Delusional Designs CNC- ever heard of it?

Mark S · Mar 9, 2016

I am searching many CNC tables and I came across Delusional Designs on another forum. I have spoken to the owner of the company twice and it all sounds good to my novice ears. I am looking at the name brands as well but this table seems to have everything I think I need for little more than $5K for a fully assembled 600 pound welded 4x4 with automatic height control, laptop with all software and even a water tray and dremmel mount. Only thing I need to add is my plasma cutter and a machine torch. He will deliver and set up at my place. Almost seems too good to be true.

However, my internet search on this company and it's table comes up empty. Their website is under construction and offers very little info. The is one member on Plasma Spider who says he has one and praises the table and the owners customer service. That's it, I can't find anything else. I guess I just want to know if anybody here has any experience with or even heard of is company.

Thanks

jimcolt · Mar 9, 2016

There are over 25 manufacturers of low cost, entry level cnc tables ranging in price from about $3k to $20k, in sizes from 2 x 2 to 5 x 10. Two of the companies in this category, Plasmacam and Torchmate....have perhaps 15,000 or so machines (each) in the field........the others will vary from about 3000 systems to maybe 4 or 5 systems sold. Like in any industry, the best companies will survive and be around in tens years when you may need some parts.......if you buy a machine that uses custom made circuit boards....or custom software.....and they go out of business, then you can expect to be less than satisfied. If the Delusional Designs tables use off the shelf components (such as stepper drive cards from a well known supplier, CAM software and motion control software....from the same companies that supply software to others in this industry......and components such as bearings, linear guideways, gears, racks, etc. that can be purchased from normal supply channels....then you could be safe with one of these at the low end of the price range. One of the most important things for good plasma cutting is the height control system......and many of the low cost machines either use low cost impoted standalone THC's that are marginal....or do not have height control at all.

There also are companies that provide electronics, software, motors and height controls in kit form, and other companies that provide mechanical components in kit form as well....so you can build your own very low cost cnc (assuming you don't charge for your time!).

I have heard mention of delusional designs on a forum or two. Just do your research and read my comments so you know what you will be getting into if you make the purchase! Oh.....and similar thinking goes with the plasma cutter you choose....but that is another subject!

Jim Colt Hypertherm

Mark S · Mar 9, 2016

Thanks Jim. I already have my Hpertherm Powermax 45, which was largely based on your advise last year. Extremely happy with my plasma cutter.

I keep asking about the lower cost machines as I don't really know how much I will use it. But then again, I'd hate to buy a cheaper unit and be so disappointed I don't use it. I don't want to build my own table as I always want stuff yesterday.

I do read your comments and value your advice. Thanks

jimcolt · Mar 10, 2016

Just understand I am not knocking the Delusional Designs cnc tables.....There just is not enough info on their web site to make a fair comparison with the other brands.....and I have never seen any online posts describing the construction or performance in the field. Impossible to really pass judgement, however the low price makes me think it may be similarly equipped with other machines in that price range! Jim Colt

Mark S · Mar 11, 2016

Jim. I have decided to go with the Delusional Design CNC after several conversations with the owner, George. The deciding factor was that he will drive to Florida and set the machine up in my backyard shop. Being completely new to CNCs and having the builder come to my shop, hook it up to my Hypertherm Powermax 45 and actually showing me how to use it is invaluable to me.

As always, I really appreciate your input and will post my results and impressions when I receive the table.

Todd496 · Mar 12, 2016

When I got my Table i took a legal pad and wrote step by step on line items. At first I thought I dont need to do this and when I was by myself I was glad I did it. Although just when I thought I got this wrong! Like someone else said its not Rocket Science. If I can do it you can. There is so many folks on the Weldingweb that have given me advise and priceless articles I read that where again priceless. There are plasma tables on this site that are the best of the best quility tables.

acourtjester · Mar 11, 2016

Where in Florida????

Mark S · Mar 11, 2016

Davie, west of Ft. Lauderdale

acourtjester · Mar 11, 2016

Thanks for the reply I would have like to see the table but I'm almost as far away in Florida as you can get (Pensacola) ha ha
Have fun, you are getting into a very interesting part of metal working. Weather you are getting into it for fabrication of parts for projects or art type work. If you can I would video tape the guy's instruction so you can view it over to learn the details. It is not black magic but there can be things that seem different until you understand how they work. A great thing about CNC is you make something today and a year latter you want another you just load the G-code and make another one exactly the same.

wornoutoldwelder · Mar 12, 2016

Glad Jim Colt jumped in.

Jim, while we wait for OP to post about his table choice after it is installed, I believe you have one in your home shop.

I am getting interested in getting my own someday.

Is it possible that perhaps you can post a thread on your table, or link us to it if already posted somewhere?

jimcolt · Mar 12, 2016

I currently have two Plasmacam machines.....a 4 x 4 DHC2 that I have had for 9 years and a 2 x 2 Go torch, both equipped with Mini Machine torches and Powermax65 and 85 systems as well as Snapncut torch mounts. I have built 5 home built machines including 2 last summer for Hypertherm's use at the Sema and Fabtech shows.

The problem with me writing evaluations on particular brands of CNC tables......is that I work for Hypertherm. Hypertherm does not build cnc machines, however we have business relationships with close to 100 worldwide manufacturers of cnc tables. Often, when I mention a brand of cnc tables on the forums that I monitor.....if I say something good I get negative feedback (on occasion) from other machine builders that I am being one sided. If I say something bad......guaranteed I will be on a conference call with the OEM machine builder that I said something bad about. I try real hard to discuss the technology of tables......what features are good, things to avoid, etc.

I am always happy consulting with potential buyers one on one when it comes to comparing machines, however I cannot get away with that on public forums!

Just the fact that I have two Plasmacam machines tells you something! My home shop is just a hobby shop, but a lot of cool things have come out of it over the years!

Here are the two homebuilt machines that I designed and built in about 6 weeks late last summer. Virtually every piece of steel used to fabricate these machines was cut on my 4 x 4 Plasmacam....if you went to last November's Sema show in Vegas you would have seen one in the Hypertherm booth....the second was at the Fabtech show in Chicago one week later. The Gantry, torch carriage and z axis used components from Precision Plasma, the CNC control with integrated THC was from Hypertherm, the drive amplifiers and servo's were from Kollmorgen, and each had a Powermax65. The tables had to have a self contained fume control which consisted of a water tray with side draft, 3 welding fume filters and a built in high vacuum fan to pull the fine particles into the filters. These machines cut multiple days at each show without producing any smoke, and with no water splash on the plate or the machines.

Jim Colt

acourtjester · Mar 12, 2016

If you check out Plasmaspider.com it is a web site for plasma work, lots of info on just about any plasma topic.

have fun

wornoutoldwelder · Mar 12, 2016

Thank you big time Jim.

I fully understand your position now, and totally accept it.

Looks like you know a whole lot more about tables than the average Bear, as Yogi Bear would say.

Delusional Designs CNC- ever heard of it?

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