I’m wanting to add a rotary roller, and I’ve noticed a specific feature that only a couple of them appear to have. All have two rollers, but the Ortur and FoxAlien have an extra set of small rollers on one end to accommodate objects like a wine glass. Is there anyone out there that has used both and can comment on how well this feature has been implemented on each? All rotary rollers are “Adjustable”, but some appear to be much easier to change from one position to another by simply loosening knobs as opposed to having to use screwdrivers and so forth.
Rotaries are a good example of ‘you get what you pay for’. Every ‘special’ part adds to the cost.
Chuck and wheel rotaries have their places. I finally chose the PiBurn, it’s pretty expensive but it has ‘handled’ most of the problem areas.
The biggest issue I have with them is slowing things down enough so the cup/mug doesn’t ‘slip’.
It’s also dependent on what you are going to engrave. I’ve done mostly cups/mugs but also did some 3/4" acrylic all on the PiBurn.
If you are doing mugs and such, there needs to be room for the handle to pass between everything. Ther is also size, how big of a mug do you want to be able to do?
Thanks! No idea how much use I’ll get out of a rotary. I do like their design. As you mentioned, they appear to have addressed several things that could fail. This is the first one I’ve seen with the small roller that goes inside the cub to ensure good friction with the main rollers. The offset of the rollers from the frame to allow clearance for “handles” is well executed.
When you ‘roll’ objects around they have a tendency to ‘walk’ so both the hold down roller and the little one on the left helps keep the cup/mug from walking.
I’ve seen videos of this engraving a 32 oz tumbler with a handle… I’ve done 3/4" acrylic tubing with it.
Th PiBurn is too long for my current laser setup. I have the Two Trees Totem S. I’m considering setting up a 2nd laser at some point for rotary projects if I really get into this. I have many other hobbies, so they all compete for slices of my time. I’m retiring at the end of December, so it’ll likely wait until then.
The price you see is the price you pay + shipping. you get every option available for each respective rotary for the price you see. very rare exceptions depending on your machine (Boss mainly)
Looks like you are running NEMA 17 motors (which will work on my rotaries) only thing would need to figure out the motor amp so you could get the right size motor for your setup… ( Correction ) i figured it out.
Since I have no idea how deeply I’ll get into using a rotary unit, I can’t justify spending $500+. Based on how I typically buy things such as “tools”, I’ll buy the cheap Harbor Freight model to see if I find it useful and also to learn which features are worth having. If it’s a tool I find I’ll get a lot of use of out, then I’ll buy the more expensive, better built name brand tool.
With the above in mind, I’m looking at the following:
Ortur YRR 2.0
FoxAlien R42
Comgrow
AtomStack R3
I realize they’re not nearly as good as the PiBurn or Rotoboss, but I have to be realistic. Is there anyone out there who have experience with more than one of these that can provide insight as to why one is more work having than another?
You can see some of the improvements made on the more expansive models. You just need to start eliminating the options as you see as ‘not worth’ the extra cost.
Good luck…
Let us know what you end up with and how you like it…
I ordered the Foxalien R42 this afternoon. I need a low profile unit due to the height of my enclosure. The Atomstack is tall too start with. I like the fact that your don’t have to completely remove screws to move the roller. The support arm for supporting things like wine glasses appears more adjustable than others.
My current setup with the new rotary unit will be a good learning experience. This is just a hobby for now, so I don’t have to have the best to enjoy it. I’ve enjoyed just getting everything setup. I plan to create a post with everything I’ve done in case any of it can help others
