Next Wave Automation has just launched an entirely new version of its flagship, small-format CNC Shark: the CNC Shark II. It includes nearly all of the robust, industrial features of Next Wave’s CNC Shark HD4® model, but at a lower price point and smaller-shop footprint.
The CNC Shark II now incorporates 30-millimeter bars, which are 225 percent larger than the original CNC Shark. Its larger NEMA 23 stepper motors and anti-backlash, wear-compensated, high-precision lead screws on all three axes allow the use of larger, full-size 2-1/4 HP routers or a water-cooled spindle (neither are included). This significant change now provides the CNC Shark II with 7 in. of vertical cutting capacity, enabling it to support fourth-axis and laser modules. Its total X-Y-Z travel capacity is 13 in. x 25 in. x 7 in.
The machine is fully compatible with the following routers: Bosch 1617 and 1618; Porter-Cable 690 and 890 series (6902VS must be manually started); and DEWALT models 610, 616 and 618.
Other improvements include a metal back plate and a 16- x 36-in. interlocking aluminum table with rigid channels for fast, flexible clamping. Detachable, rotating cradles allow for different attachments, and adjustable bearings provide more stability during heavy cutting applications.
The CNC Shark II ships with a 3/8-in.-dia. V-groove bit, two hold-down clamps, VCarve Desktop V9.0 Design software and CNC Shark Control Panel operating software with Virtual Zero technology. It works with Windows® 7 or later.
“The CNC Shark was one of the first, widely distributed small format CNC machines in the world,” says Tim Owens, Next Wave Automation’s founder and CEO. “Though still an excellent machine, it was time to update and improve it and that’s exactly what we did — the new CNC Shark II machine is an industrial powerhouse with a small footprint, so that hobbyists and small shops can have a full range of functionality without having to create the space or the budget for machines costing literally, thousands of dollars more.”
Next Wave’s new CNC Shark II is backed by a one-year limited warranty and is manufactured in the U.S.A. It sells for $2,999.
