 PM, dpb wrote:
On 6/22/2019 4:18 PM, Leon wrote:
Has anyone bought the Shaper Origin yet?

I see that the Festool parent company, the one that bought SawStop,
has now acquired the Shaper Origin.

So I guess you'll not be picking one up at Harbor Freight anytime real
soon now...


Probably not.


I hadn't heard of it before -- and didn't have time to do more than just
glance at the video so...at the risk of the obvious, how does this thing
work as being handheld?

--

It is basically a router in a computerized holder. The front top has a
camera to view the special dotted tape on the work and a video screen to
see the field.

You import drawings of what you want to cut or design on the onboard
screen and then cut.

The design shows a projected path to take and you follow that path. You
provide the coarse adjustment/movement and the onboard computer provides
the the fine resolution adjustments.
There is a circle on the screen and you simply push the tool so that the
circle is over the path on the screen. While the circle in on the path
the tool will adjust itself within that circle to cut in the correct
location. The spindle/motor moves independently of your guidance. If
you go too far off course the spindle will raise and not cut where it is
not suppose to cut.

It is basically a portable CNC machine. It has unlimited travel, being
portable. You can engrave a whole wood floor in a room.

Pricey, $2500. but a CNC can cost you tens of thousands of $s and you
are limited to the CNC's platform size.

Like the SawStop this tool has been floating around for 4~5 years in
limited production batches. It apparently is now available and ready
for prime time.